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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Nagai (JP 2-20706).
With regard to claim 1 Nagai discloses a wristwatch comprising:
at least one dial provided with a reference scale (center portion of figure 1, no reference numeral);
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at least one hand mechanism provided with at least one
minute hand (figure 1, longer hand) and at least one
hour hand for reading a time on said reference scale (shorter hand figure 1);
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at least one containing member (figure 2 no reference numeral) defining at least one
housing (figure 2 no reference numeral) of said at least one hand mechanism and of said at least one dial and defining at least one
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upper opening through which said at least one dial and said hands of said at least one hand mechanism can be read (see crystal 8 figure 2, and visible display figure 1);
at least a first and a second bezel (1, 2 figure 2) coupled movable in rotation (2 is mounted to 1 figure 2) to said containing member to rotate substantially around said at least one dial and provided with respective indicative scales for reading an additional time datum in conjunction with said hands (note the reference numerals on the bezels);
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at least one rotational assembly (3 between 1 and the main housing figure 2),
arranged between one of said at least a first and a second bezels (figure 2) and
one of either said containing member or the other of said at least a first and a second bezels (figure 2),
said at least one rotational assembly (3) being provided with at least one
rotating body in contact with at least one of said bezels due to the rotation of at least one of the same (ball bearing 3 would rotate as the bezel rotates), for promoting the rotation thereof and reducing the friction thereof with the other of said bezels and/or said containing member (3 and/or 2c 2d figure 2).
With regard to claim 2 Nagai discloses the wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein said rotating body is a sphere (3 figure 2).
With regard to claim 4 Nagai discloses the wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein said rotational assembly comprises:
a plurality of hollow bodies, mounted or made, on at least one of either said first bezel, said second bezel or said containing member, each of said hollow bodies housing at least one of said rotating bodies arranged, in use, projecting outside the same hollow body;
and/or
at least one guiding profile (See recess in 1 figure 2) extending circularly around said dial and made on another of either said first bezel (1), said second bezel (2) or said containing member (main housing), substantially opposite said plurality of rotating bodies, which rotate resting on said guiding profile (figure 2).
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It is important to note that the phrase “and/or” makes some of the limitations optional and not required.
With regard to claim 10 Nagai discloses the wristwatch according to claim 1, further comprising: manual movement means of said first bezel in said first and said second direction of rotation (there are engagement structures on the edge of 1 to permit manual movement thereof).
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.
Claims 3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagai JP 2-20706 in view of Ryser (US 3079749).
With regard to claim 3 (depends from claim 1) Nagai does not disclose the claimed: wherein said rotational assembly comprises a plurality of said rotating bodies distributed in a radial pattern, centered around an axis of reference.
Ryser teaches rotating bodies 24 distributed in a radial pattern centered around an axis of reference figures 1-3.
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Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have found it obvious to modify Nagai’s system to comprise a plurality of said rotating bodies distributed in a radial pattern, centered around an axis of reference, as taught by Ryser. The reason for doing so would have been to reduce the rotational friction, as taught by Ryser. A reason for doing so would have been to distribute the rotational and axial forces over a larger surface area with diminished angular peak loads as taught by Ryser.
With regard to claim 5 (depends from claim 1) Nagai does not disclose the claimed:
a plurality of rotational assemblies; and
at least one of said rotational assemblies is arranged between one of said bezels and one of either said containing member or the other of said bezels;
and/or
at least another of said rotational assemblies is arranged between the other of said bezels and said containing member;
and/or
at least a further of said rotational assemblies is arranged between said bezels.
Nagai fails to disclose this claim language because Nagai teaches only one ball 3. Ryser teaches a plurality of rotating bodies 24 distributed in a radial patten centered around an axis of reference figures 1-3. The rotating bodies are located between a bezel and a main housing as well as between other parts.
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Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have found it obvious to modify Nagai’s system to comprise a plurality of rotational assemblies, such that they reside according to at least one of: at least one of said rotational assemblies is arranged between one of said bezels and one of either said containing member or the other of said bezels; and/or at least another of said rotational assemblies is arranged between the other of said bezels and said containing member; and/or at least a further of said rotational assemblies is arranged between said bezels, as taught by Ryser. A reason for doing so would have been to distribute the rotational and axial forces over a larger surface area with diminished angular peak loads as taught by Ryser.
Claims 6, 7, 8, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagai JP 2-20706 in view of Ryser (US 3079749) in further view of Sonoda (US 5319617).
With regard to claim 6 (depends from claim 1) Nagai does not disclose the claimed:
coupling means of said bezels, said coupling means being operable due to the rotation of at least one of said bezels to move the same between:
at least a first adjustment configuration, wherein said first bezel is rotated in a first direction of rotation and said coupling means couple said second bezel locked together in rotation to said first bezel; and
at least a second adjustment configuration, wherein said first bezel is rotated in a second direction of rotation, opposite said first direction of rotation and said coupling means uncouple said second bezel from said first bezel, allowing the latter to rotate freely in said second direction of rotation.
Sonoda teaches a double bezel with
coupling means (10 figure 4) of said bezels (2, 22 figures 3, 7), said coupling means being operable due to the rotation of at least one of said bezels to move (figures 1-7, abstract) the same between:
at least a first adjustment configuration, wherein said first bezel is rotated in a first direction of rotation and said coupling means couple said second bezel locked together in rotation to said first bezel (see ratchet figures 5 and 6, abstract); and
at least a second adjustment configuration, wherein said first bezel is rotated in a second direction of rotation, opposite said first direction of rotation and said coupling means uncouple said second bezel from said first bezel, allowing the latter to rotate freely in said second direction of rotation (see ratchet figures 5 and 6, abstract).
Sonoda’s system locks the bezels in one direction and allows rotation in the other direction the same as applicant’s invention and coupling means – “abutting on the notched profile 22 a to make a ratchet mechanism adapted to couple and uncouple the bezels 9, 10 in the first and in the second adjustment configurations” (applicant’s specification).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have found it obvious to modify Nagai’s system to comprise coupling means of said bezels, said coupling means being operable due to the rotation of at least one of said bezels to move the same between: at least a first adjustment configuration, wherein said first bezel is rotated in a first direction of rotation and said coupling means couple said second bezel locked together in rotation to said first bezel; and at least a second adjustment configuration, wherein said first bezel is rotated in a second direction of rotation, opposite said first direction of rotation and said coupling means uncouple said second bezel from said first bezel, allowing the latter to rotate freely in said second direction of rotation, as taught by Sonoda. The reason for doing so would have been to provide a bezel that can be selectively driven together or not based on desired operation, as taught by Sonoda. A reason for doing so would have been to allow for easier correction with less error risk, as taught by Sonoda.
With regard to claim 7 Nagai, Ryser, and Sonoda teach the wristwatch according to claim 6, wherein:
in said second rotational configuration said coupling means couple said second bezel to said containing member, preventing said second bezel from rotating in said second direction of rotation (Sonoda ratchet figures 5, 6); and
in said first working configuration said coupling means uncouple said second bezel from said containing member, allowing the free rotation of said second bezel in said first direction of rotation (see ratchet and previous modification. As modified the system would comprise such a system locking or unlocking based on rotation direction. See Sonoda figures 5, 6).
With regard to claim 8 Nagai, Ryser, and Sonoda teach the wristwatch according to claim 7, wherein said coupling means comprise:
at least one coupling assembly, arranged between said bezels and adapted to couple and uncouple said bezels in said first and in said second adjustment configurations, respectively (Sonoda figures 5, 6); and/or
at least another coupling assembly, arranged between said containing member and said second bezel and adapted to couple and uncouple said second bezel to said containing member in said second and in said first adjustment configurations, respectively (see ratchet and previous modification. As modified the system would comprise such a system locking or unlocking based on rotation direction. See Sonoda figures 5, 6).
With regard to claim 9 Nagai, Ryser, and Sonoda teach the wristwatch according to claim 8, wherein:
said at least one coupling assembly comprises:
at least one notched profile (Sonoda 23, 24 figure 5), associated with one of said bezels (Sonoda 2) and extending circularly around said dial (Sonoda figure 5 shows a cross section, figure 4 shows the ring shape);
at least one abutment element (Sonoda 11 figures 4, 5, 6), associated with the other of said bezels (Sonoda 2, 22) and abutting on said notched profile (Sonoda 23, 24 figure 5) to make a ratchet mechanism (Sonoda figure 5) adapted to couple and uncouple said bezels in said first and in said second adjustment configurations, respectively (Sonoda figure 5); and/or
said at least another coupling assembly (Sonoda figure 5) comprises:
at least another notched profile (Sonoda 23, 24 figure 5), associated with one of the containing member and the second bezel and running circularly around said dial (Sonoda figures 2-5);
at least another abutment element (Sonoda 11 figures 4, 5, 6), associated with the other of said containing member and said second bezel (Sonoda figures 2, 3, 4) and abutting against said another notched profile to make another ratchet mechanism (Sonoda figures 5-6) adapted to couple and uncouple said second bezel to said containing member in said second and in said first adjustment configurations, respectively (Sonoda figures 5, 6).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nicoud US 7559688 and Nicoud US 20080279053 teach a first bezel 21 and a second bezel 11.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN KAYES whose telephone number is (571)272-8931. The examiner can normally be reached 10-6.
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/SEAN KAYES/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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