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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of group I in the reply filed on 2/16/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Amaro-Barboza does not disclose a tub on the slave wagon, an upper rim and a means provided for moving the slave wagon such that the tub is superposed the fusion zone on the object to be welded. The Applicant also argues that the prior art would not provide the benefits of the claimed embodiments. This is not found persuasive because Amaro-Barboza does disclose a tub S1 with an upper rim (upper surface). The claim does not actually claim a “means provided for moving the slave wagon such that the tub S1 is superposed the fusion zone on the object to be welded” This argument is not commensurate in scope with the current claims. The argument with respect to the benefits of the embodiments are not commensurate in scope with the claimed invention.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Amaro-Barboza (2018/0009055A1 from IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Amaro-Barboza discloses a welding system, where the object to be welded has a first side and a second side, the first and second sides being opposite sides of the object to be welded, where the system further comprises: a first wagon N, in use suitable to be arranged on a first side of the object to be welded, where the wagon remains on the surface of the object to be welded, and being able to travel on the surface of the object to be welded, where a first welding device N1 is arranged in connection to or on said wagon N; wherein a slave wagon S is provided, in use suitable to be arranged on a second side of the object to be welded, where the slave wagon includes a tub S1, said tub having an upper rim (outer surface of tub) configured to the contour of the object to be welded, and where further a gas inlet S3 is provided such that a suitable gas may be introduced into the tub, and where the slave wagon in use, the rim of the tub on the slave wagon may remain proximate the second side of the object to be welded, and where the slave wagon moves such that the tub is superposed the fusion zone on the object to be welded (figures 1-2, paragraphs 0017-0038).
The material worked upon does not further limit the apparatus/system. Since Amaro-Barboza discloses the claimed structure, it is the Examiner’s position that Amaro-Barboza is capable of welding the material worked upon.
Regarding claim 2, Amaro-Barboza discloses that the first wagon N to remain on the first surface comprises using magnets; and where on the slave wagon in order to retain the rim of the tub proximate the second side of the object to be welded comprises magnets (paragraph 0037-0038).
Regarding claim 3, Amaro-Barboza discloses that the first wagon and/or the slave wagon are provided with wheels, unidirectional rollers or ball bearings in order for the wagon and/or slave wagon to be able to travel on the surfaces of the object to be welded (paragraph 0029).
Regarding claim 4, Amaro-Barboza discloses that the magnets on the first wagon attracts the magnets on the slave wagon, such that the magnets on the first wagon always are superposed the magnets on the slave wagon (paragraphs 0001-0002, 0027-0038).
Regarding claim 5, the limitation “the rim of the tub is arranged 1 to 8 mm from the second side of the object to be welded” is based on the material worked upon and does not further limit the structure of the apparatus.
Regarding claim 6, the limitation “the object to be welded is the connection between two pipe sections, said pipes having a circular, semi-circular, oval, square or other geometrical cross section, and where the first side is the outside of the pipe sections, and where the inner side of the pipe sections is the second side” is the material worked upon and does not further limit the structure of the apparatus.
Regarding claim 7, Amaro-Barboza discloses a second welding device S4 is arranged inside the tub on the slave wagon, such that in use the first welding device on the first wagon and the second welding device on the slave wagon may be arranged such that welding is performed on a common fusion zone (paragraph 0002, figure 2).
Regarding claim 8, Amaro-Barboza discloses that the welding device comprises a welding electrode to be positioned proximate the fusion zone, and where an optical device S2 is arranged focused on the tip of the welding electrode's position relative to the fusion zone, and where means (controls) are provided for adjusting the welding electrode's tip relative to the fusion zone (figure 1, paragraphs 0029, 0063-0064).
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.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Amaro-Barboza (2018/0009055A1 from IDS) as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Wang et al. (2019/0321905A1).
Regarding claim 9, Amaro-Barboza discloses controls and a monitor for adjusting the welding process (paragraph 0085). Amaro-Barboza does not specifically disclose the means for adjusting the position of the tip of the welding electrode relative to the fusion zone, is preprogrammed, and the means may adjust the position according to stored data relating to the weld to be performed or where the electrode tip's position is detected and compared to an optimal preprogrammed weld contour causing the means to adjust the position of the tip. However, Wang discloses in-process welding monitoring and control using a program wherein the electrode can be adjusted to compensate for offset (paragraph 0106). To one skilled in the art at the time of the invention it would have been obvious to use a program to control the location of the electrode to ensure that the electrode maintains the required distance during welding to prevent any incomplete or incorrect welds from being formed. Using a program allows for quick adjustment to cut down on processing time.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIN B SAAD whose telephone number is (571)270-3634. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30a-6p.
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/ERIN B SAAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735