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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species III drawn to Figures 8A-8C and 9 and claims 1-20 in the reply filed on 5/4/26 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 9-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ogawa U.S. Patent No. 8,827,214.
With regard to claim 1, and as shown in Figure 6, Ogawa discloses a retainer for a fluid connection assembly, comprising:
a clamping portion (at 11, 11 and as shown below), including:
a first end;
a second end;
a radially outward facing surface;
a radially inward facing surface;
a first circumferential end; and
a second circumferential end displaceable with respect to the first circumferential end (as shown in Fig 4); and
a locking portion (at 16, 17), including:
a first tab (at 16) connected to the first circumferential end; and
a second tab (at 17) connected to the second circumferential end, wherein the first tab is arranged to engage the second tab to lock the first tab to the second tab.
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With regard to claim 9, Ogawa discloses wherein at least one of the first tab (at 16) and the second tab (at 17) extends radially outward from the radially outward facing surface (as shown above).
With regard to claim 10, Ogawa discloses wherein the first tab (at 16) comprises a tapered surface (as shown above).
With regard to claim 11, Ogawa discloses wherein the second tab (at 17) comprises a base and at least one arm (as shown above) extending from and pivotably connected to the base, wherein the at least one arm is operatively arranged to engage the first tab to lock the first tab to the second tab (as shown in Fig 4).
With regard to claim 12, Ogawa discloses wherein the at least one arm (see Fig 7 below) comprises:
a first arm connected to the base; and
a second arm connected to the first arm.
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With regard to claim 13, and as shown in Figure 7 above, Ogawa discloses wherein:
the base extends radially outward from the radially outward facing surface;
the first arm extends in a circumferential direction from the base; and
the second arm extends radially inward from the first arm.
With regard to claim 14, Ogawa discloses wherein:
a channel (as shown in Fig 7 above) is formed between the base, the first arm, and the second arm; and
the first tab is operatively arranged to engage the channel to lock the first tab to the second tab (as shown in Fig 4).
With regard to claim 15, Ogawa discloses wherein the at least one arm comprises a tapered surface (as shown in Fig 6 above), wherein the tapered surface is operatively arranged to engage the first tab to displace the at least one arm (as shown in Fig 4).
Claim(s) 1, 5, 16 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Barrientos U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0084420 A1.
With regard to claim 1, and as shown in Figure 5a, Barrientos discloses a retainer for a fluid connection assembly, comprising:
a clamping portion (as shown below), including:
a first end;
a second end;
a radially outward facing surface;
a radially inward facing surface;
a first circumferential end; and
a second circumferential end displaceable with respect to the first circumferential end; and
a locking portion (as shown below), including:
a first tab connected to the first circumferential end; and
a second tab connected to the second circumferential end, wherein the first tab is arranged to engage the second tab to lock the first tab to the second tab.
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With regard to claim 5, Barrientos discloses wherein the radially inward facing surface comprises at least one rib arranged axially between and spaced apart from the first end and the second end (as shown in Fig 7 where a rib can be arranged axially between ends on the radially inward facing surface).
With regard to claim 16, and as shown in Figure 6, Barrientos discloses a fluid connection assembly, comprising:
a first tube (at 2 and as shown below) including:
a first end;
a second end;
a first radially outward facing surface; and
a barb arranged proximate the second end and extending radially outward from the first radially outward facing surface;
a second tube (at 1 and as shown below) including a third end, a fourth end, a second radially outward facing surface,
and a first radially inward facing surface arranged to engage the first radially outward facing surface; and
a retainer (at 3 and as shown in Fig 5a below), including:
a clamping portion comprising a fifth end, a sixth end, a third radially outward facing surface, and a second radially inward facing surface; and
a locking portion comprising a first tab and a second tab, wherein the first tab is displaceable with respect to the second tab and the first tab is arranged to engage the second tab to lock the first tab to the second tab.
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With regard to claim 18, Barrientos discloses wherein the second radially inward facing surface comprises at least one rib arranged axially between and spaced apart from the fifth end and the sixth end (as shown in Fig 7 where a rib can be arranged axially between ends on the radially inward facing surface).
With regard to claim 19, Barrientos discloses wherein at least one of the first tab and the second tab extends radially outward from the third radially outward facing surface (as shown in Fig 5a).
With regard to claim 20, and as shown in Figure 5a, Barrientos discloses wherein:
the second tab forms a radial channel (as shown in Fig 5a above); and
the first tab engages the radial channel to lock the first tab to the second tab (as shown in Fig 5a).
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) 2-4 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barrientos in view of Acosta et al U.S. Patent No. 2021/0048129 A1.
With regard to claim 2, Barrientos discloses the claimed invention but does not disclose that the radially outward facing surface comprises a plurality of notches extending radially inward therefrom. Acosta et al teach that a radially outward facing surface can comprise a plurality of notches (at 40, see Fig 11) extending radially inward to facilitate interlocking the retainer and/or fastening the retainer around elements (paragraph 72, lines 5-8 and 14-16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the radially outward facing surface comprise a plurality of notches extending radially inward with a reasonable expectation of success to facilitate interlocking the retainer and/or fastening the retainer around elements as taught by Acosta et al.
With regard to claim 3, Barrientos in view of Acosta et al disclose wherein the plurality of notches (at 40) are spaced apart in a circumferential direction (as shown in Fig 11).
With regard to claim 4, Barrientos in view of Acosta et al disclose wherein the plurality of notches (at 40) extend from the first end to the second end (as shown in Fig 11).
With regard to claim 17, Barrientos discloses the claimed invention but does not disclose that the third radially outward facing surface comprises a plurality of notches extending radially inward therefrom. Acosta et al teach that a radially outward facing surface can comprise a plurality of notches (at 40, see Fig 11) extending radially inward to facilitate interlocking the retainer and/or fastening the retainer around elements (paragraph 72, lines 5-8 and 14-16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the radially outward facing surface comprise a plurality of notches extending radially inward with a reasonable expectation of success to facilitate interlocking the retainer and/or fastening the retainer around elements as taught by Acosta et al.
Claim(s) 6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barrientos in view of Stuttle U.S. Patent No. 863,887.
With regard to claim 6, Barrientos discloses the claimed invention but does not disclose a protrusion extending from the first circumferential end in a circumferential direction toward the second circumferential end. Stuttle teaches that a rib (at 11) can have a protrusion (at 16) extending from the first circumferential end in a circumferential direction toward the second circumferential end (as shown in Fig 1) to provide a close fit and proper positioning of the retainer (page 1, lines 53-54 and 60-64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a protrusion extending from the first circumferential end in a circumferential direction toward the second circumferential end with a reasonable expectation of success to provide a close fit and proper positioning of the retainer as taught by Stuttle.
With regard to claim 8, Barrientos in view of Stuttle disclose wherein the protrusion (at 16) is operatively arranged to maintain axial alignment of the rib when the retainer is being locked (page 1, lines 60-64).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon are examples of the general mechanical state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FANNIE KEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1820. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm.
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/F.K./Examiner, Art Unit 3679
/Matthew Troutman/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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