DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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 § 112
2. 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.
3. Claim 1 is 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 the limitation "the pressure spring" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Consider instead –a pressure spring—for proper antecedent support. For examination purposes, the term, “pressure spring”, will be interpretated as a spring that exerts a specific force over a range of motion.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable over Guo (US 20260138246 A1).
In reference to claim 1, Guo anticipates an adjustable torque wrench improvement (1), comprising a ball device arranged thereon to adjust torque, wherein the ball device (Figs 2 and 3) comprises a ball screw (31), a plurality of balls (62), and a ball nut (61) arranged thereon respectively;
wherein the ball screw is arranged at the end of a wrench torque rod (31 is arranged at the end of 12, Fig 3), is a cylinder (at 31), and has a spiral channel surrounding on the surface (312 surrounds on surface of 31) thereof for the ball nut and the balls to screw together (311 screws 62 and 61 together);
wherein the ball nut has a ball track (64, Figs 2 and 3) arranged inside thereof (64 is arranged inside of 61), and after being screwed with the ball screw, the plurality of balls are accommodated in the ball track (62 is arranged in 64);
wherein the rotation of the ball nut ([0016], lines 1-8; [0021], lines 13-30; handle 10 and sleeve member 61 rotate together relative to shaft 31) is used to cause the balls to roll, which drives an axial displacement of the ball screw, and at the same time drives the wrench torque rod to change the tightening or relaxation of the pressure spring ([0021], lines 6-18), so as to complete the adjustment of the torque (Figs. 1-2).
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a. TW M434652 discloses a screw 63 and a main torque rod 12 used in conventional mechanically adjustable torque wrenches (Figs. 1-4)
b. TW I714469 discloses an adjustable element 50 for changing the compression of the elastic member 26 (Fig. 10)
c. TW M549139 discloses a conventional screw 50 used in torque wrenches (Fig. 1)
d. TW M556654 discloses an adjusting screw 3 (Fig. 2)
e. US5662012 A discloses a screw part B (Fig. 2)
f. US8863624 B2 discloses an adjustment screw member 31 (Fig. 31)
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BUKATUN NOOR CHOWDHRY whose telephone number is (571)272-0152. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 5:00 pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Keller can be reached at (571) 272-8548. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BUKATUN NOOR CHOWDHRY/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/BRIAN D KELLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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