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 .
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.
Claim 9 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the second abutting surface" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 9 should probably depend from claim 7.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 3-6, 11-13 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Roe 3,414,299.
In regard to claim 1, Roe discloses a connection structure, wherein:
the connection structure (fig. 1) is provided with a medium channel (13, 14);
at least part of the medium channel being configured for insertion of an external
connector (28) and allowing a variable axial position of the external connector (28) relative to the medium channel (13, 14);
the medium channel comprises at least an adaptive portion (19) and an adjustable portion (10) that are sequentially arranged in the axial direction thereof, the adaptive portion (19) is configured to be adapted to the external connector (28) and to allow a variable position of the external connector (28) relative to the adaptive portion (19) in the axial direction of the medium channel (13, 14), and the adjustable portion (10) is provided to receive a part (29) that is of the external connector (28) and that is beyond the adaptive portion (19) and
a wall surface (21) of a channel wall of the adaptive portion (19) is provided with an inner protrusion (22) protruding in a direction toward a central axis of the medium channel.
In regard to claim 3, wherein the medium channel (13, 14) is provided with two medium
ports arranged opposite to each other (opposite ends at 19 and 13) in the axial direction thereof, and the adaptive portion (19) and the adjustable portion (10) are arranged in the vicinity of at least one of the medium ports.
In regard to claim 4, wherein an inner limit portion (15) is arranged in the medium
channel (13, 14), the inner limit portion protrudes from a channel wall of the medium channel toward the inner side of the medium channel, the inner limit portion (15) is located on a movable path of the external connector (28), and the adaptive portion (19), the adjustable portion (10), and the inner limit portion (15) are sequentially arranged in the axial direction of the medium channel (see fig. 1).
In regard to claim 5, wherein the inner limit portion (15) extends in the circumferential
direction of the medium channel, and a plane in which the inner limit portion is located is perpendicular to the axis of the medium channel (see fig. 1).
In regard to claim 6, wherein the medium channel comprises at least a first channel segment (bore of 14) and a second channel segment (bore of 13) that communicate in the axial direction thereof, the radial dimension of the first channel segment is larger than that of the second channel segment, a step (15) is formed at a connection position of the first channel segment and the second channel segment, the first channel segment (bore of 14) is provided with the adaptive portion (19) and the adjustable portion (10), and the adaptive portion (19) and the step (15) define the axial dimension of the adjustable portion (28 travels axially between 32 and 15).
In regard to claim 11, wherein a channel wall (21) of the adaptive portion (19) is provided with an adaptive area to be adapted to an annular seal (33), and the annular seal (33) is provided to seal the connection structure (19 and 10) and the external connector (28).
In regard to claim 12, wherein the connection structure comprises a first connection structure (30) and a second connection structure (10);
The first connection structure (30) is provided with a part of the medium channel (at 32), the second connection structure (10) is provided with another part of the medium channel (13, 14), and the first connection structure (30) and the second connection structure (10) are detachably connected in the axial direction of the medium channel.
In regard to claim 13, wherein the axis of the medium channel is at an angle to the horizontal line (the channel of fig. 1 can be oriented at any angle relative to a horizontal line), and the first connection structure (30) is arranged on an upper side of the second connection structure (10); and
The channel wall (16) of the another part of the medium channel of the second connection structure (10) is provided with a first adaptive area to be adapted to a first annular seal (33), and the first annular seal (33) is provided to seal the second connection structure (10) and the external connector (28).
In regard to claim 17, the first connection structure (300) is a flange structure, and the second connection structure (10) is a flange structure (left end of 10 has a flange).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8, 10, 14-16 and 18-20 are 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.
Claim 9 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3-6, 9, 11-13 and 17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID E. BOCHNA whose telephone number is (571)272-7078. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-5:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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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/DAVID BOCHNA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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