DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 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.
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.
Claim 18 is 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.
Regarding claim 18:
The claim recites the limitation "the engagement member" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claims 1-7, 9-13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 10744315 B2 to Sanders.
Sanders discloses:
Regarding claim 1:
A connector assembly (figure 33-35), comprising:
a clip component (174) having an engagement member (178);
an outer shaft (170) having a central bore (bore A in figure 1 below), an outer surface (outer surface B in figure 1 below), and a slot (slot C in figure 1 below) extending radially inwardly from the outer surface (B in figure 1 below) to the bore (as shown in figure 34), the slot (C in figure 1 below) being configured to receive at least a portion of the clip (174) component therein for restricting longitudinal movement of the clip (174)relative to the outer shaft (170) (as shown in figure 1 below the clip 174 is within the slot C); and
an inner shaft (32) having a mating groove (176) configured to engage with the engagement member (178) of the clip (174) component when the inner shaft (32) is positioned in the central bore (bore A in figure 1 below) of the outer shaft (170) for securing the inner shaft (32) in an engaged configuration relative to the outer shaft (170) (as shown in figure 34), the inner shaft (32) being removable from the central bore (bore A in figure 1 below) upon exertion of a separating force that dislodges the engagement member (178) from the mating groove (176) of the inner shaft (32) (column 10, lines 45-50 indicate how the clip 174 can be in locked or unlocked positions).
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448
325
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Figure 1 – figure 34 of Sanders, annotated by the examiner
Regarding claim 2:
The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the clip (174) comprises a circular ring (see circular portion 184 as shown in figure 35).
Regarding claim 3:
The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the clip (174) comprises a C-shape (see the C shaped portion 187).
Regarding claim 4:
The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the clip (174) fits entirely within the slot (C in figure 1 above) in a coupled configuration (as shown in figure 1 above).
Regarding claim 5:
The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the engagement member (178) of the clip (174) comprises a radial protrusion (see the portion of 178 that extend radially inward to engage with 176) that extends radially inwardly into the mating groove (176) of the inner shaft (32) when in the assembled condition (as shown in figure 34).
Regarding claim 6:
The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner shaft (32) comprises first (D in figure 2 below) and second sections (F in figure 2 below), the first section having a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the second section (as shown in figure 2 below).
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318
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Figure 2 - figure 35 of Sanders, annotated by the examiner
Regarding claim 7:
The connector assembly of claim 6, wherein the first section (D in figure 2 below) comprises the mating groove (176)(as shown in figure 2 below).
Regarding claim 9:
The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the mating groove (176) extends circumferentially about at least half (extends around all of the inner shaft as shown in figure 2 above) of the circumference of the inner shaft (32).
Regarding claim 10:
A connector assembly (figure 33-35), comprising:
an outer shaft (170) having a central bore (bore A in above figure 1) and a slot (C in figure 1 above) that extends from an outer surface (B in figure 1 above) thereof radially inwardly to the central bore (bore A in above figure 1);
an inner shaft (32) that can fit into the outer shaft bore (bore A in above figure 1), the inner shaft (32) having a mating groove (176) that can be aligned with the slot (C in figure 1 above) when the inner shaft (32) is inserted into the outer shaft bore (bore A in above figure 1) (as shown in figure 1 above); and
a clamp (174) that can be secured onto the outer shaft (170) and extend at least partially through the slot (C in figure 1 above) into the mating groove (176) for restricting at least one of rotation or axial movement of the outer shaft (170) relative to the inner shaft (32)(the outer shaft and inner shaft are held fixed to each other in terms of axial movement as shown in figure 34).
Regarding claim 11:
The connector assembly of claim 10, wherein the clamp comprises an engagement member (178) having a radial protrusion (see the portion of 178 that extend radially inward to engage with 176) that extends radially inwardly into the mating groove (176) of the inner shaft (32) when in an assembled condition (as shown in figure 34).
Regarding claim 12:
The connector assembly of claim 10, wherein the inner shaft (32) comprises first (D in figure 2 below) and second sections (F in figure 2 below), the first section having a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the second section (as shown in figure 2 below).
Regarding claim 13:
The connector assembly of claim 12, wherein the first section (D in figure 2 below) comprises the mating groove (176) (as shown in figure 2 below).
Regarding claim 15:
The connector assembly of claim 10, wherein the mating groove (176) extends circumferentially about at least half (extends around all of the inner shaft as shown in figure 2 above) of the circumference of the inner shaft (32).
Regarding claim 16:
A method of securing a connector assembly (figure 33-35), comprising:
inserting an inner shaft (32) into a central bore (bore A in above figure 1) of an outer shaft (170)(as shown in figures 33-34), the inner shaft (32) having a mating groove (176) extending about at least a portion of the inner shaft (32) (as shown in figure 35), the outer shaft (170) having a slot (C in figure 1 above) that extends from an outer surface (B in figure 1 above) thereof radially inwardly to the central bore (bore A in above figure 1)(as shown in figure 1 above);
coupling a clamp (174) with the outer shaft (170)(as shown in figure 34); and
engaging a protruding member (178) of the clamp (174) with the mating groove (176) in order to restrict at least one of rotation or axial movement of the outer shaft (170) relative to the inner shaft (32) (the outer shaft and inner shaft are held fixed to each other in terms of axial movement as shown in figure 34).
Regarding claim 17:
The method of claim 16, further comprising aligning the mating groove (176) of the inner shaft (32) with the slot (C in figure 1 above) of the outer shaft (170)(as shown in figure 1 above).
Regarding claim 18:
The method of claim 16, wherein the engaging comprises inserting the engagement member (178) onto the outer shaft (170) and extend at least a portion of the engagement member (178) through the slot (C in figure 1 above) into the mating groove (176)(as shown in figure 1 above).
Regarding claim 19:
The method of claim 16, wherein the engaging comprises restricting longitudinal movement of the inner shaft (32) relative to the outer shaft (170) (the outer shaft and inner shaft are held fixed to each other in terms of axial movement as shown in figure 34).
Regarding claim 20:
The method of claim 19, where the engaging comprises permitting rotational movement (due to the circular shape of groove 176 the inner shaft 32 can rotate but cannot move axially) of the inner shaft (32) relative to the outer shaft (170).
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) 8 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 10744315 B2 to Sanders as applied to claims 1 and 10 above.
Regarding claim 8:
Sanders fails to disclose:
The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the slot extends circumferentially about at least 50% of the circumference of the outer shaft.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the difference in shape of the slot (extending to 50% of the circumference of the outer shaft) does not overcome Sanders which shows a slot extending over the outer shaft circumference since this is a difference in size and does not result in the structure of Sanders performing differently (see MPEP 2144.04 IV A). The size of the slot is only a difference in size and proportion which does not distinguish from the prior art.
Regarding claim 14:
Sanders fails to disclose:
The connector assembly of claim 10, wherein the slot extends circumferentially about at least 50% of the circumference of the outer shaft.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the difference in shape of the slot (extending to 50% of the circumference of the outer shaft) does not overcome Sanders which shows a slot extending over the outer shaft circumference since this is a difference in size and does not result in the structure of Sanders performing differently (see MPEP 2144.04 IV A). The size of the slot is only a difference in size and proportion which does not distinguish from the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following is pertinent prior art:
US-2021241-A
WILLIAM
See the clip 56
US-20130072893-A1
Takemoto
See clip 92
US-20060264814-A1
Sage
See clip 104
US-7153296-B2
Mitchell
See clip 106
US-10441507-B2
Sanders
See clip 44
CN-110694168-A
YIN
See clip 21
WO-2018136362-A1
SANDERS
See clip 174
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WESLEY HARRIS whose telephone number is (571)272-3665. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Tsai can be reached on (571) 270-5246. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WESLEY G HARRIS/Examiner, Art Unit 3783
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