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, 4-8, 10-11, 13-19 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (US 20180009042).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses a receptacle 10 for a rotating tool, the receptacle comprising a rotationally symmetrical, hollow-cylindrical receptacle main body having a cylinder barrel 10 and a cavity 13. A through-pipe 212 is disposed in the cavity, spaced apart from the cylinder barrel and is braced relative to the receptacle main body (see e.g. Fig. 4), said through-pipe having an end. Another component (rear cover 22 located at the opposite side of the body 10 as tool 50) is connected to the main receptacle body and force-locked (i.e. by virtue of the seal mounted in annular groove 223 holding the component in place and/or the entire assembly being held in place by through-pipe holder 30). A clamping shoulder is disposed on the end of the through-pipe for bracing with the other component (visible in Figs. 3-5).
Regarding claim 2, Chen discloses the through-pipe being rotationally symmetrical and coaxial with the receptacle main body (see e.g. Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Chen discloses a through-pipe holder 30 being disposed on the receptacle main body and configured to be connected in a rotationally fixed manner (i.e. screwed into place) to said receptacle main body.
Regarding claim 5, Chen discloses the through-pipe holder being connected to a coolant supply pipe (e.g. 11/12/213).
Regarding claim 6, Chen discloses the clamping shoulder being disposed for bracing with a tool bearing 40 connected to the receptacle main body by way of the cover(s) 22 and through-pipe holder 30.
Regarding claim 7, Chen discloses a tool bearing 40, said through-pipe being braced against the tool bearing by way of the cover(s) 22 and through-pipe holder 30, the tool bearing being supported on/screwed to the receptacle main body.
Regarding claim 8, Chen discloses the tool bearing having at least one filler bore opening into the cavity and closeable by a closure screw 54 (see e.g. Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 10, Chen discloses a holder/clamp 50 for the tool being screwed to the tool bearing.
Regarding claim 11, Chen discloses a coolant bore 5122 extending axially through the holder/clamp being closeable by a closure screw 54.
Regarding claim 13, Chen discloses the tool bearing 40 having an external circumferential face with bores 4213 formed therein, capable of receiving balancing screws.
Regarding claim 14, Chen discloses the through-pipe being a coolant pipe.
Regarding claim 15, Chen discloses at least one damping body 23 disposed in the cavity.
Regarding claim 16, Chen discloses the damping body/bodies being a sleeve (i.e. forming a collective body surrounding the through-pipe).
Regarding claim 17, Chen discloses the at least one damping body being formed of a heavy metal (e.g. tungsten alloy, Paragraph [0019]) held and spaced apart from the cylinder barrel and through-pipe.
Regarding claim 18, Chen discloses a plurality of damping bodies 23 disposed in the cavity.
Regarding claim 19, Chen discloses the plurality of damping bodies being held and spaced apart from at least one of the cylinder barrel or through-pipe by rings 22.
Regarding claim 21, Chen discloses an interface for a working spindle being disposed on one end of the receptacle main body so as to be integrally connected to said receptacle main body (see e.g. Figs. 1-2).
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 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 20180009042) in view of Giannetti (US 20160067787).
Regarding claim 3, Chen does not disclose the claimed threaded engagement between the through-pipe and through-pipe holder.
Giannetti discloses a similar tool, wherein the through-pipe is threaded into connection with a through-pipe holder 16.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to extend the through-pipe of Chen and bring it into threaded connection with the through-pipe holder as taught by Giannetti, in order to more securely hold the through-pipe/damping assembly in place inside the cavity.
Regarding claim 9, Chen discloses the clamping shoulder being a flat surface, perpendicular to the axis of the tool (see e.g. Figs. 3-5).
Giannetti discloses the clamping shoulder (located at the end of the threads, toward the center of the through-pipe, visible in Fig. 3) having a conical/sloped shoulder surface that serves to abut against the element 90 that the through-pipe is joined with.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the same sloped/conical shoulder surface to the through-pipe of Chen, as taught by Giannetti, in order to center/align the through-pipe and through-pipe holder.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-19 and 21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alan Snyder whose telephone number is (571)272-4603. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 7:00a - 5:00p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sunil K Singh can be reached at 571-272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Alan Snyder/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3722
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