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 .
Application Status
This action is responsive to the claims filed 20 April 2026.
Claims 1-2 and 4-20 are currently pending and being examined.
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.
Claim(s) 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Junkers (US 2009/0107297).
Claim 18: Junkers teaches a power tool (fig.1) comprising:
a housing (1-fig.1);
a motor (3-fig.1) supported within the housing (¶[0011]);
a drive assembly (¶[0012]) disposed within the housing (¶[0012]) and configured to be driven by the motor (¶[0012]), the drive assembly including an output shaft (7-fig.1) and a collar (11-fig.1) surrounding the output shaft (¶[0012]); and
a reaction arm (31,21,22,16,18,17-fig.1) configured to be removably coupled to the collar (11-fig.1; ¶[0014]-[0015],[0019]-[0020]; reaction arm is removably coupled by projections 17 and corresponding recesses 23 of the carrier 11),
wherein the drive assembly is operable in a high speed low torque mode in response to the reaction arm being decoupled from the collar (see fig.1 showing 11 is decoupled from 21,16,18,17; ¶[0018]-[0019]), and wherein the drive assembly is operable in a low speed high torque mode in response to the reaction arm being coupled to the collar (“The portion 32 of the reaction arm 31 is turned around the axis A in a clockwise direction and pushes the rod 20 of the switching element 19 to the right in the drawings. The rod 20 with its projection 22 displaces the coupling or the sun gear 6 to the right in the drawing, so that the sun gear 6 disengages from the rear end of the drive shaft 7, while the outer teeth of the sun gear 6 engage with the outer teeth of the planetary gears 9 of the first stage of the multi-stage planetary gear set. At the same time the projection 21 of the rod 20 of the switching element 19 displaces the second coupling 16 to the right so that its projections 17 engage in the corresponding recesses of the carrier 23 of the second stage of the multi-stage planetary gear set.” ¶[0019]).
Junkers further teaches:
Claim 19: The power tool of claim 18, wherein the drive assembly includes a ring gear (1,12-fig.1) fixed to the collar (see fig.1 showing 11 fixed within 12; ¶[0012]) and a plurality of planet gears (9-fig.1) meshed with the ring gear and carried by the output shaft (¶[0012]).
Claim 20: The power tool of claim 19, wherein the ring gear is rotatable relative to the housing in the high speed low torque mode (claim 24; ¶[0003]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2 and 4-17 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks p.6-7, filed 20 April 2026, with respect to independent claim 12 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claim 12 and dependents has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 18 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KATIE L GERTH whose telephone number is (303)297-4602. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm (CT).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shelley Self can be reached at (571)272-4524. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KATIE L GERTH/Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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