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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "141" and "151" have both been used to designate a longitudinal slot. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “169” has been used to designate both a spacer and a piston. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 16 recite the limitations “the interior”, “the outer surface” and “the annular space”; claim 6 recites the limitations “the collar” and “the end”; and claim 8 recites the limitation “the collar”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
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 16-18 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 16 recites, “inserting the male coupler body into the female coupler body of the female coupler assembly and within the seal assembly; engaging the locking ring to the locking dog; forcing the locking dog radially outward such that the locking ring passes the locking dog…radially withdrawing the locking dog against a rear tapered surface of the locking ring…”. It is not clear to the Examiner exactly what this means within the context of the claim. The original disclosure recites:
[0072] Male coupler body 107 may continue to be inserted until locking ring 113 passes locking dogs 201, at which time rear tapered surface 117 of locking ring 113 engages rear camming surfaces 209 of locking dogs 201 as shown in FIG. 22 as locking dogs 201 are biased radially inward by retaining ring 149. In some embodiments, once male coupler body 107 is fully inserted, front tapered surface 115 of locking ring 113 may, in some embodiments, engage against landing face 163 of inner ring 157. In some embodiments, end face 111 of male coupler body 107 may engage against stop shoulder 173 of female coupler body 137. Positive physical contact between front tapered surface 115 and landing face 163 and/or end face 111 and stop shoulder 173 provides resistance to further longitudinal insertion of male coupler body 107, and the physical contact between rear tapered surface 117 and rear camming surfaces 209 of locking dogs 201 provides resistance to longitudinal retraction of male coupler body 107. Thus, positive, tactile confirmation of full insertion of male coupler body 107 may be identified. In some embodiments, positive confirmation of full insertion may be obtained by a sensor, such as, for example and without limitation a linear variable differential transformer or any other proximity sensor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 are allowed.
Claim 16 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not disclose a coupler assembly comprising: a male coupler assembly, the male coupler assembly including a male coupler body, the male coupler body being tubular, the interior of the male coupler body forming a male bore, the male coupler body including a locking ring, the locking ring being an annular protrusion from the outer surface of the male coupler body; a female coupler assembly, the female coupler assembly comprising: a female coupler body, the female coupler body being tubular, the interior of the female coupler forming a female bore, the female coupler body comprising a receiving socket adapted to receive the male coupler assembly;a locking dog, the locking dog adapted to be received by a locking dog aperture formed in the female coupler body, the locking dog positioned to abut the locking ring when the male coupler assembly is fully inserted into the female coupler assembly; a piston, the piston being generally tubular, the piston positioned within the receiving socket, the piston longitudinally slidable relative to the female coupler body; an inner ring, the inner ring positioned within the receiving socket and coupled to the female coupler body such that the annular space defined by the piston and the inner ring about the male coupler body defines a seal assembly pocket; a seal assembly positioned within the seal assembly pocket, the seal assembly including two or more seal rings and one or more spacers positioned between the seal rings; a collar, the collar being tubular and positioned about the receiving socket of the female coupler body, the collar longitudinally slidable relative to the female coupler body; and a linear actuator, the linear actuator coupled to the female coupler body and the collar such that extension of the linear actuator causes the collar to move from an unlocked position to a locked position such that the collar abuts the locking dog when in the locked position and such that the piston is moved from an unsealed to a sealed position in which the seal rings are longitudinally compressed when in the sealed position.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure it illustrates the state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON M DUNWOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-7080. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.
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/AARON M DUNWOODY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679