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.
Claims 1-15 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 requires “a supplementary working tool such as a longhair trimmer” which is indefinite. Is the longhair trimmer mandatory or exemplary, and if the latter, how is the clause not surplusage to ‘tool.’
Claim 1 requires “a longhair trimmer” which is indefinite. What is the structural composition required to be a ‘longhair trimmer.’ If applicant intends to constrain this clause, the structure must be clear—as in—a pair of reciprocating blades with a series of teeth; not the vague “longhair trimmer.”
Claim 4 requires several conflicting elements spaced by a “/” (slash). The slash is commonly used to refer to items in a list to mean OR, AND, and AND/OR. Because the elements in claim 4 conflict with each other in some or all of those constructions a less ambiguous phrasing is required for clarity.
Claim 11 recites “substantially parallel to or inclined at an angle of less than 20 (degrees) or 10(degrees)” which is indefinite. Are these three different requirements or is 20 and 10 modifying ‘substantially’ somehow? The term substantially in this context is indefinite, as is the recitation of broader and narrower ranges together in a single claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 may be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. It is not certain, but apparently the prior art does not show the essential features of the claims—specifically in the personal shaver arts, the use of a single slider for the supplementary tool having a dual function: it both deploys/retracts the tool and controls the head-locking brake. The art (of record) does not show or render obvious that combination and fusion.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN M MICHALSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-6752. The examiner can normally be reached Typically M-F 6a-3:30p East Coast Time.
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SEAN M. MICHALSKI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3724
/SEAN M MICHALSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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