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 .
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.
Claim 20 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.
In claim 20 there is no antecedent basis for the term “the locking aperture”. It appears this should read “the alignment aperture”.
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 1,2,7-10,13,15,16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bierman et al.(US6428515).
[claim 1] Bierman teaches a mounting assembly(20) for a fluid-transfer plug(32), the mounting assembly comprising: a mounting receptacle(30) comprising: a proximal left retention surface(left side of surface 60 in figure 3) and opposing proximal right retention surface(right side of surface 60 in figure 3); a distal left retention surface(left side of surface 62 in figure 3) and opposing distal right retention surface(right side of surface 62 in figure 3); a support surface(surface below openings 110,98) comprising an alignment aperture(104)defined in the support surface; and a movable locking member(90) located between the proximal left retention surface and the distal left retention surface; and a housing(22) for the fluid-transfer plug, the housing removably secured in the mounting receptacle(fig 11f), the housing comprising: a housing body(38); a left locking slot(slot above left side 44c in figure 11f) defined in a left side of the housing body; a right locking slot(slot above right side 44c in figure 11f) defined in a right side of the housing body opposite to the left side; and an alignment pin(44a) extending from a bottom surface of the housing body into the alignment aperture in the support surface of the mounting receptacle, wherein the locking member of the mounting receptacle extends into the left locking slot in the left side of the housing body(fig 11f).
[claim 2] further comprising a left sidewall(left 66 in figure 11f) between the proximal left retention surface and the distal left retention surface of the mounting receptacle; and a right sidewall(right 66 in figure 11f) between the proximal right retention surface and the distal right retention surface of the mounting receptacle.
[claim 7] wherein the left locking slot in the left side of the housing body is laterally aligned with the right locking slot in the right side of the housing body(fig 11f).
[claim 8] wherein the bottom surface(lower surface with alignment pin 44a in figure 11f) of the housing body comprises a left arcuate portion and a right arcuate portion(as seen in figure 11f, on either side of 44a), wherein the alignment pin extends from between the left arcuate portion and the right arcuate portion.
[claim 9] Bierman teaches a housing(22) for a fluid-transfer plug(32), the housing comprising: a housing body(38); a left locking slot(slot above left side 44c in figure 11f) defined in a left side of the housing body; a right locking slot(slot above right side 44c in figure 11f) defined in a right side of the housing body opposite to the left side; and an alignment pin(44a) extending from a bottom surface of the housing body.
[claim 10] wherein the left locking slot is laterally aligned with the right locking slot(fig 11f).
[claim 13] wherein the bottom surface(lower surface with alignment pin 44a in figure 11f) of the housing body comprises a left arcuate portion and a right arcuate portion(as seen in figure 11f, on either side of 44a), wherein the alignment pin extends from between the left arcuate portion and the right arcuate portion.
[claim 15] Bierman teaches a mounting receptacle(30) configured to removably secure a housing(22) for a fluid- transfer plug(32), the mounting receptacle comprising: a proximal left retention surface(left side of surface 60 in figure 3) and opposing proximal right retention surface(right side of surface 60 in figure 3); a distal left retention surface(left side of surface 62 in figure 3) and opposing distal right retention surface(right side of surface 62 in figure 3), the distal left retention surface spaced from the proximal left retention surface, and the distal right retention surface spaced from the proximal right retention surface(fig 3); a support surface(surface below openings 110,98) comprising an alignment aperture(104) defined in the support surface; and a movable locking member(90) located between either the proximal left retention surface and the distal left retention surface or between the proximal right retention surface and the distal right retention surface.
[claim 16] further comprising a left sidewall(left 66 in figure 11f) between the proximal left retention surface and the distal left retention surface of the mounting receptacle; and a right sidewall(right 66 in figure 11f) between the proximal right retention surface and the distal right retention surface of the mounting receptacle.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 3,4,11,12,17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bierman et al as applied to claims 1,9 and 15, and further in view of Brimble et al(US10006576).
[claim 3,17] Bierman teaches a mounting assembly and mounting receptacle as detailed above, however Bierman does not teach that the movable locking member comprises a plunger extending through the left sidewall of the mounting receptacle into the left locking slot in the left side of the housing body. Brimble teaches a similar mounting and connection assembly for a fluid transfer member(C1 L13-16), and further teaches a locking member(spring and locking pin in fig 43-44) comprising a plunger(locking pin) extending through a sidewall(member housing the spring and locking pin) into a locking slot of a housing body(female assembly). The spring loaded plunger providing a positive locking engagement between the two parts. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date to use the plunger and slots of Brimble with the assembly or mounting receptacle of Bierman as this would provide a means for further positive locking engagement between the mounting receptacle and housing, and could help prevent accidental separation of the same.
[claim 4,18] when arranged as above, wherein the plunger(spring biased locking pin) is biased(by the spring) to extend into the left locking slot in the left side of the housing body.
[claim 11] Bierman teaches a housing for a fluid-transfer plug as detailed above, however Bierman does not teach that the left locking slot extends through a top surface of the housing body and the right locking slot extends through the top surface of the housing body. As noted above Brimble teaches a similar mounting and connection assembly for a fluid transfer member(C1 L13-16) with a housing(female assembly in figure 45). Brimble further teaches the use of a locking member(locking pin in figure 45) that engages a slot(slot shown in the female member of figure 45 receiving the locking pin) with the slot extending through a top surface of the housing body(female member in figure 45), the arrangement providing a positive locking interaction between the parts. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date to use the plunger and slots of Brimble with the housing of Bierman as this would provide a means for further positive locking engagement between the mounting receptacle and housing, and could help prevent accidental separation of the same.
[claim 12] when arranged as above, wherein the left locking slot has a slot length from the top surface of the housing body to a left slot bottom surface(at deeper pocket shown in figure 45 of Brimble), and the right slot has the slot length from the top surface of the housing body to a right slot bottom surface(at deeper pocket shown in figure 45 of Brimble).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5,6,14,19 and 20 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, as well as being amended to overcome the above 112 rejection.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: with regards to claims 5,6,19 and 20, the prior art teaches a mounting assembly and mounting receptacle as defined in claims 1 and 15 as detailed above, however the prior art does not disclose the use of a mounting receptacle formed from a chassis comprising the proximal left retention surface and opposing proximal right retention surface, a bracket comprising the distal left retention surface and opposing distal right retention surface, and the bracket affixed to the chassis as recited in claims 5 and 19.
With regards to claim 14, the prior art teaches a housing as defined in claim 13 above, however the prior art does not teach a housing that further has a left side of the housing body comprising a left planar surface that transitions into the left arcuate portion of the housing body, and a right side of the housing body comprising a right planar surface that transitions into the right arcuate portion of the housing body as recited in claim 14.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US12188590, US11326727, US11293575, US10711930, US10688294, US9291292, US9157560, US8738151, US9427553, US7014221, US6508593, US4139222, US3287031.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRADLEY H DUCKWORTH whose telephone number is (571)272-2304. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at 5712724979. 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.
/BRADLEY DUCKWORTH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632
Prosecution Insights