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 . In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (U.S. Patent No. 10,350,770).
Regarding claim 1, Chen teaches an edged tool (10, 20)(Figure 1) comprising: a blade (11), at a rear end portion thereof, divided in a thickness direction and provided with a space (14) open at the rear end side (Figure 2) and a handle (30) gripped by a user (Figures 1-2); and wherein the handle is a portion in which the space of the blade is provided (Figures 2-4; Examiner notes the handle portion to be within the blade portion. As such, a portion of the handle is within the space of the blade as currently claimed).
Regarding claim 2, Chen teaches the edged tool according to claim 1, wherein the space is formed by bonding a blade side end portion (121) and a back side end portion (122) at the rear end portion of the blade divided in the thickness direction (Figure 2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (U.S. Patent No. 10,350,770) in view of DeAsis (US 2003/0221323).
Regarding claim 5, Chen teaches an edged tool (10, 20)(Figure 1) comprising:
a blade (11), at a rear end portion thereof, divided in a thickness direction and provided with a space (14) open at the rear end side (Figure 2) and a handle (30) gripped by a user (Figures 1-2);
a connecting member (12) bonded to the rear end portion (Col. 3, Lines 49-64 and Col. 4, Lines 1-13) and having a connecting mechanism (22) on a rear end surface thereof, wherein the handle is connected to the blade via the connecting member (Figures 2-4; Col. 3, Lines 49-64).
Chen does not provide the connecting member having a female screw portion functioning as a connecting mechanism on the rear end surface thereof.
DeAsis teaches it is known in the art of securing blades and handles to provide a knife (5) with a handle (20) ,with a blade (10) having a space (17) in a rear end of the blade (Figure 4 and 6A; Paragraph 0026) and a connecting member with a connecting mechanism (40,44), the connecting member having a female screw portion (30) functioning as a connecting mechanism on the rear end surface thereof (Figures 4 and 6A).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the device of Chen to incorporate the teachings of DeAsis to the connecting member with a female screw portion. In doing so, it allows for the blade and handle portions to be easily separated and replaced as desired by the user.
Regarding claim 6, the modified device of Chen teaches the edged tool according to claim 1, wherein a side surface of the blade is a continuous surface from a cutting edge to the rear end portion, and the rear end portion is spread in the thickness direction (Chen Figures 2-4).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 5 and 6 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant's arguments filed 05/11/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues the prior art of Chen does not provide the limitation of the handle is a portion in which the space of the blade is provided. Examiner disagrees and notes that the claim only requires a portion of the handle to be within the space of the blade as currently claimed. As such, the prior art of Chen provides a blade, wherein a space is open at a rear end side and a portion of the handle is provided within the space as seen in Figures 2 and 4 (Note Figure 2 showing the space and Figure 4 noting the connection of the handle to the blade within the space of the blade)
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD D CROSBY JR whose telephone number is (571)272-8034. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Boyer Ashley can be reached at (571) 272-4502. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICHARD D CROSBY JR/ 05/27/2026Examiner, Art Unit 3724
/BOYER D ASHLEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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