Response to Amendment
In the claim listing filed December 19, 2025, withdrawn claim 2 is provided with an incorrect status identifier.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 2 & 8-9 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant elected the connection system shown in Figs. 2-5 & 14 (Species I) and timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on September 3, 2025.
In the amendment filed December 19, 2025, applicant argues claim 2 was not withdrawn by the applicant, and that paragraph 0052 shows claim 2 reads on the elected species. However, an applicant does not withdraw (or rejoin) a claim. Pursuant to an election of species requirement, applicant is required to identified the claims that read on the elected species, but only the Office. i.e. the examiner, withdraws or rejoins claims. As for paragraph 0052, it pertains to a situation where the connector 2 is used to connecting multiple gearbox engaging portions, which is not the situation at claim 2 where the connector 2 is used to connect a single gearbox interface to a plunger pump device.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because external teeth 22, 24 are not drawn as crowned teeth, i.e. curved tooth profile, as described at paragraph 0046 and recited in claim 1.
In the amendment filed December 19, 2025, applicant argues that the drawings do not need to show crowned teeth. However, the drawings must show every feature recited in the claims that can be shown. See 37 CFR 1.83(a). Applicant further argues that it does not have “a good way” to illustrate crowned teeth. However, the prior art doesn’t appear to have had any problem illustrating crowned teeth. Applicant is advised to employ the services of a competent patent draftsperson.
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 § 102
Claims 1, 3, 4-5, 12 & 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kraeling, US 3,243,973. At Figs. 1-2, Kraeling shows a connection system that could be used for a plunger pump device, comprising:
a connector, comprising a hollow shaft (34, 34) and a first engaging portion (37) and a second engaging portion (37) provided at opposite end portions of the shaft;
a reduction gearbox interface (2-4), comprising a third engaging portion (24); and
a plunger pump device interface (5-7), comprising a fourth engaging portion (24),
wherein:
the first engaging portion engages with the third engaging portion to form a
first engaging pair, and the second engaging portion engages with the fourth engaging
portion to form a second engaging pair,
the first engaging portion and the third engaging portion are respectively external teeth (38) and internal teeth (25) of the first engaging pair,
the second engaging portion and the fourth engaging portion are respectively external
teeth (38) and internal teeth (25) of the second engaging pair,
the external teeth of the first engaging pair are configured as crowned teeth (see Fig.2), and/or the external teeth of the second engaging pair are configured as crowned teeth (see Fig. 2), and
other internal teeth of the first engaging pair and the second engaging pair are configured as straight teeth (see Fig. 1), such that straight teeth (25, 25) are engaged with crowned teeth (38, 38) for both the first and second engaging pairs,
wherein a limiting mechanism (28) is an L-shaped plate and comprises a first leg (the portion of plate 28 through which bolt 30 passes) and a second leg (the portion of plate 28 holding seal 32) perpendicular to the first leg.
In the amendment filed December 19, 2025, applicant argues that internal teeth (25) are shown as crowned, not straight, in Fig. 2. However, Fig. 2 does not show internal teeth (25), but Fig. 1 (see also Figs. 10-12) clearly show the internal teeth 25 are straight.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 10-11 & 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kraeling. Kraeling shows a connection system comprising every limitation of the claims but does not expressly disclose allowable axial displacement is from 2 to 8 mm. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to have the allowable axial displacement from 2 to 8 mm, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Kulling, 897 F.2d 1147, 14 USPQ2d 1056 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7 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.
Conclusion
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Greg Binda whose telephone number is (571)272-7077. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30-5:30 et.
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/Greg Binda/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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