DETAILED ACTION
HOLDING DEVICE FOR A BLANK
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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed 11-21-2025 has been entered. Claims 1,5-11,13-15 are currently pending and have been examined. The previous rejection has been updated due to applicant’s amendments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishiwaki (WO2021157709A1) in view of Steger (US20220192802A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nishiwaki teaches
a first holding element (2011, figures 6a-7) for inserting the blank (pages 5-6 of npl);
a second holding element (2012, figures 6a-7) for clamping the blank (pages 5-6 of npl) to the first holding element (figures 6a-6b);
wherein the second holding element (2012, figures 6a-7) is formed by an open or closed ring (figure 7) and comprises a central axis (J2, figure 6a-6b) ;
wherein the second holding element is lockable to the first holding element by a rotary movement of the entire second holding element about the central axis (pages 5-6 of npl); and
wherein the second holding element (2012, figures 6a-7) comprises projecting guide sections (2122, figures 6a-7 ).
Nishiwaki fails to teach wherein guide sections project inwardly, and arranged on arms extending in the axial direction of the second holding element.
Steger teaches a retaining device that has a first holding element (18, figure 8) and a second holding element (7, figure 8) for a workpiece (abstract) that has wherein guide section project inwardly (13, figure 8), and arranged on arms (14,15, figure 8) extending in the axial direction of the second holding element.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Nishiwaki to have wherein guide sections project inwardly, and arranged on arms extending in the axial direction of the second holding element. This modification would help with fixing a workpiece. (see para 0007-0067 of Steger)
Regarding claim 13, Nishiwaki teaches
inserting the blank into a first holding element (2011, figures 6a-7; pages 5-6 of npl);
clamping of the blank (200) by a rotational movement of a second holding element (2012, figures 6a-7) lockable to the first holding element (pages 5-6 of npl);
wherein the second holding element (2012, figures 6a-7) is formed by an open or closed ring (figure 7) having a central axis, wherein the rotational movement of the entire second holding element pivots about the central axis; and
wherein the second holding element (2012, figures 6a-7) projecting guide sections (2122, figures 6a-7).
Nishiwaki fails to teach wherein guide sections project inwardly, and arranged on arms extending in the axial direction of the second holding element.
Steger teaches a retaining device that has a first holding element (18, figure 8) and a second holding element (7, figure 8) for a workpiece (abstract) that has wherein guide section project inwardly (13, figure 8), and arranged on arms (14,15, figure 8) extending in the axial direction of the second holding element.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Nishiwaki to have wherein guide sections project inwardly, and arranged on arms extending in the axial direction of the second holding element based on the teachings of Steger. This modification would help with fixing a workpiece. (see para 0007-0067 of Steger)
Regarding claim 14, modified Nishiwaki teaches
wherein a clamping force is generated on the blank (see Nishiwaki pages 5-6 of npl ) in the direction of the first holding element (see Nishiwaki 2011, figures 6a-7 ).
Claim(s) 5-9,11, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishiwaki (WO2021157709A1) in view of Steger (US20220192802A1) in view of Kuo (US20030072249A1) cited in the IDS
Regarding claim 5, modified Nishiwaki teaches all limitations stated above, but fails to teach the protruding guide sections each comprise a spring portion for generating a clamping force on the blank in the direction of the first holding element.
Kuo teaches a clamp device (abstract) that has guide section that comprise a spring portion for generating a clamping force on the blank in the direction of the first holding element. (see 31 and 33; para 0021-0023)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further modified Nishiwaki to have the protruding guide sections each comprise a spring portion for generating a clamping force on the blank in the direction of the first holding element based on teachings of Kuo. This modification would help improve the clamping device by providing better elasticity. (see para 0021 of Kuo)
Regarding claim 6, modified Nishiwaki teaches wherein the first or second holding element (Nishiwaki’s 2012) comprises a stop element (see pages 5-6 of npl of Nishiwaki) for limiting the rotational movement (see pages 5-6 of npl of Nishiwaki).
Regarding claim 7, modified Nishiwaki teaches all limitation stated above, but fails to teach wherein the first holding element comprises at least one spring element for exerting a clamping force on a guide section of the second holding element, or the second holding element comprises at least one spring element for exerting a clamping force on at least one of the projecting guide sections of the first holding element.
Kuo teaches a clamp device (abstract) that has a guide section on a holding element (30, figures 1-4) that comprise a spring portion for generating a clamping force on the blank in the direction of the first holding element. (see 31 and 33; para 0021-0023)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further modified Nishiwaki to have wherein the first holding element comprises at least one spring element for exerting a clamping force on a guide section of the second holding element, or the second holding element comprises at least one spring element for exerting a clamping force on at least one of the projecting guide sections of the first holding element based on teachings of Kuo. This modification would help improve the clamping device by providing better elasticity. (see para 0021 of Kuo)
Regarding claim 8, Nishiwaki as modified in claim 7 teaches wherein the spring element is formed by a leaf spring (see Kuo 31 33, figures 1-4; pages 5-6 of npl).
Regarding claim 9, Nishiwaki as modified in claim 7 teaches wherein the first or second holding element (see pages 5-6 of npl of NIshiwaki) comprises at least one recess (2015b; see pages 5-6 of npl of NIshiwaki) for passing at least one of the projecting guide sections (see pages 5-6 of npl of NIshiwaki) therethrough.
Regarding claim 11, modified Nishiwaki teaches wherein the spring elements (see 31 and 33, figures 2-4; para 0021-0023 of Kuo) are arranged on a side of the first holding element facing away from the second holding element.
Regarding claim 15, Nishiwaki as modified in claim 13 teaches all limitations stated above ,but fails to teach wherein spring portions of the second holding element are supported on undercuts of the first holding element or the radially inwardly or outwardly projecting guide sections of the first or second holding element are supported on spring elements of the first or second holding element.
Kuo teaches a clamp device (abstract) that has a guide section (see 31 and 33,; para 0021-0023) on a holding element (30, figures 1-4) that comprise a spring portion on undercuts (see figures 1-4) for generating a clamping force on the blank in the direction of the first holding element. (see 31 and 33; para 0021-0023)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further modified Nishiwaki to have wherein spring portions of the second holding element are supported on undercuts of the first holding element or the radially inwardly or outwardly projecting guide sections of the first or second holding element are supported on spring elements of the first or second holding element based on teachings of Kuo. This modification would help improve the clamping device by providing better elasticity. (see para 0021 of Kuo)
Claim(s) 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishiwaki (WO2021157709A1) in view of Steger (US20220192802A1) in view of Kuo (US20030072249A1) as applied to claim 7 further in view Liao (CN203517452U) cited in the IDS.
Regarding claim 10, Nishiwaki as modified in claim 7 teaches all limitations stated above, but fails to teach one side of a v-shaped leaf spring abuts the first holding element.
Liao teaches a clamping device that has v-shaped leaf spring (13, figure 3) that abuts the first holding element (11, figure 3)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further modified Nishiwaki to have a v-shaped leaf spring based on the teachings of Liao, since a change in shape of an element involves only routine skill in the art. This modification would help with providing a clamping force.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 11-21-2025, with respect to the
rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 and 13, and their dependent claims under 35 U.S.C.102 and 35 USC 103 have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection (as necessitated by amendment) relies on a different combination of prior art references, not applied in the prior rejection of record to teach the amendments.
Conclusion
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.
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/SARAH AKYAA FORDJOUR/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/MONICA S CARTER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723