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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-4, 6, 7, 11, 14, 16, 18 and 21-28 in the reply filed on 3/2/26 is acknowledged.
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) 1-4, 6-7, 11, 18, 22-26, 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Curry (US 8,919,027). Curry discloses a system for mounting on a firearm having a dovetail slot, the system comprising: a firearm accessory (18, 24, 26) having a hole (98, 118, 122); a dovetail connector (14) having structure to mount the firearm accessory to the firearm using the dovetail slot, the dovetail connector including a dovetail head (90) and a post (106), the dovetail head sized and shaped to be received in the dovetail slot of the firearm (col. 3, lines 44-55), the post extending upward from the dovetail head, the post being sized and shaped to be received in the hole of the firearm accessory (Fig. 2 and 3), the post including an internally threaded opening (102); and a fastener (94) having structure to be inserted into the hole of firearm accessory and to threadably connect with the internally threaded opening of the dovetail connector to secure the dovetail connector and the firearm accessory to one another.
2. The system as set forth in claim 25, wherein the mount includes anti-rotation structure (the length of cavity 110) configured to engage the dovetail connector to prevent rotation of the dovetail connector when the at least one fastener engages the dovetail connector.
3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the firearm accessory comprises mount connection structure and the mount comprises accessory connection structure (where 114, 118 go in) configured to mate with the mount connection structure to locate the firearm accessory with respect to the mount.
4. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the mount connection structure of the firearm accessory comprises openings and the accessory connection structure of the mount comprises alignment bosses (the structure where 114 and 118 go in) configured to mate with the openings. (Figs. 2 and 3)
6. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the mount includes an opening (110) configured to receive the dovetail connector.
7. The system as set forth in claim 25, wherein the mount includes an opening (110), the post of the dovetail connection being configured to extend through the opening of the mount.
11. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fastener is configured to engage the firearm accessory to secure the firearm accessory to the dovetail connector. (Fig. 1 and 2)
18. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the firearm accessory comprises a firearm sight (10) configured to assist a user in aiming the firearm.
22. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the firearm, the dovetail head of the dovetail connector being disposed in the dovetail slot of the firearm, the post of the dovetail connector being disposed in the hole of the firearm accessory, the fastener being disposed in the hole of the firearm accessory and threadably connected to the internally threaded opening of the dovetail connector. (Figs. 1, 2 and 7)
23. The system as set forth in claim 22, wherein the dovetail head of the dovetail connector is sized and shaped to be inserted into the dovetail slot of the firearm without any tools. (no tools are disclosed as being used but dovetail connectors are generally known to be slid into dovetail slots)
24. The system as set forth in claim 22, wherein the dovetail connector is configured for toolless installation of the dovetail connector in the dovetail slot of the firearm. (no tools are disclosed as being used but dovetail connectors are generally known to be slid into dovetail slots)
25. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a mount (18) configured to receive the firearm accessory (24, 26) thereon.
26. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the dovetail head includes an opposite first and second angled surfaces configured to engage opposite angled surfaces of the dovetail slot. (inherent in the design of dovetail connector)
28. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the dovetail head is configured to move upwardly within the dovetail slot when the fastener is threadably connected to the internally threaded opening of the dovetail connector to secure the system to the firearm. (col. 3, lines 55-65)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14, 16, 21 and 27 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHELLE CLEMENT whose telephone number is (571)272-6884. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHELLE CLEMENT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3641
Prosecution Insights