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 § 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 1-3, 5, 8-9 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tokota (6,383,446).
Tokota discloses a system for automatic electrical sintering, comprising a powder filling mechanism 14 to fill a first mold a1 with powder material, wherein the first mold a1 is movable through a plurality of stations, including: an automatic powder material loading apparatus 10 for automatically loading powder material into a sintering mold; a pre-heating unit 30 for pre-heating the sintering mold having the powder material loaded therein; a sintering unit 40; a cooling unit 50 for cooling the sintering mold having been subjected to the sintering process; a pushing-out unit 60 for pushing out and removing a sintered product from the sintering mold after the latter has been cooled; first, second and third atmosphere control units 81, 82 and 83 for controlling atmospheres in the pre-heating unit 30, the sintering unit 40 and the cooling unit 50, respectively; and a power supply unit 90 for supplying electrical power to the pre-heating unit 30 and the sintering unit 40.
The first pre-heating unit 30 includes a second heated upper press core m for compacting powder material in the first mold a1 – Figs. 14 and 22, m;
the first mold a1 is further transferred to the sintering unit 40 with an upper electrode assembly 45 with upper electrode 451 electrically connected to sintering power supply circuitry in the powder supply unit 90; wherein the heated upper press core m in the pre-heating unit 30 is different than the upper electrode 451;
the first mold a1 is further transported to the cooling unit 50 includes an upper electrode 451 has coolant passage 458 connected to a coolant supply source, wherein the upper electrode 451 is corresponding with the first mold a1 to cool the formed product.
Regarding claim 2, wherein the apparatus further comprises a roller conveyor 70 for conveying a tray J having the sintering mold a1 place thereon from a filling position of the automatic powder material loading apparatus 10 to the pushing-out unit 60.
Regarding claim 3, wherein the apparatus further comprises a lift plate 232 has four bearing sleeves 233a fixedly mounted thereon, for receiving the respective vertical posts 229, such that the lift plate 233 is guided by the vertical posts 229 for vertical displacement. The lift plate 233 further has a push-up member 234 fixedly mounted on the top surface thereof, for pushing up the lower press core e fitted in the sintering mold a1 carried by the tray J on the receiving plate 230.
Regarding claim 5, wherein the pre-heating station and the sintering station are capable to be heated to a predetermined temperature – see col. 23, lines 13-26.
Regarding claim 8, wherein the cooling unit 50 includes an upper electrode 451 has coolant passage 458 connected to a coolant supply source and is capable to cool the upper electrode and the mold a1 for 10, 5, 4, 3, 2, or fewer minutes.
Regarding claim 9, wherein a gripping chuck 65 including a gripping claw to grip the stack of the upper press core m and the finished sintering product, without using ejector pins – see Figs. 30-31, 65.
Regarding claim 26, wherein the upper and lower electrode are made of stiff material such as stainless steel so that they can apply considerable axial pressure to the upper and lower press cores – col. 24, lines 56-59.
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.
Claims 7 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tokota (6,383,446) as applied to claims 1-3, 5, 8-9 and 26 above, and further in view of Korb et al. (4,676,944).
Regarding claims 7 and 13, Tokota fails to disclose that the heated mold has an air poppet valve.
Korb et al discloses a molding apparatus, wherein the mold includes a number of air poppet valves on the surface of the mold (col. 3, lines 46-49). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide Tokota with a plurality of air poppet valves on the surface as taught by Korb et al. to assist with product separation from the mold surface.
Regarding claims 10-12, Tokota further discloses that the loading apparatus 10 comprises a frame 11, a sintering mold dispenser unit 12 provided at one end of the frame 11, a powder filling system including a plurality of powder filling mechanisms 14 arranged in line along the length of the frame 11, wherein the powder filling mechanism 14 comprises a generally rectangular, support plate 141 horizontally fixed on the upper beams 113 of the frame 11 and extends perpendicular to the running direction of the carrier 233 and over the transportation path of the sintering mold a1 conveyed by the carrier 223, wherein the movable hopper 150 is supported and guided by the hopper guide rails 142 for horizontal displacement, the support plate 141 has an opening 141a is formed at such position that a sintering mold placed on the carrier 223 may be in alignment therewith, when the carrier 233 has been brought to the powder filling position of the powder filling mechanism 14.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-3, 5-13 and 26 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 Thu-Khanh T. Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)272-1136. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-4:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Galen Hauth can be reached at 571-270-5516. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Thu Khanh T. Nguyen/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
Prosecution Insights