Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The listing of references in the specification is not a proper information disclosure statement. 37 CFR 1.98(b) requires a list of all patents, publications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office, and MPEP § 609.04(a) states, "the list may not be incorporated into the specification but must be submitted in a separate paper." Therefore, unless the references have been cited by the examiner on form PTO-892, they have not been considered.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-15 are objected to because of the following informalities: typographical or grammatical errors. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 recites “each of both sides of the collection vessel” which should be revised to “each side of the collection vessel”. The recitation “1-1.3 times width of each intercepting arm” should be revised to “1-1.3 times the width of each intercepting arm”. The phrase “contacts with each rotating shaft sleeve” should be revised to “contacts each rotating shaft sleeve” or “is in contact with each rotating shaft sleeve”. Additionally, the final limitation inconsistently recites a singular “arm supporting member (120)” that itself “comprises one or more arm supporting members”. The limitation should be revised to directly and consistently recite the intended number and location of the arm supporting members.
Claim 2 recites that the stop plate is “vertically arranged at an edge away from the collection vessel (100) of the bearing plate”. This wording should be revised, for example, to recite that the stop plate is vertically arranged at an edge of the bearing plate away from the collection vessel. Claim 2 further recites that the stop plate prevents the intercepting arms from “sliding down the bearing plate”, although the bearing plate is expressly recited as horizontally placed. If the intended meaning is that the stop plate prevents the intercepting arms from sliding “off” the bearing plate, the claim should be corrected accordingly.
Claim 3 recites that “the one or more holes are configured to be inserted by the auxiliary rod (115).” A hole is not inserted by a rod; rather, the rod is inserted into or received by the hole. The limitation should therefore be revised, for example, to recite that the one or more holes are configured to receive the auxiliary rod (115).
Claim 4 contains several informalities. The phrase “a length direction of the storage cavity (311) is same as that of the base arm” should recite “is the same as”. The phrase “a bottom surface adjacent to another end of the base arm (310), of the base arm (310)” should be rewritten to identify the bottom surface of the base arm adjacent to its other end. The claim also incorrectly identifies the expanding arm as “expanding arm (321)” whereas the expanding arm was introduced as element 320 and element 321 is the positioning tail rod. Finally, the first and second pin holes are recited as being “in fit with” the locking pin (314). This nonstandard wording should be revised, for example, to state that the pin holes are configured to receive the locking pin (314).
Claim 5 recites that the first and second plates are “hard plates horizontally arranged to play a role in bearing” the connecting columns. This should be revised to more clearly state that the plates are arranged horizontally and are configured to support the connecting columns. The phrase “each of the plurality of connecting columns (333) is a hollow cylinder with an opening at a bottom thereof, has an axial direction…” lacks a conjunction and should be corrected. The phrase “an inner side wall of the each connecting column” should read “an inner side wall of each connecting column” and “different connecting columns (333) have different size” should read “different sizes”. The phrase describing the columns as naturally stretching “under an influence of gravity of the force guide rod (323) and gravity of the plurality of connecting columns” should also be grammatically revised, for example to refer to the influence of gravity acting on those components. Finally, “is abutted against” should preferably be revised to “abuts”.
Claims 6 and 11 recite that each towing vessel “is fixed with” a supporting body and telescopic positioning rod. The phrase “is fixed with” is nonstandard and should be revised to clearly recite that the towing vessel is provided with or has fixed thereto the supporting body, as appropriate. The phrase “configured for bearing and fixing” should likewise be revised to “configured to support and fix” or other grammatically appropriate language preserving the intended relationship.
Claims 7 and 12 inconsistently identify element 316 as a “column fixing frame” and thereafter as a “column positioning frame”. The same terminology should be used consistently for element 316. The claims further recite that the buffer column is “configured to be earlier abutted against an obstacle than the base arm”. This should be grammatically revised, for example, to state that the buffer column is configured to contact an obstacle before the base arm contacts the obstacle.
Claims 8 and 13 recite that the electromagnets are “adsorbed and fixed together in a power-on state”. Because the recited components are electromagnets, “adsorbed” is inappropriate terminology. The specification elsewhere describes the magnets as being “attracted and fixed together in a power-on state”, and the claim language should be corrected accordingly.
Claims 9 and 14 recite “one of the two towing vessel” which should read “one of the two towing vessels”. The phrase “when the touch switch (318) is pressed by the sliding column being pressed to overcome an elastic force” is also grammatically awkward and should be revised to clearly state the sequence by which movement of the sliding column overcomes the elastic force and actuates the touch switch. Claims 9 and 14 additionally repeat the inconsistent “column fixing frame”/”column positioning frame” terminology and the phrase “configured to be earlier abutted against an obstacle than the base arm” which should be corrected as discussed above.
Claims 10 and 15 recite that “the splicing assembly (230) on one of the two towing vessels (200) are opposite to the splicing assembly (230) on another one of the two towing vessels”. Because the subject is singular, “are” should be revised to “is” and “another one of the two towing vessels” may more clearly be expressed as “the other towing vessel.” The phrase “has a same length direction” should read “has the same length direction”. Additionally, the phrase “a surface, far away from the slide guide rail (232), of the slider (231)” should be grammatically revised, for example, to “a surface of the slider (231) facing away from the slide guide rail (232)”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 8, 9 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 8, claim 8 recites, in part, that “an inner top of each connecting column (333) is provided with an adsorption magnet”. However, claim 8 depends from claim 4, and neither claim 4 nor any claim from which claim 4 depends, introduces or defines a “connecting column (333)”. Rather, the plurality of connecting columns (333) is first introduced in claim 5, from which claim 8 does not depend. Accordingly, it is unclear what structure is intended by “each connecting column (333)” in claim 8, thereby rendering the scope of the claim indefinite.
Regarding claims 9 and 14, these claims recite that, in response to activation of the touch switch (318), the control module controls a corresponding towing vessel (200) to “move forward quickly once”. The term “quickly” is a relative term of degree, and the claims do not provide an objective standard for determining the speed, acceleration, duration, or extent of movement required for the towing vessel to move forward “quickly”. The specification likewise does not provide an objective standard by which one of ordinary skill in the art could determine whether a particular forward movement is sufficiently “quick” to fall within the scope of the claims. Further, the recitation “once” does not establish the extent or duration of the forward movement that constitutes a single occurrence. Accordingly, the metes and bounds of the recited requirement to “move forward quickly once” cannot be determined with reasonable certainty, thereby rendering claims 9 and 14 indefinite.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. CN104554642A, CN115506319A, JPS5989292A, CN115094853A, CN112572709A, AU1631692A.
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/W.A.G./ Examiner, Art Unit 1779
/Bobby Ramdhanie/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1779
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