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 .
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 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.
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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Raudsepp (US 20180369946) in view of Kooken et al. (hereafter Kooken – US 20190168334).
Claim 1 recites “a contact device.” Raudsepp teaches such a contact device, as will be shown.
Raudsepp teaches (Figs. 1-3) a contact device for providing current to at least a first welding wire and a second welding wire, the contact device comprising:
a first contact jaw 130 having an inner surface defining a plurality of grooves 150; and
a second contact jaw 132, wherein the plurality of grooves of the first contact jaw includes a first pair of grooves, and each of the plurality of grooves on the first contact jaw is sized so that it can receive a welding wire (para. 0023).
However, Raudsepp does not teach a second pair of grooves different from the first pair of grooves.
Kooken teaches a contact device 1100 having a plurality of wire channels 1118, 1120, 1122, 1124 comprising a first pair of wire channels and a second pair of wire channels, each wire channel sized so that it can receive a welding wire (para. 0048).
Kooken further teaches providing the two pairs of wire channels for setting the distance S between two wire electrodes by moving the wires from one pair of wire channels to another pair for optimal welding operation (para. 0048-0049).
It would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Kooken to the contact device of Raudsepp to have a second pair of grooves different from the first pair of grooves, as both references and Applicant’s invention are directed to contact devices for providing current to at least a first welding wire and a second welding wire. Doing so would result in setting the distance S between two wire electrodes by moving the wires from one pair of wire channels to another pair for optimal welding operation, as recognized by Kooken.
Regarding Claim 2, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 1 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 1, wherein the second contact jaw has an inner surface defining a plurality of grooves 150, and each of the grooves of the second contact jaw being aligned with one of the grooves of the first contact jaw when the first contact jaw inner surface is proximate to the second contact jaw inner surface (see Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 3, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 1 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 1, wherein the grooves in the first pair of grooves on the first contact jaw are proximate to each other.
Regarding Claim 4, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 1 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 3, wherein the first pair of grooves on the first contact jaw is located between the second pair of grooves on the first contact jaw (as modified with Kooken).
Regarding Claim 5, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 1 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 1, wherein each of the grooves in the second pair of grooves on the first contact jaw is spaced a first distance from an outer side surface of the first contact jaw (outer pair of grooves as modified with Kooken), each of the grooves in the first pair of grooves is spaced a second distance from an outer surface of the first contact jaw, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance (inner pair of grooves as modified with Kooken).
Regarding Claim 6, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 1 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 1, wherein the first contact jaw includes a first end 142 and a second end 140 opposite to its first end, each of the grooves in the first contact jaw extends from the first contact jaw first end to the first contact jaw second end, the first pair of grooves in the first contact jaw are an inner pair of grooves, the second pair of grooves in the first contact jaw are an outer pair of grooves, and the inner pair of grooves are located between the outer pair of grooves (as modified with Kooken).
Regarding Claim 7, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 1 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 6, wherein the first contact jaw includes a plurality of tapered surfaces 147 formed in its first end, the plurality of tapered surfaces include a first tapered surface in communication with a first groove of the outer pair of grooves, a second tapered surface in communication with a second groove of the outer pair of grooves, and a third tapered surface in communication with both grooves of the inner pair of grooves (tapered surface 147 may be divided into three separate surfaces, see Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 8, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 1 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 1.
However, modified Raudsepp does not teach the first contact jaw includes a notch formed therein, the second contact jaw includes a projection extending therefrom, and the projection engages the notch when the first contact jaw is proximate to the second contact jaw.
Kooken teaches (Fig. 12) a contact device comprising a first contact tip 1100 comprising a projection 1106 and a second component diffuser having a notch (not shown, para. 0047), and the projection engages the notch when the first contact tip is proximate to the second component (para. 0047).
Kooken further teaches providing such a notch and projection to help ensure a tight connection between the two components.
It would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Kooken to the contact device of Raudsepp to have the first contact jaw includes a notch formed therein, the second contact jaw includes a projection extending therefrom, and the projection engages the notch when the first contact jaw is proximate to the second contact jaw, as both references and Applicant’s invention are directed to contact devices for providing current to at least a first welding wire and a second welding wire. Doing so would result ensuring a tight connection between the two components, as recognized by Kooken.
Claim 9 recites “a contact device.” Raudsepp teaches such a contact device, as will be shown.
Raudsepp teaches (Figs. 1-3) a contact device for providing current to a first welding wire and a second welding wire, the contact device having a first operating configuration and a second operating configuration different from the first operating configuration, the contact device comprising:
a first contact jaw 130 having an inner surface defining a first pair of grooves 150; and
a second contact jaw 132 having an inner surface defining a first pair of grooves 150, wherein when the inner surface of the first contact jaw is proximate to the inner surface of the second contact jaw, the first pairs of grooves are aligned with each other and form a first pair of passageways along the first contact jaw and the second contact jaw (Fig. 3).
However, Raudsepp does not teach a second pair of grooves defined by the first and second contact jaws, the second pairs of grooves are aligned with each other and form a second pair of passageways along the first contact jaw and the second contact jaw, and in the first operating configuration the first welding wire and the second welding wire are disposed in the first pair of passageways, and in the second operating configuration the first welding wire and the second welding wire are disposed in the second pair of passageways.
Kooken teaches a contact device 1100 having a plurality of wire channels 1118, 1120, 1122, 1124 comprising a first pair of wire channels and a second pair of wire channels, each wire channel sized so that it can receive a welding wire (para. 0048), in the first operating configuration the first welding wire and the second welding wire are disposed in the first pair of passageways, and in the second operating configuration the first welding wire and the second welding wire are disposed in the second pair of passageways (para. 0048-0049).
Kooken further teaches providing the two pairs of wire channels for setting the distance S between two wire electrodes by moving the wires from one pair of wire channels to another pair for optimal welding operation (para. 0048-0049).
It would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Kooken to the contact device of Raudsepp to have a second pair of grooves defined by the first and second contact jaws, the second pairs of grooves are aligned with each other and form a second pair of passageways along the first contact jaw and the second contact jaw, and in the first operating configuration the first welding wire and the second welding wire are disposed in the first pair of passageways, and in the second operating configuration the first welding wire and the second welding wire are disposed in the second pair of passageways, as both references and Applicant’s invention are directed to contact devices for providing current to at least a first welding wire and a second welding wire. Doing so would result in setting the distance S between two wire electrodes by moving the wires from one pair of wire channels to another pair for optimal welding operation, as recognized by Kooken.
Regarding Claim 10, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 9 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 9, wherein the passageways in the first pair of passageways are proximate to each other (inner pair as modified with Kooken).
Regarding Claim 11, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 9 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 9, wherein the passageways in the first pair of passageways are located between the passageways in the second pair of passageways (as modified with Kooken).
Regarding Claim 12, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 9 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 9, wherein each of the passageways in the second pair of passageways is spaced a first distance from an outer side surface of the contact jaws (outer pair), each of the passageways in the first pair of passageways is spaced a second distance from an outer side surface of the contact jaws, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance (inner pair).
Regarding Claim 13, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 9 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 9, wherein the grooves in the first contact jaw are parallel to each other and extend from a first end of the first contact jaw to a second end of the first contact jaw (Figs. 2, 3), the grooves in the second contact jaw are parallel to each other and extend from a first end of the second contact jaw to a second end of the second contact jaw (Figs. 2, 3), and each of the grooves in the first contact jaw is aligned with one of the grooves in the second contact jaw when the first contact jaw and the second contact jaw are proximate to each other (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 14, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 9 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 9, wherein the first welding wire and the second welding wire can be moved from the first pair of passageways to the second pair of passageways when the first contact jaw is spaced apart from the second contact jaw (Kooken para. 0048-0049).
Regarding Claim 15, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 9 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the contact device of claim 9, wherein the first welding wire and the second welding wire are adjacent to and contact each other when they are in the first pair of passageways in the first operating configuration (see Kooken Fig. 12, wire channels may be placed adjacent to and contacting as opposed to Fig. 11).
Claim 16 recites “a method of welding using a contact device.” Raudsepp teaches such a method of welding using a contact device, as will be shown.
Raudsepp teaches (Figs. 1-3) a method of welding using a contact device for providing current to a first welding wire and a second welding wire, the contact device including a first contact jaw and a second contact jaw, the first contact jaw and the second contact jaw defining therebetween a first pair of passageways and a second pair of passageways, the contact device having a first operating configuration and a second operating configuration, the method comprising:
placing the contact device in the first operating configuration (Fig. 3);
providing current to the first welding wire and the second welding wire (para. 0023);
However, Raudsepp does not teach moving the first contact jaw away from the second contact jaw to access the first welding wire and the second welding wire; placing the contact device in the second operating configuration; and providing current to the first welding wire and the second welding wire.
Kooken teaches a method of welding using a contact device having four wire channels for a first and second operating configurations, comprising moving the first contact jaw away from the second contact jaw to access the first welding wire and the second welding wire; placing the contact device in the second operating configuration; and providing current to the first welding wire and the second welding wire (para. 0048-0049).
Kooken further teaches providing the two pairs of wire channels for setting the distance S between two wire electrodes by moving the wires from one pair of wire channels to another pair for optimal welding operation (para. 0048-0049).
It would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Kooken to the method of Raudsepp to have moving the first contact jaw away from the second contact jaw to access the first welding wire and the second welding wire; placing the contact device in the second operating configuration; and providing current to the first welding wire and the second welding wire. Doing so would result in setting the distance S between two wire electrodes by moving the wires from one pair of wire channels to another pair for optimal welding operation, as recognized by Kooken.
Regarding Claim 17, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 9 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the method of claim 16, wherein the step of placing the contact device in the first operating configuration includes positioning the first welding wire and the second welding wire in the first pair of passageways (as modified with Kooken).
Regarding Claim 18, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 9 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the method of claim 16, wherein the step of placing the contact device in the second operating configuration includes moving both of the first welding wire and the second welding wire to the second pair of passageways (as modified with Kooken).
Regarding Claim 19, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 9 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the method of claim 16, wherein the placing the contact device in the first operating configuration results in the first welding wire and the second welding wire being proximate to and contacting each other (see Kooken Fig. 12, wire channels may be placed adjacent to and contacting as opposed to Fig. 11).
Regarding Claim 20, Raudsepp, as modified with Kooken in Claim 9 above, teaches (Raudsepp Figs. 1-3) the method of claim 19, wherein the placing the contact device in the second operating configuration results in the first welding wire and the second welding wire being spaced apart from each other (as modified with Kooken).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See cited references.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW BUI whose telephone number is (571) 272-0685. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Courtney Heinle can be reached on (571) 270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/ANDREW THANH BUI/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/COURTNEY D HEINLE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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