DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 4-24-2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 10, line 3 “on one hand”; claim 10, line 4 “on the other”; claim 11, line 4 “on one hand” and claim 11, line 5 “on the other” are literal translations into English from a foreign document and are idiomatic errors.
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 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ko (8,142,712). Ko discloses a method of pressing a press-formed product () comprising a heating step in which a sheet-shaped heat storage member (150, 200) and a sheet-shaped workpiece (S) placed above the heat storage member (Fig. 4) are heated by a heating device (100; col. 5, lines) while overlapping in a direction normal (horizontal direction, Fig. 4) to a sheet surface of the workpiece wherein the clamps (210,220) of the heat storage member (150,200) are configured to grip an upper sheet surface and lower sheet surface of the sheet (S). Ko discloses a first transportation step (col. 8, lines 1-3) in which the heat storage member (150,200) and the workpiece placed above the heat storage member are transported from the heating device (100) to a lifting location (Fig. 14; door 615 is open) by movement of a discharging conveyor (600), and a second transportation step (col. 7, lines 65-67) in which the workpiece placed above the heat storage member (Fig. 14) at the lifting location, is lifted upward by a transportation device (robot, R; Fig. 14) which is configured to reach into the discharge means (600), lift the sheet out of the discharge means (600) and transport the workpiece (S) to a pressing location (between pressing dies; Fig. 14) on a press machine (P). During the second transportation step between the heater (100) and the press P), a lower surface of the workpiece (col. 7, lines 65-67) is supported as the workpiece is lifted upward by the transportation device (robot, R) and transported to the press (P). Ko discloses a pressing step in which the workpiece is processed by the press machine wherein the sheet (S) is moved downward (downward arrow; Fig. 14) into the press (P). Regarding claim 21, Ko discloses (Fig. 9) that the discharge means (600) conveys the sheet (S) out of the heating chamber (100) and Fig. 14 shows that the robot transportation device picks the sheet up from the discharge means and transports the sheet to the press (P).
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) 1,6 and 9-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Womack et al. (10,823,505) in view of Livingstone et al. (2017/0274438). Womack discloses a method of pressing a press-formed product (Fig. 9) comprising a heating step in which a sheet-shaped heat storage member (shelf; 28) and a sheet-shaped workpiece (blank; col. 2, lines 64-67) placed above the heat storage member are heated by a heating device (22) while overlapping in a direction normal (vertical direction, Fig. 1A; col. 3, lines 55-67) to a sheet surface of the workpiece. Womack discloses a first transportation step (col. 5, lines 1-9) in which the heat storage member (28) and the workpiece blank placed above the heat storage member are transported from the heating device (22) to a lifting location (30; Fig, 3A) wherein an individual heat storage member (shelf, 28) is moved to a raised position relative to a lower heating device platen (38) by movement of an upper platen (32,36) by an actuator (84) and a second transportation step (col. 9, lines 36-40) in which the workpiece placed above the heat storage member at the lifting location (30), is lifted upward by a transportation device (robot, 74) which is configured to transfer the workpiece blank by lifting the sheet and moving it to a pressing location (70,72) on a press machine (Fig. 9).
Womack, in Figs. 1B,2B and 3B, shows the lifting location (30) to be at different heights in the heating device (22) and discloses (col. 9, lines 38-40) that the transportation device (74) is configured to lift a workpiece from a lifting location including a platen heat storage member lifting location (38) or a shelf heat storage member lifting location (28) but Womack does not specifically recite that the workpiece lower surface is supported during the second transportation step. Livingstone teaches ([0051], lines 11-14) that a transportation device (40,16,18; [0049], lines 1-3) is configured to support a bottom surface ([0061], lines 4-5) of a blank (B) when the transportation device lifts the blank from a plurality of lifting locations (116; [0055]) in a heating device (12) and conveys the blank (B) to a press (14; [0061], lines 8-11). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to support a bottom of the sheet of Womack with the robot transportation device as taught by Livingstone so as to support a weight of the sheet for stability as it is transported to the press device.
Regarding claims 6 and 13, Womack discloses that the heat storage member (28) has a lower support surface (46) for the sheet (S) comprising a recessed area (48; col. 3, lines 50-53) which is configured to space an edge of the sheet from an edge of the heat storage shelf (28).
Regarding claim 9, Womack discloses that each closed shelf (28) is a shield.
Regarding claim 10, the heat storage member (28) of Womack is disclosed to be thicker than the sheet workpiece (S) so that the sheet workpiece fits within the recessed tray area (48), so t2/t1 is greater than 1 and it an obvious modification to construct the heat storage member to be thicker than the sheet workpiece in a range of 1 to 20 so that the sheet is fully enclosed within the heat storage member when the heat storage members are stacked as shown in Fig. 1A.
Regarding claim 11, Applicants' Fig. 3 shows that the distance D is the height that struts (3) extend above the heat storage member and struts are not claimed in claim 1 but Womack discloses that the sheet workpiece is contained within a recess (48) in the the heat storage member (28) at a distance (D) equal to a sheet thickness (t1).
Regarding claim 12, Womack discloses that the heat storage member (shelf, 28) has a lower support surface (46) for the sheet (S) comprising a recessed area (48; col. 3, lines 50-53) which is configured to space an edge of the sheet from an edge of the heat storage shelf (28) wherein Fig 1A shows that there is a distance from the recessed area to an edge of the tray, it is an obvious modification to space the recessed area enough of a distance from the edge of the shelf to enclose the sheet fully within the heating space between shelves.
Claim(s) 2-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Womack et al. (10,823,505) in view of Livingstone et al. (2017/0274438) and further in view of Chen et al. (CN 111575469). Womack discloses that the heat storage member is a flat area (48) on a tray (shelf, 28) but does not disclose that the tray has a plurality of struts contacting the sheet workpiece. Regarding claims 2 and 3, Chen teaches a tray (9) having a plurality of struts or projections (10) for spacing a sheet workpiece (page 5, paragraphs 2 and 3) from a surface of the tray during heating of the sheet workpiece prior to pressing in a mold (page 2, paragraphs 2 and 3). Regarding claim 4, Chen teaches 200 holes (page 5, paragraph 2) in the heat storage member, shows 4 struts (Fig. 4) and that several struts (10) are used to support a workpiece, it is an obvious modification to place struts in any of the 200 holes to total at least 6 struts. Regarding claim 5, Chen teaches an empty space (9a) including 200 holes in the tray (9). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the sheet-shaped heat storage member of Womack to include a plurality of through holes and struts installed to space a workpiece from the tray as taught by Chen so that a bottom surface of the sheet workpiece is not directly in contact with a tray surface during heating.
Claim(s) 7 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Womack et al. (10,823,505) in view of Livingstone et al. (2017/0274438) and further in view of Lackmann et al. (2015/0282253). Womack does not disclose a differential thickness blank. Lackmann teaches a differential thickness sheet workpiece (1, Fig. 9) that is heated in a heating device (23) and press formed in a press (Fig. 11). The heating device (23) comprises a tray (8) that is configured to support the workpiece for heating different thickness portions of the workpiece [0048]. It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the heating tray of Womack to include different thicknesses to match a differential thickness sheet workpiece as taught by Lackmann so as to produce a press formed product with varying thickness.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWARD THOMAS TOLAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4525. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5.
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, Chris Templeton can be reached at 571-270-1477. 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.
/EDWARD T TOLAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3725
Prosecution Insights