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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/16/2026, 0319/2026, 01/23/2026, 08/27/2025, 04/11/2025 are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 1 “lowermost surface” should be read –the lowermost surface--. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-20 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, line 2 “a shaving razor cartridge having a shaving surface in a neutral position on a shave plane” is unclear. As the claim is written, it does not provide a guidance to understand what the “neutral position” is. What is the constitution of the neutral position? It is unclear whether the neutral position refers to the shave plane where the cartridge is held and oriented in the handle (without biasing any external force that applies to the cartridge) or the shave plane where a position of the cartridge is oriented in the handle for optimal cutting efficiency and comfort.
Please note that most shave cartridges are pivotally mounted to handles out there, therefore, it is unclear where the “neutral position on a shave plane” be. Claim 10 has the same issue.
Claim 1, the last line, the language “the distal end” is unclear whether it refers to the distal end of the cartridge or the distal end of the handle. Please note that the cartridge inherently includes the distal end, therefore, it is unclear. Based on Applicant’s specification, to make it more clear, the language should be amended to --the distal end of the handle--. Claim 5 has the same issue.
Claim 3 “the first plane” lacks of antecedent basis for the limitation in the claim. This recitation is indefinite because it is unclear what it refers to.
In Claim 6, the terms “a generally horizontal resting plane” is indefinite. Examiner has reviewed the disclosure, and can find no discussion of the boundaries of the terms “general” or “generally”. Plane means a flat surface and this invention is a portable shaving device can be oriented any portions including a horizontal position. Therefore, the language “generally” in the term has no means in the term and it is unclear what it is for.
Claims 7-9 “the generally horizontal resting plane” lacks of antecedent basis for the limitation in the claim. This recitation is indefinite because it is unclear what it refers to. Claim 17 has the same issue.
Claims 18-20 “the horizontal resting plane” is unclear whether it refers to the generally horizontal resting plane in claim 17 or an additional horizontal resting plane. If it is the same plane, Applicant is requested to use the same terminology throughout the claims.
For examination purposes, as best understood, Examiner is interpreting the “issues above” as below and all claims dependent from claims 1, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being dependent from the rejected parent claim.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brellis et al (US 2020/0086516) hereinafter Brellis.
Regarding claim 1, as best understood, Brellis shows a shaving razor system (Figures 1-4) comprising:
a shaving razor cartridge (22) having a shaving surface (surface of a cutting edge 23) in a neutral position on a shave plane (see Figure 5b below);
a shaving razor handle (24, Figure 4) having a proximal end mounted to the shaving razor cartridge (see Figure 4) and a distal end (51), the distal end having a lowermost surface spaced apart from the shave plane by a distance less than 45 mm (the distance D1 is between 25-28mm as discussed in Para. 40 and see Figure 5b below, the distance from the shave plane and the handle end is about 30 mm), wherein an overall length from a proximal end of the shaving razor cartridge to the distal end of the handle is less than 130 mm (see the length L24, Figure 5b and Para. 32, it is 125mm).
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Regarding claims 2-3, Brellis shows that the lowermost surface is spaced apart from the shave plane by a distance of 15 mm to 40 mm (for claim 2) or 15 mm to 30 mm (for claim 3). See the discussion in claim 1 above, it is about 30mm.
Regarding claim 4, Brellis shows that the lowermost surface is spaced apart from the shave plane by a distance of 15 mm to 25 mm (See Figure 5b above, because the handle end is ably flexed to positions including the lowermost surface of the handle end is spaced apart from the shave plane by a distance of 15 mm to 25 mm).
Regarding claim 5, as best understood, Brellis shows that a distance from the distal end of the handle to a proximal end of the shaving razor cartridge is 115 mm to 125 mm (see the discussion in claim 1 above and Para. 32, the last line “125mm”).
Regarding claim 6, as best understood, Brellis shows that the shaving razor cartridge and the lowermost surface of the distal end define a “generally” horizontal resting plane with areas of contact to the generally horizontal resting plane includes the shaving razor cartridge and the lowermost surface of the distal end (see Figure 5b above).
Regarding claims 7-9, as best understood, Brellis shows that an angle of the shaving surface relative to a “generally” horizontal resting plane is about 0 to about 15 degrees (for claim 7) or about 5 to about 15 degrees (for claim 8) or about 8 to about 12 degrees (for claim 9). See Figure 5b above, it is about 10 degrees. Please note that the handle end is bent or flexed to positions including an angle of the shaving surface relative to the horizontal resting plane is about 8 to about 12 degrees.
Regarding claim 10, as best understood, Brellis shows the shaving razor system (as stated in claims 1 above) comprising:
“a shaving razor cartridge having a shaving surface in a neutral position on a shave plane (see the discussion in claim 1);
a shaving razor handle having a distal end and a proximal end mounted to the shaving razor cartridge, the distal end of the handle having a lowermost surface spaced apart from the shave plane by a distance less than 45mm” as stated in claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 11, Brellis shows that the lowermost surface is within 10 mm from the distal end of the shaving razor handle (see Figure 5b above, the handle end is rounded, the lowermost surface is within 10 mm from the distal end of the shaving razor handle).
Regarding claims 12-14, Brellis shows all of the limitations as stated in claims 2-4 above.
Regarding claims 15-16, Brellis shows a distance from the distal end of the handle to a proximal end of the shaving razor cartridge is less than 135 mm or about 115mm to about 130 mm (see the discussion in claim 1 above, it is 125mm).
Regarding claims 17-20, Brellis shows all of the limitations as stated in claims 6-9 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. EP 3388211 A1, US 20040177518 A1 show a handle is flexed such that a distance the shaving plane and the handle distal end is within the claimed range and KR-20200006642-A shows a pivot cartridge relative to a handle and US 11345056 B1 shows a curved handle.
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/NHAT CHIEU Q DO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724 7/31/2026
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