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
1. Claims 5, 7, and 13 are objected to because of the following informalities: in
claim 5, “each of the outer blade piece” should be –each of the other blade pieces--. In claim 7, “a first comb and a second comb” should be –a first comb and a second comb of the plurality of combs--. In claim 7, “the plurality of the comb” should be –the plurality of the combs-- to be consistent with claim 1. In claim 13, “each of the plurality of the comb” should be –each of the plurality of the combs--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
2. 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.
3. Claims 2-4 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 2, “a position of the groove in the second direction and a
position of the outer slit in the second direction are the same as each other” is unclear and ambiguous. It is not apparent what is meant by “the same position” in this context. Specially, it is unclear whether this language is intended to indicate that the groove is aligned with the outer slit in the second direction.
Regarding claim 3, “on the side close to the groove” lacks antecedent basis.
Regarding claim 4, “on the side opposite to the outer slit” and “on the side close to the outer slit” lack antecedent basis.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. Claims 1-8 and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Dalkowitz (2,228,258). Regarding claim 1, Dalkowitz teaches a slit blade block comprising: a slit outer blade 11 comprising a plurality of outer blade pieces (17 or 17a) extending in a first direction (y-axis) and spaced apart from each other in a second direction (x-axis) intersecting the first direction; and a comb component (40, 100 or 40a, 110) comprising a plurality of combs (40 or 40a) provided outside the slit outer blade (11 or 11a) in the first direction (along the y-axis) and spaced apart from each other in the second direction (along the x-axis), wherein an outer slit (defined by the space between two adjacent teeth 17 ort 17a; Figs. 3 and 6) is provided between two adjacent outer blade pieces (17 or 17a) of the plurality of the outer blade pieces, the two adjacent outer blade pieces (17 or 17a) being adjacent to each other in the second direction, a groove (defined by the space between two adjacent combs 40 or 40a; Figs. 3 and 6) which communicates with the outer slit is provided between two adjacent combs (40 or 40a) of the plurality of the combs, the two adjacent combs 40 being adjacent to each other in the second direction (along the x-axis), the comb component comprises a protrusion (102 or 114) protruding outward in the first direction (along the y-axis), and the protrusion comprises a first protrusion (102 or 114) that extends across two or more of combs (40 or 40a; Figs. 3-4) of the plurality of the combs (40 or 40a), the two or more of combs (40 or 40a) being disposed side by side in the second direction (along the x-axis). See Figs. 1-6 in Dalkowitz.
Regarding claim 2, as best understood, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including that a position of the groove (defined by the space between the two adjacent combs 40 or 40a) in the second direction and a position of the outer slit (defined by the space between two adjacent outer blade pieces 17 or 17a) between two adjacent in the second direction are the same as each other. See Figs. 3 and 6 in Dalkowitz.
Regarding claim 3, as best understood, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including that a width of the groove in the second direction on a side close to the outer slit is equal to a width of the outer slit in the second direction on the side close to the groove. As can be clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 6, the width of the groove is equal to the width of the outer slit along the second direction.
Regarding claim 4, as best understood, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including a width of the groove in the second direction on the side opposite (defined by the side of the comb (40 or 40a) which is tapered and is adjacent the protrusion 102 or 114; Figs. 3-6) to the outer slit is larger than the width of the groove in the second direction on the side close to the outer slit. See Figs. 3-6 in Dalkowitz.
Regarding claim 5, as best understood, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including that each of the outer blade piece (17or 17a) is provided such that one end thereof in the first direction and the other end thereof in the first direction are shifted (as being tapered in one end with respect to the opposite end; Figs. 4 and 6) from each other in the second direction.
Regarding claim 6, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including that the plurality of the combs (40 or 40a) are provided on both sides in the first direction, combs on one side in the first direction are provided such that the positions thereof in the second direction are the same as that of the one end of the plurality of the outer blade pieces (17 or 17a; as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6) in the first direction, the combs on one side in the first direction being included in the plurality of the combs (40 or 40a), and combs on the other side in the first direction are provided such that the positions thereof in the second direction are the same as that of the other end of the plurality of the outer blade pieces in the first direction, the combs on the other side in the first direction being included in the plurality of the combs. It should be noted that the combs (40 or 40a) and the outer blade pieces are provided on both sides of the first direction (along the y-axis). See Figs. 1-6 in Dalkowitz.
Regarding claim 7, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including that the first protrusion (102 or 114) is provided so as to extend from a first comb (40 or 40a) to a second comb (40 or 40a; Figs. 4 and 6), where the first comb (40 or 40a) is included in the plurality of the comb and located at one end in the second direction, and the second comb (40 or 40a) is included in the plurality of the comb and located at the other end in the second direction. See Figs. 1-6 in Dalkowitz.
Regarding claim 8, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including that a partition wall (defined by the bottom wall between two adjacent teeth 40 or 40a; Figs. 3 and 6) is provided between the two adjacent combs (40 or 40a) which are adjacent to each other in the second direction, the partition wall comprises an inner surface (defined as the wall between the adjacent combs 40 or 40a which is inclined towards the mid-section of the comb component; Figs. 1 and 5-6) inside in the first direction, the inner surface inherently defining an outside of the groove in the first direction (the direction along the y-axis), and the inner surface is inclined so as to increase depth of the groove toward the slit outer blade.
Regarding claim 10, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including that the slit outer blade (11 or 11a) comprises a first wall part (defined as the flat wall in which the teeth (17 or 17a) are formed on one side if the slit outer blade 11 or 11a; Figs. 1 and 5-6) having a skin contact surface to be in contact with skin, and a second wall part (defined as the flat wall in which the teeth 17 or 17a are formed on the other side of the slit outer blade 11 or 11a; Figs. 2 and 5-6) connected to the first wall part, the outer slit comprises a first slit provided in the first wall part and a second slit provided in the second wall part, the second slit communicating (via the spaced below the walls wherein the movable cutter 20 or 20a is located) with the first slit, and the groove is provided so as to have a depth larger than a lower end of the second slit in a state where an opening of the groove faces upward. It should be noted that the depth of the groove (the spaced between the comps 40 or 40a) is larger than the depth of the slit (the spaced between the blade pieces 17 or 17a).
Regarding claim 11, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including that the protrusion has a shape curved (as they covered in a circle or a semi-circle; Figs. 3 and 6) so as to be convex outward in the first direction when viewed in the second direction (the direction along the x-direction.
Regarding claim 12, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including that the each of the plurality of the combs (40 or 40a) comprises a curved surface (defined as the surface which curbed up and outwardly to the tip of the comb 40 or 40a; Figs. 3 and 5-6) that protrudes outward in the first direction and a flat surface (defined as the top surface of the comb 40 or 40a) that is connected to an upper end of the curved surface and extends horizontally when viewed in the second direction by causing an opening of the groove to face upward, and the groove comprises an outward end of the groove (the space between two adjacent combs 40 or 40a) in the first direction, the outward end of the groove facing the opening of the groove and being located on the flat surface (the top surface of the comb 40 or 40a) when viewed in the second direction by causing the opening of the groove to face upward.
Regarding claim 13, Dalkowitz teaches everything noted above including that each of the plurality of the comb 40 comprises a curved surface (defined as the surface which curbed up and outwardly to the tip of the comb 40 or 40a; Fig. 3) that protrudes outward in the first direction and a flat surface (defined as the top surface of the comb 40 or 40a) that is connected to an upper end of the curved surface and extends horizontally when viewed in the second direction by causing an opening of the groove to face upward, and the groove comprises an outward end of the groove in the first direction, the outward end of the groove facing the opening of the groove and being located on a part of the curved surface, the part being above an apex (defined by the apex of the curved positioned in mid-section of the curve surface; Figs. 3 and 5-6) of the curved surface when viewed in the second direction by causing the opening of the groove to face upward.
Regarding claim 14, Dalkowitz teaches an electric razor comprising the slit blade block according to Claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. Claims 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
over Dalkowitz. Regarding claim 9, Delkowitz teaches everything noted above including that the inner surface inherently comprises an end facing an opening of the groove, the end being curved. Delkowitz does not explicitly disclose that the curved end is R-shaped when viewed in the second direction. However, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to configure the curved end in an R-shape or in any other suitable from. A change in form or shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art, absent any showing of unexpected results. In re Dailey et al., 149 USPQ 47.
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
applicant’s disclosure.
Geiser et al. (2010/029937 A1), Man Wong et al. (2016/0082606 A1), and Jensen (3,983,626) teach a slit blade block.
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/GHASSEM ALIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724 January 21, 2026