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
Claim 12 is 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.
Claim 12 is vague and indefinite. On lines 1 and 2, the phrase “basic device” is unclear. What constitutes a “basic” device? “Basic” as compared to what other device?
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 9, and 13-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shen et al (Chinese Patent No. 113546984), hereinafter “Shen”.
With respect to Claim 1, Shen, Figures 1-10, teaches a device 1 that feeds an elongated workpiece to a forming machine 2 that has a drawing-in device that draws in the fed workpiece and conveys the workpiece to a tool area of the forming machine, comprising:
a reeling unit 11 with a frame and a reel 12 carried by the frame and accommodates a workpiece supply formed as a coil of workpiece material, the reel being mounted rotatably about a reel axis relative to the frame, wherein
the device has a weight-distribution sensing device 40 set up to sense and determine a lateral distribution of a reel weight with respect to the reel axis, the reel weight representing a weight of the reel with or without an accommodated coil.
With respect to Claim 2, Shen further teaches wherein the weight-distribution sensing device 40 is set up to sense the reel weight.
With respect to Claim 3, Shen further teaches wherein the weight-distribution sensing device 40 has at least one force sensor arranged at a radial distance from the reel axis and is set up to sense a component of the reel weight that acts as a load on the force sensor.
With respect to Claim 4, Shen further teaches wherein the weight-distribution sensing device 40 has at least three force sensors (See Figure 9), each force sensor being set up to sense a component of the reel weight that acts as a load on the respective force sensor.
With respect to Claim 5, Shen further teaches wherein the frame has at least three standing feet (See Figure 9) that place the device on an underlying surface, and at least one of the standing feet has a force sensor 40 of the weight-distribution sensing device.
With respect to Claim 6, Shen further teaches wherein the frame and the reel are connected to one another by a bearing unit of the weight-distribution sensing device, and the bearing unit forms at least one force sensor of the sensing device.
With respect to Claim 9, Shen further teaches wherein the weight-distribution sensing device 40 has at least one hinge-like bearing device that supports a component of the reel weight, the bearing device being arranged at a radial distance from at least one force sensor of the weight-distribution sensing device with respect to the reel axis, and the force sensor being set up to sense a component of the reel weight that acts as a load on this force sensor.
With respect to Claim 13, Shen, Figures 1-10, teaches a forming installation (See Figure 10) with a forming machine 2 having a drawing-in device that can be operated with a varying drawing-in speed and draws in an elongated workpiece and conveys the workpiece to a tool area of the forming machine,
the forming installation comprising the device according to Claim 1, and
the device is set up to feed an elongated workpiece to the forming machine.
With respect to Claim 14, Shen, Figures 1-10, teaches a method of operating the device according to Claim 1, comprising:
a) determining a lateral distribution of a reel weight with respect to the reel axis, the reel weight representing a weight of the reel with or without an accommodated coil, by the weight-distribution sensing device (See Paragraph [0010]);
b) if the distribution of the reel weight determined in a) is greater than a predetermined weight-distribution tolerance value, carrying out at least one of:
b1) issuing a warning message to warn against an imbalance (See Paragraph [n0006]),
b2) stopping a rotary movement of the reel relative to the frame,
b3) outputting a handling instruction to balance the coil, and
b4) balancing the coil with respect to the reel axis.
With respect to Claim 15, Shen further teaches wherein, in a), the reel weight is additionally determined.
With respect to Claim 16, Shen further teaches
c) displaying an instantaneous reel weight determined in a) by a display device, which is assigned to the forming machine of the forming installation comprising the device (See Paragraph [n0015]).
With respect to Claim 17, Shen further teaches
d) if the reel weight determined in a) is equal to or less than a predetermined minimum weight, issuing a warning message to warn against depletion of the workpiece supply and/or catching on the reel of an end of the coil remote from the drawing in;
e) if the reel weight determined in a) is equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum weight, issuing a warning message to warn against overloading of the device;
f) if the reel weight determined in a) is between the predetermined minimum weight and the predetermined maximum weight, outputting a range of the workpiece supply on the basis of the determined reel weight by a display device, the display device being assigned to a forming machine of the forming installation comprising the device.
With respect to Claim 18, Shen further teaches
wherein, when the method is carried out, the reel together with the coil is at least for a time turned about the reel axis relative to the frame while removing workpiece material from the workpiece supply; and/or when the method is carried out, the reel together with the coil is at least for a time at rest relative to the frame.
With respect to Claim 19, Shen further teaches
g) generating a control signal that controls a forming machine of the forming installation comprising the device, the control signal being generated depending on the distribution of the reel weight determined in a) (See Paragraph [0010]).
With respect to Claim 20, Shen further teaches
wherein, in d), the control signal is additionally generated depending on the reel weight determined in a) (See Paragraph [0010]).
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) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shen as applied to Claims 1-6, 9, and 13-20 above, and further in view of Binner et al (U.S. Patent No. 5,469,149), hereinafter “Binner”.
With respect to Claim 10, Shen is advanced above.
Shen teaches all the elements of the device except for wherein at least one force sensor of the weight-distribution sensing device has a piezoelectric element and/or a strain gauge.
However, Binner, Figures 1-9 and Column 6, lines 5-7 teaches that it is known to use strain gauges.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the sensor to be a strain gauge, as taught by Binner, because of the strain gauges high accuracy and precision in measuring force as well as being cost effective.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shen as applied to Claims 1-6, 9, and 13-20 above, and further in view of Binner et al (U.S. Patent No. 5,469,149), hereinafter “Binner”.
With respect to Claim 11, Shen is advanced above.
Shen teaches all the elements of the device except for wherein the weight-distribution sensing device has a torque sensor with a force sensor, and the torque sensor is integrated in a sensor unit of the weight-distribution sensing device.
However, Binner, Figures 1-9 and Column 4, lines 18-32 teaches that it is known to use torque sensor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the sensor to be a torque sensor, as taught by Binner, for the purpose of analyzing the physical interactions of the reel.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shen (Chinese Patent No. 113546984) in view of Dion et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0339380), hereinafter “Dion”.
With respect to Claim 12, Shen, Figures 1-12, teaches a basic device designed to feed an elongated workpiece to a forming machine 2, the basic device having a reeling unit 11 with a frame and a reel carried by the frame and accommodates a workpiece supply formed as a coil of workpiece material, the reel being mounted rotatably about a reel axis relative to the frame,
components of a weight-distribution sensing device 40 set up to sense a lateral distribution of a reel weight with respect to the reel axis, the reel weight representing a weight of the reel with or without an accommodated coil.
Shen teaches all the elements of the basic device except for a retrofit kit.
However, Dion, Paragraphs [0142] and [0143], teaches that it is known to provide retrofitting kits to reel systems.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Shen with a retrofit kit, as taught by Dion, for the purpose of providing the necessary components in order to control the reel and/or provide elements needed to determine operating conditions of the reel system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 7 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest the entire combination of elements of the device set forth including wherein at least one force sensor of the weight-distribution sensing device has an elastically deformable or annular disc-shaped deformation element, which is elastically deformable depending on the component of the reel weight that acts as a load on this force sensor and to which a deformation detector of the force sensor that determines a deformation of the deformation element is attached
None of the references of the prior art teach or suggest wherein at least one force sensor of the weight-distribution sensing device has an elastically deformable or annular disc-shaped deformation element, which is elastically deformable depending on the component of the reel weight that acts as a load on this force sensor and to which a deformation detector of the force sensor that determines a deformation of the deformation element is attached as advanced above and such do not provide the necessary motivation, absent applicant's specification, for modifying the device in the manner required by the claims.
Claim 8 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest the entire combination of elements of the device set forth including wherein the bearing unit has first supporting elements and second supporting elements between which the deformation element is arranged, the first supporting elements being arranged offset from the second supporting elements transversely to the reel axis, the first supporting elements being adjoined by the reel, and the second supporting elements being adjoined by the frame.
None of the references of the prior art teach or suggest wherein the bearing unit has first supporting elements and second supporting elements between which the deformation element is arranged, the first supporting elements being arranged offset from the second supporting elements transversely to the reel axis, the first supporting elements being adjoined by the reel, and the second supporting elements being adjoined by the frame as advanced above and such do not provide the necessary motivation, absent applicant's specification, for modifying the device in the manner required by the claims.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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