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 .
This action is in response to the amendment filed on 10/20/25.
Claims 1-20 are pending and have been examined.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 14 recites “a camshaft” twice. Appropriate correction is required in order to avoid antecedent basis.
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) 1 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maegawa et al. (2023/0241752).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Maegawa discloses a power tool comprising: a working portion including a motor housing (2) enclosing a motor (71; Fig. 5); a handle portion including a handle housing (3), two gripping portions (42) extending in opposite directions such that the handle portion is generally T-shaped (Fig. 5), and a battery receptacle (Fig. 1); a connecting member (212, 312) having a first end coupled to the handle housing and a second end coupled to the motor housing; and a vibration damping structure (111) configured to reduce transmission of vibration from the motor housing to the handle housing; wherein the battery receptacle is disposed on a side of the handle housing and configured to receive a battery pack such that the battery pack is offset from a central longitudinal axis of the power tool (Fig. 1).
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.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maegawa et al. (2023/0241752) in view of Leong (2010/0149790).
Regarding claim 13, Maegawa discloses the power tool as claimed comprising a working portion including a motor housing (11) and handle portion including a handle housing (13; Fig. 1), but fails to disclose a lighting device disposed in a recess at a front end of the working portion. Leong discloses a power tool comprising a working portion and a lighting device (62; Fig. 2) disposed in a recess at a front end of the working portion for the purposes of illuminating a working area. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skills in the art to have provided Maegawa’s power tool with an illuminating device as taught by Leong in order to illuminate the working enhancing visibility and operation of the tool.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-12 and 14 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.
Claims 16-20 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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.
For the reasons above, the ground of rejection are deemed proper.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHELLE LOPEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-4464. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
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/MICHELLE LOPEZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731