DETAILED ACTION
Specification
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 § 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, 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.
Claims 1-3 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fransson (SE 454587 machine translation provided) in view of Ueta et al. (WO 2014013885 machine translation). Fransson discloses a glass manufacturing apparatus comprising a melting furnace configured to produce a molten glass (2nd and 4th passage on page 2), and a treatment device configured to perform a predetermined treatment on the molten glass (bottom of page 1), the treatment device comprising a treatment tank 14 that extends vertically, the treatment tank to be supplied with the molten glass (bottom full passage on page 2, 3rd passage on page 3), a casing 11 configured to hold the treatment tank (bottom full passage on page 2), and a suspension and support device configured to support the casing in a suspended manner while the treatment device performs the predetermined treatment (bottom two lines on page 2, top passage on page 3, figures 1-2). Fransson teaches treating the molten glass by stirring the molten glass and removing the treated glass afterwards (bottom paragraph of page 1). Fransson doesn’t specify a forming device configured to form the molten glass into a predetermined shape, however, such a device and step is common in the art. For example, Ueta teaches an apparatus for manufacturing a glass article comprising a glass melting furnace (2) configured to produce molten glass, a treatment device (5, 6) configured to perform a predetermined treatment on the produced molten glass, and a forming device (3) configured to form the molten glass into a predetermined shape that has been subjected to the predetermined treatment (figure 1, abstract). Like Fransson, Ueta also teaches the treatment comprises stirring (abstract). Ueta further teaches forming the molten glass into a glass plate after the treatment using a forming body. Naturally, the treatment of the molten glass in the treatment device is not the last processing step for molten glass, as a glass article is usually desired. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have provided for a forming device for forming the molten glass into a glass article having a desired shape, as further processing is often required to provide for a final glass article.
Regarding claims 2-3 and 7, as can be seen in figures 1-2 of Fransson, the casing appears to be a cube, which would naturally have a rectangular shape in plan view and a vertical cross section with a shape symmetrical with respect to a vertical line passing through a center, in a transverse direction, of the vertical cross section. Furthermore a cube shape would provide for a bottom portion and a pair of side wall portions being upright with respect to the bottom portion, such that the inner surface of each side wall is perpendicular to the upper surface of the bottom portion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 8-10 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: While Ueta teaches the treatment tank comprises a plurality of stirring tanks, wherein a stirrer is accommodated in each of the stirring tanks and the molten glass supplied to stirring tanks is stirred through rotation of the stirrer (figure 2, 4th passage on page 3), it would not be obvious to modify the treatment device of Fransson comprising a treatment tank and a casing holding the treatment tank, wherein the casing is supported in a suspended manner, to comprise of multiple tanks having rotating stirrers. This is because replacing the stirring motion of Fransson with rotating stirrers would eliminate the need to suspend the casing and tank, as Fransson provides stirring by pivoting the casing with the tank.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed January 29, 2026, with respect to Snyder have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the 103 rejection of claim 1 under Ueta and Snyder has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Fransson.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUEENIE S DEHGHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8209. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30.
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/QUEENIE S DEHGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741