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 Objections
Claims 3-4 are objected to because of the following informalities: Applicant appears to have a font/symbol typo in lines 5 and 9, where the previous Δy in said lines was inadvertently replaced by □y. Appropriate correction is required. Applicant should correct to the proper font symbol of “delta y” which matches their specification and original filing.
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 5-6 and 8, 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 5, 6,, and 8 the phrase "in particular" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d). It is given that exemplary languages is indefinite given the office is unclear whether the exemplary limitation is required or not.
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) 1-8, and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2022/0291669 to Dietz (D1) in view of US 2013,0223946 to Yamamoto (Y1) and US 5,623,857 to Sakuraba (S1).
In Re Claim 1:
D1 teaches:
A gear grinding machine comprising: [Page 1, ¶1-3 notes the system is for machining/finishing gears.]
A rotationally drivable tool spindle (Fig. 1, 15), [Pages 4-5, ¶77-84.]
Having a temperature sensor (Unlabeled), [Pages 5-6, ¶84-85 ¶96-101.]
Having a control device(Fig. 1, 40, 42) for controlling a grinding process of a toothing to be ground and/or for controlling a dressing of the tool, wherein the control device is adapted to, [Pages 4-5, ¶77-81 note a control device which can control all axes of the machines. It is noted for the grinding machine, in the pre cited section, but also on Pages 11-12, ¶206-214 denote controls for dressing as well.]
D1 does not teach:
Having a spindle bearing for mounting the tool spindle in a housing, wherein the temperature sensor is assigned to a bearing outer ring of the spindle bearing of the tool spindle is adapted to measure a bearing outer ring temperature of the bearing outer ring, and the control device performs a temperature compensation based on a measured bearing outer ring temperature of the bearing outer ring compared to a reference temperature, and wherein a temperature-induced axial displacement of the tool spindle is compensated.
Y1 teaches:
When mounting tools(Fig. 1, 39) on a spindle (37) it should include a spindle bearing(40) for mounting the spindle bearing in the housing(36), wherein there is a temperature sensor assigned to the bearing (Fig. 10, 41-10) to perform a temperature compensation based on a measured bearing temperature compared to a reference temperature, and perform steps to compensate for the displacement of the tool spindle in the direction and with regards to the reference temperature surface (column in this case for x-axis displacement. This has the advantage of letting the system make minute adjustments to the position of the tool with regards to shift in such values as the spindle bearing, or spindle due to unequal thermal expansion, and heat being generated by the system. [Page 11. ¶134-135 notes the spindle bearing temperature sensor, Pages 8, ¶113-121 note calculations for compensation and adjustment/compensation for the displacement of the spindle due to for example bearing heat, by using an reference object in the direction of the displacement for reference temperature and placement.]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of D1, to utilize temperature monitored compensation for thermal displacement due to spindle and spindle bearing temperature, as taught by Y1, with the expectation of successfully providing improved accuracy of the machining system, and control over the relative position of the machining tool and the workpiece, [Page 11. ¶134-, Pages 8, ¶113-121.] This would yield the limitation of a spindle bearing for mounting the tool spindle in a housing, wherein the temperature sensor is assigned to the spindle bearing of the tool spindle and is adapted to measure a bearing temperature compared to a reference temperature, and perform steps to compensate for the displacement of the tool spindle.
D1 as modified by Y1 does not teach:
Explicit disclosure that the temperature sensor is assigned to a bearing outer ring of the spindle bearing and adapted to measure a bearing outer ring temperature, and that the displacement is axial.
Y1 is further silent as to any requirement to the exact location of the bearing sensor.
S1 teaches:
When compensating a spindle for thermal distortion of a machine tool, one of ordinary skill would recognize locating the thermal sensors (Fig. 30, S1, S2) outside the outer bearing race of the bearings (71, 71) for adjustment of the spindle(69) along the Z axis (O1) which is the axial direction of the spindle. This location is good for monitoring the rolling frictional heat of a bearing of the main spindle, which is a well-known heat source for driving deformation of the spindle. [Col. 1, ll. 10-16.] Such bearing heat can result in deformation along the axial direction, and should be monitored, and locating the sensors to the heat sources specifically can reduce the expense and need for temperature sensors along the entire structure. [Col. 29, line 44 – Col. 32, line 38.]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of D1 and Y1, such that the bearing sensor, whose location is silent in Y1, would be located about the outer race of the bearing to detect heat radiating from the bearing, and perform adjustments in an axial direction, as taught by S1, with the expectation of successfully reducing thermal monitoring requirements, while more accurately monitoring the heat sources most likely to cause an axial distortion and compensate for them, [Col. 29, line 44 – Col. 32, line 38.]. This would yield temperature sensors assigned to the outer bearing ring, adapted to measure the outer bearing ring temperature. [As Figure 30 shows, the bearings outer races are the location whereby heat is transferred from bearing and all friction generating elements, to the housing structure they contact, thus measuring the temperature of the bearing is measuring the temperature of the outer race of the bearing, based upon location as it transfers heat to the housing, as such sensors assigned to the bearing are assigned to the outer race of the bearing, and monitoring the outer bearing temperature as this is the temperature being transferred from the bearing to the housing. This would further yield accounting for axial displacement given S1 teaches adjusting along the O1(z) axis of the spindle.
In Re Claims 2-7 and 9-10:
D1 as modified by Y1 and S1 teaches:
(Claim 2) the reference temperature is a machine bed temperature of a machine bed of the gear grinding machine, or the reference temperature is an ambient temperature of an environment of the gear grinding machine. [Y1, Page 1 notes, changes from ambient temperature lead to changes. Y1 references a reference temperature, which is the temperature of the surface the change in position is being measured against, in Y1, the 33a, the column front surface as this is the displacement along X. Given the modification in view of S1, determines displacement along Z axis, this would be the machine bed and base(31) which has a surface facing the path of displaceable spindle. S1, Col. 11, ll. 50-63, further discloses at the ambient temperature can be the first temperature of the machine at turn-on before heat is delivered. i.e. the ambient temperature of the room, the machine had settled to stasis too.]
(Claim 3) temperature compensation is carried out in accordance with the following regulation, (T1 – T2) * K = Δy, with T1 as the bearing outer ring temperature in oC, with T2 as a reference temperature in oC, with K as a compensation factor in µm/ oC, and with Δy as the axial compensation value to compensate for the axial displacement of the tool spindle. [Examiner notes per the objection above, the undefined symbol in front of y in the claims is being treated as a delta for expedited prosecution in light of the specification and previous claims. Y1 notes in its Formula 1 on Page 8 ¶115 that the calculation of ΔL (y in the embodiment of the modification as the axial direction) is by using a correction coefficient k1 a linear expansion coefficient in 1 / degrees Celsius x m, the difference in measured Temperature T and reference temperature To and L, the L being the object effective length (m), and a compensating scaling factor. Given the output of the structure is a distance (m or µm) and the Temperature is input as Celsius, the remaining constants, the Length, the linear expansion coefficient, and correction coefficient, can be simplified down to one constant with obvious and simple calculation, whose coefficient must be (m or µm)/degrees Celsius if it is multiplied by the delta temperature to output a distance. Whether is m or micrometers is either can meet this claim, as even in m, the mere scaling of a unit is not inventive, but rather an obvious alternative method of presenting the value, by mere multiplication of a scaling factor of 10. Examiner further points out on page 9, of S1 formula 119, notes the thermal displacement is in µm/m, as this has same units as the product of [linear expansion (m/ oC) * delta T (in Celsius) * correction coefficient k , the units of k would have to be in this instance µm, thus again the value of the correction scalar in Formula 1, would be in µm (k) times 1/ oC * m (beta) times (m) Length, not counting the scaling factor of 10 at the end and thus the condensed correction value of these constants for any one bearing would be in µm/ oC with scaling adjustment.]
(Claim 4) claim 3, the control device is adapted to offset the axial compensation value Δy with a position setpoint value Y SOLL wherein the position setpoint YSOLL defines an axial position of the tool along a tool spindle axis of the tool spindle. [Per S1 and Y1 citations in the modification of Claim 1, the calculation is to determine an adjustment amount along the adjustment line of position. This position will be of the spindle, which would automatically control and therefore be the position of the tool along the tool spindle axis. Since the delta y represents an adjustment of the entire structure along this axis any point along this axis is being adjusted by this distance including the position setpoint of the tool, as such it is obvious that the adjustment reference could be made with any element of the spindle or the tool it is being held, as the setpoint, as the mere indication of a setpoint, when the delta is being made based upon changes of the structure is obvious.]
(Claim 5) the control device is adapted to carry out the temperature compensation during dressing of a grinding tool held on the tool spindle, (in so far as it is definite, further a grinding worm.) [D1, Page 5, ¶85 notes the system runs dressing of grinding worms on the tool spindle. Per the modification of Claim 1 and citations to Y1, the system compensates for heat generated during operation, thus performs compensation during the dressing/grinding.]
(Claim 6) the control device is adapted to carry out the temperature compensation during dressing of a grinding tool held on the tool spindle, (in so far as it is definite, further a grinding worm.) [D1, Page 4, ¶77 notes the system runs grinding using grinding worms on the tool spindle. Per the modification of Claim 1 and citations to Y1, the system compensates for heat generated during operation, thus performs compensation during the dressing/grinding.]
(Claim 7) a gap is formed between the temperature sensor and the bearing outer ring. [See Annotated S1 Fig. 30 below.]
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Annotated S1 Fig. 30
(Claim 9) A method including grinding a toothing by means of a gear grinding machine, wherein the gear grinding machine is designed according to claim 1, and performing a temperature compensation based on a measured bearing outer ring temperature of the bearing outer ring, wherein a temperature induced axial displacement of the tool spindle is compensated during grinding. [D1, Page 1, ¶2-5 note grinding teeth, Page 3 ¶45 notes machining the teeth. The rejection above of claim 1, notes the modification results in temperature dependent axial adjustment of the position of the tooling during operation.]
(Claim 10) A method including dressing a grinding tool by means of a gear grinding machine, wherein the gear grinding machine is designed according to claim 1, and performing a temperature compensation based on a measured bearing outer ring temperature of the bearing outer ring, wherein a temperature induced axial displacement of the tool spindle is compensated during grinding. [D1, Page 1, ¶2-5 note grinding machine, Page 5 ¶85-87 notes dressing the grinding tool. The rejection above of claim 1, notes the modification results in temperature dependent axial adjustment of the position of the tooling during operation.]
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1, S1, and Y1 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 2016/0199963 to Ribbeck et al. (R1).
In Re Claim 8:
D1 as modified in claim 1 teaches:
The gear grinding machine according to claim 1 wherein, the control device is adapted to perform a calculation using a static coefficient factor to determine the compensation value.
D1 as modified in claim 1 does not teach:
Performing an update of a compensation value of the temperature compensation only when no machining takes place, in particular no grinding or no dressing takes place.
R1 discloses:
It is known that during operation of grinding/dressing, the machine can become worn which along with temperature can produce inaccurate relative dimensions between the tool and cutting/machined surface and such surfaces can be destructive to position detection systems. [Page 1, ¶5-9]. Thus, it is known to move the dressing and grinding tools and perform a compensation calculation prior to machining, in a region not being machined. [Page 1, ¶12-22, disclose general principles, Page 2, ¶39-42 notes moving the relative structures, Page 3, ¶43-44 notes these steps are carried out on a region not used for grinding machine of a work piece, i.e. not for grinding or dressing/machining.]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of D1, S1, and Y1, to occasionally perform a compensation calculation/determination, using the contact detecting in a non-machining/griding area of the workpiece as taught by R1, with the expectation of successfully providing a manner of adjusting overtime use inaccuracies of the gear grinding/dressing system, without damage to said systems due to contact,. [Page 1, ¶12-22, disclose general principles, Page 2, ¶39-42 notes moving the relative structures, Page 3, ¶43-44 notes these steps are carried out on a region not used for grinding machine of a work piece, i.e. not for grinding or dressing/machining.] This would yield the limitation of Performing an update of a compensation value of the temperature compensation only when no machining takes place, in particular no grinding or no dressing takes place.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. EP 0555796 to Hermle et al. teaches the importance of spindle bearing temperature monitoring for machining tool thermal expansion compensation.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA R BEEBE whose telephone number is (571)272-9968. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel Wiehe can be reached at 571-272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSHUA R BEEBE/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745