DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Lim (20140105678).
Claim 1. Lim discloses a rebar system for mounting on a concrete reinforcement bar, said rebar system comprising:
a sleeve (10) having a first end, a second end and an intermediate portion joining said first end and said second end (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1and 2 and noted in the disclosure), said sleeve having a bore therethrough (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1 and 2 and noted in the disclosure) and a tapered wall (101) defining at least one engaging surface, at least one of said first end or second end having a sleeve threaded surface (at 102);
a clamp (comprised of two or more 20 as noted in the disclosure and figures) disposed within the sleeve, said clamp being adapted to receive said concrete reinforcing bar (40) and to be driven axially in the bore and against said tapered wall of said sleeve to cause a radial dimension of said clamp to be reduced until said clamp engages the concrete reinforcement bar and clamps thereagainst (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure); and
a threaded member (30) for threadably engaging said sleeve threaded surface and for engaging said clamp upon relative rotation of said sleeve and said threaded member in order to force said clamp to move axially within said bore and against said tapered wall of said sleeve to force a radial dimension of said clamp to be reduced, thereby causing said clamp to engage said concrete reinforcement bar and securing said rebar system to said concrete reinforcement bar (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure).
Claim 2. The rebar system as recited in claim 1 wherein said clamp has a plurality of clamping members (paragraph 0021), each having an external clamp tapered wall (201) that cooperates with said tapered wall of said sleeve to force said plurality of clamp members together upon said relative rotation of said sleeve and said threaded member (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure).
Claim 3. The rebar system as recited in claim 2 wherein said tapered wall of said sleeve and said external clamp tapered wall are at least partially frusto-conical (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure).
Claim 4. The rebar system as recited in claim 2 wherein said plurality of clamping members define a first clamping member and a second clamping member (as noted at least at paragraph 0021) that are spaced from each other after receiving said concrete reinforcement bar therebetween (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure).
Claim 5. The rebar system as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said first clamping member and said second clamping member have an internal wall having serrations (202) thereon.
Claim 6. The rebar system as recited in claim 1 wherein said sleeve threaded surface defines a threaded area in said sleeve (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure), and said tapered wall of said sleeve defines a clamp receiving area for receiving said clamp before said concrete reinforcing bar is inserted into said clamp (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure, where it is capable of the claimed intended use).
Claim 7. The rebar system as recited in claim 6 wherein said clamp has a plurality of clamping members (paragraph 0021), each having an external clamp tapered wall that cooperates with said tapered wall of said sleeve to force said plurality of clamp members together upon said relative rotation of said sleeve and said threaded member (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure).
Claim 8. The rebar system as recited in claim 7 wherein said tapered wall of said sleeve and said external clamp tapered wall are at least partially frusto-conical (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure).
Claim 9. The rebar system as recited in claim 8 wherein said plurality of clamping members define a first clamping member and a second clamping member (paragraph 0021) that are spaced from each other after receiving said concrete reinforcement bar therebetween (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure).
Claim 10. The rebar system as recited in claim 9 wherein each of said first clamping member and said second clamping member have an internal wall having serrations (202) thereon.
Claim 11. The rebar system as recited in claim 1 wherein said sleeve of the rebar system is mounted on a terminating end of the concrete reinforcing bar (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure and as seen in figure 4).
Claim 12. Lim discloses a rebar system, comprising:
a plurality of sleeves (10 as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2/ where it is mass produced therefore there are a plurality-paragraph 0039) having a first end, an opposite second end and a bore extending therethrough sized to allow several rebar (40) members to extend into said plurality of sleeves (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure), said first end having an internal frusto-conical surface (101) and said opposite second end having an internal threaded surface (102 as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure);
at least two coupling members (20-paragraph 0021) disposed within said plurality of sleeves (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure), each of said at least two coupling members having an outer frusto-conical surface (201) that is complimentary to said internal frusto-conical surface of said plurality of sleeves (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure); and
a threaded body (30) having outer threaded surfaces (301) configured to threadably engage said internal threaded surface of said plurality of sleeves (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure) and an annular opening (at 302) sized to receive said rebar members (paragraph 0023 and as seen in figure 4);
wherein rotation of at least one of said plurality of sleeves and said threaded body relative to each other in a predetermined direction causes said threaded body to urge said at least two coupling members in a direction toward said first end to reduce a radial spacing between said at least two coupling members and into secure engagement with said rebar members (as seen in the embodiments of figures 1-2 and noted throughout the disclosure).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA LAUX whose telephone number is (571)272-8228. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-3:30.
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JESSICA L. LAUX
Examiner
Art Unit 3635
/JESSICA L LAUX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3635