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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is a Non-final Office Action for application number 19/107,416 PIN filed on 2/27/2025. Claims 1-16 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 2/27/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
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 7-11 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 7 recites the limitation "the latching means" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1, 2, 7-9 and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent No. 3,352,414 to Kuoni.
[AltContent: arrow] With regards to claim 1, the patent to Kuoni discloses a device (S) having a substantially planar central section (1); two intermediate sections (2, 3) each extending laterally from the central section and in a diverging manner with respect to each other, and so as to allow stacking of at least two pins (See Figure 2) in a stacking direction perpendicular to the central sections of the pins; and a generally beveled engagement portion
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at the second end of the pin; wherein each intermediate section comprises, at the engagement portion, two flat fins (9, 13k, 14) folded inwards so as to give the engagement portion the beveled shape; or wherein the engagement portion comprises a planar section inclined relative to the central section so as to give the engagement portion the beveled shape, the planar section extending from the central section toward the second end and being connected laterally to the intermediate sections.
With regards to claim 2, Kuoni wherein, when two pins are stacked, one of the two pins overlaps, with its lower face, the upper face of the other of the two pins. (See Figure 2)
With regards to claim 7, Kuoni teaches wherein the latching means comprise at least one latching pair provided with a through-opening (4, 7) and a boss (13, 9, 14).
With regards to claim 8, Kuoni teaches wherein the latching means are arranged so that the through-opening of a latching pair of an intermediate section of one of two stacked pins cooperates with the boss of a latching pair of an intermediate section of the other of the two stacked pins so as to ensure that the stacked pins are held by latching. (See Figure 2)
With regards to claim 9, Kuoni teaches wherein the boss of a latching pair formed on an intermediate section is formed on the upper face and upstream of the through-opening of the latching pair considered along a lateral extension direction of the intermediate section. (See Figure 1)
With regards to claim 13, Kuoni teaches wherein the pins are stacked in a direction perpendicular to the central section, and mechanically held between them in pairs. (See Figure 2)
With regards to claim 14, Kuoni teaches, wherein each intermediate section comprises, at the engagement portion, the two flat fins folded inwards so as to give the engagement portion the beveled shape. (See Figure 1).
With regards to claim 15, Kuoni teaches wherein the engagement portion comprises a planar section (7, 9, 13, 14) inclined relative to the central section so as to give the engagement portion the beveled shape, the planar section extending from the central section toward the second end and being connected laterally to the intermediate sections.
With regards to claim 16, Kuoni teaches latching means arranged on both of the two intermediate sections and configured to hold the pins together in pairs by latching when they are stacked. (See Figure 2)
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over United States Patent No. 3,352,414 to Kuoni.
With regards to claim 12, Kuoni does not teach wherein the metal body is made of hardened steel, however, it has been held that a suitable material is obvious and using a hardened steel is suitable as it is a durable material.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6, 10 and 11 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.
With regards to claim 3, the prior art does not teach wherein each intermediate section is extended laterally, in a lateral direction perpendicular to the elongation axis, by a side section, each intermediate section forming, with the side section that extends it, a side wing of generally concave shape through the upper face of the pin.
With regards to claim 10, the prior art does not teach wherein the boss of a latching pair formed on an intermediate section is formed on the lower face and downstream of the through- opening of the latching pair considered in a direction of lateral extension of the intermediate section.
With regards to claim 11, the prior art does not teach wherein each intermediate section comprises two latching pairs.
Cited References
PN 2,746,601 to Rebichon shows a pin
PN 3,553,794 to Kneidl et al. shows pin
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Amy J. Sterling at telephone number 571-272-6823 or to Supervisor Jonathan Liu at 571-272-8227 if the examiner cannot be reached. The examiner can normally be reached (Mon-Fri 8am-5:00pm). The fax machine number for the Technology center is 571-273-8300 (formal amendments), informal amendments or communications 571-273-6823. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be directed to the Technology Center receptionist at 571-272-3600.
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/AMY J. STERLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631 8/18/26
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