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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/19/2024 and 01/29/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the tool for ejecting a tooth from the recess or pocket as set in claim 16 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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.
Specification
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
the current abstract is less than 50 words.
Claim Objections
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 5, there are two languages “the” that is needed to delete one. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-2, 5-7 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.
The preamble of Claim 1 recites “a cutting tool” that is unclear; in the body claim does not mention any cutting feature. Is a tooth for a cutting feature? If an art has a claimed tooth inserted to a claimed main body that meets claimed invention and the preamble even without mentioning “cut or cutting”, right?
Claim 1, with regards to terms of “…bottom surface…back surface…vertically …downwardly…bottom” used in the claim are unclear because this invention is a portable device (see Applicant’s specification, paras. 2-3 “circular saws…”) capable of achieving an infinite number of orientations including orientations where the bottom surface would not be the bottom… and the vertically or vertical would not be the vertically or vertical. It is recommended that terms be utilized that are true regardless of orientation (for examples, relative with the tooth…).
Claim 2 “multi-faced back surface of said tooth” is unclear whether it refers to claim 1 or an additional multi-faced back surface of said tooth.
For examination purposes, as best understood, Examiner is interpreting the “issues above” as below and all claims dependent from claim 1 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being dependent from the rejected parent claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 5-7, 15. 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Athad (US 20140013916).
Regarding claim 1, as best understood, Athad shows a cutting tool (a saw blade 10, Figure 1 A) comprising:
a main body (12) having a pocket-forming portion (20, Figures 1B, 2C) with a multi-faced bottom surface with first and second faces (see Figure 2C below) and a longitudinally extending edge extending between said first and second faces (Figure 4 below, with regards to the edge, see both inclined surfaces joint together for forming an edge as seen in Figure 2C below), a multi-faced back surface (see Figure 2C below) with first and second faces and a vertically extending edge between said first and second faces of said multi-faced back surface (Figure 4 below, with regards to the edge, see both inclined surfaces joint together for forming an edge as seen in Figure 2C below), and
a planar downwardly facing surface (Figure 2C below) confronting said multi-faced bottom surface with a recess of said pocket-forming portion (44, Figure 2C below) defined between said multi-faced bottom surface and said planar downwardly facing surface; and
a tooth (16) disposed in the pocket and having a corresponding multi-faced bottom surface that is engaged with and has reciprocal geometry to said multi-faced bottom surface of said pocket-forming portion and a multi-faced back surface that is engaged with and has reciprocal geometry to said multi-faced back surface of said pocket-forming portion (see Figure 4, the cutting insert 16 is tightly fit into the pocket 44 that means the insert 16 has a corresponding multi-faced bottom surface and a multi-faced back surface); and
wherein said planar downwardly facing surface and said longitudinally extending edge converge toward another in a direction from an opening of said recess towards a bottom of said recess (Figure 4).
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Regarding claim 2, Athad shows that said multi-faced bottom surface of said pocketing-forming portion, said multi-faced bottom surface of said tooth, said multi-faced back surface of said pocket-forming portion, and said multi-faced back surface of said tooth cooperate respectively (see Figure 4 above), to center a tip of said tooth relative on a plane extending through said main body (Figure 4 above and see the discussion in claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 5, Athad shows that said tooth is press fit into said recess of said pocket-forming portion (see Figure 4).
Regarding claim 6, Athad shows that said tooth is retained in said recess of said pocket-forming portion with an interference fit that urges said tooth toward said multi-faced bottom surface of the said pocket-forming portion and the said multi-faced back surface of said pocket-forming portion (see Figure 4).
Regarding claim 7, Athad shows that said tooth includes a cutting portion (46/50, Figure 4) that extends beyond the said multi-faced back surface of the said pocket-forming portion (Figure 4) and where a retention portion of the tooth that extends
only partially into the pocket said recess resulting in an open space between the said retention portion and a portion of the pocket said planar downwardly facing surface (see the portion contacting the planar downwardly facing surface as seen in Figure 4 above).
Regarding claim 15, Athad teaches a method for making a cutting tool (see the tool in claim 1 above) comprising:
“pressing part of a retention portion of the tooth (16) into a seat recess (44, Figure 2C) defined between a longitudinally extending edge of the multi-faced bottom surface of the pocket-forming portion of the main body of the cutting tool and the planar downwardly facing surface of the pocket-forming portion that confronts the multi-faced bottom surface, while the tooth is maintained in a centered orientation relative to the recess by cooperative engagement between the multi-faced bottom surface and a multi-faced bottom surface of the tooth that shares reciprocal geometry with the multi-faced bottom surface of the pocket-forming portion, and
wherein the planar downwardly facing surface and the longitudinally extending edge converge toward another in a direction from an opening of the recess towards a bottom of the recess” (see the discussion in claim 1 above and see Figures above).
Regarding claim 18, Athad teaches further comprising:
axially aligning, prior to the said pressing, the multi-faced bottom surface of the pocketing-forming portion and the multi-faced bottom surface of the tooth (see the discussion in claim 1 above and see the tooth insert into the pocket 44, Figures 2C and 4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Athad in view of Athad (2019/0160559) hereinafter Athad’s 559.
Regarding claim 16, Athad teaches all of the limitations as stated above including said pressing is further defined as:
“pressing the part of the retention portion of the tooth into the recess defined between the longitudinally extending edge of a multi-faced bottom surface of the pocket-forming portion of the main body of the cutting tool and the planar downwardly facing surface of the pocket- forming portion that confronts the multi-faced bottom surface, while the tooth is maintained in the centered orientation relative to the recess by cooperative engagement between the multi- faced bottom surface and the multi-faced bottom surface of the tooth that shares reciprocal geometry with the multi-faced bottom surface of the pocket-forming portion, and
wherein the planar downwardly facing surface and the longitudinally extending edge converge toward another in the direction from the opening of the recess towards the bottom of the recess and such that there is an open space between the retention portion and the bottom of the recess” as set forth in claims 1-2-5-7, 15-18, and
Athad also teaches that the tooth is removable from the pocket (Para. 4 “cutting portions can each be provided with cutting edges formed on removable cutting inserts mounted in insert pockets”), however, it is not clear whether Athad’s method inherently uses the tool in the open space to eject the tooth from the recess with the tool or not.
Athad’s 559 shows a tooth (30) inserting into a pocket (36) of a saw blade (22, Figure 5) and uses a tool (62, Figure 8) for removing the tooth from the pocket of the saw blade (as discussed in Paras. 5 and 136 and see Figure 13).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the method of Athad to have a tool for removing the tooth from the pocket of the saw blade, as taught by Athad’s 559, in order to allow to be easily removed the tooth from the pocket of the saw blade.
Regarding claim 17, the modified method of Athad teaches pressing, after said ejecting, a part of a retention portion of a second new tooth insert into the pocket from which the previous tooth insert was ejected recess (this is inherently step, since the tooth is removed from the pocket of the saw blade as discussed in claim 16, there is a new tooth should be inserted into the empty pocket, in order to allow the saw blade cutting properly. See all steps of inserting or assembling the tooth into the saw blade in claim 15 above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. WO-0168298-A1 shows a tooth is removably inserted into a pocket of a saw blade.
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/NHAT CHIEU Q DO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724 7/10/2026
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