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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1, 2, and 4 have been amended. Claims 3 and 5 are as previously presented. Therefore, claims 1 – 5 are currently pending and have been considered below.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 4/24/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 5 – 8, filed 4/24/2026, with respect to the rejection of claim 1 under 35 USC § 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive, in view of Applicant’s amendment to claim 1. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of Applicant’s amendment.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huttner et al. (US 2022/0355405) in view of Wei et al. (US 2011/0070096).
Regarding claim 1, Huttner discloses an electrochemical machining apparatus (“ECM System” [Title]; “ (ECM: “electrochemical machining”)” [0002]; Fig. 6, “ECM system 10” [0054]) that electrochemically machines an impeller circumferentially having a plurality of roughly molded vanes (ECM system 10 is shown in Fig. 6 with workpiece / “component 50” [0055] having a plurality of vanes, wherein “at least one electrode 25” circumferentially machines workpiece 50 [0054]-[0056]; EMC system 10 is capable of electrochemically machining an impeller circumferentially having a plurality of roughly molded vanes), comprising:
a support that supports the impeller (Fig. 6, support / “holder 12”; “ECM system 10 has a holder 12 for arranging at least one component 50 to be machined” [0054]; support 12 is capable of supporting an impeller);
a rotary shaft that holds the support rotatably (Fig. 6, “holder 16 of the exemplary embodiment as defined is designed as movable around the axis of rotation A, in order to move the component 50 arranged thereon into a machining position” [0056]; this indicates the presence of a rotary shaft); and
a plurality of electric discharge electrodes (Fig. 6, “at least one electrode 25” [0055]) disposed at equal intervals along a circumference about the rotary shaft (Fig. 6 shows three of “four machining stations 22” [0054] at equal intervals surrounding axis of rotation A, wherein each machining station comprises one electrode 25 [0054]; see also Figs. 4 and 5, which show top views of the four electrodes 25 at equal intervals), and provided so as to be capable of being brought into and out of contact with the plurality of vanes such that one electric discharge electrode corresponds to one vane (“machining stations 22 of the exemplary machining platform 20 have a drive apparatus 23 for driving the electrodes 25 or the electrode carrier 24 on a fixed movement path defined in advance” [0054]); wherein
each of the plurality of electric discharge electrodes has an electrode surface along a surface to be machined of a corresponding one of the plurality of vanes (each electrode 25 necessarily has an electrode surface along a surface to be machined, since this is required in electrochemical machining), and
after the each of the plurality of electric discharge electrodes moves radially inward toward the rotary shaft, the rotary shaft rotates and electrochemical machining is performed while the electrode surface and the surface to be machined are close to and face each other (see Fig. 6 showing surface of workpiece 50 and electrodes 25; “holder 16 of the exemplary embodiment as defined is designed as movable around the axis of rotation A, in order to move the component 50 arranged thereon into a machining position. Further, supply connections 27 for power and/or media such as, in particular, electrolyte, compressed air, and/or hydraulic fluid are arranged at the machining platform 20. In this case, the electrolyte flow is produced integrally, for example, through the electrode 25 or in a counterflow process, or by means of a pressure chamber (passive or active rinsing chamber) arranged and controlled at the machining platform 20. In the exemplary embodiment, each machining station 22 is operated in stand-alone manner, in particular relative to advance, voltage, electrolyte supply, particularly by means of a control apparatus. Thus, a combination of individual advance is basically also possible with the use of common ECM parameters” [0056]).
Huttner does not expressly disclose wherein the electrode surface is curved.
Wei is directed to an electrochemical machining apparatus [Abstract]. Wei discloses wherein an electrode surface is curved ("An electrochemical machining assembly is also provided for machining curved holes in a workpiece. The assembly includes at least one curved electrode" [Abstract]).
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 include wherein the electrode surface is curved. This allows for forming a hole with a desired shape (e.g., a curved hole).
PNG
media_image1.png
552
584
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Fig. 6 of Huttner
Regarding claim 3, Huttner does not expressly disclose wherein the support is detachably connected to the rotary shaft.
However, 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 include wherein the support is detachably connected to the rotary shaft, because the court has held that making components separable may be considered obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dulberg, 289 F.2d 522, 523, 129 USPQ 348, 349 (CCPA 1961), the claimed structure, a lipstick holder with a removable cap, was fully met by the prior art except that in the prior art the cap is "press fitted" and therefore not manually removable. The court held that "if it were considered desirable for any reason to obtain access to the end of [the prior art's] holder to which the cap is applied, it would be obvious to make the cap removable for that purpose." MPEP § 2144.04-V-C.
Claims 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huttner et al. (US 2022/0355405) in view of Wei et al. (US 2011/0070096), further in view of Williams (US 3,511,767).
Regarding claim 4, Huttner discloses a plurality of electrode holders that hold the plurality of electric discharge electrodes such that one electrode holder corresponds to one electric discharge electrode (Fig. 6 shows a plurality of “electrode carrier[s] 24” [0054]; “a positionable electrode carrier 24 is provided at each machining station 22, and at least one electrode 25 is arranged on this carrier in a predetermined position” [0055]; see also Fig. 4, showing an electrode carrier 24 for each electrode 25).
Huttner does not expressly disclose a plurality of positioning plates that position the plurality of electric discharge electrodes on the plurality of electrode holders such that one positioning plate corresponds to one electric discharge electrode on one electrode holder.
Williams is directed to an “electrode for electrolytic shaping” [Title]. Williams discloses a positioning plate that positions an electric discharge electrode on an electrode holder (Fig. 1, positioning plate / “plate 19; “electrode holder 21”; “On the base portion 3 there is mounted a metal bottom plate and on top of this a waterproof, chemical-resistant plastic mounting plate 19. This is provided with a number of threaded bolt holes to permit mounting of an electrode holder 21, which is made of suitable metal and is provided with one or more mounting slots so that it can be adjusted as to its position by selection of the suitable bolt holes in mounting plate 19” [Col. 3, lines 18-25].
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 include a plurality of positioning plates that position the plurality of electric discharge electrodes on the plurality of electrode holders such that one positioning plate corresponds to one electric discharge electrode on one electrode holder. This allows for positioning an electrode at a desired location.
Regarding claim 5, Huttner does not expressly disclose wherein the plurality of electric discharge electrodes are each detachably connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of electrode holders.
However, 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 include wherein the plurality of electric discharge electrodes are each detachably connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of electrode holders, because the court has held that making components separable may be considered obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP § 2144.04-V-C.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is allowed. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: claim 2, indicated as having allowable subject matter in the office action mailed 2/6/2026, has been rewritten in independent form including all limitations of the base claim. Please see pages 6 – 7 of the office action mailed 2/6/2026 for a statement of reasons for allowance.
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 ELIZABETH KERR whose telephone number is (571)272-3073. The examiner can normally be reached M - F, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM.
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, Steven Crabb can be reached at 571-270-5095. 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.
/ELIZABETH M KERR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
Prosecution Insights