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
Claims 1-19 and 21 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected inventions and/or species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 10 February 2026. Based on the applicant’s election of Species of Embodiment P, encompassing Figures 10L and 10J as successfully argued by the applicant in the response filed 10 February 2026, claims 20 and 22-40 are pending in the application. After reviewing the elected species and claims, the examiner notes that claims 30-32 and 37-39 are directed to non-elected species, such as Figures 10A-10F, and these claims are hereby withdrawn by the examiner. Therefore, claims 20, 22-29, 33-36 and 40 are currently pending review in the application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 11 March 2025 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
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.
Claim(s) 20, 22-29, 33-36, and 40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by U.S. Pre-Grant Publication 2016/0153757 by Mahnke (Mahnke).
Regarding claim 20, Mahnke discloses a projectile (See at least Figures 11A-11F and 39A-40C), comprising: a body having a longitudinal axis, a front end and a rear end at respective ends along the longitudinal axis, and a surface profile extending from the front end to the rear end, wherein the surface profile is radially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, the body having a caliber size defining a largest diameter of the body along the longitudinal axis; two or more radially-recessed regions (8) forming stress-concentrating edges arranged proximate the front end of the body (See at least Figures 11A-11F and 39A-40C, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C and 39A-40C).
Regarding claim 22, Mahnke further discloses wherein the stress-concentrating edges are symmetrically spaced about the longitudinal axis (See at least Figures 11A-11F and 39A-40C, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C and 39A-40C).
Regarding claim 23, Mahnke further discloses wherein the stress-concentrating edges extend along the surface profile of the body such that the stress-concentrating edges each have a fore end and an aft end (See at least Figures 11A-11F and 39A-40C, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C and 39A-40C).
Regarding claim 24, Mahnke further discloses wherein the fore end of each stress-concentrating edge is arranged at the front end of the body (See at least Figures 11A-11F and 39A-40C, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C and 39A-40C).
Regarding claim 25, Mahnke further discloses wherein the aft end of each stress-concentrating edge is arranged along the surface profile spaced from the front end at a position such that each stress-concentrating edge is entirely radially within the largest diameter of the body (See at least Figures 11A-11F and 39A-40C, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C and 39A-40C).
Regarding claim 26, Mahnke further discloses wherein the stress-concentrating edges are oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body (See at least Figures 39A-40C, all aspects clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 27, Mahnke further discloses wherein the stress-concentrating edges are canted at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the body (See at least Figures 11A-11F, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C).
Regarding claim 28, Mahnke further discloses wherein the fore end of each stress-concentrating edge is arranged a spaced distance from the front end of the body (See at least Figures 11A-11F, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C).
Regarding claim 29, Mahnke further discloses wherein the fore end of each stress-concentrating edge tapers to a point (See at least Figures 11A-11F and 39A-40C, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C and 39A-40C).
Regarding claim 33, Mahnke further discloses wherein the stress-concentrating edges are configured to concentrate stress under impact to initiate controlled fracture to maximize crack length inside the target (See at least Figures 11A-11F and 39A-40C, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C and 39A-40C).
Regarding claim 34, Mahnke further discloses wherein each recessed region is a planar surface (See at least Figures 40A-40C, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 35, Mahnke further discloses wherein each planar surface normal vector has an angle with the longitudinal axis of the body between 10 and 85 degrees (See at least Figures 40A-40C, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 36, Mahnke further discloses wherein each stress-concentrating edge is formed as a linear edge by adjacent planar regions in contact with each other (See at least Figures 11A-11F and 39A-40C, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C and 39A-40C).
Regarding claim 40, Mahnke discloses a projectile, comprising: a body having a longitudinal axis, a front end and a rear end at respective ends along the longitudinal axis, and a surface profile extending from the front end to the rear end, wherein the surface profile is radially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, the body having a caliber size defining a largest diameter of the body along the longitudinal axis; two or more stress concentrating features arranged proximate the front end of the body, the stress concentrating features formed by recessed regions adjacent to each stress-concentrating feature (See at least Figures 11A-11F and 39A-40C, all aspects clearly illustrated, especially figures 11A-11C and 39A-40C).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892 Form for a listing of applicable prior art references.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN C WEBER whose telephone number is (571)270-5377. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Troy Chambers can be reached at 571-272-6874. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jonathan C Weber/Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 3641
JONATHAN C. WEBER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3641