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
The preliminary amendment filed on 05/29/2025 has been entered.
Claim Objection
Claims 1-14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
(1) In claim 1, line 1, “Hair-cutting” should read --A hair-cutting--.
(2) In claims 2-11, line 1, “Hair-cutting” should read --The hair-cutting--.
(3) In claim 5, line 2, after “of” (first occurrence), --the-- should be added.
(4) In claim 9, line 8, after “of” (first occurrence), --the -should be added.
(5) In claim 9, line 8, “(33)” should read --(30)--.
(6) In claim 9, line 11, after “between”, --the—should be added.
(7) In claim 9, line 12, before “arresting”, --the-- should be added.
(8) In claim 12, line 1, “Shaving” should read --A shaving--.
(9) In claim 13, line 1, “Rotary” should read --A rotary--.
(10) In claim 14, line 1, “Rotary” should read --The rotary--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejection – 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/103
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Claims 1, 2 and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over EP 3 486 047.
Regarding claim 1, EP ‘047 discloses a hair-cutting unit (7a) for a rotary electric shaver (1, see Fig.1), comprising:
a generally cup-shaped external cutting member (21a, see Fig.3) having an annular hair-cutting area (29) provided with hair-entry openings (31) and having a circumferential annular flange (33);
an internal cutting member (23a) which is covered by the external cutting member (21a) and rotatable relative to the external cutting member (23a) about a central axis (41) of the hair-cutting unit (7a); and
a supporting member (25a) configured to support the external cutting member (21a) in an assembled condition of the hair-cutting unit (7a);
characterized in that:
the supporting member (25a) is configured to only locally support the flange (33) of the external cutting member (21a) in the assembled condition of the hair-cutting unit (7a) and in a direction in which the central axis (41) extends by contacting the flange (33) of the external cutting member (21a) exclusively at the position of areas (e.g., the areas at where the flange 33 is supported by two supporting elements 79 (equivalent to the bearing elements 32 shown in Fig.4 of this instant application) of the supporting member 25a, see paragraph [0027], lines 17-33 and Fig.3) of the flange (33) which are vibrational node areas in the flange (33) where a value of an amplitude of a vibration of the external cutting member (21a) at a resonance frequency as occurs during operation of the hair-cutting unit (7a) as a result of rotation of the internal cutting member (23a) is minimal; and
in the assembled condition of the hair-cutting unit (7a) and at positions different from the position of said areas of the flange (33) which are vibrational node areas (e.g. the different positions being any position where the flange 33 of the external cutting member 21a does not contact the internal rim 73 of the supporting member 25a in the area outside the supporting elements 79), the flange (33) of the external cutting member (21a) is at a distance (D, see Fig.6a) from the supporting member (25a), as seen in the direction in which the central axis (41) extends.
While EP ’047 does not explicitly mention the distance “D” being at least 0.2 mm, but it appears from Fig.6a this is the case. If it’s argued otherwise, then it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to select a desirable/workable value such as the claimed at least 0.2 mm. Since the general concept of having the flange (33) of the external cutting member (21a) supported by the two supporting elements (79) of the supporting member (25a) thus creating a distance between the flange (33) and the supporting member (25a) excluding where the two supporting elements (79) contacting the flange (33) is taught by EP ‘047, discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205, USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Regarding claim 2, EP ‘047’s vibrational node areas (e.g., the areas at where the flange 33 is supported by two supporting elements 79 (equivalent to the bearing elements 32 shown in Fig.4 of this instant application) of the supporting member 25a, see paragraph [0027], lines 17-33 and Fig.3) are vibrational node areas of a first resonance frequency of the external cutting member (21a).
Regarding claim 10, EP ‘047 shows the supporting member (25a) is provided with an opening (see Fig.3, not labelled) through which a part of the external cutting member (21a) other than the flange (33) extends in the assembled condition of the hair-cutting unit (7a, see Figs.6b and 6c).
Regarding claim 11, EP ‘047 shows the supporting member (25a) has an annular external surface (43, see Figs.3, 5 and 6a) at a skin-facing side of the hair-cutting unit (7a).
Regarding claim 12, EP ‘047 shows a shaving unit (5, see Fig.1) comprising a base member (9) and at least one hair-cutting unit (7a) as claimed in clam 1 supported by the base member (9).
Regarding clam 13, EP ‘047 shows a rotary electric shaver (1) comprising a shaving unit (5) as claimed in claim 12.
Regarding claim 14, EP ‘047 shows the rotary electric shaver (1, see Fig.1) comprising a main body (3) configured to be gripped by a user's hand, wherein the shaving unit (5) and the main body (3) are coupled to each other in an assembled condition of the shaver (1).
Claim Rejection - 35 U.S.C. 103
1. The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
2. Claims 3-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 3 486 047.
Regarding claims 3 and 5, EP ‘047 shows the supporting member (25a) comprising two bearing elements (79), rather than three or four as claimed, interspaced about the central axis (41) and which project from an annular internal surface (73) of the supporting member (25a). However, to (further) modify EP ‘047 by having the number of the two bearing elements (79) be three or four as claimed would have been obvious to one skilled in the art, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., Inc., 193 USPQ 8 (7th Cir. 1977).
Regarding claim 4, EP ‘047 shows, in the assembled condition of the hair-cutting unit (7a) and at positions different from the positions of the bearing elements (79) of the supporting member (35a), the flange (33) of the external cutting member (21a) is at a distance of at least 0.2 mm from the internal surface (73) of the supporting member (25a), as seen in the direction in which the central axis (41) extends. Note the above rejection on claims 1 and 3.
Regarding claim 6, EP ‘047 shows the bearing elements (79) of the supporting member (25a) are generally ridge-shaped (e.g., a slightly protruding portion of the internal rim 73, see paragraph [0047], lines 17-20).
Regarding claim 7, EP ‘047 shows the bearing elements (79) of the supporting member (25a) comprise locally elevated areas of the internal surface (73) of the supporting member (25a, e.g., a slightly protruding portion of the internal rim 73, see paragraph [0047], lines 17-20).
Regarding claim 8, EP ‘047 shows the bearing elements (79) of the supporting member (25a) being in the form of a slightly protruding portion of the internal surface (73, see paragraph [0037], lines 17-20) rather than being provided as add-ons on the internal surface (73) of the supporting member (25a). To (further) modify EP ‘047 by forming the bearing elements (79) as separate pieces and “added onto” the internal surface (73) to protrude from the internal surface (73) would have been obvious to one skilled in the art, since it has been held that constructing a formerly integral structure in various elements involves only routine skill in the art. Nerwin v. Erlichman, 168 USPQ 177.
Indication of Allowable Subject Matter
1. Claim 9 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.
2. Claim 9 defines over EP 3 486 047 (note the above 102/103 rejection) as EP ‘047 fails to show the claimed flange (11) of the external cutting member (10) comprises a pair of arresting recesses (16, see Fig.6 of this instant application) arranged in diametrically opposite positions relative to the central axis (Ac); the supporting member (30) comprises a pair of arresting notches (31, see Fig.4 of this instant application) arranged to engage the pair of arresting recesses (16) in the flange (11) of the external cutting member (10) in the assembled condition of the hair-cutting unit (4) to prevent rotation of the external cutting member (10) about the central axis (Ac); the number of bearing elements (32, see Fig.4) of the supporting member (30) is four; and the four bearing elements (32) of the supporting member (30) are arranged in a pattern in which, as seen in the direction about the central axis (Ac), the bearing elements (32) are at mutual angular distances of 90° and angular distances of 45° are present between bearing elements (43) and arresting notches (31).
Prior Art Citations
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2017/0144318; 2020/0094424 and 2021/0114241 each shows a rotary electric shaver comprising a shaving unit having an external cutting member, an internal cutting member covered by the external cutting member, and a supporting member supporting the external cutting member.
JP 2024-504858 shows a rotary electric shaver (1, see Fig.1) comprising a shaving unit (9a) having an external cutting member (11, see Fig.2), an internal cutting member (17) covered by the external cutting member (11), and a supporting member (23) supporting the external cutting member (11).
CN 112192621 is cited for the teaching of reducing operation noise of a rotary electric shaver (Fig.6) by incorporating a damping member (323) into a shaving unit (30, see Fig.4) of the shaver.
Point of Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HWEI-SIU PAYER whose telephone number is (571)272-4511. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Boyer Ashley, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-4502. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HWEI-SIU C PAYER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724
