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 .
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 1-14 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 in line 9 recites “the segment.” However, it is unclear which segment applicant is referring to since there are polarity of segments previously recited. Claims 2-14 are also rejected for being dependent on a rejected base claim.
Allowable subject matter
Claims 1-14 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the 112-rejection stated above including all the limitations of the base claims and all the intervening claims. Regarding claims 1-14 Yada (JP 2017210035 A) teaches the exact wheel that is pertinent to applicant’s claimed invention. Yada teaches a wheel having an annular core body (32) configured by a plurality of arc-shaped segments (34) joined to each other and a plurality of free rollers (60) rotatably provided around an annular axis of the core body (32) (Fig 1). Yada is silent about the structures of the wheel manufacturing device. For instance, Yada is silent regarding the wheel manufacturing device comprising: a holder that comprises a center jig having a circular outer contour and holds the segments in a state of butting against each other on an outer periphery of the center jig; and a laser welder that welds adjacent segments by irradiating a laser, wherein the laser welder sets an optical axis of the laser in a direction orthogonal to an outer peripheral surface of the segment when welding a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the segment away from a central axis of the annular axis, and sets the optical axis in a direction inclined away from the central axis with respect to the direction orthogonal to the outer peripheral surface of the segment when welding a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the segment close to the central axis.
However, Denney (US 20130088074 A1) discloses a wheel manufacturing device having a holder comprising a center jig (101) and a laser welder (305) that welds adjacent segments by irradiating a laser (Fig 3). However, Denney is silent regarding the center jig having a circular outer contour and holds the segments of the wheel in a state of butting against each other on an outer periphery of the center jig. Further, Denney is also silent regarding the location of the optical axis of the laser during particular operations. For instance, Denney is silent regarding the laser welder setting an optical axis of the laser in a direction orthogonal to an outer peripheral surface of the segment when welding a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the segment away from a central axis of the annular axis, and sets the optical axis in a direction inclined away from the central axis with respect to the direction orthogonal to the outer peripheral surface of the segment when welding a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the segment close to the central axis.
Similarly, Smith (US 4,326,118) teaches a laser beam welding apparatus having a center jig (39) that holds welded workpiece. However, Smith also remains silent regarding the center jig having a circular outer contour and holds the segments in a state of butting against each other on an outer periphery of the center jig. Smith is also silent regarding the location of the optical axis of the laser during particular operations. For instance, Smith is silent regarding the laser welder setting an optical axis of the laser in a direction orthogonal to an outer peripheral surface of the segment when welding a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the segment away from a central axis of the annular axis, and sets the optical axis in a direction inclined away from the central axis with respect to the direction orthogonal to the outer peripheral surface of the segment when welding a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the segment close to the central axis.
Conclusion
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/ABIY TEKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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