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 B (illustrated in Figures 14-20D) in the reply filed on February 3, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-17 and 21-23 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.1
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.
Claims 1-10 are 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.
Claim 1 recites “a plurality of jaws received within the plurality of openings” in Line 4. It is unclear whether this is a respective relationship between each of the plurality or if there is more than one jaw within the openings. Appropriate clarification required.
Claim 6 recites “the plate has a greater thickness proximate the central aperture than proximate an outer periphery of the plate.” The term “proximate” in claim 6 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “proximate” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Appropriate correction required.
Claim 9 recites “an axial movement of the collar is limited when the end of the respective thread is received in the recess.” The term “when” creates a lack of clarity as to whether the limitation is required at all if the “when” condition does not occur. Appropriate correction required.
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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abbott (US Pub. No. 2021/0331255 A1) in view of Zeng et al. (WO 2019/178777 A1).
(Claim 1) Abbott discloses a chuck assembly (300) for a rotary power tool (Figs. 9-13C; ¶ 0128). The chuck assembly includes: a body (334) rotatable about a central axis (350), the body including a plurality of openings (362); a plurality of jaws (338) received within the plurality of openings in the body (¶ 0130; Figs. 10-13C); a collar (342, 346) surrounding the body (Figs. 9-13C), the collar including a stepped portion (410) configured to engage the plurality of jaws to limit radial movement of the plurality of jaws (Fig. 12-13C); and a spring (432) biasing the collar such that the stepped portion is biased into engagement with the plurality of jaws (¶¶ 0135-0137). Abbott does not explicitly disclose the body having a first set of threads and a second set of threads coupled for co-rotation with the collar and engageable with the first set of threads on the body such that rotation of the collar relative to the body causes the collar to move axially along the body.
Zeng et al. (“Zeng”) discloses a body (13) having a first set of threads (132) and a second set of threads (116) coupled for co-rotation with the collar (via 117) and engageable with the first set of threads on the body (Figs. 2, 3, 8) such that rotation of the collar relative to the body causes the collar to move axially along the body (Page 10, Lines 10-15). At a time prior to filing it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the body and collar (i.e., plate 346 attached thereto) disclosed in Abbott with the first set of threads and second set of threads as suggested by Zeng in order to provide incremental advancement (along threads) with axial advancement retention capability as well as sliding translation between respective threads of the set (via slot 133).
(Claim 2) A plate (Abbott 346) coupled for co-rotation with the collar (Abbott ¶ 0134). The plate includes a central aperture (Abbott Figs. 10-13C). The body extends through the central aperture (Abbott Figs. 10-13C).
(Claim 3) The second set of threads is formed in the plate about a periphery of the central aperture (Abbott 346; Zeng 116).
(Claim 4) The spring has a first end that engages the body and a second end that engages the plate (Abbott Fig. 12).
(Claims 5 and 6) The plate in Abbott is not explicitly disclosed as having a non-uniform thickness with the greater thickness proximate the central aperture than the outer periphery.
The plate (115) disclosed in Zeng has a non-uniform thickness (Fig. 9). The plate has a greater thickness, as bet understood, proximate the central aperture than proximate an outer periphery of the plate (Fig. 9). At a time prior to filing it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the plate disclosed in Abbott with a non-uniform thickness as suggested by Zeng as obvious to try - choosing from a finite number of solutions - uniform thickness and non-uniform thickness - leading the predictable result of a plate translatable axially along the body. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 418 (2007) (reciting several exemplary rationales that may support a finding of obviousness).
(Claim 7) The spring in Abbott is not explicitly disclosed as a conical coil spring.
Zeng discloses a conical coil spring (120). At a time prior to filing it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the chuck disclosed in Abbott with a conical coil spring as suggested by Zeng as simple substitution of one known element for another obtaining a predictable result (applying pressure between the plate and the body). See KSR, 550 at 418.
(Claim 8) In the modified device, each thread of the second set of threads includes a recess configured to receive an end of a respective thread of the first set of threads (Zeng Fig. 2; Page 10, Lines 6-10).
(Claim 9) In the modified device, an axial movement of the collar is limited when the end of the respective thread is received in the recess (Zeng Fig. 2; Page 10, Lines 11-13).
(Claim 10) Each jaw (Abbott 338) of the plurality of jaws includes a stepped outer surface engageable with the stepped portion of the collar (Abbott Figs. 12-13C).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN RUFO whose telephone number is (571)272-4604. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Singh Sunil can be reached at (571) 272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RYAN RUFO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3722
1 Claim 11 requires a locking assembly, which is disclosed as part of unelected species.