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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: The limitation reading “at least one handle engagement component for engagement of the cartridge with handle” should read: “at least one handle engagement component for engagement of the cartridge with the handle”. Appropriate correction is required.
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, 5, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by USPGPUB/USPN 3777396, Simonetti.
Regarding Claim 1, Simonetti discloses a dual sided razor cartridge 10 comprising:
a) a first substantially planar shaving face and a second substantially planar shaving face opposite the first substantially planar shaving face (see annotated fig 4 below), the cartridge having a first end (at 18) adjacent a handle (handle 12 and 14) and a second end (at top, adjacent to part 70) spaced apart from the handle by a length of the cartridge (see first annotated fig 4 below);
b) a first plurality of razor blade edges at the first substantially planar shaving face and a second plurality of razor blade edges at the second substantially planar shaving face, (see second annotated fig 4 below) each of the blade edges of the first plurality of razor blade edges and the second plurality of razor blade edges angled towards the first end of the cartridge such that a central axis of the cartridge and each blade edge simultaneously form acute angles in the direction of the first end of the cartridge (see second annotated fig 4 below);
and c) at least one handle engagement component (18) for engagement of the cartridge with handle (col 2, 20-30),
wherein each of the first substantially planar shaving face and the second substantially planar shaving face have a width, and wherein the width of each shaving face is greater than a space between the first shaving face and the second shaving face (see annotated fig 1 below).
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Regarding Claim 5, in Simonetti the device comprises end caps (68) that retain portions of the first and second substantially planar shaving faces together (by connecting said portions integrally).
Regarding Claim 9, Simonetti discloses a dual sided razor (combination of cartridge 10 and holder/handle 12) comprising:
a) a handle (12 and 14) and a cartridge 10 attached to the handle (fig 1), the cartridge having a first end adjacent the handle and a second end spaced apart from the handle by a length of the cartridge (see first annotated fig 4 above);
b) a first substantially planar shaving face and a second substantially planar shaving face opposite the first substantially planar shaving face (See first annotated fig 4 above);
c) a first plurality of razor blade edges at the first substantially planar shaving face and a second plurality of razor blade edges at the second substantially planar shaving face (see second annotated fig 4 above), the blade edges of the first plurality of razor blade edges and the second plurality of razor blade edges angled towards the first end of the cartridge such that a central axis of the cartridge and each blade edge simultaneously form acute angles in the direction of the first end of the cartridge (see second annotated fig 4 above); and
d) at least one handle engagement component 18 for engagement of the cartridge with the handle (col 2, 20-30).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Simonetti as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of USPGPUB 20110173816, Tsafrir.
Simonetti lacks the apparatus having the end caps further comprise a cover that extends above and around the dual sided razor cartridge.
Tsafrir discloses a razor in the same field of endeavor as the razor of the present invention and discloses that such a system includes two end caps (206 and 205) which comprise a cover that extends above and around the razor cartridge 200, see fig 2, in order to seal the cavity which holds the cutters from the ingress of water and other liquids (par 0070).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Simonetti by including end caps separate to the parts 68 of Simonetti which end caps comprise a cover that extends above and around the dual sided razor cartridge in order to seal the cavity which holds the cutters from the ingress of water and other liquids as taught by Tsafrir.
Claims 2 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Simonetti, as applied to claims 1 and 9 above, and further in view of USPN 8745876 Hage.
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Simonetti discloses all the limitations of Claims 1 and 9 as discussed above.
Simonetti lacks at least one of a moisturizing strip and a gripping pad on each of the first and second substantially planar shaving faces.
Hage discloses a dual sided safety razor cartridge (fig’s 1-4) in the same field of endeavor as the shaving razor and cartridge device of the present invention and of Simonetti, and includes a moisturizing strip and a gripping pad on each of the first and second shaving faces (col. 2, lines 25-55) to lift hairs prior to cutting (for the gripping pads) and to apply moisture to the skin after shaving (for the moisture strips), see col. 2 lines 30-55.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Simonetti by including at least one of a moisturizing strip and a gripping pad on each of the first and second substantially planar shaving faces in order to lift hairs prior to cutting (for the gripping pads) and to apply moisture to the skin after shaving (for the moisture strips), as taught via Hage.
Claims 3, 7-8, 13-15, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Simonetti, as applied to Claims 1, 9 and 18 as discussed above, in view of US 20140109735, Shepperson.
Regarding Claims 3, 7-8, 13-15, 17, and 19-20, Simonetti lacks: wherein the cartridge is attached to a handle by a swivel arm connection on which the cartridge pivots relative to the handle, the swivel arm connection containing the handle engagement component (claim 3), wherein the engagement component is part of a mating part and socket connection or pin joint, and wherein the cartridge rotates relative to the handle (claim 7), wherein the engagement component is a socket for receiving a corresponding component of the razor handle (claim 8), wherein the engagement component is a mating part and socket or pin joint, and wherein the cartridge pivots relative to a handle by way of the engagement component (claim 13), wherein the engagement component is a socket in the cartridge for receiving a corresponding mating part fixed to or retained by the handle (claim 14), wherein the cartridge is attached to the handle by a swivel arm connection on which the cartridge pivots relative to the handle (claim 15), and the swivel arm connection further comprising abutment portions that limits the pivoting of the cartridge relative to the handle (claim 17), wherein the swivel arm connection is attached to the cartridge by way of the handle engagement component (Claim 19), wherein the handle engagement component is retained by the swivel arm connection and engages the cartridge (Claim 20).
Shepperson discloses a shaving razor and cartridge in the same field of endeavor as the shaving razor and cartridge device of the present invention and of Simonetti, and includes: wherein the cartridge 16 is attached to a handle 11 by a swivel arm connection (20 and 14) on which the cartridge pivots relative to the handle (in direction B-B, see fig 32B), the swivel arm connection containing a handle engagement component (32) (claim 3), wherein the engagement component is part of a mating part and socket connection (fig 32B, since the part 32 is a socket into which enlarged end 31 of the handle is inserted), and wherein the cartridge rotates relative to a handle (about axis 26) (claim 7), wherein the engagement component is a socket for receiving a corresponding component of the razor handle (fig 32B, since the part 32 is a socket into which enlarged end 31 of the handle is inserted) (claim 8), wherein the engagement component is a mating part and socket or pin joint, and wherein the cartridge pivots relative to a handle by way of the engagement component (fig 32B, since the part 32 is a socket into which enlarged end 31 of the handle is inserted) (claim 13), wherein the engagement component is a socket in the cartridge for receiving a corresponding mating part fixed to or retained by the handle (fig 32B, since the part 32 is a socket into which enlarged end 31 of the handle is inserted) (claim 14), wherein the cartridge is attached to the handle by a swivel arm connection on which the cartridge pivots relative to the handle (in direction B-B, see fig 32B) (claim 15), and the swivel arm connection further comprising abutment portions that limits the pivoting of the cartridge relative to the handle (members 98, which limit the pivotal movement, par 0092 - 0093)(claim 17), wherein the swivel arm connection (14 and 20) is attached to the cartridge 16 by way of the handle engagement component 32 (Claim 19), wherein the handle engagement component is retained by the swivel arm connection (20 and 14) and engages the cartridge (16, fig 32B)(Claim 20), in order to permit the blade holder/cartridge to move pivotally relative to the body around a first and second axis which second axis is orientated differently to the first axis (par. 0007) and to provide biasing means which bias the head/cartridge part 14 to the neutral condition, par 0093.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Simonetti by replacing the non-pivoting and rotating handle engagement portion thereof with the handle engagement device of Shepperson, which includes wherein the cartridge is attached to a handle by a swivel arm connection on which the cartridge pivots relative to the handle, the swivel arm connection containing the handle engagement component (claim 3), wherein the engagement component is part of a mating part and socket connection or pin joint, and wherein the cartridge rotates relative to the handle (claim 7), wherein the engagement component is a socket for receiving a corresponding component of the razor handle (claim 8), wherein the engagement component is a mating part and socket or pin joint, and wherein the cartridge pivots relative to a handle by way of the engagement component (claim 13), wherein the engagement component is a socket in the cartridge for receiving a corresponding mating part fixed to or retained by the handle (claim 14), wherein the cartridge is attached to the handle by a swivel arm connection on which the cartridge pivots relative to the handle (claim 15), and the swivel arm connection further comprising abutment portions that limits the pivoting of the cartridge relative to the handle (claim 17), wherein the swivel arm connection is attached to the cartridge by way of the handle engagement component (Claim 19), wherein the handle engagement component is retained by the swivel arm connection and engages the cartridge (Claim 20), in order to permit the blade holder/cartridge to move pivotally relative to the body around a first and second axis which second axis is orientated differently to the first axis and to provide biasing means which bias the head/cartridge part to the neutral condition, as taught by Shepperson.
Regarding Claim 18 (which depends from Claim 15, which is treated above), in Simonetti the device comprises end caps (68) that retain portions of the first and second substantially planar shaving faces together (by connecting said portions integrally).
Claims 4 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Simonetti over Shepperson as applied to claims 3 and 15, as discussed above, and further in view of US 9132560, Shimizu.
Regarding Claims 4 and 16, the Simonetti device modified by Shepperson lacks the swivel arm connection being attached to the cartridge to form an assembly, the assembly being detachable from the handle for switching the cartridge relative to the handle between the first and second substantially planar shaving faces.
Shimizu discloses a hair remover apparatus in the form of a multi-positional razor in the same field of endeavor as the multi-positional razor of the present invention and discloses that in such an assembly that it is beneficial to position a cartridge in different positions relative to a handle of the apparatus and discloses that such a positioning may be performed through a structure wherein a cartridge 47 comprises a handle engagement component (17) which includes a connector 15/31 which allows the cartridge 47 to be positioned securely in various orientations relative to the handle 10 and which assembly also comprises wherein the swivel arm connection being attached to the cartridge to form an assembly (fig 1-7), the assembly being detachable from the handle (at least in part, via since the interrupt/slots engaging and being disengageable with the key 69a, as shown in fig 6) for switching the cartridge relative to the handle between the first and second positions, to hold the head in position, col. 10, 25-34, in order to allow a user to firmly hold a razor head in place in a multitude of positions relative to the handle (col. 10, 25-34).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Simonetti further by having handle engagement component further comprise by having the handle engagement component further comprise a structure wherein the razor comprises a handle engagement component which comprises a connector which allows the cartridge to be positioned securely in various orientations relative to the handle 10 and which assembly also comprises the swivel arm connection being attached to the cartridge to form an assembly, the assembly being detachable (at least in part) from the handle for switching the cartridge relative to the handle between the first and second substantially planar shaving faces in order to allow a user to firmly hold a razor head in place in a multitude of positions relative to the handle, as taught in Shimizu.
As applied above, the switching of the positions to present different sides and positions of the razor cartridge would include presenting different shaving faces, since as applied to Simonetti, the cartridge thereof which includes two shaving sides would present a different side depending on the position of said cartridge.
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Simonetti, as applied to claim 9 as discussed above, in view of, Shimizu.
Regarding Claims 10-11, Simonetti lacks wherein the handle engagement component further comprises an interrupt defined between the first substantially planar shaving face and the second substantially planar shaving face that inhibits the inadvertent switching of the cartridge between the first and second substantially planar shaving faces during normal use of the razor (claim 10), further comprising a handle extension defined between the handle engagement component and the handle, wherein the interrupt interacts with the handle extension to inhibit the inadvertent switching of the cartridge between the first and second substantially planar shaving faces sides during normal use of the razor (claim 11).
Shimizu discloses a hair remover apparatus in the form of a multi-positional razor and discloses that in such an assembly that it is beneficial to position a cartridge in different positions relative to a handle of the apparatus and discloses that such a positioning may be performed through a structure wherein a cartridge 47 comprises a handle engagement component (17) which comprises a connector 15/31 which allows the cartridge 47 to be positioned securely in various orientations relative to the handle 10 and which assembly also comprises an interrupt (fig. 7, slots 67) defined between a first side and a second side of the cartridge, (see fig 7) that inhibits the inadvertent switching of the cartridge between the first and second sides during normal use of the razor (since the interrupt/slots engage with the key 69a, as shown in fig 6, to hold the head in position, col. 10, 25-34) (Claim 10), wherein the razor assembly includes a handle extension (69a) defined between the handle 3 and the handle engagement component 17 (see fig 7), wherein the interrupt interacts with the handle extension to inhibit the inadvertent switching of the cartridge between the first and second sides during normal use of the razor (since the interrupt engages with the extension to hold the head in position), (claim 11) wherein the handle engagement component further comprises an interrupt defined between the first shaving side and the second shaving side that inhibits the inadvertent switching of the cartridge between the first and second shaving sides during normal use of the razor (claim 10), further comprising a handle extension defined between the handle engagement component and the handle, wherein the interrupt interacts with the handle extension to inhibit the inadvertent switching of the cartridge between the first and second shaving sides during normal use of the razor (claim 11), in order to allow a user to firmly hold a razor head in place in a multitude of positions relative to the handle (col. 10, 25-34).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Simonetti by having the handle engagement component further comprise a structure wherein the razor comprises a handle engagement component which comprises a connector which allows the cartridge to be positioned securely in various orientations relative to the handle and which assembly also comprises the handle engagement component further comprises an interrupt defined between the first substantially planar shaving face and the second substantially planar shaving face that inhibits the inadvertent switching of the cartridge between the first and second substantially planar shaving faces during normal use of the razor (claim 10), further comprising a handle extension defined between the handle engagement component and the handle, wherein the interrupt interacts with the handle extension to inhibit the inadvertent switching of the cartridge between the first and second substantially planar shaving faces sides during normal use of the razor (claim 11), in order to allow a user to firmly hold a razor head in place in a multitude of positions relative to the handle, as taught in Shimizu.
As applied above, the interrupt added to the Simonetti device would include the interrupt being be between the first and second shaving sides of Simonetti, to inhibit switching from the first to the second shaving side since in Tomek the engagement component is attached to the cartridge between first and second shaving sides, and the modification to include the handle engagement component allowing the cartridge to be positioned at various positions relative thereto via the interrupts includes the handle engagement component being in the middle of the cartridge and thus between the first and second shave sides thereof.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, filed 6/8/26, with respect to the claim objections and 35 USC 112f claim interpretations have been fully considered and are persuasive. With regard to the claim objections and 35 USC 112 rejections, applicant has amended the claims in accordance with examiner’s recommendations rendering the claim objections 35 USC 112 rejections moot.
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 6/8/26, with respect to the double patenting and prior art rejections of the claims (as the claims have now been amended) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The claim amendments to require that the shaving faces are planar have obviated the prior art and double patenting rejections from the Action mailed on 1/9/26. Therefore, the double patenting and the prior art rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Simonetti.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. USPN/USPGPUBs 5133131 4989328 and 20080216329 disclose state of the art dual side razors, and thus disclose elements of the invention.
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 FERNANDO A AYALA whose telephone number is (571)270-5336. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm Eastern standard.
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/FERNANDO A AYALA/Examiner, Art Unit 3724
/BOYER D ASHLEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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