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 .
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 “sliding spring” (claim 1; it is indicated as sliding spring 8 which is missing from the figures); “the drive block is movably connected in the groove” (claim 2; movement need not be shown but it is not shown that the drive block is connected in the groove); “positioning groove” (claim 3) 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.
Claim Objections
In claim 1, consider--A torque wrench, comprising a handle, a steel tube [[is]] connected with [[one]] a first side of the handle, a drive head is provided at a second side of the steel tube, the torque wrench further comprising:
an adjusting screw rod, wherein the adjusting screw rod is provided in the handle, examiner notes that this is already implicit as the adjusting screw rod is part of the torque wrench] at least one torque spring is connected with the adjusting screw rod, an first end of the at least one torque spring is provided in the handle, a second end of the at least one torque spring is provided in the steel tube, and the at least one torque spring is configured to transmit power;
a first sliding body, a second sliding body is provided in the first sliding body, the second sliding body is connected with a drive block, the drive block is connected with a collision block, the first sliding body, the second sliding body and the collision block are provided in the steel tube, the first sliding body is connected with a sliding spring, and sliding is allowed in between the first sliding body and the second sliding body--
In claim 3, consider --the at least one positioning groove is configured to provide direction stability--
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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shao (TW I787060 B).
With respect to claim 1, Shao discloses: A torque wrench (abstract), comprising a handle (handle 1, fig. 1; [0036]), a steel tube is connected with one side of the handle (steel tube 7, fig. 1; [0036] connected to handle at left side of fig. 1), a drive head is provided at another side of the steel tube (drive head 11, fig .1; [0036], provided at left side of steel tube, the steel tube is connected to handle at right side of fig. 1), the torque wrench further comprising:
an adjusting screw rod (adjusting screw rod 2, fig. 1; [0036]), wherein the adjusting screw rod is provided in the handle (fig. 1; adjustment screw is arranged in the handle body 1; [0036]), the adjusting screw rod is connected with the torque wrench (it is part of the overall torque wrench shown in fig. 1), at least one torque spring is connected with the adjusting screw rod (torque spring 3, fig .1; [0036], provides adjustment of torque as in [0037]) , an end of the at least one torque spring is provided in the handle (fig. 1; “adjustment screw 2 is connected to a tension spring 3, one end of which is arranged in the handle body 1” [0036]), another end of the at least one torque spring is provided in the steel tube (fig. 1; “The other end of the tension spring 3 is provided in the steel pipe 7” [0036]), and the at least one torque spring is configured to transmit power (“the tension spring 3 for transmitting power”; [0036]);
a first sliding body (first sliding body 5, figs. 1-2; [0036]), a second sliding body is provided in the first sliding body (second sliding body 12, figs. 1-2, “a first slider body 5 in which a second slider body 12 is provided”, [0036]), the second sliding body is connected with a drive block (drive block 9, fig. 1; [0036], “the second slider body 12 being connected to a drive block 9”), the drive block is connected with a collision block (collision block 6, fig .1; [0036], “the drive block 9 being connected to a collision block 6”) , the first sliding body, the second sliding body and the collision block are provided in the steel tube (fig. 1; “the first slider body 5 and the collision block 6 being arranged in the steel pipe 7” [0036], and since the second sliding body 12, figs. 1-2 is inside the first sliding body 5, it is also in steel tube 7) the first sliding body is connected with a sliding spring (sliding spring 8, figs. 1-2,[0038-0039]), and sliding is allowed in between the first sliding body and the second sliding body ([0038], “the first slider body 5 and the second slider body 12 slide with each other”).
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Ann. fig. 1 (above)
With respect to claim 2, Shao discloses the limitations of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein a groove is provided at a side of the second sliding body (groove at the location of 14, fig. 2; which is where block 9 is connected as shown in fig. 1 on the left side of block 12; see ann. fig. 1, above), and the drive block is movably connected in the groove (there is some spacing as shown in fig. 1 and because the arrangement is spring loaded, some movement is expected; and it appears that this groove was misnumbered in fig. 2, and is described in [0040] as being movably connected, which is otherwise consistent with the instant figures as well [which is supported by the fact that this prior reference is from the same inventor and otherwise uses the same reference characters with a similar description])
With respect to claim 3, Shao discloses the limitations of claim 2 above, and further discloses wherein at least one positioning groove is provided in the groove (fig. 2 shows the groove with a deeper pointed position in the middle, which can be considered a positioning groove, and [0044] provides for portioning grooves in groove 13, fig. 3; as well) , and the at least one positioning groove is configured to promise direction stability (the positioning grooves shown in fig. 2 can provide direction stability, because it provides physical boundaries for the limits of movement; and for the positioning grooves in [0044], it “achieve the effect of controlling the direction of the second slider body 12 and ensuring stability of the direction”).
With respect to claim 4, Shao discloses the limitations of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the handle is connected with the steel tube via a torque locking ring (torque locking ring 4, fig. 1; [0042], “the handle body 1 is connected to the steel pipe 7 by a torsion locking ring 4 for gripping the steel pipe 7”), and the torque locking ring is configured to snap the steel tube (the torque locking ring 7 grips [snaps/holds] the steel tube 7).
With respect to claim 5, Shao discloses the limitations of claim 1 above, and further discloses wherein the steel tube is connected with the drive head via a transmission pin (transmission pin 10, fig. 1; [0037], connection shown in fig. 1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Steven Huang whose telephone number is (571)272-6750. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 6:30 am to 2:30 pm, Friday 6:30 am to 11:00 am (Eastern Time).
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/Steven Huang/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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