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
Acknowledgement is made of the responses filed on June 26 and August 17, 2026.
Foreign Priority Documents
The foreign priority documents filed on June 26, 2026 appear to be the registration homepage for GB6407818. To satisfy the requirements under 37 CFR 1.55 and receive benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), a certified copy of the application must be filed for GB6407818. Furthermore, the certified copy of the application for GB6407818 must disclose the inventor’s name to overcome the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1).
Claim Rejection – 35 U.S.C. 112 (a) and (b)
The drawing amendments filed on August 17, 2026 have overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112 (a) and (b). Accordingly, the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112 (a) and (b) has been withdrawn.
Claim Rejection – 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)
The claim is FINALLY REJECTED under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United Kingdom Registration GB6407818 to Armac Manufacturing (Brassfounders) Limited because 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.
In the images below, the examiner has shown the various elements of the claimed design with reference alphabets for proper comparison of those specific elements of the claimed design with the Armac Manufacturing reference.
The Armac Manufacturing reference discloses a handle that has design characteristics which are basically the same as those of the claimed design, showing:
Identical circular tops “A” with flat surfaces “B”.
Identical scalloped sides “C” and stems “D”.
Identical circular bases “E”.
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483
916
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The appearance of the Armac Manufacturing handle is substantially the same as that of the claimed design. See e.g., International Seaway Trading Corp. v. Walgreens Corp., 589 F.3d 1233, 1237-38, 1240, 93 USPQ2d 1001 (Fed. Cir. 2009) and MPEP § 1504.02.
Claim Rejection – 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)
The claim is FINALLY REJECTED under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United Kingdom Registration GB6407819 to Armac Manufacturing (Brassfounders) Limited because 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.
In the images below, the examiner has shown the various elements of the claimed design with reference alphabets for proper comparison of those specific elements of the claimed design with the Armac Manufacturing reference.
The Armac Manufacturing reference discloses a handle that has design characteristics which are basically the same as those of the claimed design, showing:
Identical circular tops “A” with flat surfaces “B”.
Identical scalloped sides “C” and stems “D”.
Identical circular bases “E”.
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media_image2.png
435
865
media_image2.png
Greyscale
The appearance of the Armac Manufacturing handle is substantially the same as that of the claimed design. See e.g., International Seaway Trading Corp. v. Walgreens Corp., 589 F.3d 1233, 1237-38, 1240, 93 USPQ2d 1001 (Fed. Cir. 2009) and MPEP § 1504.02.
Conclusion
Accordingly, the claim stands FINALLY REJECTED under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to L. Calve whose telephone number is (571) 272-7939, and whose work schedule is Monday-Friday 10am-7pm. 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, Wendy Arminio, can be reached at (571) 270-0221. As of 7/15/05 the Right FAX number for this group is (571) 273-8300 for both Official faxes and After Finals.
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/LAUREN R CALVE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2923
