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 Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 3, line 1, “the” in its fourth occurrence is objected to because it is grammatically incorrect, therefore it is suggested to delete “the” in its fourth occurrence. Appropriate correction is required.
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, 2, 4-6, 13, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hecht et al. (US 6,071,046).
Regarding claim 1, Hecht discloses a drill (Figs. 1 and 2), comprising: a body (1) having a plurality of flutes (4) extending along the body (1); and a point (2) at a cutting end of the body (1), the point (2) has a web (30, 24, and 32 comprise the web) positioned between the flutes (4) and a chisel edge (24) on the web (30, 24, and 32 comprise the web), the point (2) has a cutting lip (20, 22) and a flank surface (16) defining one of the flutes (4), the cutting lip (20, 22) extends from the chisel edge (24) and the flank surface (16) extends from a side of the chisel edge (24) opposite the cutting lip (20, 22), the web (30, 24, and 32 comprise the web) has a relief (30) extending into the flank surface (16).
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Regarding claim 2, Hecht discloses wherein the relief (30) does not extend into the chisel edge or the cutting lip (20, 22).
Regarding claim 4, Hecht discloses wherein the relief (30) extends from a first end (see annotated Fig. 1) to a second end (see annotated Fig. 1) along a side surface of the web (30, 24, and 32 comprise the web), the first end is positioned adjacent to the chisel edge (24) and is spaced apart from the chisel edge (24).
Regarding claim 5, Hecht discloses wherein the relief (30) has a relief length (RL) along the side surface of the web (30, 24, and 32 comprise the web) between the first end and the second end, the relief length is greater than a chisel edge length of the chisel edge (24).
Regarding claim 6, Hecht discloses wherein the relief length (RL) appears to 5% to 50% of a drill radius of the drill.
Regarding claim 13, Hecht discloses wherein the web (30, 24, and 32 comprise the web) has a web length along a radial direction that is greater than a chisel edge length (CEL) of the chisel edge (24) along the radial direction.
Regarding claim 14, Hecht discloses wherein the plurality of flutes (4) include a first flute and a second flute extending helically along the body (1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hecht et al. (US 6,071,046) in view of Goulbourne (US 2009/0087275 A1).
Hecht as described in detail above discloses all of the claimed subject matter except for the following: wherein the body has a pair of channels extending through the body helically around a rotation axis of the drill; wherein the channels are spaced apart from the web and one of the channels has an end opening extending through the flank surface; or wherein the body and the point are monolithically formed in a single piece from a carbide material.
Goulbourne discloses a body having a pair of channels (15; Fig. 2A) extending through the body helically around a rotation axis of the drill (see Fig. 2A), wherein the channels (15) are spaced apart from apart one another and has an end opening extending through the flank surface (11). Goulbourne also discloses wherein the body and the point (18; Fig. 2B) are monolithically formed in a single piece from a carbide material (see claim 84).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the body of Hecht with a pair of channels extending through the body helically around a rotation axis of the drill wherein the channels are spaced apart from the web and one of the channels has an end opening extending through the flank surface, and wherein the body and the point are monolithically formed in a single piece from a carbide material, in light of the teachings of Goulbourne, in order to provide a drill having increased hardness and improved drilling performance.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 7-12, and 15-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references listed on the attached PTO-892 are cited to show drills with a chisel, a relief, and flutes.
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/JERMIE E COZART/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
August 18, 2026
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