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 .
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claim 1 has been amended. Claims 18-20 are new. Claims 16-17 have been withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Reuber (US 2020/0307041).
Regarding claim 1, Reuber discloses a system for producing at least one particle foam molding from an expandable or expanded particle foam material (abstract), comprising:- at least one automatic molding machine which comprises at least one mold device for processing expandable or expanded particle foam material for producing a particle foam molding (molding tool 3 along with feed line 4 and connection to vacuum pump 19, [0101], Fig. 1), wherein the at least one automatic molding machine comprises at least one interface for coupling a functional module which can be functionally assigned to the at least one automatic molding machine in order to form an individually configured automatic molding machine functional module arrangement (jet nozzle 8, [0100], Fig. 1); - at least one functional module which can be individually assigned to the at least one automatic molding machine to form an individually configured automatic molding machine functional module arrangement (material container 2, vacuum pump 19, [0100] [0107], Fig. 1), wherein the at least one functional module comprises at least one interface for coupling to the at least one automatic molding machine to form an individually configured automatic molding machine functional module arrangement (jet nozzle 8 connects material container 2 to feed line 4 for filling injector 10, [0100], Fig. 1; connection to vacuum pump 19, [0107], Fig. 1);- at least one central data processing device which, on the basis of the configuration of the individually configured automatic molding machine functional module arrangement, is configured to generate operating information which regulates and/or controls the operation of at least one functional module (control unit, [0189]), wherein in a connected position, the at least one interface of the at least one functional module is directly connected to the at least one interface of the at least one automatic molding machine (jet nozzle 8 directly connects material container 2 to feedline 4, [0100-01], Fig. 1; direct connection of vacuum pump 19, [0107], Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Reuber discloses herein the at least one molding machine comprises a housing-, rack- or frame-like structure on or in which the at least one mold device is arranged or formed (housing 35, [0161]).
Regarding claim 3, Reuber discloses wherein the at least one interface of the at least one automatic molding machine is configured as or comprises a connection device for connecting at least one supply device for supplying the at least one automatic molding machine with at least one supply medium (feed line 4 connects filling injector 10 to supply air and foam, [0101]) and/or the at least one interface of the at least one functional module is configured as or comprises a connection device for connecting at least one supply device
Regarding claim 4, Reuber discloses wherein the at least one interface of the at least one automatic molding machine is configured as or comprises a fastening device for fastening
Regarding claim 5, Reuber discloses wherein the at least one interface of the at least one automatic molding machine is configured as or comprises a data transmission device for the transmission of data to the at least one functional module; and/or the at least one interface of the at least one functional module is configured as or comprises a data transmission device for the transmission of data to the at least one automatic molding machine (circuity for controlling the electric power supplied and receiving voltage data from the voltage measuring device, [0178-80]).
Regarding claim 6, Reuber discloses wherein the at least one functional module is configured as or comprises a provision device for providing at least one supply medium for the at least one automatic molding machine and/or for at least one further functional module (feed line 4 connects filling injector 10 to supply air and foam, [0101]).
Regarding claim 7, Reuber discloses wherein the at least one functional module is configured as or comprises a provision device for providing electrical energy and/or kinetic energy and/or pneumatic energy and/or thermal energy for the at least one automatic molding machine and/or for at least one further functional module (electrical energy supplied by generator 18, [0104-05] [0148] [0172] [0178] [0180], Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 8, Reuber discloses wherein the at least one functional module is configured as or comprises a power system for providing electrical energy and/or thermal energy (electrical energy supplied by generator 18 to heat the mold, [0104-05] [0148] [0172] [0178] [0180], Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 9, Reuber discloses wherein the at least one functional module is configured as or comprises a provision device for providing an expandable or expanded particle foam material that can be processed or is to be processed via the at least one automatic molding machine (material container 2 provides foam particles that are injected to the molding tool 3 by filling injector 10, [0099]; steam may be used to process the foam, [0103]).
Regarding claim 10, Reuber discloses wherein the at least one functional module is configured as or comprises a treatment device for treatment of a supply medium of the at least one automatic molding machine and/or at least one other functional module (steam generator treats foam particles with heat and moisture, [0103]).
Regarding claim 11, Reuber discloses wherein the central data processing device forms part of the at least one automatic molding machine (control unit and control device 57 for circuitry, [0180] [0189]).
Regarding claim 12, Reuber discloses 12. (Currently Amended) The system according to claim 1, wherein the central data processing device is configured to generate corresponding operating information based on detection information describing the configuration of the individually configured molding machine functional module arrangement (feedback from voltage measurement by measuring capacitor for controlling voltage applied, control device 57, [0180]).
Regarding claim 13, Reuber discloses comprising a detection device which is configured to detect an item of detection information describing the configuration of the individually configured automatic molding machine functional module arrangement and to generate an item of detection information describing the configuration of the individually configured automatic molding machine functional module arrangement (feedback from voltage measurement by measuring capacitor for controlling voltage applied, measuring capacitor is a detection device, control device 57, [0180]).
Regarding claim 14, Reuber discloses wherein the central data processing device is configured to generate corresponding operating information on the basis of operating state information describing at least one operating state of the at least one automatic molding machine and/or at least one operating state of the at least one functional module for generating operating information regulating and/or controlling the operation of the at least one functional module (control unit can receive information by reading barcode or RFID chip to know which tool is at which workstation, thereby the operating information, [0189]).
Regarding claim 15, Reuber discloses comprising a detection device which is configured to detect operating state information describing at least one operating state of the at least one automatic molding machine and/or the at least one functional module (implied disclosure of machine that reads the barcode or RFID chip tied to the location of where the barcode or RFID was read, [0189]).
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
Claim(s) 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reuber (US 2020/0307041) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Brum (US 2009/0072437).
Regarding claim 18, Reuber discloses a single automatic molding machine (abstract, Fig. 1). Reuber teaches a system substantially as claimed. Reuber does not disclose wherein the at least one automatic molding machine comprises a first automatic molding machine and a second automatic molding machine, wherein the first automatic molding machine includes a first housing and the second automatic molding machine includes a second housing, wherein in a second connected position, the first housing of the first automatic molding machine is directly connected to the second housing of the second automatic molding machine at a first side.
However, in the same field of endeavor of automatic molding machines (abstract), Brum teaches wherein the at least one automatic molding machine comprises a first automatic molding machine and a second automatic molding machine (multiple cores encased in a frame, [0028], Fig. 2), wherein the first automatic molding machine includes a first housing and the second automatic molding machine includes a second housing (conjoined frame for two of the multiple cores, [0028], Fig. 2), wherein in a second connected position, the first housing of the first automatic molding machine is directly connected to the second housing of the second automatic molding machine at a first side (joined together in the frame, [0028], Fig. 2).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Reuber to include multiple molding cores together in a frame because [0028] of Brum teaches that doing so increases line speed (manufacturing production speed).
Regarding claim 19, Reuber as modified teaches wherein, with the first housing of the first automatic molding machine directly connected to the second housing of the second automatic molding machine at the first side (joined together in the frame, Brum [0028], Fig. 2), the at least one interface of the at least one functional module is directly connected to the first housing of the first automatic molding machine at a second side (Reuber jet nozzle 8 directly connects material container 2 to feedline 4, [0100-01], Fig. 1; Reuber, direct connection of vacuum pump 19, [0107], Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 20, Reuber as modified teaches wherein the at least functional module comprises a first functional module (material container 2, Reuber [0100-01]) and a second functional module (vacuum pump 19, [0107], Fig. 1), wherein the first functional module includes a third housing (housing of material container 2, Reuber [0100-01]) and the second functional module includes a fourth housing (housing of vacuum pump 19, Reuber [0107], Fig. 1), wherein in a third connected position, the third housing of the first functional module is directly connected to a first portion of the first housing of the first automatic molding machine (jet nozzle 8 directly connects material container 2 to feedline 4, Reuber [0100-01], Fig. 1) and the fourth housing of the second functional module is directly connected to a second portion of the first housing of the first automatic molding machine (direct connection of vacuum pump 19, Reuber, [0107], Fig. 1).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 18, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that lines running between molding tool 3 and container 2 mean that these components are indirectly connected, and not directly connected as recited in claim 1. This argument is not persuasive because the claim recites an “automatic molding machine” and a “functional module.” These claim limitations are not limited to a particular portion of the structure. As presented above, the automatic molding machine includes the lines feeding molding tool 3 of Reuber. Applicant appears to be making an argument based on details of the coupling between an automatic molding machine and a functional module. However, with reference to the figures of Applicant’s disclosure, there is a lack of detail as to this coupling. Accordingly, limitations like “directly connected” have to be interpreted in context with the breadth of Applicant’s disclosure and the lack of more specific disclosure. The machine and module, as recited by Applicant, cannot be interpreted to refer to a mold cavity without connecting lines.
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 NICHOLAS J CHIDIAC whose telephone number is (571)272-6131. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sam Xiao Zhao can be reached at 571-270-5343. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICHOLAS J CHIDIAC/ Examiner, Art Unit 1744
/XIAO S ZHAO/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1744