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
Claims 5-6 and 10-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected inventions and species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 3/27/26
Applicant's election with traverse of the claimed inventions in the reply filed on 3/27/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the claims are linked with a single inventive concept and Thomas does not render obvious claim 1. This is not found persuasive for at least the reasons shown in the rejection below with regards to Thomas. Additionally, the claims presented in the response on 3/27/26 have been amended to incorporate the limitations of claim 1. The examiner maintains, the previously presented claims were properly restricted. With regards to the amendments to claims 10-14 and 15-20, the claims are withdrawn in the current claim set with the addition of claims 5-6 being directed to non-elected species 2. In the event that claim 1 is found allowable and the withdrawn claims are amended to incorporate those allowable limitations, the examiner will rejoin any and all eligible claims.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 and 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hudson et al., hereafter Hudson, US Patent Publication No. 2016/0047613.
Regarding claim 1, Hudson discloses a slide (130) for a pistol, the slide comprising: a first slide groove (174) and a second slide groove (174) for coupling the slide to a frame (101)([0082]) of the pistol; a bore (164) for accommodating a firing pin (180/186); a cover plate groove (shown in figures 23-27 for example, holding 172) for accommodating a slide cover plate (172); a recess (shown in figure 23 connecting 164 to the interior of the slide), wherein the recess extends from an internal surface (internal surface shown in figure 23, but not specifically numbered) to the bore in a radial direction and from the cover plate groove to a front end of the recess in a slide displacement direction (figure 23 and annotated below), wherein the recess is configured for accommodating a firing pin flag (184) of the firing pin the slide further comprising at least a first protrusion (shown in figure 23 and annotated below) situated on the internal surface, wherein the first protrusion is situated next to the recess (shown in figure 23 and annotated below. Alternatively, because “next to” is a broad recitation, elements such as 169 and 170 could reasonably be construed as protrusions which are “next to” the recess).
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ANNOTATED FIGURE
Regarding claim 4, Hudson further discloses the first protrusion extends to the cover plate groove (shown in figure 23 and annotated figure above)
Regarding claim 5, Hudson further discloses the first protrusion extends from the cover plate groove to the front end of the recess in the slide displacement direction (shown in figure 23, the protrusion extends to the forwardmost end of the internal surface).
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) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thomas, US Patent No. 3,857,325 in view of Wolf, US Patent No. 8,832,983.
Regarding claim 1, Thomas discloses a slide (21) for a pistol, the slide comprising: a first slide groove and a second slide groove for coupling the slide to a frame of the pistol (grooves shown in figure 9 and annotated figure below coupling to the frame 17); a bore (39) for accommodating a firing pin (41); a recess (shown in figure 9 and annotated below), wherein the recess extends from an internal surface (annotated below) to the bore in a radial direction to a front end of the recess in a slide displacement direction, wherein the recess is configured for accommodating a firing pin flag (51) of the firing pin, the slide further comprising; at least a first protrusion (annotated below) situated on the internal surface, wherein the first protrusion is situated next to the recess (shown in figure 9 and annotated below); however, Thomas does not clearly show a cover plate groove for accommodating a slide cover plate. Nonetheless, Wolf clearly teaches a slide with a cover plate groove covering a firing pin bore and recess in figure 2B.
Thus it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify Hudson to have a cover plate groove for a cover plate at a rear end of the slide similar to that as taught by Wolf with a reasonable expectation of success in order to facilitate easy disassembly of the firing components in order to allow for easier repair, maintenance or replacement.
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Regarding claim 2, Hudson as modified by Wolf further discloses the first protrusion is situated on a first side of the recess and a second protrusion is situated on a second side of the recess (shown in figure 9 and the annotated figure above, the slide has a first and second protrusion on either side of the recess).
Claim(s) 1-2, 4 and 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nebecker et al., hereafter Nebeker, US Patent Publication No. 2015/0292828 in view of Wolf.
Regarding claim 1, Nebeker discloses a slide (24) for a pistol, the slide comprising: a first slide groove and a second slide groove for coupling the slide to a frame of the pistol ([0032] discloses mating grooves on the slide, though not shown, for engaging support rails 21 of the frame of the pistol); a bore (49) for accommodating a firing pin (67); a recess (shown in figure 16 and annotated below), wherein the recess extends from an internal surface (annotated below) to the bore in a radial direction to a front end of the recess in a slide displacement direction (figure 16),wherein the recess is configured for accommodating a firing pin flag (64) of the firing pin, the slide further comprising; at least a first protrusion (shown in figure 16 and annotated below) situated on the internal surface, wherein the first protrusion is situated next to the recess (figure 16 and below); however, Nebeker does not specifically show a cover plate or cover plate groove. Nonetheless, Wolf clearly teaches a slide with a cover plate groove covering a firing pin bore and recess in figure 2B.
Thus it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify Nebeker to have a cover plate groove for a cover plate at a rear end of the slide similar to that as taught by Wolf with a reasonable expectation of success in order to facilitate easy disassembly of the firing components in order to allow for easier repair, maintenance or replacement.
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ANNOTATED FIGURE
Regarding claim 2, Nebeker as modified by Wolf further discloses the first protrusion is situated on a first side of the recess and a second protrusion is situated on a second side of the recess (shown in figure 16 and annotated above)
Regarding claim 4, Nebeker as modified by Wolf further discloses the first protrusion extends to the cover plate groove (annotated above, the protrusion extends fully to the rear of the opening that would be covered by a cover plate as taught by Wolf)
Regarding claim 7, Nebeker as modified by Wolf further discloses the first protrusion extends from the cover plate groove to a front end of the first protrusion, wherein the front end of the first protrusion is distanced from the front end of the recess in the slide displacement direction (figure 16 and annotated above, the protrusions do not extend a full length of the recess occupied by 64)
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Nebeker as modified by Wolf further discloses on the front ends of the first and second protrusions, the first and second protrusions have a ramp-like shape (figure 16 and annotated above)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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 is provided on form PTO-892.
The applicant is invited to call the examiner for additional information on how particular cited references would be interpreted or applied to the claimed invention or potential amendments.
While the Examiner is available via telephone to resolve administrative issues regarding a patent application, issues relating to patentability and/or prospective amendments may be more efficiently discussed via email correspondence subsequent to the filing of form PTO/SB/439 (“Authorization for Internet Communications in a Patent Application”) authorizing permission for internet communication. The form is available online at https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0439.pdf and may be submitted for the record along with any other response to this action. The Examiner may be reached by telephone at 571-272-6352.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Troy Chambers can be reached on 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 an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DERRICK R MORGAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3641
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