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 § 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, 2, 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishimura et al (JP08-217476), herein referred to as Ishimura. Regarding claim 1, Ishimura discloses a bend-breaking jig installed in a bend-breaking device that bend-breaks an edge part (e.g., fig. 6) of a glass plate (46) to be processed, the bend-breaking jig comprising: a bend-breaking cutter wheel (38) [capable of forming] an end cut line (scribe) on an edge part of the glass plate; and a bend-breaking cutter holder (36) that is positioned above the bend-breaking cutter wheel and supports the bend-breaking cutter wheel (e.g., fig. 2), wherein a cutter wheel axis (annotated fig. 1) extending in an up-down direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is eccentric radially outward (at a distance L1, fig. 1) with respect to a cutter holder center axis (annotated fig. 1) extending in an up-down direction of the bend-breaking cutter holder (36), and the bend-breaking cutter wheel is rotatable by 360° in a direction around the cutter wheel axis with respect to the bend-breaking cutter holder (translation, para. 0010, lines 10-14), and when the bend-breaking jig travels in a predetermined direction (e.g., direction indicated by double arrow A-B, fig. 1) on an upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate in parallel with the upper surface, the bend-breaking cutter wheel (38) abutting on the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate (translation, para. 0013) rotates in the direction around the cutter wheel axis (via “caster effect”), and a rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel becomes identical with a traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig (translation, para 0011, lines 11-13, “[w]hen moving in the line direction (arrow B direction), the cutter wheel 38 is maintained parallel to the cutting line direction by a so-called caster effect” [emphasis added]).
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Ishimura fails to disclose
Regarding claim 2, Ishimura discloses a first lifting mechanism (pressure mechanism 32) that lifts and lowers the bend-breaking cutter holder in an up-down direction (translation para. 0009, lines 14-17), wherein, when an end cut line is formed on the edge part of the glass plate, the bend-breaking cutter holder is lowered toward the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate by the first lifting mechanism and the bend-breaking cutter wheel abuts on the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate, and after the bend-breaking jig travels in the predetermined direction and the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel becomes identical with the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig (translation para 0015), the bend-breaking jig travels in the predetermined direction so that the bend-breaking cutter wheel forms the end cut line on the edge part of the glass plate along the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig (due to the caster-wheel effect). Regarding claim 11, the bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above as set forth in the 102 rejection of claim 1 includes a bend-breaking processing method of bend-breaking an edge part of a glass plate to be processed using a bend-breaking device in which a bend-breaking jig is installed,
the bend-breaking jig including a bend-breaking cutter wheel [[92]] that forms an end cut line (scribe) at the edge part of the glass plate, and a bend-breaking cutter holder [[91; 96]] that is positioned above the bend-breaking cutter wheel and supports the bend-breaking cutter wheel, a cutter wheel axis [[Q3]] extending in an up-down direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel being eccentric radially outward with respect to a cutter holder center axis [[Q2]] extending in an up-down direction of the bend-breaking cutter holder, and the bend-breaking cutter wheel being rotatable by 360° in a direction around the cutter wheel axis [[Q3]] with respect to the bend-breaking cutter holder [[91; 96]],
Regarding claim 12, the bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above as set forth in the 102 rejection of claim 2 include the bend-breaking processing method comprising: a rolling direction changing step of causing the bend-breaking jig to travel in a predetermined direction on an upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate in parallel with the upper surface, rotating the bend-breaking cutter wheel abutting on the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate in the direction around the cutter wheel axis, and changing a rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel to a traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig; and an end cut line forming step of forming, by the bend-breaking cutter wheel, an end cut line on the edge part of the glass plate along the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig after the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is changed to the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig. wherein the bend-breaking jig includes a first lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the bend-breaking cutter holder in an up-down direction, the bend- breaking processing method further comprises: a holder lowering step of lowering the bend-breaking cutter holder toward the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate by the first lifting mechanism and causing the bend-breaking cutter wheel to abut on the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate before the rolling direction changing step, and in the rolling direction changing step, the bend-breaking jig is caused to travel on the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate in the predetermined direction parallel to the upper surface to change the rolling direction of the bend- breaking cutter wheel to the predetermined traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig after the bend-breaking cutter wheel is caused to abut on the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate in the holder lowering step.
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 3, 4, 7, 13, 14 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishimura (JP08-217476) in view of Onozato (US Patent 5,197,198).
Regarding claim 3, Ishimura fails to specifically disclose the bend- breaking jig repeats: a lifting operation in which the bend-breaking cutter holder is lifted from the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate by the first lifting mechanism after the end cut line is formed for a first time in a predetermined area of the edge part of the glass plate; a moving operation in which the bend-breaking jig is moved to a next end cut line forming area of the edge part of the glass plate after the bend-breaking cutter holder is lifted; a lowering operation in which the bend-breaking cutter holder is lowered toward the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate by the first lifting mechanism after the bend-breaking jig is moved to the next end cut line forming area; a rolling direction changing operation in which the bend-breaking jig travels in a predetermined direction and a rolling direction of the bend-breaking wheel cutter changes to a traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig after the bend-breaking cutter holder is lowered; and an end cut line forming operation in which the bend-breaking jig travels in the predetermined direction so that the bend-breaking cutter wheel forms the end cut line on the edge part of the glass plate along the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig after the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel becomes identical with the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig. However, Onozato teaches it is known in the art of bend-breaking jigs for sheets of glass to repeat a lifting operation (col. 7, lines 12-15) in which the bend-breaking cutter holder is lifted from the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate by the first lifting mechanism after the end cut line is formed for a first time in a predetermined area of the edge part of the glass plate (col. 7, lines 15-22). a moving operation in which the bend-breaking jig is moved to a next end cut line forming area of the edge part of the glass plate after the bend-breaking cutter holder is lifted (col. 7, lines 28-40); a lowering operation in which the bend-breaking cutter holder is lowered toward the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate by the first lifting mechanism after the bend-breaking jig is moved to the next end cut line forming area (col. 7, lines 12-15); a rolling direction changing operation in which the bend-breaking jig travels in a predetermined direction and a rolling direction of the bend-breaking wheel cutter changes to a traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig after the bend-breaking cutter holder is lowered (fig. 1); and an end cut line forming operation in which the bend-breaking jig travels in the predetermined direction so that the bend-breaking cutter wheel forms the end cut line on the edge part of the glass plate along the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig after the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel becomes identical with the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig (col. 7, lines 3-12). It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify the bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above with the teaching of Onozato so as to repeat the aforementioned steps and to perform subsequent roll direction changing steps in order to accelerate the speed at which the sheet of glass is processed and to provide an initialization process for establishing the position of the cutter with respect to the bend-breaking cutter holder and the glass being cut.
Regarding claim 4, the modified the rolling direction changing operation changes the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel to a direction in which a virtual end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate extends by causing the bend-breaking jig to travel toward a direction of a start point of the end cut line at a rolling direction changing position in a vicinity of the edge part of the glass plate including an outline cutting line of a main body of the glass plate or a rolling direction changing position in a vicinity of the edge part of the glass plate including an edge of the glass plate (as depicted in Onozato, fig. 1). Regarding claim 7, the modified bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above includes the rolling direction changing operation causes the bend-breaking jig to travel along the end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate at the rolling direction changing position from a rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line, or causes the bend-breaking jig to travel on the end cut line from the rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line at the rolling direction changing position, and after the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is changed to the direction in which the virtual end cut line extends, reverses the bend-breaking jig at the start point of the end cut line to change the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig to the direction in which the end cut line extends, and causes the bend-breaking jig to travel in the direction in which the end cut line extends (as taught by Onozato in col. 7, lines 29-45). Regarding claim 13, the modified bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above as set forth in the 103 rejection of claim 3 includes a holder lifting step of lifting the bend-breaking cutter holder from the upper surface of the glass plate by the first lifting mechanism after the end cut line is formed for a first time in a predetermined area of the edge part of the glass plate in the end cut line forming step; and a jig moving step of moving the bend-breaking jig to a next end cut line forming area of the edge part of the glass plate after the bend-breaking cutter holder is lifted in the holder lifting step, wherein in the holder lowering step, the bend-breaking cutter holder is lowered toward the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate extending to the next end cut line forming area by the first lifting mechanism after the bend-breaking jig is moved to the next end cut line forming area in the jig moving step, in the rolling direction changing step, the bend-breaking jig is caused to travel in a second predetermined traveling direction on the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate in the next end cut line forming area, and the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is changed to the second predetermined traveling direction of the bend- breaking jig after the bend-breaking cutter holder is lowered in the holder lowering step, and in the next end cut line forming step, the bend-breaking jig is caused to travel in the second predetermined traveling direction in the next end cut line forming area, and the next end cut line is formed on the edge part of the glass plate in the next end cut line forming area by the bend-breaking cutter wheel after the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is changed to the second predetermined traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig in the rolling direction changing step. Regarding claim 14, the modified bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above as set forth in the 103 rejection of claim 4 includes wherein in the rolling direction changing step, the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is changed to a direction in which a virtual end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate extends by causing the bend-breaking jig to travel toward a direction of a start point of the end cut line in a rolling direction changing area in a vicinity of the edge part of the glass plate including: an outline cutting line of a main body of the glass platei or at a rolling direction changing position in a vicinity of the edge part of the glass plate including an edge of the glass plate. Regarding claim 17, the modified bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above as set forth in the 103 rejection of claim 7 includes in the rolling direction changing step, the bend-breaking jig is caused to travel along the end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate at the rolling direction changing position from a rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line, or is caused to travel on the end cut line from the rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line at the rolling direction changing position, and after the rolling direction of the bend- breaking cutter wheel is changed to the direction in which the virtual end cut line extends, the bend-breaking jig is reversed at the start point of the end cut line to change the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig to the direction in which the end cut line extends, and is caused to travel in the direction in which the end cut line extends.
Claims 5 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishimura (JP08-217476) and Onozato (US Patent 5,197,198) and further in view of Nishio (US Publication 2007/0164072).
Regarding claim 5, the modified bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above fails to specifically disclose the rolling direction changing operation changes the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel to the direction in which the virtual end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate extends by causing the bend-breaking jig to draw a circular trajectory from a rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line at the rolling direction changing position. However, Nishio teaches it is known in the art of breaking jigs for cutting glass to utilize a rolling direction changing operation changing the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel to the direction in which the virtual end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate extends by causing the bend-breaking jig to draw a circular trajectory (indicated by A, B, C in fig. 13) from a rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line at the rolling direction changing position (e.g., fig. 13). It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify the jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above with the teaching of Nishio such that the rolling direction changing operation changes the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel to the direction in which the virtual end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate extends by causing the bend-breaking jig to draw a circular trajectory from a rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line at the rolling direction changing position since the circular trajectory is a smooth shape that can easily be traced by the system angular initialization system of Onozato. Regarding claim 15, the modified bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above as set forth in the 103 rejection of claim 5 includes wherein in the rolling direction changing step, the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is changed to the direction in which the virtual end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate extends by causing the bend-breaking jig to draw a circular trajectory from a rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line at the rolling direction changing position.
Claims 6 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishimura (JP08-217476) and Onozato (US Patent 5,197,198) in further in view of Nakatsu (US Publication 2019/00225529).
Regarding claim 6, the modified bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above fails to specifically disclose the rolling direction changing operation causes the bend-breaking jig to travel in a straight line from a rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line at the rolling direction changing position so that an angle formed by a direction in which the end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate extends and the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig toward the start point of the end cut line becomes 90° or less, and after the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is changed to the direction in which the virtual end cut line extends, the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig is changed to the direction in which the end cut line extends at an angle of 90° or less at the start point of the end cut line, and the bend-breaking jig is caused to travel in the direction in which the end cut line extends. However, Nakatsu teaches it is known in the art of breaking jigs for cutting glass to provide a rolling direction changing operation causing the bend-breaking jig to travel in a straight line (e.g., line segment 92, fig. 5A) from a rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line at the rolling direction changing position so that an angle formed by a direction in which the end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate extends and the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig toward the start point of the end cut line becomes 90° or less (Nakatsu, fig. 5A), and after the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is changed to the direction in which the virtual end cut line extends (91a), the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig is changed to the direction in which the end cut line extends at an angle of 90° or less at the start point of the end cut line, and the bend-breaking jig is caused to travel in the direction in which the end cut line extends (Nakatsu, fig. 5a). Furthermore, Onozato teaches the jig is caused to travel along curved line segment A-B regardless of the orientation of the blade (col. 3, lines 25-39). It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify the jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above with the teaching of Nakatsu and Onozato such that the rolling direction changing operation causes the bend-breaking jig to travel in a straight line from a rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line at the rolling direction changing position so that an angle formed by a direction in which the end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate extends and the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig toward the start point of the end cut line becomes 90° or less, and after the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is changed to the direction in which the virtual end cut line extends, the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig is changed to the direction in which the end cut line extends at an angle of 90° or less at the start point of the end cut line, and the bend-breaking jig is caused to travel in the direction in which the end cut line extends since the circular trajectory is a smooth shape that can easily be traced by the system angular initialization system of Onozato. Regarding claim 16, the modified bend-breaking jig of Ishimura substantially disclosed above as set forth in the 103 rejection of claim 6 includes wherein in the rolling direction changing step, the bend-breaking jig is caused to travel in a straight line from a rolling direction change start point toward the start point of the end cut line at the rolling direction changing position so that an angle formed by a direction in which the end cut line of the edge part of the glass plate extends and the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig toward the start point of the end cut line becomes 900 or less, and after the rolling direction of the bend-breaking cutter wheel is changed to the direction in which the virtual end cut line extends, the traveling direction of the bend-breaking jig is changed to the direction in which the end cut line extends at an angle of 90* or less at the start point of the end cut line, and the bend-breaking jig is caused to travel in the direction in which the end cut line extends.
Claims 8-10 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishimura (JP08-217476) in view of Sgarabottolo (US Patent 8,574,034) and Bando (US Publication 2017/0334761). Regarding claims 8-10 and 18-20, Ishimura fails to specifically disclose the following: In claim 8, a pressing member that presses the edge part of the glass plate on which the end cut line is formed; and a second lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the pressing member, wherein after the end cut line is formed on the edge part of the glass plate by the bend-breaking cutter wheel, the pressing member is lowered toward the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate by the second lifting mechanism, and the pressing member presses the edge part of the glass plate downward to bend-break the edge part of the glass plate from a main body of the glass plate;
In claim 9. (original) The bend-breaking jig according to claim 8, wherein the pressing member includes a penetrating part opened at a center of the pressing member, the bend-breaking cutter wheel is positioned at the penetrating part of the pressing member, and in the bend-breaking jig, when the bend-breaking cutter holder is lowered toward the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate by the second lifting mechanism, the bend-breaking cutter wheel is exposed downward from the penetrating part of the pressing member;
In claim 10, the pressing member is formed of: a plate parallel to an upper surface of the glass plate; and a pressing rubber molded in a truncated hemispherical shape with a head cut off from a surface parallel to a bottom surface and fixed to a lower surface of the plate, and the penetrating part is formed at a center of the plate and a center of the pressing rubber; In claim 18, wherein the bend-breaking jig includes a pressing member that presses the edge part of the glass plate on which the end cut line is formed, and a second lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the pressing member, the bend-breaking processing method further comprising a bend-breaking processing step of, after forming the end cut line on the edge part of the glass plate by the bend-breaking cutter wheel, lowering the pressing member toward the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate by the second lifting mechanism and pressing the edge part of the glass plate downward by the pressing member to bend-break the edge part of the glass plate from a main body of the glass plate; In claim 19, wherein the pressing member includes a penetrating part opened at a center of the pressing member, the bend-breaking cutter wheel is positioned at the penetrating part of the pressing member, and in the holder lowering step, when the bend-breaking cutter holder is lowered toward the upper surface of the edge part of the glass plate by the first lifting mechanism, the bend-breaking cutter wheel is exposed downward from the penetrating part of the pressing member; and In claim 20, wherein the pressing member is formed of: a plate parallel to an upper surface of the glass plate; and a pressing rubber molded in a truncated hemispherical shape with a head cut off from a surface parallel to a bottom surface and fixed to a lower surface of the plate, and the penetrating part is formed at a center of the plate and a center of the pressing rubber. However, the following references provide teaching pertinent to these limitations: A. Sgarabottolo teaches it is known to use an annular pressing member (10) that surrounds a cutting wheel (20). B. Bando teaches it is known in the art of bend-breaking jigs to include a pressing rod with a spherically shaped glass contacting member (para. 0068) that allows for angular control and adjustment of pressing rod (81) with a rounded pressing area about rotational axis (35) to be omitted since the spherical shape of the pressing rod provides omnidirectional pressing action. It would have been obvious to one having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify the bend-breaking device of Ishimura substantially disclosed above with the teaching of Sgarabottolo and Bando such that a pressing member is provided according to claims 8-10 and 18-20 in order to simplify the bend-breaking device and to provide omnidirectional bend-breaking when necessary.
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.
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/SAMUEL A DAVIES/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3724 May 2, 2026
/BOYER D ASHLEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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