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 .
Claim Rejection - 35 U.S.C. 112(b)
1. 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.
2. Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
(1) In claim 7, line 2 and 4, “a first end of the main body” and “a second end of the main body” are vague. Are they in addition to “one end of the main body” cited at line 10 of claim 1? As the disclosed invention is understood, the main body 61 has two ends, namely a first end (e.g., an upper end as shown in Fig.7) connected to a driving shaft (not shown) of a driving component (may be a gear box or a motor, see paragraph [0028] of the specification) and a second end (e.g., a lower end opposite the upper end). Thus, one of a first end and a second end has to refer back to “one end” cited in claim 1 so that the main body has two ends and not three ends. It is suggested “one end”, cited at line 10 of claim 1, be changed to --a first end--. Also, at lines 2 and 4 of claim 7, “a first end” and “a second end” should read --a second end-- and --the first end--, respectively.
(2) In claim 8, lines 1-2, “the first end” should read --the second end-- in light of the above suggestion to amend claim 7.
Indication of Allowable Subject Matter
1. Claims 1-6 and 10 are allowed.
2. Claims 7-9 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action.
3. Claims 1-10 contain allowable subject matter because none of the prior art of record taken alone or in combination thereof shows or fairly suggests the claimed trimmer head (100) comprising, among other things, a base (1) and a bump head (2) connected to the base (1, see Fig.1 below), a locking insert (6, see Fig.2 below) fixed in the base (1) and the bump head (2) and having one end passing through the base (1) and connectable to the driving shaft, wherein the locking insert (6) comprises a main body (61, see Fig.7 below) and a nylon sleeve (62) press-fitted inside the main body (61) and fixed thereto, such that when the drive shaft is screwed into the nylon sleeve (62) from one end of the main body (61), the driving shaft is connectable to the trimmer head (100) through the nylon sleeve (62).
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The novelty of the claimed invention is the nylon sleeve (62) that locks the driving shaft such that the trimmer head (100) will not fall off the driving shaft (see paragraph [0032] of the specification). The trimmer head (100) can quickly remove tangled lawns through a reversing function without the trimmer head (100) falling off the driving shaft.
Prior Art Citations
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent No. 2,708,820 shows a grass trimmer quipped with an anti-tangle cutter.
U.S. Patent No. 3,826,068 shows a grass trimmer comprising an insert (47) connected to a driving shaft (40) that drives the trimmer.
U.S. Patent 4,097,991 shows a trimmer head (20) comprising a drive pin (42) having a threaded mating hole (61) for receiving a threaded portion of a drive shaft (84) to drive a spool (40) of the trimmer head (20).
U.S. Patent No. 5,806,192 shows a grass trimmer head (10) comprising a lock nut (74) for preventing a drive shaft (30) from falling off the trimmer head e(10).
U.S. Patent No. 6,901,667 shows a grass trimmer head (10) comprising a base (14), a bump head (81) connected to the base (14), and an insert (24) fixed in the base (14) and passing therethrough to be connected to a drive shaft (12), wherein the insert (24) has a threaded structure (24d, see Fig.8) for threaded engagement with the drive shaft (12), a squared head portion (24a) inter-fitting in a square upper portion (36) of the base (14), a cylindrical-shaped main body (24b) extending through and projects from a lower hexagonal portion (40, Fig.2) of the base (14).
U.S. Patent No. 8,464,431 shows a trimmer head (see Fig.2) comprising an output shaft (23) having a hexagonal connector portion (34) received in a hexagonal aperture (40) formed in a base (24) of the trimmer head for driving the trimmer head, and a locking nut (91) threadably received in the output shaft (23) for preventing the trimmer head falling off the output shaft (23).
U.S. Patent No. 9,883,628 is cited to show an anti-winding assembly for a trimmer head (see the abstract).
CN 111972114 shows an output shaft anti-weed winding structure for a lawn mower.
Point of Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HWEI-SIU PAYER whose telephone number is (571)272-4511. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Boyer Ashley, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-4502. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HWEI-SIU C PAYER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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