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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/27/2023, and 09/22/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Leach et al. (US 20040173578 A1) in view of Ashino (US 20140338448 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Leach discloses
A welding apparatus (welding gun 10, figs.1-2), comprising
a movement assembly (electrode assembly 58, fig.2) for at least one electrode (first electrode 18, second electrode 20, figs.1-2), configured to be passed through by current for the execution of welding treatments,
said assembly (electrode assembly 58) comprising at least one cylinder (actuator 22, figs.1-2) and at least one stem (servo rod 48, fig.3) which rigidly supports said electrode (second electrode 20), said stem (servo rod 48) being accommodated at least partially in said cylinder (actuator 22) and being coaxially movable with an alternating straight motion along a longitudinal axis (line A, figs.2-3) of said cylinder (actuator 22), in order to press said at least one electrode (second electrode 20) against parts to be welded with a corresponding welding force [Par.0021 cited: “…actuator 22 is operable to move the second electrode 20 toward the first electrode 18 until it contacts the work piece 30…”], and further comprising a device (load sensor 54, fig.3) for measuring a welding force [Par.0023 cited: “…load sensor 54 is provided close to the drive end 52 of the actuator 22 so as to sense strain on the end 52…”], which comprises a plate (plate next to load sensor 54, fig.3), which is stably interposed between said stem (servo rod 48) and said at least one electrode (second electrode 20) with respective faces arranged at right angles to said longitudinal axis (line A).
However, Leach does not disclose a plurality of deformation sensors, which are accommodated in through slots provided in said plate and distributed along an imaginary circumference which is centered along said longitudinal axis.
Ashino discloses an apparatus (pressure sensor 110, fig.11) comprises: a plurality of deformation sensors (terminals 31a-c, figs.11-12A), which are accommodated in through slots (hole, fig.12a, Par.0081) provided in a plate (plate of sense element 7, fig.12a) and distributed along an imaginary circumference which is centered along said longitudinal axis (vertical axis, fig.12A).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a welding apparatus of Leach, by including a plurality of deformation sensors, which are accommodated in through slots provided in said plate and distributed along an imaginary circumference which is centered along said longitudinal axis, as taught by Ashino, in order to detect the deformation force.
Regarding claim 12, Ashino discloses
said plate (plate of sense element 7, fig.12a) has a number of said through slots equal to four or eight (hole, fig.12a, Par.0081), said through slots (hole) having mutually identical dimensions and being regularly distributed along said imaginary circumference [holes, fig.12a, have same dimensions and distributed along said imaginary circumference, fig.12a].
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Regarding claim 13, Ashino discloses
each one of said sensors (terminals 31a-c, figs.11-12A) is an electric resistance strain gauge [Par.0056 cited: “…sense element 7 has a metal support portion 15, a semiconductor strain gauge type pressure sensor element 17…”], which comprises a deformable element (metal diaphragm 19, fig.12A) which is rigidly applied to a laminar support (substrate 33, figs.11-12a), which in turn is rigidly applied to one of two end walls of the respective said through slot (hole, fig.12a), which are mutually opposite along said imaginary circumference.
Regarding claim 14, Ashino discloses
each one of said through slots (hole, fig.12a) accommodates a pair of said strain gauges (terminals 31a-c, figs.11-12A), which are applied to said end walls [Par.0056 cited: “…sense element 7 has a metal support portion 15, a semiconductor strain gauge type pressure sensor element 17…”].
Regarding claim 15, Ashino discloses
each face of said respective faces of the plate (plate of sense element 7, fig.12a) has, between each pair of adjacent through slots (hole, fig.12a) of said through slots (hole, fig.12a), an accommodation groove (through holes 37, fig.12B) for electrical connections of said sensors (terminals 31a-c, figs.11-12A), which is arranged along said imaginary circumference.
Regarding claim 16, Ashino discloses
said slots (hole, fig.12a) and said grooves (through holes 37, fig.12B) are closed by respective annular protective plugs, which are applied on the corresponding said faces of said plate (plate of sense element 7, fig.12a) and are arranged along said imaginary circumference.
Regarding claim 17, Leach discloses
electronic control and management unit (weld controller 42, fig.3) configured for actuation of said movement assembly (electrode assembly 58, fig.2) and adjustment of the intensity of said welding force, said electronic control and management unit (weld controller 42) comprising instructions for adjusting intensity of said welding force on the basis of data collected by said sensor (load sensor 54, fig.3), which are controlled by said electronic control and management unit (electrode assembly 58).
Ashino discloses a plurality of deformation sensors (terminals 31a-c, figs.11-12A).
Regarding claim 18, Leach discloses
said device (load sensor 54, fig.3) comprises a connecting cable (cable of load sensor 54, fig.3) for connecting said sensors (load sensor 54, fig.3) to a signal converter (TFF 60, fig.3), for the transfer of the data collected by said sensors (load sensor 54) to said electronic control and management unit (weld controller 42, fig.3), said connecting cable (cable of load sensor 54, fig.3) being at least partially accommodated in a track provided along one side of said plate (plate next to load sensor 54, fig.3) and arranged.
Ashino discloses said slots (hole, fig.12a).
Regarding claim 19, Leach discloses
said plate (plate next to load sensor 54, fig.3) has a lateral pocket (plate next to load sensor 54, fig.3, has a pocket),
Ashino discloses said slots (hole, fig.12a) accommodates electronic components associated with said deformation sensors (terminals 31a-c, figs.11-12A) and external electrical connection terminals of said deformation sensors (terminals 31a-c).
Regarding claim 20, Leach discloses
a first face (bottom end of plate, fig.3) of said respective faces of said plate (plate next to load sensor 54, fig.3) is anchored stably to a free end of said stem (servo rod 48, fig.3), a second face (top end of plate, fig.3) of said respective faces of said plate (plate next to load sensor 54), which is opposite said first face (bottom end of plate, fig.3), being anchored stably to a supporting block (plate 50, fig.3) of said at least one electrode (second electrode 20, figs.1-2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a welding apparatus of Leach, by including a plurality of deformation sensors, which are accommodated in through slots provided in said plate and distributed along an imaginary circumference which is centered along said longitudinal axis, as taught by Ashino, in order to detect the deformation force.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1834. The examiner can normally be reached 9.00am-5.00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Crabb can be reached on 571-270-5095. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PHUONG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
12/14/2025