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 § 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 14-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cuneo. US Patent no. 4,530,624, in view of Robert Bosch GmbH, DE102011003828A1 [Bosch]1.
Regarding claim 14, Cuneo discloses a device system comprising:
a device stand [base 10 and vertical column 11 in Figure 1 and column 2, lines 52-59];
a drill arranged displaceably on the device stand for carrying out drilling [drill press head 12 is mounted displaceably on the vertical column 11 and includes a motor 60 or rotating a chuck 15, Figure 1 and column 2, lines 52-68]; and
a feed for displacing the drill along the device stand, the feed including a manual feed [control level 18 is manually actuated to lower the chuck 15, Figure 1 and column 2, lines 63-68]; and
a controller for evaluating measured values [a control panel 51 includes a display 25 that indicates an attained drilling depth based on signals derived from a detection set 22 that includes a photocell, an aligned light source and a disk, Figure 2 and column 3, lines 4-44];
the feed including at least one sensor for determining measured values, the measured values being usable for evaluation and being able to be transmitted to the controller [a detection set 22 that includes a photocell, an aligned light source and a disk is used to provide signals used for indication of attained drilling depth, Figure 2 and column 3, lines 4-44].
Cuneo does not disclose detecting a starting point or an end point of drilling through a sudden change in further drilling parameters. Like Cuneo, Bosch discloses a drilling device that includes a control unit that provides an indication of an attained drilling depth. Specifically, Bosch discloses a user setting a desired drill depth and a control unit that stops the drilling process when the desired depth has been achieved [paragraphs 0006 and 0008]. Bosch further discloses that the drilling depth is a path covered by the drill from the start of drilling into the workpiece [paragraph 0005]. Bosch further discloses that the start of drilling into the workpiece may be advantageously detected by the control unit as opposed to detected manually by a user [paragraph 0004]. The start of drilling into the workpiece is detected by the control unit when measured power consumption or torque of the motor increases [paragraph 0004]. Since it was known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to automatically detect the start of drilling by a control unit using sudden changes in drilling parameters in situations when drilling according to a desired drilling depth is required, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply the Bosch teachings to the Cuneo drill press in order to provide a more accurate representation of the current drilling depth due to a more accurate determination of when drilling into a workpiece has started.
Regarding claim 15, Cuneo further discloses that a depth of a drilled bore is determinable using a transmission ratio and a number of revolutions of the manual feed, the number of revolutions of the manual feed being determinable on the basis of the measured values [rotating the lever counter clockwise causes the disk to rotate, thereby causing alternately passing and obscuring light from the light source to the photo. The signals produced are used to indicate attained drilling depth, column 3, lines 4-24].
Regarding claim 16, Bosch further discloses that determined or evaluated measurement data can be used for triggering functions of the device system [when a desired drilling depth is reached, a signal can be output which reduces drive torque or speed, paragraph 0006].
Regarding claim 17, Cuneo further discloses that the manual feed is designed as a handwheel or as a lever [control level 18 is manually actuated to lower the chuck 15, Figure 1 and column 2, lines 63-68].
Regarding claim 18, Cuneo further discloses that the controller is part of the drilling device or the feed [a control panel 51 is part of the drilling device, Figure 2].
Regarding claim 19, Cuneo and Bosch do not disclose using an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor or a Hall sensor to detect the rotations of the disk when determining the drilling depth. Examiner takes official notice that acceleration sensors, gyro sensors and Hall sensors were conventionally used before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to detect revolutions of a rotating body. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to substitute any of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor or a Hall sensor into the Cuneo and Bosch to perform the determination of disk revolutions when actuating the control level.
Regarding claims 20 and 21, Cuneo and Bosch are silent as to how the measured values are communicated from the sensor to the controller. Examiner takes official notice that both wired and wireless communications were conventionally used types of communication between sensors and controllers in machine tools. Furthermore, since wired and wireless were are the only two options for communicating between sensors and controllers, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use either known type of communication to pass signals between the sensor and controller in Cuneo and Bosch.
Regarding claim 22, Cuneo further discloses that the drill has an electric motor [drive motor, column 4, lines 19-45].
Regarding claim 23, Cuneo further discloses a display for displaying determined or evaluated data [a control panel 51 includes a display 25 that indicates an attained drilling depth based on signals derived from a detection set 22 that includes a photocell, an aligned light source and a disk, Figure 2 and column 3, lines 4-44].
Regarding claim 24, Cuneo further discloses that the display is part of the drill or the feed [the control panel 51 with display 25 is part of the drill, Figure 2].
Regarding claim 25, Cuneo further discloses that the manual feed has the sensor [the detection set 22 is on the manual feed, Figure 1].
Regarding claim 26, Bosch further discloses a) recording at least one drilling parameter of the device system, b) deriving a starting point and/or an end point of the drilling from the drilling parameters recorded under a) [start of drilling into the workpiece is detected by the control unit when measured power consumption or torque of the motor increases, paragraph 0004]. Cuneo further discloses c) recording measured values via the sensor, d) transmitting the measured values to a controller, e) determining a number of revolutions of the manual feed from the measured values recorded under c), f) determining a depth of a bore from the number of revolutions of the manual feed and a transmission ratio [a detection set 22 that includes a photocell, an aligned light source and a disk is used to provide signals used for indication of attained drilling depth by the control panel, Figure 2 and column 3, lines 4-44].
Regarding claim 27, Cuneo further discloses that the depth of the bore is displayed on a display of the device system [a control panel 51 includes a display 25 that indicates an attained drilling depth based on signals derived from a detection set 22 that includes a photocell, an aligned light source and a disk, Figure 2 and column 3, lines 4-44].
Regarding claim 28, Bosch further discloses that at least one other function of the device system is triggered on the basis of the depth of the bore [when a desired drilling depth is reached, a signal can be output which reduces drive torque or speed, paragraph 0006].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Matsuura et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2017/0296204 discloses measuring a drilling depth using a rotary movement sensor coupled to a lever.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL B YANCHUS III whose telephone number is (571)272-3678. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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, Thomas Lee can be reached at (571) 272-3667. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/PAUL B YANCHUS III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115 January 8, 2026
1 DE102011003828A1 was cited and translation provided in the 3/1/23 IDS.