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 .
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(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takagi et al (JP 61-075774), hereinafter “Takagi”, in view of Pollard (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0216656).
With respect to Claim 1, Takagi, Figures 1-4, teaches a cord winding system, comprising:
a motor 16;
a winding assembly 15 operably coupled to the motor, the winding assembly having an interior side and an exterior side, the winding assembly being configured to hold on the interior side respective first portions of a set of cords 9, and wind, driven by the motor, respective second portions of the set of cords around the exterior side, a second portion of a respective cord extending from the first portion thereof along a length of the cord, and
a control unit 2 programmed to actuate the motor for winding the set for a cycle time that relates to lengths of the cords. (See Purpose of Invention).
Takagi mentions the control unit relating to the lengths of the cords and cuts them.
However, Pollard, Figures 1-6 and Paragraph [0030], teaches that it is known for a control unit to control a motor as a function of one or a combination of time, revolutions per second, and/or power cord length.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Takagi with a control unit, as taught by Pollard, for the purpose of stopping the motor when a desired length has been wound.
With respect to Claim 2, Takagi further teaches wherein the winding assembly 15 comprises two side walls that oppose each other, the interior side of the winding assembly including a groove with two open ends formed between the side walls. (See Figures 2 and 4).
With respect to Claim 3, Takagi further teaches wherein the side walls are spaced by a distance sized to hold the first portions of the set during winding of the second portions.
With respect to Claim 4, Takagi further teaches wherein the first portions of the respective cords of the set have connectors whose dimensions are larger than the distance such that the first portions of the set remain in the groove during winding of the second portions.
With respect to Claim 5, Takagi further teaches wherein the set of cords comprise one or more cords.
With respect to Claim 6, Takagi teaches all the elements of the cord winding system except for the set of cords comprise multiple cords whose lengths are substantially the same, and the winding assembly is configured to wind the set substantially simultaneously.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art.
With respect to Claim 7, Pollard further teaches wherein the control unit is configured to set the cycle time based on at least one parameter including a length of at least one cord of the set, ambient room temperature, a cord type, thickness of a respective cord, or stiffness of a respective cord.
With respect to Claim 8, Pollard further teaches wherein the control unit is configured to receive, via a user interface, user input regarding the at least one parameter.
With respect to Claim 9, Pollard further teaches wherein the control unit is configured to receive the at least one parameter from one or more sensors. See Paragraph [0047].
With respect to Claim 10, Pollard further teaches at least one of the one or more sensors is configured to provide feedback to the control unit to maintain consistent winding quality regardless of variations in cord properties.
With respect to Claim 11, Pollard further teaches wherein the control unit is configured to: determine a winding speed of the winding assembly based on at least one of ambient room temperature, a thickness of a respective cord, or stiffness of a respective cord; and determine the cycle time based on the winding speed and the length of a respective cord.
With respect to Claim 12, Pollard further teaches wherein the control unit includes memory storage for saving preset winding configurations. See Figure 6.
With respect to Claim 13, Pollard further teaches a control panel that has a plurality of control elements, each of the plurality of control elements corresponding to one of a preset winding configuration.
With respect to Claim 14, Pollard further teaches wherein the control panel further includes a safety control configured to turn the winding assembly on or off.
With respect to Claim 15, Pollard further teaches wherein the control unit is configured to receive a selection of one of the control elements and determine the cycle time based on the received selection.
With respect to Claim 16, Takagi further teaches a support on which the winding assembly is mounted. See Figures 1 and 2.
With respect to Claim 17, Takagi further teaches a protective housing 10 within which the winding assembly is placed.
With respect to Claim 18, Takagi further teaches wherein the protective housing 10 has an opening through which the second portions of the cords passes, allowing the second portions to be wound onto the exterior side of the winding assembly.
With respect to Claim 19, Takagi, Figures 1-4, teaches a method, comprising:
selecting a winding configuration for winding a set of cords using a cord winding system, wherein the cord winding system comprises:
a motor; and
a winding assembly operably coupled to the motor, the winding assembly having an interior side and an exterior side;
placing first portions of the cords in the interior side of the winding assembly; and
causing the winding assembly to wind, according to a winding configuration that relates to lengths of the set of the cords and driven by the motor, respective second portions of the set of cords around the exterior side, a second portion of a respective cord extending from the first portion thereof along a length of the cord.
Takagi mentions the control unit relating to the lengths of the cords and cuts them.
However, Pollard, Figures 1-6 and Paragraph [0030], teaches that it is known for a control unit to control a motor as a function of one or a combination of time, revolutions per second, and/or power cord length.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Takagi with a control unit, as taught by Pollard, for the purpose of stopping the motor when a desired length has been wound.
With respect to Claim 20, Pollard further teaches receiving, via a user interface, user input regarding the winding configuration.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM ARAUZ RIVERA whose telephone number is (571)272-6953. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM MDT.
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/WILLIAM A. RIVERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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