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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 7-8, 10, 13, 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Richards (US 8,109,706). In the embodiment shown in Figs. 7, Richards discloses a screw comprising: a thread (66); a tapered tip (84); a cylindrical shaft behind the tip; a cylindrical thickened portion (68) behind the cylindrical shaft; a second cylindrical thickened portion (70) at the end of the thread; and a leading end of the cylindrical thickened portions includes a step oriented 90° relative to the axis.
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Claims 1, 2, 4, 5-6 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dicke (US 7,037,059). In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3, Dicke discloses a screw comprising: a thread (109); a tapered tip (103); a cylindrical shaft (102) behind the tip; a cylindrical thickened portion (106) behind the cylindrical shaft; a leading end of the cylindrical thickened portions includes a step oriented 90° relative to the axis; the cylindrical thickened portion is shown with a height (D4) between 10% and 50% the height of the threads (D2); and the axial length of the cylindrical thickened portion is less than 5 times the thread pitch.
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Claims 1, 3, 4, 6 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (US 2020/0116187). Chen discloses a screw comprising: a thread (36); a tapered tip (37); a cylindrical shaft (on which the thread is formed) behind the tip; a thickened portion (34) behind the cylindrical shaft; a leading end (341) of the thickened portions includes a step oriented 90° relative to the axis and a trailing end (342) of the thickened portion is conical widening towards the leading end (p.[0031], lines 8-10); and the axial length of the cylindrical thickened portion is less than 5 times the thread pitch.
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Claims 1, 5-7 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tong (US 2007/0154285). Tong discloses a screw comprising: a thread (13); a tapered tip (37); a cylindrical shaft behind the tip; a thickened portion (14) behind the cylindrical shaft; a further thickened portion (14) arranged in the region of the thread; the thickened portions is shown with a height between 10% and 50% the height of the threads; and the axial length of the thickened portions is less than 5 times the thread pitch.
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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.
Claims 3-4, 9-12, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tong as applied above, and further in view of Wunderlich (US 8,662,809). Tong does not disclose the thickened portions with a conical shape getting wider towards the tip and a step with an angle between 60° to 120° relative to the axis. Wunderlich discloses a screw with a thickened portion (7) for making it easier to screw in the screw similar to Tong but, Wunderlich discloses the thickened portion to have a conical shape (10) widening towards the tip and a step (9) with an angle (12) of about 75° relative of the axis. Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to configure the thickened portion of Tong with a shape as disclosed in Wunderlich because Wunderlich teaches the shape as an optimal shape for making it easier to screw in the screw.
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Langewiesche (US 11,274,691) is cited to teach a screw with a cylindrical shaft leading to a perpendicular step. Mair (US 11,187,260), Park (US 9,651,079), Park (US 11,181,138), Spirig (US 12,038,034), Chen (US 7,682,119) and Su (US 2007/0128001) are all sited to teach other examples of a screw with at least one thickened portion. Levine (US 11,078,946) is cited to teach a thickened portion with a conical shape.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FLEMMING SAETHER whose telephone number is (571)272-7071. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 - 7:00 eastern.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine Mills can be reached at 571-272-8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FLEMMING SAETHER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
