1DETAILED 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)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: 33. 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.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains legal phraseology. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8, 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 7866711, Kerin in view of US 20160305589, Wildfang.
In regards to claim 1, in Figures 3-11 and paragraphs detailing said figures, Kerin discloses a pipe connector comprising: a female connector (112); male connector (114) having a bead (190) protruding from outer circumferential surface thereof; and a locking member (116) which allow the bead to be caught on one surface thereof by moving on a chamber portion (158) when the male connector is coupled while the chamber portion formed on the female connector is pre-coupled to the female connector, wherein the locking member is formed of a synthetic material (col. 4, line 66 through col. 5, line 1) and a metal reinforcement plate (220, col. 6, lines 38-41) is coupled to the one surface of the locking member on which the bead is caught. Kerin discloses the female connector having two sides with male connectors and locking members connected to each side. Kerin does not disclose a female connector having two sides with male connectors and locking members connected to each side. Wildfang invention discloses the female connector (7) having two sides (8, 9) with male connectors (11) and locking members (13) connected to each side, so “the invention can be inserted between a flexible hose line and at least one adjacent line section” ([0008]). It 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 to provide a female connector (7) having two sides with male connectors and locking members connected to each side, so the invention can be inserted between a flexible hose line and at least one adjacent line section, as taught by Wildfang.
In regards to claim 2, Kerin in view of Wildfang further disclose the locking members provide an elastic force (Kerin, col. 5, lines 40-46) in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the female connector while the beads are caught.
In regards to claim 3, Kerin in view of Wildfang further disclose the locking member includes: a locking body having a through hole through which the male connector passes; and elastic parts protruding from a lower portion of the locking body and providing the elastic force while in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the female connector.
In regards to claim 4, Kerin in view of Wildfang further disclose the elastic parts extend downward from both sides of the lower portion of the locking body and have a leg shape having front ends extending and curved to face each other.
In regards to claim 5, Kerin in view of Wildfang further disclose the reinforcement plate is mounted in a mounting groove formed by recessing one surface of the locking body (Kerin, Fig. 7).
In regards to claim 6, Kerin in view of Wildfang further disclose the reinforcement plate is integrally formed with the locking body through insert molding.
In regards to claim 8, Kerin in view of Wildfang further disclose the locking body includes a locking protrusion (216) on which the bead is caught.
In regards to claim 10, Kerin in view of Wildfang further disclose a guide surface (210), on which the bead slides when the male connector is coupled, is obliquely formed inside the locking body.
In regards to claim 11, Kerin in view of Wildfang further disclose the guide surface is obliquely formed upward from a front side toward a rear side of the locking body.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-20 are allowed.
Claims 7, 9 and 12 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
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