DETAILED ACTION
The present application and its arguments have been reviewed and currently claims 1-2 and 5 are rejected, claims 3, 4, 7, 10, and 11 are withdrawn, and claims 6 and 8-9 are cancelled.
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 9/4/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2 and 5 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimazaki (JP-2013029193) in view of Mizuguchi et al. (JP-2003343783) and in further view of Oya (JP-H0735281).
In regards to claim 1, Shimazaki discloses:
A hose joint (see fig. 1a unless otherwise noted), comprising:
a guide part (1) provided on a nipple (6), and provided opposed to an inner surface (B1) of a hose body (B) having flexibility;
a tightening member (2) having a tapered surface (2a) provided opposed to an outer peripheral surface (1a) of the guide part, so as to have diameter increasing larger gradually in an inserting direction of the hose body;
a sleeve (3) provided reciprocatably in the inserting direction (N) of the hose body and a hose pullout direction (U, fig. 1b) in an opposite direction thereto along the tightening member, and
in a manner capable of undergoing diameter expansion and contraction deformation in a radial direction elastically (ex., compare fig. 1a with fig. 1b); and
an elastic member (4) provided so as to press the sleeve in the hose pullout direction along the tapered surface (see fig. 1b); and
a ring (5) holding the elastic member,
the ring has parallel surfaces with a given thickness in the inserting direction of the hose body and reciprocates in parallel with parallel surfaces of the tightening member, such that a pressing force of the elastic member acts on the sleeve uniformly in the circumferential direction,
the nipple has an escaping part (1d) for allowing the ring to escape by accommodating the ring in a space (ex., see space near 1d) when the pressing operation has been performed,
but does not disclose:
wherein the sleeve has an extending part to be more extended in the hose pullout direction in an opposite direction to the inserting direction of the hose body than the tightening member, and
the extending part functions as a pressing part for performing a pressing operation of pressing the sleeve in the inserting direction of the hose body, and causing diameter expansion thereof when the hose body that has completely undergone inserting is pulled out,
the escaping part for allowing the ring to escape by accommodating, on the farther side in the insertion direction than a hose butting part, the ring in a space when the pressing operation has been performed.
In regards to the extending part, Mizuguchi discloses a similar device comprising:
a first embodiment (see fig. 5) where a sleeve (30) does not comprise an extending part, and
a second embodiment (see fig. 6) where a sleeve (30) comprises an extending part (40) comprising a flange (41) and extending out of a tightening member (19) to provide the benefit of pushing the sleeve forward which allows teeth of the sleeve to project radially outward (see lines 242-246 in the translated document previously provided herein).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify the tightening member and sleeve of Shimazaki such that the sleeve comprises an extending part that extends beyond the tightening member and comprises a flange because Mizuguchi discloses that there a finite number of identified solutions such as a first embodiment where a sleeve does not comprise an extending part (see fig.5) extending from a tightening member or a second embodiment where a sleeve comprises an extending part extending from a tightening member (see fig. 6) to provide the benefit of pushing the sleeve forward (ex., via the flange) which allows teeth of the sleeve to project radially outward (see lines 242-246). A person of ordinary skill could have pursued the known potential solutions with a reasonable expectation of success because modifying the sleeve with the provision of an extending part such that the extending part extends beyond the tightening member and comprises a flange is within their technical grasp and would produce no new results.
In regards to the farther side, Oya discloses a similar device comprising multiple configurations, where:
a first embodiment shows a coil spring pressing directly against a wall (see 89 in fig. 8; see paragraph 0028 of the translated document provided herein), and
a second embodiment shows an annular groove comprising an annular groove comprising a space to allow mounting of a spring (see near 107 in fig. 11; see paragraph 0032 of the translated document provided herein).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify the annular wall of Shimazaki in view of Mizuguchi that directly abuts against the end of the pipe and the spring/ring with the provision of annular groove such that the spring is mounted in the annular groove which provides space to accommodate both the spring and the ring to meet the limitation of the claim because Oya explicitly discloses that it is known to provide annular grooves to allow mounting of a spring (see paragraph 0032), Oya discloses that there a finite number of identified solutions of using either a wall to mount a spring (see fig. 8) or an annular groove to mount a spring (see fig. 11). A person of ordinary skill could have pursued the known potential solutions with a reasonable expectation of success because modifying the annular wall of Shimazaki in view of Mizuguchi with the provision of an annular groove to mount a spring/ring device is within their technical grasp and would produce no new results.
In regards to claim 2, Shimazaki in view of Mizuguchi and Oya further discloses:
The hose joint according to claim 1, wherein the extending part has a flange (ex., see near 41 in fig. 6 of Mizuguchi), and the flange functions as a pressing part.
In regards to claim 5, Shimazaki discloses:
A hose joint (see fig. 1a hereinafter unless otherwise noted), comprising:
a guide part (1) provided on a nipple (6), and provided opposed to an inner surface (B1) of a hose body (B) having flexibility;
a tightening member (2) having a tapered surface (2a) provided opposed to an outer peripheral surface of the guide part, so as to have diameter increasing larger gradually in an inserting direction of the hose body (see fig. 1a);
a sleeve (3) provided reciprocatably in the inserting direction (N) of the hose body and a hose pullout direction (U, fig. 1b) in an opposite direction thereto along the tightening member, and in a manner capable of undergoing diameter expansion and contraction deformation in a radial direction elastically (ex., compare fig. 1a and 1b); and
an elastic member (4) provided so as to press the sleeve in the hose pullout direction along the tapered surface,
the nipple has an escaping part for allowing a receiving portion of the elastic member to escape by accommodating the receiving part of the hose body elastic member in a space (see space near 1d) when the pressing operation has been performed.
but does not disclose:
wherein the sleeve has an extending part to be more extended in the hose pullout direction in an opposite direction to the inserting direction of the hose body than the tightening member,
the extending part functions as a pressing part for performing a pressing operation of pressing the sleeve in the inserting direction of the hose body, and causing diameter expansion thereof when the hose body that has completely undergone inserting is pulled out,
the extending part has a flange, and the flange functions as a pressing part, and
the escaping part for allowing a receiving portion of the elastic member to escape by accommodating, on the farther side in the inserting direction than a hose butting part, the receiving part of the hose body elastic member in a space when the pressing operation has been performed.
In regards to the extending part, Mizuguchi discloses a similar device comprising:
a first embodiment (see fig. 5) where a sleeve (30) does not comprise an extending part, and
a second embodiment (see fig. 6) where a sleeve (30) comprises an extending part (40) comprising a flange (41) and extending out of a tightening member (19) to provide the benefit of pushing the sleeve forward which allows teeth of the sleeve to project radially outward (see lines 242-246 in the translated document previously provided herein).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify the tightening member and sleeve of Shimazaki such that the sleeve comprises an extending part that extends beyond the tightening member and comprises a flange because Mizuguchi discloses that there a finite number of identified solutions such as a first embodiment where a sleeve does not comprise an extending part (see fig.5) extending from a tightening member or a second embodiment where a sleeve comprises an extending part extending from a tightening member (see fig. 6) to provide the benefit of pushing the sleeve forward (ex., via the flange) which allows teeth of the sleeve to project radially outward (see lines 242-246). A person of ordinary skill could have pursued the known potential solutions with a reasonable expectation of success because modifying the sleeve with the provision of an extending part such that the extending part extends beyond the tightening member and comprises a flange is within their technical grasp and would produce no new results.
In regards to the farther side, Oya discloses a similar device comprising multiple configurations, where:
a first embodiment shows a coil spring pressing directly against a wall (see 89 in fig. 8; see paragraph 0028 of the translated document provided herein), and
a second embodiment shows an annular groove comprising an annular groove comprising a space to allow mounting of a spring (see near 107 in fig. 11; see paragraph 0032 of the translated document provided herein).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to modify the annular wall of Shimazaki in view of Mizuguchi that directly abuts against the end of the pipe and the spring/ring with the provision of annular groove such that the spring is mounted in the annular groove which provides space to meet the limitation of the claim because Oya explicitly discloses that it is known to provide annular grooves to allow mounting of a spring (see paragraph 0032), Oya discloses that there a finite number of identified solutions of using either a wall to mount a spring (see fig. 8) or an annular groove to mount a spring (see fig. 11). A person of ordinary skill could have pursued the known potential solutions with a reasonable expectation of success because modifying the annular wall of Shimazaki in view of Mizuguchi with the provision of an annular groove to mount a spring/ring device is within their technical grasp and would produce no new results.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Takada et al. (CN-101629660) discloses a similar device (see fig. 1) comprising a guide ring (28) comprising a hose butting part (ex., see 28 where there is a part that butts against the hose) that is before a side (ex., side the presses against spring) that directly presses against a spring (22) to provide the benefit of protecting sealing elements (see paragraph 0038 of the translated document provided herein).
Mizuguchi et al. (JP-2003343783; relied upon above) also discloses that it is known to provide a step (18) to allow abutting of a pipe end.
Shimazaki (JP-2018003980) discloses a similar device to the present invention.
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/A.T.R./Examiner, Art Unit 3679
/Matthew Troutman/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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