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 .
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 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Su (US 10816025).
Regarding claim 1, Su discloses a collated-screw-band assembly Fig. 5 comprising: a loading band 1A comprising multiple positioning hole sets 151 spaced linearly at intervals, and each one of the positioning hole sets comprising a positioning hole; and multiple positioning clips 154 surrounding the positioning hole and being bendable; multiple shoulder washers 21 respectively mounted at the multiple positioning hole sets of the loading band; each one of the multiple shoulder washers comprising an annular body having an assembling hole disposed at a center of the annular body; a limiting rim extending outwardly from an outer surface and a bottom side of the annular body; a peripheral annular recess 211 formed at a periphery of the annular body and disposed on top of the limiting rim; in each one of the multiple shoulder washers, the annular body mounted through the positioning hole of the corresponding positioning hole set of the loading band; in each one of the positioning hole sets, the multiple positioning clips extending into the peripheral annular recess of the corresponding shoulder washer and abutting the limiting rim of said shoulder washer Fig. 8; multiple screws 2 connected to the multiple shoulder washers respectively; each one of the multiple screws comprising a rod portion 20 tightly mounted through the assembling hole of the corresponding shoulder washer; a head portion 201 connected to the rod portion; the head portion of said screw and the limiting rim of the corresponding shoulder washer clamping the loading band.
Regarding claim 2, Su discloses wherein each one of the positioning hole sets 151 comprises two tooth portions 14 respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the positioning hole.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 3 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Su in view of Jones (US 5188495).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Su discloses the invention as claimed above but fails to disclose wherein each one of the multiple screws has an indentation formed at a bottom end of the head portion. Jones, a collated-screw band assembly Fig. 4, discloses the use of an indentation 40 Fig. 1 formed at a bottom end of a head portion 30. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the head portion of Su with an indentation as taught by Jones in order to provide a secure space for the washer.
Claim(s) 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Su.
Regarding claims 5-8, Su discloses the invention as claimed above but fails to explicitly disclose wherein the multiple shoulder washers are made of elastic materials, rubber, silicone or nylon. Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the material according to a specific environment of use and since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended used as a matter of obvious design choice. Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The most relevant references, such as Su (US 2021/0054870) disclose a grooved washer, and more particularly to a grooved washer that may be stuck on a screw carrier tape stably.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE G BYRD whose telephone number is (571)270-1824. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton can be reached at 5712727376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EUGENE G BYRD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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