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 .
Response to Amendment
This Final Rejection is in response to the Amendment dated March 10, 2026 filed in response to the Non-final Rejection dated December 15, 2025.
The 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 103 rejections in the previous Office action are maintained as explained below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues, in the top half of page 8 of the Amendment, the distance relied upon for the second width does not correspond to the width of a groove because there is an intervening ridge between the two ridges such that the cited distance covers two grooves and the intervening ridge. Examiner respectfully disagrees. The Second Width as annotated on Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced in the middle of page 3 of the previous Office action may reasonably be interpreted as residing in the area below where an “intervening ridge” separates the groove into two separate grooves. That is, the groove of Johansson cited in the rejection may reasonably be interpreted as originating in the area annotated “First Width” and extending to the area annotated “Second Width” with the groove being separated into two separate narrower grooves above the cited “Second Width”.
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 1-10, 12-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2006/0192040 A1 by Johansson, hereinafter “Johansson”.
Regarding claim 1, Johansson discloses a refiner plate (refiner plate 42 in Fig. 2; ¶[0026]), comprising:
at least one refining zone (see “Refining Zone” annotation to the lower half of Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced below) including a first plurality of refining bars (refining bar ridges 62 in Fig. 2) and a plurality of grooves (refining bar grooves 60 in Fig. 2);
the plurality of grooves including a groove (see “Groove” annotation to the lower left portion of Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced below) formed between a first refining bar and a second refining bar adjacent to the first refining bar (see “First Refining Bar” and “Second Refining Bar” annotations below) and having a first width between the first and second refining bars of the first plurality of refining bars at an inlet of the at least one refining zone (see “Groove First Width” annotation below) narrower than a second width between the first and second refining bars along a remaining portion of the groove (See “Groove Second Width” annotation below. The First Width as annotated below is narrower than the Second Width.); and
at least one of the first and second refining bars of the first plurality of refining bars having a widened portion in a circumferential direction of the refiner plate at an inlet portion of the at least one refining zone (see “Widened Portion” annotation below).
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Regarding claim 2, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 1 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the at least one of the first and second refining bars has a third width at the inlet portion of the at least one refining zone (see “Third Width” annotation to the right-adjacent refining bar in the lower half of Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced below) wider than a fourth width of a remaining portion of the at least one of the first and second refining bars (see “Fourth Width” annotation below).
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Regarding claim 3, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 2 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the at least one of the first and second refining bars comprises a transition portion (see “Transition Portion” annotation to the lower half of Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced below) configured to transition a width of the at least one first and second refining bar between the third width of the at least one adjacent refining bar and the fourth width of the remaining portion of the at least one first and second refining bar.
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Regarding claim 4, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 3 as explained above. Johansson further discloses at least one side of the at least one first and second refining bar has a transition portion comprising one of a chamfer, a radius, or a step. Both sides of the Transition Portion as annotated above are chamfered in the transition between the Third Width and Fourth Width.
Regarding claim 5, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 3 as explained above. Johansson further discloses both sides of the at least one first and second refining bar have a transition portion comprising one or a combination of a chamfer, a radius, or a step. Both sides of the Transition Portion as annotated above are chamfered in the transition between the Third Width and Fourth Width.
Regarding claim 6, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 3 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the transition portion comprises an extended widened portion in a radial direction and a chamfer on both sides of the at least one first and second refining bar. The Transition Portion as annotated above has an extended widened portion in the radial direction and is chamfered on both sides.
Regarding claim 7, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 1 as explained above. Johansson further discloses at least part of the widened portion of the at least one first and second refining bar comprises a ramp rising at an angle from a substrate towards a top of the at least one refining bar. See “Ramp” annotation to the lower portion of Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced below.
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Regarding claim 8, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 1 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the at least one refining zone comprises a second plurality of refining bars (see “Second Plurality” annotation below), each refining bar of the second plurality of refining bars having a third width of a widened portion at the inlet portion of the at least one refining zone (see “Third Width” annotation below) greater than a fourth width of the remaining portion of each of the second plurality of refining bars (see “Fourth Width” annotation below),
wherein the widened portion has a first width at the inlet portion of the at least one refining zone greater than a second width in the circumferential direction of the refiner plate of a remaining portion of the at least one refining bar (the annotated Third Width is a first width at the inlet portion of the Refining Zone which is greater than the annotated Fourth Width, as a second width, in the circumferential direction of refiner plate 54).
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Regarding claim 9, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 1 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the inlet portion of the at least one refining zone comprises a distributed refining zone inlet transition. The Refining Zone as annotated above has a Z-transition distributed refining zone as represented by the Z-shaped line annotation below.
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Regarding claim 10, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 1 as explained above. Johansson further discloses widened portions of the first plurality of refining bars are staggered in a radial direction at the inlet portion of the at least one refining zone such that adjacent refining bars have different radial distances from an inner circumference of the refiner plate to inner ends of the adjacent refining bars. The first three refining bars at the left of the Refining Zone are staggered in the radial direction from the remaining refining bars in the Refining Zone.
Regarding claim 12, Johansson discloses a refiner plate (¶[0025] discloses refiner 10 in Fig. 1 includes a number of refiner plates segments 42 arranged circumferentially around mounting surfaces 32 and 34 to form the refiner plates of the refiner), comprising:
a plurality of refiner plate segments, each refiner plate segment (42 in Figs. 1 and 2) having:
at least one refining zone including (see “Refining Zone” annotation to the lower half of Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced in the rejection of claim 1 above) a first plurality of refining bars refining bar ridges 62 in Fig. 2) and a plurality of grooves (refining bar grooves 60 in Fig. 2);
the plurality of grooves including a groove (see “Groove” annotation to the lower left portion of Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced below) formed between a first refining bar and a second refining bar adjacent to the first refining bar (see “First Refining Bar” and “Second Refining Bar” annotations below) and having a first width between the first and second refining bars of the first plurality of refining bars at an inlet of the at least one refining zone (see “First Width” annotation above) narrower than a second width between the first and second refining bars along a remaining portion of the groove (See “Second Width” annotation above. The First Width as annotated below is narrower than the Second Width.); and
at least one of the first and second refining bars of the first plurality of refining bars having a widened portion in a circumferential direction of the refiner plate at an inlet portion of the at least one refining zone (see “Widened Portion” annotation above).
Regarding claim 13, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 12 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the at least one of the first and second refining bars has a third width at the inlet portion of the at least one refining zone (see “Third Width” annotation to the right-adjacent refining bar in the lower half of Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced in the rejection of claim 2 above) wider than a fourth width of a remaining portion of the at least one of the first and second refining bars (see “Fourth Width” annotation above).
Regarding claim 14, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 13 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the at least one of the first and second refining bar comprises a transition portion (see “Transition Portion” annotation to the lower half of Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced in the rejection of claim 3 above) configured to transition a width of the at least one of the first and second refining bar between the third width of the at least one adjacent refining bar and the fourth width of the remaining portion of the at least one of the first and second refining bar.
Regarding claim 15, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 14 as explained above. Johansson further discloses at least one side of the at least one of the first and second refining bars has a transition portion comprising one of a chamfer, a radius, or a step. Both sides of the Transition Portion as annotated above are chamfered in the transition between the Third Width and Fourth Width.
Regarding claim 16, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 14 as explained above. Johansson further discloses both sides of the at least one of the first and second refining bars have a transition portion comprising one or a combination of a chamfer, a radius, or a step. Both sides of the Transition Portion as annotated above are chamfered in the transition between the Third Width and Fourth Width.
Regarding claim 17, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 14 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the transition portion comprises an extended widened portion in a radial direction and a chamfer on both sides of the at least one refining bar. The Transition Portion as annotated above has an extended widened portion in the radial direction and is chamfered on both sides.
Regarding claim 18, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 12 as explained above. Johansson further discloses at least part of the widened portion of the at least one adjacent refining bar comprises a ramp rising at an angle from a substrate towards a top of the at least one refining bar. See “Ramp” annotation to the lower portion of Fig. 2 of Johansson reproduced in the rejection of claim 7 above.
Regarding claim 19, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 12 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the at least one refining zone comprises a second plurality of refining bars (see “Second Plurality” annotation in the rejection of claim 8 above), each refining bar of the second plurality of refining bars having a third width of the widened portion at the inlet portion of the at least one refining zone (see “Third Width” annotation above) greater than a fourth width of the remaining portion of each of the second plurality of refining bars (see “Fourth Width” annotation above),
wherein the widened portion has a first width at the inlet portion of the at least one refining zone greater than a second width in the circumferential direction of the refiner plate of a remaining portion of the at least one refining bar (the annotated Third Width is a first width at the inlet portion of the Refining Zone which is greater than the annotated Fourth Width, as a second width, in the circumferential direction of refiner plate 54).
Regarding claim 20, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 19 as explained above. Johansson further discloses widened portions of the first plurality of refining bars are staggered in a radial direction at the inlet portion of the at least one refining zone such that adjacent refiner bars have different radial distances from an inner circumference of the refiner plate to inner ends of the adjacent refiner bars. The first three refining bars at the left of the Refining Zone are staggered in the radial direction from the remaining refining bars in the Refining Zone.
Regarding claim 21, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 12 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the inlet portion of the at least one refining zone comprises a distributed refining zone inlet transition. The Refining Zone as annotated above has a Z-transition distributed refining zone as represented by the Z-shaped line annotation in the rejection of claim 9 above.
Regarding claim 22, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 12 as explained above. Johansson further discloses the plurality of refiner plate segments form a ring or a cone. A plurality of refiner plate segment 42 in Fig. 2 are circumferentially arranged as shown in Fig. 1 to form a ring.
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 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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johansson.
Regarding claim 11, Johansson anticipates the refiner plate of claim 1 as explained above. But Johansson discloses the refiner plate of refiner 10 shown in Fig. 1 is made up of several refiner plate segments 42 as shown in Fig. 2 and thus does not disclose a one-piece ring. However, constructing the ring as a one-piece ring instead of a multi-piece ring is merely a matter of obvious engineering design choice. See M.P.E.P. 2144.04,V,B.
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 PAUL DEREK PRESSLEY whose telephone number is (313)446-6658. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30am to 3:30pm Eastern.
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/P DEREK PRESSLEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3725
/Christopher L Templeton/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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