DETAILED ACTION
DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 8/31/2026 has been entered.
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.
Claim(s) 12-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 6343813, Olson.
In regards to claim 12, in Figures 3-4 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Olson discloses a clamping ring (10) for a fitting for a pipe to be sealed from the outside, the clamping ring comprising: - a plurality of ring elements (18), and - a plurality of hinge elements (slots 16 define sections 18 flexibly "hinged" to adjacent similar sections 18, the "hinge" being provided by the normal deformability of the remaining material between those sections 18) for the pivotable connection of two ring elements in each case and - wherein the ring elements are designed to hold and/or fix a pipe to be inserted, - wherein the ring elements have a strip shape by means of the hinge elements and - wherein the ring elements have a flat shape or a laterally open ring shape, - wherein the ring elements connected to each other by means of the hinge elements can be folded from a flat shape into a ring shape, - wherein the ring elements have lateral surfaces (near 16) in the azimuthal direction, which are designed to taper inwards towards each other at least in sections in the radial direction, and - wherein the clamping ring consists of a plastic (The spline 12 is preferably fabricated by injection molding, from polypropylene or similar material, but can be fabricated from any suitably strong, flexible material and by any convenient process).
In regards to claim 13, in Figures 3-4 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Olson discloses the ring elements have a partially cylindrical outer surface.
In regards to claim 14, in Figures 3-4 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Olson discloses the ring elements have a predetermined azimuthal length, so that by cutting the strip of hinge elements into strips with at least two different numbers of ring elements for at least two clamping rings for fittings with at least two different standard widths is possible.
In regards to claim 15, in Figures 3-4 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Olson discloses the ring elements have a seal seat (42) at the end facing a seal to be inserted.
In regards to claim 16, in Figures 3-4 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Olson discloses the ring elements are at least partially designed as retaining elements, and - the retaining elements have radially inwardly directed guiding elements (36) for centring a pipe to be inserted.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-21 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) above 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON M DUNWOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-7080. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Troutman can be reached at 571-270-3654. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AARON M DUNWOODY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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