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 1-13 objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1 and 13, the phrase “the tools of the plurality” and “the clamping tools of the plurality” respectively are grammatically incomplete. The Examiner takes this to be referring to “the plurality of (clamping) tools”;
Regarding claim 4, the claim language lacks proper antecedent basis for the phrase "the action of the clamping actuator";
Regarding claim 9, the claim language lacks proper antecedent basis for the phrase "the maximum deliverable power";
Claims 2-3, 5-8, and 10-12 inherit the above deficiencies and are objected to due to dependency upon objected-to claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
“a calibrating unit configured for detecting… sending…” in claim 8, defined as “comprising a calibration sensor” in [0043];
“a component detecting unit configured for detecting… generating… sending…” in claim 10, defined as having an “activating element” or “contact sensor” in paragraphs [00176] and [00177];
“working unit configured for cutting” in claim 11 and 12, defined as comprising “a laser head for performing the cutting machining on the tubular component” in paragraph [0004].
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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 1-13 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.
Where applicant acts as his or her own lexicographer to specifically define a term of a claim
contrary to its ordinary meaning, the written description must clearly redefine the claim term and set forth the uncommon definition so as to put one reasonably skilled in the art on notice that the applicant intended to so redefine that claim term. Process Control Corp. v. HydReclaim Corp., 190 F.3d 1350, 1357, 52 USPQ2d 1029, 1033 (Fed. Cir. 1999).
Regarding claim 1 and 13, the term “clamping sense” is defined in [0018]-[0019] as “towards the inside of the chuck” and “the sense oriented from the second end to the first end of the clamping tool… the sense oriented by the clamping tool towards the body of the clamping chuck.” The accepted meaning of the word “sense” is “a perception” or “to test or locate the position of” (dictionary.com) is not a common or known term in the art. The specification does not further define what it a “sense” is aside from describing it as having a direction “towards the inside of the chuck.” It is unclear whether a sense is another arbitrary axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the chuck, or a sensor capable of testing or locating the position of a workpiece, or a direction itself. As such, the term “clamping sense” as written and defined in the specification is unclear and indefinite.
Claims 2-12 inherit the above deficiencies and are rejected to due to dependency upon rejected-to claim.
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.
Claims 1-6, 8-9, 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al., CN113953757A in view of Mai et al., CN111618456A.
Claim 1. Sun discloses a clamping unit for a laser cutting machine for cutting a tubular component, the clamping unit comprising: (Sun, [0003] “The invention relates to the technical field of clamping devices, in particular to a pneumatic rear chuck for a laser cutting machine”; and [0005] describes the laser cutting machine as a laser pipe cutting machine, the pipe corresponding to the claimed tubular component.)
- a clamping chuck, configured for rotating about a respective axis of rotation and for entraining the tubular component in rotation; (Sun, Fig. 1 shows a rear chuck with jaw 5 for clamping; [0057] “… the disc surface 3 on which the jaws 5 are installed will rotate with the chuck body 1 during the machining process, in order to ensure the reliability of clamping…”; and [0070] “The clamping force of the claw 5 improves the positioning accuracy and centering accuracy of the clamping claw 5” where the positioning and centering accuracy of the clamping claw 5 corresponds with the definition of entrain, to pull or draw along after itself (see thefreedictionary.com).)
- a plurality of clamping tools, each including a first end, connected to the clamping chuck, and a second, free end, opposite the first end along an axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation, (Sun, Fig. 1 shows jaw 5 comprising of a plurality of claws corresponding to the claimed plurality of clamping tools; [0014]-[0015] describes each clamping claw has a free end at the end of the clamping unit, corresponding to the claimed second free end, and opposite to the free end is an end that is linked to a connecting rod and piston assembly that communicates with the chuck body, corresponding with the claimed first end, both ends placed parallel along the axis of rotation.)
the tools of the plurality being movable towards and away from each other along a radial direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation between a respective rest position, where the tool is radially spaced from the axis of rotation by a first distance, and a working position, where the tool engages the tubular component and is spaced from the axis of rotation by a second distance, smaller than the first distance; (Sun, Fig. 8 and [0051] describes the claw slidably arranged in the T-shaped chute 31, driven by piston and connecting rod assemblies; and [0052] “… the four jaws 5 slide in the T-shaped chute 31 synchronously toward the center of the disk surface 3 to realize the clamping action of the jaws 5…”; and [0053] “In the body, the double-piston synchronously drives the claw 5 on the disk surface 3 to slide along the T-shaped chute 31 to realize the clamping or loosening of the claw 5 synchronously” where the synchronous position toward the center corresponds with the claimed working position, and the corresponding synchronous position away from the center along the T-shaped chute corresponds with the claimed rest position.)
- a clamping actuator, configured for moving the plurality of tools between the rest position and the working position, (Sun, [0053] “In the body, the double-piston synchronously drives the claw 5 on the disk surface 3 to slide along the T-shaped chute 31 to realize the clamping or loosening of the claw 5 synchronously” corresponding to the claimed clamping actuator.)
wherein each tool is configured for applying a clamping force on the tubular component including at least one component along the axial direction having a clamping sense towards the inside of the clamping chuck. (Sun, [0053] “In the body, the double-piston synchronously drives the claw 5 on the disk surface 3 to slide along the T-shaped chute 31 to realize the clamping or loosening of the claw 5 synchronously” where the radial movement of clamping and loosening the claw 5 perpendicular to the axis of the clamping chuck reads on the definition of a clamping sense as a direction towards the inside of the clamping chuck as written, and the claw 5 is a component along the axial direction.)
Sun does not explicitly disclose a rotary actuator, configured for setting the clamping chuck in rotation.
Mai discloses - a rotary actuator, configured for setting the clamping chuck in rotation; (Mai, Fig. 1-2 and [0053] details a motor 31 for rotating the body of assembly 20.)
Sun and Mai are analogous art because they are related to laser cutting of tubular components. Although the clamping unit of Sun does not explicitly disclose a rotary actuator for rotating the clamping chuck, Fig. 1 shows the clamping chuck having serrated gears on the chuck body 1, and the disk surface 4 connected to the chuck body is described in Sun paragraph [0057] as capable of rotating with the chuck body 1 during the machining process. Mai discloses a motor 31 for rotating the body of the assembly 20, the rotational movement being provided through gears detailed in Mai paragraph [0053]. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the rotatable chuck body 1 of Sun with the addition of the motor of Mai. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification as providing a standard motor to rotate the chuck body of Sun yields the predictable result of facilitating the controlled rotation of the clamping chuck during the machining process.
Claim 2. Modified Sun discloses the clamping unit according to claim 1,
wherein each clamping tool comprises a respective contact element, configured for contacting the tubular component, and (Sun, [0057] “a serrated structure is provided on the contact surface of the jaws 5” increasing the friction between the jaw and the workpiece.)
wherein the contact element has a main axis of extension which, at the working position of the respective clamping tool, converges with the axis of rotation in the clamping sense. (Sun, [0052] “… the four jaws 5 slide in the T-shaped chute 31 synchronously toward the center of the disk surface 3 to realize the clamping action of the jaws 5…”)
Claim 3. Modified Sun discloses the clamping unit according to claim 2,
wherein the clamping chuck comprises a body and (Fig. 1 the rear chuck has a chuck body 1.)
wherein each clamping tool is hinged to the body of the clamping chuck at a respective first hinge, to rotate between the respective rest position and the respective working position about a respective tangential axis, perpendicular to the axis of rotation and to the radial direction. (Sun, Fig. 2 shows hinge portion 61 (shown in detail in Fig. 7) is connected to the claw units of jaw 5 through slot 522 which connects the claws to the front end housing connected to the chuck body 1, where slot 522 corresponds to the claimed hinge.)
Claim 4. Modified Sun discloses the clamping unit according to claim 3,
comprising, for each clamping tool, a corresponding transmission unit, (Sun, Fig. 4 shows the transition rod 8 attached to the first and second connecting rod 6 and 7, a sliding rod 421 and driven by the double pistons 41 and 42 (shown in Fig. 2), collectively corresponding with the claimed transmission unit.)
including a drive rod, movable along the axial direction under the action of the clamping actuator, and (Sun, Fig. 2 and [0070] “the large piston 41 and the small piston 42 act synchronously to compress the second cavity 10, so that the air in the second cavity 10 is discharged through the second air passage 412, and the first connecting rod 6 and the second connecting rod 7 drive the four Each of the jaws 5 slides synchronously in the T-shaped chute 31 toward the center of the disk surface 3 to realize the clamping action of the jaws 5…”; and [0051] “… the sliding rod 421 on the side close to the disk surface 3 extends out of the large piston 41… the end of the sliding rod 421 of the small piston 42 is provided with a first connecting rod 6 for driving the jaw 5 , and the end of the large piston 41 is provided with a second connecting rod 7 for driving the jaw 5” where the sliding rod 421 corresponds with the claimed drive rod moving in the axial direction under the action of the double pistons.)
wherein a displacement of each drive rod causes a corresponding rotation of the respective contact element about the corresponding first hinge. (Sun, [0058] “… the toggle portion 63 is embedded in the toggle slot 522 of the jaw 5, and the two contact surfaces in contact with the toggle slot 522 are in an arc structure” where the arc structure of the toggle portion fitted into the arc structure of the toggle slot allow the contacts of the jaw to rotate with respect to the hinge 61.)
Claim 5. Modified Sun discloses the clamping unit according to claim 4,
wherein the transmission unit comprises, for each drive rod: - a respective slideway configured for guiding an axial displacement of the drive rod; (Sun, Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 show the limiting table 34 bracketing the slide rod 421 to guide its axial displacement, corresponding to the claimed slideway.)
- a respective connecting rod, connected to the contact element and to the sliding drive rod, to convert the axial displacement of the drive rod into a rotation of the contact element. (Sun, Fig. 7 and [0051] shows the first connecting rod 6 connected to the claw of jaw 5 and corresponding contacts through the toggle slot 522, and are connected to the sliding rod 421 through the slots of the disk surface 3; and [0058] “… the driving part 62 of the first connecting rod 6 is movably connected with the sliding rod 421 of the small piston 42; the end of the driving part 62 of the second connecting rod 7 is hinged with a transition rod 8, and the transition rod 8 is connected with the large piston 41…” and the toggle portion 63 fitted with the toggle slot of 522 causes the contacts of the jaw to rotate with respect to hinge 61 as the sliding rod displaces axially.)
Claim 6. Modified Sun discloses the clamping unit according to claim 1,
comprising an adjustment unit, including at least one adjustment actuator, configured for adjusting the rest position of each clamping tool. (Mai, [0011] “When the rod expansion and contraction drives the clamping assembly to expand and close, the displacement sensor can detect the stroke of the cylinder piston rod, and the displacement sensor transmits the stroke information of the piston rod to the computer board, which can be indirectly through the analysis of the computer board. Learn the state of the pipe clamped by the clamping assembly, and analyze the size of the pipe” where the piston rod correspond to the claimed adjustment unit defined as an adjustment actuator, and the ability to subsequently expand the clamping assembly corresponds with the claimed adjustment of the resting position.)
Sun and Mai are analogous art because they are related to laser cutting of tubular components. Modified Sun does not explicitly disclose the adjustment unit including an adjustment actuator for adjusting the rest position of each clamping tool. However, Mai discloses a piston rod connected to a displacement sensor to realize more intelligent control over the pneumatics of the clamping unit to clamp more special-shaped pipes, including the control of expansion of the clamping tool. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the piston assembly of Sun with the adjustment unit taught by Mai, including the addition of the piston rod connected to the detection mechanism. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification in order to have more granular control over the clamping assembly the apparatus may be able to clamp more variety of pipes.
Claim 8. Modified Sun discloses the clamping unit according to claim 6,
comprising a calibrating unit, configured for detecting when each clamping tool reaches a reference position, and wherein the calibrating unit is configured for sending to a control unit of the machine a reset signal, to associate a coordinate corresponding to the reference position with the respective clamping tool. (Mai, [0011] “When the rod expansion and contraction drives the clamping assembly to expand and close, the displacement sensor can detect the stroke of the cylinder piston rod, and the displacement sensor transmits the stroke information of the piston rod to the computer board, which can be indirectly through the analysis of the computer board. Learn the state of the pipe clamped by the clamping assembly, and analyze the size of the pipe”; [0013] “With this arrangement, the smart pneumatic card The disc is a four-clamped component chuck, which can not only clamp pipes with extremely small diameters, but theoretically clamp to zero-diameter pipes; and it can clamp many types of pipes, including round pipes, rectangular pipes and special-shaped pipes” where the computer board that calculates the stroke information of the pistol rod for detecting the size of the pipe and controlling the piston rods for clamping accordingly corresponds with the claimed calibrating unit.)
Claim 9. Modified Sun discloses the clamping unit according to claim 1,
wherein the clamping actuator is an abutment actuator, comprising a start position, corresponding to the rest position of the plurality of clamping tools, and (Sun, [0069] “[0069] In order to ensure that the large piston 41 slides stably within the effective distance, the sliding cavity 21 inside the front end housing 2 is provided with a stepped ring groove 22, and the disk surface 3 is provided with a limit platform 34 embedded in the sliding cavity 21” where the double pistons 41 and 42 correspond with the clamping actuator, and the limit platform 34 embedded in the sliding cavity 21 limits the sliding distance of at least the large piston 41 stably within an effective distance; and [0070] “The gas in the body 9 is discharged through the first air passage 411, and the first connecting rod 6 and the second connecting rod 7 drive the four jaws 5 to slide synchronously in the T-shaped chute 31 in the direction away from the center of the disk surface 3 to realize the jaws 5” where opening of the jaws 5 correspond to the claimed rest position of the plurality of clamping tools.)
an abutment position, corresponding to the working position of the plurality of clamping tools, so as to define a maximum radial travel of the clamping tools, and wherein the clamping tools reach their respective working positions when the clamping actuator reaches: (a) the abutment position or (b) the maximum deliverable power. (Sun, [0070] “… the large piston 41 and the small piston 42 act synchronously to compress the second cavity 10, so that the air in the second cavity 10 is discharged through the second air passage 412, and the first connecting rod 6 and the second connecting rod 7 drive the four Each of the jaws 5 slides synchronously in the T-shaped chute 31 toward the center of the disk surface 3 to realize the clamping action of the jaws 5…” As the air is discharged through the second air passage 412, the piston 42 reaches the abutment for the working position as the cavity 10 (shown in Fig. 3) is compressed by the piston 41, annotated below.)
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Claim 11. Modified Sun discloses a laser cutting machine comprising:
- a clamping unit according to claim 1; (Sun, [0003] “The invention relates to the technical field of clamping devices, in particular to a pneumatic rear chuck for a laser cutting machine”; and [0005] describes the laser cutting machine as a laser pipe cutting machine, the pipe corresponding to the claimed tubular component.)
- a working unit, configured for cutting the tubular component; (Sun, [0051] “…fixed on the laser cutting machine…”)
- a control unit, configured for controlling the working unit and one or more actuators of the clamping unit. (Mai, [0011] “When the rod expansion and contraction drives the clamping assembly to expand and close, the displacement sensor can detect the stroke of the cylinder piston rod, and the displacement sensor transmits the stroke information of the piston rod to the computer board, which can be indirectly through the analysis of the computer board. Learn the state of the pipe clamped by the clamping assembly, and analyze the size of the pipe” where the computer board corresponds with the claimed control unit.)
Claim 13. Modified Sun discloses a method for holding a tubular component while it is being cut with a laser cutting machine, (Sun, [0003] “The invention relates to the technical field of clamping devices, in particular to a pneumatic rear chuck for a laser cutting machine”; and [0005] describes the laser cutting machine as a laser pipe cutting machine.)
the method comprising the following steps: - rotating a clamping chuck about an axis of rotation to set the tubular component in rotation by means of a rotary actuator; (Sun, Fig. 1 shows a rear chuck with jaw 5 for clamping; [0057] “… the disc surface 3 on which the jaws 5 are installed will rotate with the chuck body 1 during the machining process, in order to ensure the reliability of clamping…”; and [0070] “The clamping force of the claw 5 improves the positioning accuracy and centering accuracy of the clamping claw 5.”)
- providing a plurality of clamping tools, each including a first end, connected to the clamping chuck, and a second, free end, opposite the first end along an axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation, (Sun, Fig. 1 shows jaw 5 comprising of a plurality of claws corresponding to the claimed plurality of clamping tools; [0014]-[0015] describes each clamping claw has a free end at the end of the clamping unit, corresponding to the claimed second free end, and opposite to the free end is an end that is linked to a connecting rod and piston assembly that communicates with the chuck body, corresponding with the claimed first end, both ends placed parallel along the axis of rotation.)
- moving the clamping tools of the plurality towards and away from each other along a radial direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation between a respective rest position, where the clamping tool is radially spaced from the axis of rotation by a first distance, and a working position, where the clamping tool engages the tubular component and is spaced from the axis of rotation by a second distance, smaller than the first distance; (Sun, Fig. 8 and [0051] describes the claw slidably arranged in the T-shaped chute 31, driven by piston and connecting rod assemblies; and [0052] “… the four jaws 5 slide in the T-shaped chute 31 synchronously toward the center of the disk surface 3 to realize the clamping action of the jaws 5…”; and [0053] “In the body, the double-piston synchronously drives the claw 5 on the disk surface 3 to slide along the T-shaped chute 31 to realize the clamping or loosening of the claw 5 synchronously” where the synchronous position toward the center corresponds with the claimed working position, and the corresponding synchronous position away from the center along the T-shaped chute corresponds with the claimed rest position.)
- clamping the tubular component by applying a clamping force to the tubular component; (Sun, [0053] “In the body, the double-piston synchronously drives the claw 5 on the disk surface 3 to slide along the T-shaped chute 31 to realize the clamping or loosening of the claw 5 synchronously” corresponding to the claimed clamping actuator.)
wherein the clamping force includes at least one component along the axial direction having a clamping sense towards the inside of the clamping chuck. (Sun, [0053] “In the body, the double-piston synchronously drives the claw 5 on the disk surface 3 to slide along the T-shaped chute 31 to realize the clamping or loosening of the claw 5 synchronously” where the radial movement of clamping and loosening the claw 5 perpendicular to the axis of the clamping chuck reads on the definition of a clamping sense as a direction towards the inside of the clamping chuck as written, and the claw 5 is a component along the axial direction.)
Sun does not explicitly disclose by means of a rotary actuator.
Mai discloses by means of a rotary actuator; (Mai, Fig. 1-2 and [0053] details a motor 31 for rotating the body of assembly 20.)
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al., CN113953757A in view of Mai et al., CN111618456A, in further view of Cao et al., CN113146025 A.
Claim 7. Modified Sun discloses the clamping unit according to claim 6,
Modified Sun does not explicitly disclose wherein the adjustment unit is configured for selectively and independently adjusting the working position of each clamping tool.
wherein the adjustment unit is configured for selectively and independently adjusting the working position of each clamping tool. (Cao, [0017] “…the driving member is an air cylinder…”; [0034] “… the linkage mechanism includes but is not limited to two groups. Through multiple groups of individually controlled linkage mechanisms, it is helpful to hold the polygonal workpieces stably… the movement of the rack 11 is controlled by the expansion and contraction of the driving member 12, which can drive the rotation of… the linkage bottom gear 6 and the linkage top gear 8, so as to control the claw 9 on the closing plate” where the linkage mechanisms are driven by the driving member which is an air cylinder.)
Sun, Mai and Cao are analogous art because they are related to laser cutting tubular components. Modified Sun does not explicitly disclose an adjustment unit that independently adjusts the working position of each clamping tool, however, it discloses displacement sensors and control over the pneumatics system of the clamping jaw in order to enable the clamping of more versatile shapes. Cao similarly discloses diversifying the clamping ability of the claw based utilizing multiple linkage mechanisms that can be controlled individually, driven by the air cylinder similar to the pneumatic driving rod of Mai. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the adjustment unit of Mai to control each claw of the clamping jaw of Sun with an independently controlled linkage mechanism taught by Cao. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification in order to improve the clamping range of the workpiece, stability of the clamping and overall convenience in clamping polygonal workpieces (see Cao, [0034]).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al., CN113953757A in view of Mai et al., CN111618456A, in further view of Ruan et al., CN113878245A.
Claim 10. Modified Sun discloses the clamping unit according to claim 1,
comprising a component detecting unit, configured for: (Mai, [0011] “When the rod expansion and contraction drives the clamping assembly to expand and close, the displacement sensor can detect the stroke of the cylinder piston rod, and the displacement sensor transmits the stroke information of the piston rod to the computer board which can be indirectly through the analysis of the computer board. Learn the state of the pipe clamped by the clamping assembly, and analyze the size of the pipe” where the displacement sensor corresponds with the claimed detecting unit.)
wherein the clamping actuator is configured for receiving an enabling signal from the control unit to enable or inhibit its actuation based on the presence signal. (Mai, [0013] “With this arrangement, the smart pneumatic card The disc is a four-clamped component chuck, which can not only clamp pipes with extremely small diameters, but theoretically clamp to zero-diameter pipes; and it can clamp many types of pipes, including round pipes, rectangular pipes and special-shaped pipes” where the computer board that calculates the stroke information of the pistol rod for detecting the size of the pipe and controlling the piston rods for clamping accordingly.)
Modified Sun does not explicitly disclose - detecting the presence of the tubular component in a clamping zone of the clamping chuck; - generating a presence signal, representing the presence of the tubular component in the clamping zone; - sending the presence signal to a control unit of the machine.
- detecting the presence of the tubular component in a clamping zone of the clamping chuck; - generating a presence signal, representing the presence of the tubular component in the clamping zone; - sending the presence signal to a control unit of the machine, (Ruan, [0030] “As shown in Figures 1-3, the equipment of this processing method mainly includes a chuck 1, on which the chuck 1 is used to clamp and feed the pipe material 4 to be cut, and the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 is the feeding direction. Each part of the pipe 4 is detected by the sensor 2 before reaching the chuck 1…”; and [0036] “…use the sensor 2 to perform real-time detection on the pipe material 4 to determine whether to enter the tailings processing stage. Wherein, when the sensor 2 fails to detect the pipe material 4, it is judged that the tail material processing stage is entered…”)
Sun, Mai and Ruan are analogous art because they are related to laser cutting tubular components. Although Mai does not explicitly disclose a displacement sensor capable of explicitly detecting the presence of a tubular component in the clamping zone, it teaches the sensors and the computer board capable of taking in signals and information about a pipe within the clamping zone. Ruan discloses a sensor explicitly for performing real-time detection capable of detecting or failure to detect the presence of the pipe material, and sending information to the control system which then makes decisions based on the information outputted by the sensor of Ruan. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the displacement sensor of Mai with the addition of a dedicated sensor for detecting the pipe taught by Ruan. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification in order to monitor the pipe for additional information such as length, holding allowance, or number of times the material can be cut before the clamping process is started (see Ruan, [0034]).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun et al., CN113953757A in view of Mai et al., CN111618456A, in further view of Ruan et al., CN113878245A, Liang et al., CN 112570910 A, and Deng et al., CN115121944A.
Claim 12. Modified Sun discloses the machine according to claim 11,
Modified Sun does not explicitly disclose wherein the working unit is movable along an axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation and comprises: the cutting device being movable along the radial direction towards and away from the tubular component; wherein the working unit comprises a detecting unit, including at least one sensor, configured for capturing a detection signal, representing:…
Liang discloses wherein the working unit is movable along an axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation and comprises: (Liang, Fig. 23 shows a gantry system of the laser cutting machine allowing the laser cutting machine body 6 to travel in the axial and radial direction with respect to the workpiece.)
- a cutting device, comprising an electromagnetic wave emitter, configured for emitting a cutting wave directed towards the tubular component, (Liang, Fig. 23 shows the laser cutting head 924 corresponding with the claimed cutting device, a laser being a light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (merriam-webster.com) where light is an electromagnetic wave, used in the art for cutting a tubular component.)
the cutting device being movable along the radial direction towards and away from the tubular component; (Liang, [0020] “… the laser cutting head arranged at the bottom of the vertical sliding bracket, the x-axis sliding mechanism is used to drive the lateral sliding bracket left and right The z-axis sliding mechanism is used to drive the vertical sliding bracket to move up and down.”)
wherein the working unit comprises a detecting unit, including at least one sensor, configured for capturing a detection signal, representing: (Mai, [0011] “When the rod expansion and contraction drives the clamping assembly to expand and close, the displacement sensor can detect the stroke of the cylinder piston rod, and the displacement sensor transmits the stroke information of the piston rod to the computer board which can be indirectly through the analysis of the computer board. Learn the state of the pipe clamped by the clamping assembly, and analyze the size of the pipe” where the displacement sensor corresponds with the claimed detecting unit and the stroke information of the piston corresponds with the claimed detection signal.)
Modified Sun does not explicitly disclose - a distance along a detecting direction of the at least one sensor from the tubular 40 component and/or - a position of the tubular component relative to the cutting device, and.
- a distance along a detecting direction of the at least one sensor from the tubular 40 component and/or - a position of the tubular component relative to the cutting device, and (Ruan, [0009] “… set the sensor and measure the distance from the sensor to the origin…”)
Sun, Mai, Liang and Ruan are analogous art because they are related to laser cutting tubular components. Although modified Sun does not explicitly disclose a sensor on the working unit configured to detect a distance along a detecting direction of at least one sensor, Ruan teaches a sensor used to measure the distance from the sensor to the origin. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the laser cutting machine of modified Sun with a sensor with a capability of measuring the distance along a detecting direction taught by Ruan. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification in order to measure the radial distance of the laser head from the workpiece to determine a sufficient working distance for the laser head.
Modified Sun does not explicitly disclose wherein the detecting unit moves along the axial direction as one with the cutting device, to perform detection at the axial coordinate where the cutting device operates.
wherein the detecting unit moves along the axial direction as one with the cutting device, to perform detection at the axial coordinate where the cutting device operates. (Deng, Fig. 3 shows the probe cylinder 4 is attached to the laser cutter 3.)
Sun, Mai, Liang, Ruan and Deng are analogous art because they are related to laser cutting tubular components. Although the sensor of Ruan is not explicitly described to be attached to the cutting device, Deng teaches a similar detection probe attached to the laser cutting head 3. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the laser cutter of modified Sun with the distance sensor of Ruan in the configuration taught by Deng where the probe is directly attached to the laser cutting head. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification in order to accurately detect the workpiece with respect to the laser cutting head in order to make decisions about the process as enabled by the information gleaned by the sensor as taught by Ruan (see Ruan, [0036]).
Conclusion
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/K.B.M./Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/JUSTIN C DODSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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