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 § 112
Claims 1-13 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.
The following claims are vague, indefinite, awkwardly , confusingly worded and/or lacking proper antecedent basis:
“its” in claim 1. The limitation must be positively recited and the limitation must have proper antecedent basis. The claim is indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 9, and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Snell 6152435.
Snell discloses the claimed invention as recited in the claims as shown below:.
1. A multi-directional vise device, which holds and guides a specimen having a length in one direction to cut the specimen in multiple directions, the device comprising: a first body part 40 first part and a second body part 40 second part facing each other and spaced apart from each other by a certain gap in a second direction vertical to a first direction while having the first direction, which is a length direction of the specimen, as a reference axis; at least one jig part disposed in each portion of the first body part and the second body part that accommodates the specimen; and a compression part 30 adjusting the gap between the first body part and the second body part, wherein at least one of the first body part and the second body part has at least a portion of its upper side that includes a cut part 52 second part formed in the second direction.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first body part includes the cut part, and the jig part is divided into two by the cut part. See Fig.1A 52 part 1 which is on the right of the page
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the jig part has an inner circumferential surface 60 formed along an outer circumference 50 of the specimen.
11. The device of claim 9, wherein the jig part is detachable from the body part. See Fig.1A
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the compression part 30 has a cylindrical structure.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8-9, and 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Yang 4969638.
Yang discloses the claimed invention as recited in the claims as shown below:.
A multi-directional vise device, which holds and guides a specimen having a length in one direction to cut the specimen in multiple directions, the device comprising: a first body part 101 and a second body part 102 facing each other and spaced apart from each other by a certain gap in a second direction vertical to a first direction while having the first direction, which is a length direction of the specimen, as a reference axis; at least one jig part disposed in each portion of the first body part and the second body part that accommodates the specimen; and a compression part 2000 adjusting the gap between the first body part and the second body part, wherein at least one of the first body part and the second body part has at least a portion of its upper side that includes a cut part 1000 formed in the second direction.
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2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first body part includes the cut part, and the jig part is divided into two by the cut part. See Fig.1A 106 first pair and 106 second pair
3. The device of claim 1, further comprising an upper plate 122 disposed on the body part, accommodating the first body part and the second body part together, and including a guide part perforated in the upper plate in the first direction.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the upper plate includes a rotation shaft (screws of plate) fixed thereto together with the body part, and the upper plate is rotated based on the rotation shaft in the first direction or the second direction.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein the upper plate has a shape of a rectangle having a longer length in the first direction, and the rotation shaft is fixed to the upper plate together with the body part in a predetermined portion between a position close to a central portion of the upper plate in the length direction among edges of the upper plate, and an edge of the body part including the cut part. See 122
8. The device of claim 3, in which one end of the upper plate is on the same line as one end of each of the first body part and the second body part, further comprising an upper plate fixing part fixing the position of the upper plate by being disposed on one side of the body part, which includes the cut part, and by being in surface contact with a side of the body part and a side of the upper plate together. See Fig.1
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the jig part has an inner circumferential surface 106 the back part formed along an outer circumference 103 of the specimen.
11. The device of claim 9, wherein the jig part is detachable from the body part. See Fig.1
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the compression part 2000 has a cylindrical structure.
13. A method of cutting multi-directional specimens using the multi-directional vise device of claim 3, the method comprising: step a) of seating the specimen on a jig part by disposing the specimen to have a length direction parallel to a first direction; step b) of fixing the specimen by adjusting a gap between a first body part and a second body part by using a compression part; step c) of guiding the cutting of the specimen in the first direction by rotating an upper plate for a guide part of the upper plate to be parallel to the first direction based on a rotation shaft; and step d) of guiding the cutting of the specimen in a second direction by rotating the upper plate for the guide part of the upper plate to be parallel to the second direction based on the rotation shaft. The method is merely the natural use of the device
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7 and 10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 892 form discloses prior art being made of record..
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEE D WILSON whose telephone number is (571)272-4499. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 6;30-4;30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, BRIAN KELLER can be reached at 571-272-8548. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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LEE D. WILSON
Examiner
Art Unit 3723
Ldw
/LEE D WILSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723 June 16, 2026
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