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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 13 is 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 13 is vague and indefinite. On line 2, the phrase “the handle” has no antecedent basis 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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Emes (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0066822).
With respect to Claim 1, Emes, Figures 1-5, teaches a dispensing system 10 for cable spools, comprising a support base for supporting a spool 24 as the cable 38 is dispensed, extending substantially in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the spool and having a fixed part 14, and a rotary part 12 according to an axis of the spool with respect to the fixed part, the spool 24 being detachably secured to the rotary part (via 26), opposingly distributed coupling surfaces arranged respectively on the rotary part and a base of the spool for attaching the spool 24 to the rotary part 12.
With respect to Claim 2, Emes further teaches a plurality of distributed coupling surfaces which are arranged on the rotary part 12 and/or distributed coupling surfaces which are arranged on the base for securing the spool 24, said opposingly distributed coupling surfaces being arranged with angular symmetry with respect to the axis of the spool.
With respect to Claim 3, Emes further teaches wherein at least one of the two opposingly distributed coupling surfaces extends annularly around the axis of the spool 24.
With respect to Claim 4, Emes further teaches wherein the support base has a substantially circular or polygonal shape.
With respect to Claim 5, Emes further teaches wherein the support base has a central through hole.
With respect to Claim 6, Emes further teaches wherein the opposingly distributed coupling surfaces are arranged substantially flat on the respective rotary part and base for securing the spool.
With respect to Claim 9, Emes further teaches a cable spool and a dispensing system for said spool according to Claim 1.
With respect to Claim 10, Emes further teaches wherein the base for securing the spool and/or the rotary part of the support base has a positioning mark 14 to mark the securing position of the spool with respect to the rotary part of the support base.
With respect to Claim 11, Emes further teaches a distributed coupling surface arranged on the base for securing the spool to secure the spool to a distributed coupling surface opposite to said distributed coupling surface. 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, 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) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Emes as applied to Claims 1-6 and 9-11 above, and further in view of Bookland (U.S. Patent No. 10,781,069).
With respect to Claim 8, Emes is advanced above.
Emes teaches all the elements of the dispensing system except for wherein the support base comprises a guiding flange to guide the positioning of the spool to a securing position.
However, Bookland, Figures 1-10, teaches a guiding flange 18 to guide the positioning of the spool to a securing position. See Figures 1 and 8-9.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a guiding flange, as taught by Bookland, for the purpose of protecting the spool.
Claim(s) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Emes as applied to Claims 1-6 and 9-11 above, and further in view of Snow (U.S. Patent No. 6,398,148).
With respect to Claims 12-13, Emes is advanced above.
Emes teaches all the elements of the dispensing system except for a handle for transporting the spool or the dispensing assembly; wherein the handle is centered with respect to the base of the spool opposite to the base for securing said spool.
However, Snow, Figures 1-7, teaches a handle 38 for transporting the spool or the dispensing assembly; wherein the handle is centered with respect to the base of the spool opposite to the base for securing said spool.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Emes with a handle, as taught by Snow, for the purpose of allowing a user to carry the dispenser.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 7 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest the entire combination of elements of the dispensing system set forth including a rotary part securing sheet which is attached to the rotary part and a securing base securing sheet which is connected to the securing base of the spool, said rotary part securing sheet and said securing base securing sheet being provided with respective opposingly distributed coupling surfaces.
None of the references of the prior art teach or suggest a rotary part securing sheet which is attached to the rotary part and a securing base securing sheet which is connected to the securing base of the spool, said rotary part securing sheet and said securing base securing sheet being provided with respective opposingly distributed coupling surfaces as advanced above and such do not provide the necessary motivation, absent applicant's specification, for modifying the dispensing system in the manner required by the claims.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM ARAUZ RIVERA whose telephone number is (571)272-6953. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM MDT.
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/WILLIAM A. RIVERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654