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 without traverse of claims 1-9 in the reply filed on 10/14/25 is acknowledged.
Claims 10-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 1/25/24.
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.
Claims 1-6, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miyahara (JP H058246).
As to claim 1, A position determining mechanism for a rotary platen, the rotary platen being disposed to face a mold platen and being provided to be rotatable with respect to the mold platen, the position determining mechanism comprising: a position determination part (12) provided to one platen of the mold platen and the rotary platen (10); and a position determination driving unit (14) provided to the other platen, wherein the position determination driving unit includes a press member (19) and pressing means (phrased as “driven by air or hydraulic pressure”) [0009], and wherein when the press member (58, 42) is pressed by the pressing means and the press member (58) is fitted into the position determination part, a rotation position of the rotary platen is determined [Fig 1, 3, 4, 6].
As the claim is directed to the position determining mechanism, the various platens are not a limitation of the claim as they are objects that are not part of the claimed invention, which is the position determining mechanism in particular.
As to claim 2, Miyahara teaches a circular or arcuate guide portion (the edge surface of the rotary plate 10 or the groove 122 in Fig 6) concentric with the rotary platen is formed on the one platen, and the position determination part is provided continuously with the guide portion, and wherein when the rotary platen rotates, the press member is configured to be pressed by the pressing means and slide in contact with the guide portion so as to be guided to the position determination part [Fig 1, 3, 4, 6].
The examiner notes that applicant does not require the guide portion be a groove or have any feature in particular beyond being in contact with the pressing member and concentric with the rotary platen as in [Fig 4] or claim 4 of applicant’s own disclosure.
As to claim 3, Miyahara teaches the position determining mechanism for a rotary platen according to wherein the pressing means is configured to press the press member (58, 42) according to a rotation position of the rotary platen, and in a case where the press member comes near the position determination part, the pressing means presses the press member so that the press member comes into contact with the guide portion [Fig 1, 3, 4, 6].
As to claim 4, Miyahara teaches The position determining mechanism for a rotary platen according to wherein the one platen is the rotary platen (10), and wherein an outer peripheral wall of the rotary platen serves as the guide portion [Fig 1, 3, 4, 6].
As to claim 5, Miyahara teaches The position determining mechanism for a rotary platen according to the position determination part is provided to the one platen at a reference position of the rotary platen and a position whose rotation phase is shifted by 180 degrees from the reference position [Fig 6].
As to claim 6, Miyahara teaches The position determining mechanism for a rotary platen wherein a V-notch is formed in the position determination part and wherein a tip end of the press member is fittable into the V-notch [Fig 3, 0007]
As to claim 8, Miyahara teaches The position determining mechanism for a rotary platen according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pressing means (16) includes a cylinder unit [0007].
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyahara (JP H058246) in view of Obikane (JP 2020-25128).
As to claim 7, Miyahara teaches the press member moves along the guide surface comes into contact with a V-notch, the tip of the press member comprising a round cylinder [Fig 3, 4], but does not explicitly state the tip end a roller.
Obikane teaches a position detecting mechanism within a conveying device [Abstract] wherein a roller (93) guides along a surface until it reaches a desired position indicated by a v notch [Fig 12, 13] which allows for highly accurate determination of a position [0045, 0046]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have altered the invention of Miyahara and made the tip of the press member a roller, as suggested by Obikane, as this had demonstrated success at determining when a desired position is arrived at and was compatible with V- notch position indicators
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyahara (JP H058246) in view of Nippon Bearing (Linear Bushings).
As to claim 9, Miyahara teaches a guide for the pressing means configured to guide movement of the press member [Fig 3, 4], but does not explicitly state the guide includes a ball bush.
Nippon Bearing teaches multiple bushings/bearings including a linear bass bushing and notes that such parts “standard parts for linear motion” and that these bushings allow for a stroke motion to be obtained with “very little frictional resistance.” It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have altered the invention of Miyahara and made the guide element be a ball bushing, as suggested by Nippon Bearing, as these parts were typical for linear motion and allowed for operation with minimal frictional resistance.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARMAND MELENDEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-0342. The examiner can normally be reached 9 AM- 6 PM Monday-Friday.
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/ARMAND MELENDEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759