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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I (FIGs. 1-11) in the reply filed on May 19, 2026, is acknowledged.
Claim 20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species (II and III), there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on May 19, 2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 should read “A hair styling device, comprising:
two clamping plates, and
a handle connected with the two clamping plates;
wherein each clamping plate comprises a shell, a heating plate, and at least one connecting structure connected between the shell and the heating plate, two opposite sides of the two heating plates are defined as two working surfaces, the at least one connecting structure is not connected with ends of the heating plate but is connected to a side of the heating plate facing away from the working surface[[.]], and a heat insulation gap is defined between the shell and the heating plate, the heat insulation gap is capable of being reduced along with movement of the two heating plates relative to the shells,
wherein two opposite sides of the heating plate located in a length direction are defined as end faces, and there is a movement gap between the two end faces and the shell,
wherein a side of the heating plate where the at least one connecting structure is arranged is provided with a first wiring hole, and the at least one connecting structure is provided with a second wiring hole, wherein the first wiring hole is communicated with the second wiring hole.”. Clarification or correction is required to overcome these issues.
Claim 3 should read “The hair styling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein [[the]] a number of the at least one connecting structure on the heating plate is at least two, and the at least two connecting structures are spaced along a central axis of the heating plate.”. Clarification or correction is required to overcome these issues.
Claim 5 should read “The hair styling device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one connecting structure is at least partially an elastic structure.”. Clarification or correction is required to overcome these issues.
Claim 7 should read “The hair styling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one connecting structure comprises a connecting column arranged on a side of the heating plate opposite to the working surface, and is perpendicular to the working surface, and support blocks are arranged on both sides of the connecting column.”. Clarification or correction is required to overcome these issues.
Claim 8 should read “The hair styling device according to claim 7, wherein each of the at least one connecting structure further comprises an elastic component, each of the shell is provided with a first accommodating space, the elastic component is partially located in the first accommodating space, and the elastic component is connected to the connecting column.”. Clarification or correction is required to overcome these issues.
Claim 11 should read “The hair styling device according to claim 8, wherein both the elastic component and the connecting column are provided with connecting holes communicated with each other, and the elastic component is fixed to the connecting column by connecting screws with the connecting holes, and a width of the heat insulation gap is greater than a distance between the screw and [[the]] an inner surface of the shell.”. Clarification or correction is required to overcome this issue.
Claim 12 should read “The hair styling device according to claim 11, wherein a width of the movement gap is greater than the distance between the screw and [[the]] an inner surface of the housing.”. Clarification or correction is required to overcome this issue.
Claim 13 should read “The hair styling device according to claim 10, wherein the elastic component further comprises a heat insulation piece, one end of the heat insulation piece is located in the first accommodating space and is embedded with [[the]] an elastic member, and another end of the heat insulation piece extends out of the first accommodating space and sleeves on the connecting column, the at least one connecting structure is wrapped inside the heat insulation piece.”. Clarification or correction is required to overcome these issues.
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 1-19 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1 line 12, the term “movement gap” renders the claim indefinite because it’s unclear of which movement the claim refers to, and what component are moving inside or within the gap. For examination purposes, the claim will be interpreted by “A hair styling device, comprising: two clamping plates, and a handle connected with the two clamping plates; wherein each clamping plate comprises a shell, a heating plate, and at least one connecting structure connected between the shell and the heating plate, two opposite sides of the two heating plates are defined as two working surfaces, the at least one connecting structure is not connected with ends of the heating plate but is connected to a side of the heating plate facing away from the working surface, and a heat insulation gap is defined between the shell and the heating plate, the heat insulation gap is capable of being reduced along with movement of the two heating plates relative to the shells, wherein two opposite sides of the heating plate located in a length direction are defined as end faces, and there is a [[ gap between the two end faces and the shell, wherein a side of the heating plate where the at least one connecting structure is arranged is provided with a first wiring hole, and the at least one connecting structure is provided with a second wiring hole, wherein the first wiring hole is communicated with the second wiring hole.”. Applicant is recommended to clarify to overcome this issue.
Regarding claim 12, the term “movement gap” renders the claim indefinite because it unclear of which movement the claim refers to, and what component are moving inside or within the gap. For examination purposes, the claim will be interpreted by “The hair styling device according to claim 11, wherein a width of the [[ gap is greater than the distance between the screw and the inner surface of the housing.”. Applicant is recommended to clarify to overcome this issue.
Claims 2-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, for their dependence on one or more rejected base claims.
Conclusion
Additional references were also reviewed during the examination of this application and listed for your reference in the notice of reference cited form.
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/KARIM ASQIRIBA/Examiner, Art Unit 3772
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