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 .
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the phrases “The present disclosure provides”; “according to the present disclosure” should be avoided. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 1-13 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.
Claim 1 sets forth the claimed attachment in terms of dimensional and positional relationships with a cutting device that is not positively recited as part of the claimed apparatus and whose relevant structure is not sufficiently defined. In particular, the claim requires in lines 23-24 that the “attachment is attached to the cutting device without changing a direction in which the blade part projects with respect to the attachment” and requires in lines 25-29 that “the plurality of engagement parts are configured in such a manner that a distance from the skin contact surface to the blade part in a state where the engaged part is engaged with the first engagement part is different from a distance from the skin contact surface to the blade part in a state where the engaged part is engaged with the second engagement part”. However, the locations and configurations of the blade part and engaged part of the cutting device are not defined. Accordingly, it is unclear what structural configuration of the claimed attachment satisfies these limitations, because the recited directional and distance relationships depend upon the configuration of an unspecified, unclaimed cutting device. Claim 1 therefore fails to inform a person of ordinary skill in the art, with reasonable certainty, of the scope of the claimed invention.
Claim 6 recites, “the projection amounts being different from each other base upon a distance from the base.” It is unclear what structural or dimensional relationship is required by “based on”. In particular the claim does not identify the point from which the respective distances from the base are measured or specify how each projection amount varies in relation to its distance from the base. Accordingly, a person of ordinary skill in the art would not be informed with reasonable certainty of the scope of this limitation.
Claim 7 recites, “the continuous projection is formed from one of the engagement projections to one side surface of one of the pair of sandwiching walls in the first direction.” It is unclear of the relationship between the continuous projection and the one side surface and the first direction.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "one side surface" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites, “wherein the pair of sandwiching walls are provided with a rib configured to interfere with the cutting device when the cutting device is positioned at a non-normal position.” It is not clear what structure or orientation is being referenced by the limitations “not-normal position” because there is no objective boundary between normal and non-normal without a defined reference position.
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.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kitagami (JP2005/270193).
In regards to claim 1, Kitagami discloses an attachment (10) for a cutting device (e.g.1), the cutting device including a blade part, the attachment being configured to be attached to and detached from the cutting device by moving the attachment in a first direction (e.g. parallel to 13-14) relatively to the cutting device,
the attachment comprising: a base (base body 11); a comb part (13) including a facing surface and a skin contact surface (top and bottom surfaces), the facing surface (bottom surface of 13) being configured to face the blade part, the skin contact surface (top surface of 14) being configured to come into contact with a skin, the base (11) being provided with the comb part (13), the comb part projecting in a second direction (thickness direction of 13) intersecting the first direction; and a pair of sandwiching walls (side parts 12/12), the base (11) being provided with the pair of sandwiching walls, the pair of sandwiching walls being configured to sandwich the cutting device in a third direction (between 12 and 12) which intersects the first direction and the second direction, wherein the pair of sandwiching walls are provided with a plurality of engagement parts (17/17) that releasably engage with an engaged part (e.g. 3) formed on the cutting device by relatively moving at least one selected from the group consisting of the cutting device and the attachment for the cutting device in the first direction, the plurality of engagement parts (17/17) being provided in a state of being separated from each other in the second direction (across width of the base body 11), the attachment includes a selective engagement group including the plurality of engagement parts (17) that include a first engagement part and a second engagement part, the plurality of engagement parts are configured in such a manner that the engaged part is engaged with either the first engagement part (17) or the second engagement part (17) under a requirement that the attachment is attached to the cutting device without changing a direction in which the blade part projects with respect to the attachment, and the plurality of engagement parts (17) are configured in such a manner that a distance from the skin contact surface to the blade part in a state where the engaged part is engaged with the first engagement part is different from a distance from the skin contact surface to the blade part in a state where the engaged part is engaged with the second engagement part (see Fig 8 and Fig. 9)
In regard to claim 2, Kitagami discloses wherein the comb part includes: a first comb part (13 left side of base 11) including a first facing surface and a first skin contact surface, the first facing surface (bottom surface) being configured to face the blade part, the first skin contact surface (tops surface) being configured to come into contact with skin, the base (11) being provide with the first comb part (13), the first comb part projecting toward one side of the second direction; and a second comb part (13 right side of base 11) including a second facing surface and a second skin contact surface, the second facing surface (bottom surface) being configured to face the blade part, the second skin contact surface (top surface) being configured to come into contact with skin, the base (11) being provided with the second comb part (13 right side of base 11), the second comb part projecting toward the other side of the second direction (see Fig. 5), the selective engagement group includes a first selective engagement group (17), the first selective engagement group is provided with the plurality of engagement parts (17/17), the plurality of engagement parts in the first selective engagement group are configured in such a manner that the engaged part (e.g. 3) is engaged with either the first engagement part or the second engagement part in the plurality of engagement parts in the first selective engagement group under a requirement that the attachment is attached to the cutting device in such a manner that the blade part projects towards one side of the second direction (see Fig. 8), and the plurality of engagement parts in the first selective engagement group are configured in such a manner that a distance from the skin contact surface to the blade part in a state where the engaged part is engaged with the first engagement in the plurality of engagement parts in the first selective engagement group is different from a distance from the skin contact surface to the blade part in a state where the engaged part is engaged with the second engagement in the plurality of engagement parts in the first selective engagement group (fig. 8 and 9)
In regards to claim 3, Kitagami, discloses wherein a length L1 from the base (11) to a skin contact surface of the first comb part (top surface of 13) in the first direction is different from a length L2 from the base (11) to a skin contact surface of the second comb part in the first direction (as shown in Figure 8, the skin contact surface has a tapered contour, such that there are many lengths that are different between the base 11 and the skin contact surface of 13 on either the left or right side of the base).
In regards to claim 4, Kitagami, discloses wherein the selective engagement group includes a second selective engagement group (two sets of mounting portions 17), the second selective engagement group is provided with the plurality of engagement parts (17/17), the plurality of engagement parts provided in the second selective engagement group are configured in such a manner that the engaged part (e.g. 3) is engaged with either the first engagement part or the second engagement part in the plurality of engagement parts in the second selective engagement group under a requirement that the attachment is attached to the cutting device in such a manner that the blade part projects towards the other side of the second direction, and the plurality of engagement parts in the second selective engagement group are configured in such a manner that a distance from the skin contact surface to the blade part in a state where the engaged part is engaged with the first engagement in the plurality of engagement parts in the second selective engagement group is different from a distance from the skin contact surface to the blade part in a state where the engaged part is engaged with the second engagement in the plurality of engagement parts in the second selective engagement group (the attachment can be removed from the razor and reversed orientation).
In regards to claim 5, Kitagami discloses wherein the plurality of engagement parts (17) are provided at positions where distances of the plurality of engagement parts to the facing surface (bottom surface of 13) are substantially the same as each other.
In regards to claim 6, Kitagami discloses wherein the plurality of engagement parts (17) are engagement projections projecting inward in the third direction from the pair of sandwiching walls, and the engagement projections have projection amounts from the pair of sandwiching walls, the projection amounts being different from each other based on a distance from the base (the projections have a concave shape).
In regards to claim 7, as best understood, Kitagami discloses wherein the pair of sandwiching walls (12/12) are provided with a continuous projection (the wall is a continuous projection) formed continuously with the engagement projections (17), and the continuous projection is formed from one of the engagement projections (17) to one side surface of one of the pair of sandwiching walls in the first direction.
In regards to claim 8, as best understood, Kitagami discloses, wherein the pair of sandwiching walls (12/12) are provided with a rib (14) configured to interfere with the cutting device when the cutting device is positioned at a non-normal position.
In regards to claim 9, Kitagami discloses, wherein the pair of sandwiching walls (12/12) extend from the base (11) toward one side of the first direction, the base is provided with a pair of extension walls (13a; fig. 9) each extending from the base (11) toward the other side of the first direction, the comb part (13) extends from the base toward the other side of the first direction between the pair of extension walls in the third direction, and the pair of extension walls (13a/13a) are formed continuously with the pair of sandwiching walls (12/12).
In regards to claim 10, Kitagami discloses, wherein a recess (fig. 4) which opens to the other side of the first direction is formed between the pair of extension walls and the comb part.
In regards to claim 11, Kitagami discloses, wherein the attachment comprises two or more members (13 and 14) that are assembled to each other
(“As described above, the protruding guide portion 14 can be provided integrally with or separately from the base body 11, and in this embodiment, the base body 11, the side portion 12, and the base portion 11 that are integrally formed by resin molding as shown in FIG. It is provided integrally with the comb member 13.”).
In regards to claim 12, Kitagami discloses, wherein the attachment is an insert-molded article (resin molding) including the comb part as an insert member and the base as a filling resin that are integrated.
As described above, the protruding guide portion 14 can be provided integrally with or separately from the base body 11, and in this embodiment, the base body 11, the side portion 12, and the base portion 11 that are integrally formed by resin molding as shown in FIG. It is provided integrally with the comb member 1
In regards to claim 13, Kitagami discloses a cutting device (razor 1) to which the attachment (10) for the cutting device according to Claim 1 is attached.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA M LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-8339. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8a.m.- 5p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Boyer Ashley can be reached at 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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/LAURA M LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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