DETAILED ACTION
Notice of 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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because
Figure 1 contains solid black shading areas with is not permitted. See 37 C.F.R. 1.84(m).
Figure 1 has poor reproductive quality because the drawing is fading in the USPTO filing system which makes it difficult to see the different features of the invention. This could be occurring because the figure appears to a reproduction of a CAD model/photograph. Black and white drawings are normally required. India ink, or its equivalent that secures solid black lines, must be used for drawings. See 37 CFR 1.84(a).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
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) 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pittwood (U.S. Patent No. 3028770) in view of Reichenberger et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20170209943) (hereinafter Reich)
Regarding claim 11, Pittwood teaches a method for releasing or tightening a screw connection (17, 31; Fig. 1) between a drilling device (drilling device as shown in Fig. 1) and a drill bit (12; Col. 1, lines 10-15, 20-67), the method comprising the following steps:
a) providing a drilling device having a drill bit (12), the drill bit being fastened to the drilling device via a screw connection (17,31) during operation of the drilling device, and the drill having a motor (MC; Fig. 6) configured to generate a torque for driving the bit ( Since the spindle 30 is to be rotating in a clockwise or forward direction during a coupling operation, the normally open contact R4c is connected to the Forward terminal of the motor control unit MC; Col. 1 lines 20-48, Col. 7 lines 65-73); and
b) moving the core bit in a first direction of rotation, while a counter-torque is generated when the motor is activated, in order to tighten or release the screw connection between the core drilling device and the core bit (the spindle 30 is to rotate in a counterclockwise or reverse direction during an uncoupling operation; and, therefore, the normally open contact R5b is connected to the Reverse terminal of the motor control unit MC; Col. 1 lines 49-67, Col. 7 lines 73-75, Col. 8 lines 1-2).
Pittwood is silent regarding the drilling device being a core drilling device and the drill bit being a core drill. Pittwood discloses that the tool therein is a boring tool but fails to disclose what kind of boring.
Reich, drawn to a drilling device, discloses a core drilling device (1) that is used with a drill bit (2). The drill bit is connected to the core drilling device by a threaded or screw connection (pp[0003]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Pittwood to connect a core drill bit to a core drilling device, like that of Reich, in order to easily and securely coupled the core drilling device to the drill bit in a way that allowed for continuous work operations.
Regarding Claim 12, Pittwood further teaches wherein the activation of the motor causes the motor to operate counter to the movement of the core bit in the first direction of rotation (the spindle 30 is to rotate in a counterclockwise or reverse direction during an uncoupling operation; and, therefore, the normally open contact R5b is connected to the Reverse terminal of the motor control unit MC. The reverse direction, caused by the MC, is counter to clockwise movement of 12 (for coupling); Col. 2 lines 69-72, Col. 3 lines 1-2, Col. 7 lines 73-75, Col. 8 lines 1-2).
Regarding Claim 13, Pittwood further teaches wherein the activation of the motor of the core drill includes a speed control, with a target speed for the motor being 0 revolutions per minute (During uncoupling operation, the target speed for the motor for the coupling operation will be 0 rpm).
Regarding Claim 14, Pittwood further teaches wherein a difference between the torque in the first direction of rotation and the counter-torque is increased by activating the motor (The difference in torque between the clockwise and counterclockwise is increased when the motor is activated for either direction; Col. 7 lines 65-75, Col. 8 lines 1-2).
Regarding Claim 15 Pittwood further teaches wherein only one additional tool is required for tightening or releasing the screw connection between the core drilling device and the core bit (spindle 30; Col. 7 lines 65-75, Col. 8 lines 1-2).
Regarding Claim 16, the combination of Pittwood and Reich teaches a core drilling device configured to carry out the method as recited in claim 11 (See claim 11 above as the same rejection applies.).
Regarding Claim 17, in light of the modification to claim 11, Pittwood further teaches the core drilling device recited in claim 16, the core drilling device comprising the core bit (12) and the motor (MC), the motor configured to generate a torque for driving the core bit such that the core bit is caused to move in the first direction of rotation (Since the spindle 30 is to be rotating in a clockwise or forward direction during a coupling operation, the normally open contact R4c is connected to the Forward terminal of the motor control unit MC; Col. 1 lines 20-48, Col. 7 lines 65-73), while the counter- torque can be generated by activation of the motor in order to tighten or release the screw connection between the core drill and the core bit (the spindle 30 is to rotate in a counterclockwise or reverse direction during an uncoupling operation; and, therefore, the normally open contact R5b is connected to the Reverse terminal of the motor control unit MC; Col. 1 lines 49-67, Col. 7 lines 73-75, Col. 8 lines 1-2).
Regarding Claim 18, Pittwood further teaches wherein the motor is activatable in such a way that the motor operates counter to the movement of the core bit in the first direction of rotation (the spindle 30 is to rotate in a counterclockwise or reverse direction during an uncoupling operation; and, therefore, the normally open contact R5b is connected to the Reverse terminal of the motor control unit MC. The reverse direction, caused by the MC, is counter to the clockwise movement of 12 (for coupling); Col. 2 lines 69-72, Col. 3 lines 1-2, Col. 7 lines 73-75, Col. 8 lines 1-2).
Regarding Claim 19, Pittwood further teaches wherein the motor is activatable in such a way that a target speed for the motor is 0 revolutions per minute (During uncoupling operation, the target speed for the motor for the coupling operation will be 0 rpm).
Regarding Claim 20, Pittwood further teaches wherein the motor is activatable in such a way that a difference between the torque in the first direction of rotation and the counter-torque is increased (The difference in torque between the clockwise and counterclockwise is increased when the motor is activated for either direction; Col. 7 lines 65-75, Col. 8 lines 1-2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Lamia Quaim whose telephone number is (469)295-9199. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10AM - 6PM CST.
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/LAMIA QUAIM/Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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