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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because reference numerals “112” and “312” do not have leadlines. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-7 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.
Claims 1 and 5 recite “it”; however, it is not clear to the Examiner exactly what “it” is referencing.
Claim 3 recites “its”; however, it is not clear to the Examiner exactly what “its” is referencing.
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20190107231, Cantrell.
In regards to claim 1, in Figures 7-7K and paragraphs detailing said figures, Cantrell discloses a coupling with a setpoint tightening torque for connecting two pipes comprising: a first end piece (60) attached to a first pipe (not shown but implied), a second end piece (30) attached to a second pipe (not shown but implied), a clamping nut (40) that is borne by the second end piece and clamps the latter against the first end piece, the first end piece having on a free side a threaded segment (66) terminating in an end forming a sealing surface (13),- the second end piece (2) having an end designed to be clamped against the sealing surface (inside of 64) of the first end piece, the nut being fitted freely rotating on the second end piece, overlapping said second end piece and screwing onto the threaded segment of the first end piece to push the end of the second end piece and clamp it against the sealing surface, coupling being characterized in that the first end piece has a nut crown (near 72) for holding the end piece for the screwing thereof and an angular reference (92); the nut has an index (90), and a run-out and a pitch of a thread of the threaded segment of the first end piece and a run-out and a pitch of an internal thread of a threaded segment (48) of the nut are designed so that the positioning of the index of the nut with respect to the angular reference of the first end piece corresponds to a tightening of the coupling ([0042]-[0043]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON M DUNWOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-7080. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Troutman can be reached at 571-270-3654. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AARON M DUNWOODY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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