DETAILED ACTION
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) 1,4,6-8,10-13 and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sekine et al. (JP 06-297017A) in view of Kajiwara (3,491,562). Regarding claims 1,11 and 18, Sekine discloses a method and apparatus for roll steering control (meander control) of a metal substrate (1) comprising a rolling stand (3,3',4',4'; Fig. 1) including a steering control actuator (5,7; hydraulic cylinders) configured to control an inclination (Fig. 5) of a work roll (3'; Fig. 1) wherein the control actuator tilts a backup work roll (4') upwards or downwards relative to the substrate on an operator side and a drive side of the rolling stand as the substrate passes through the rolling stand so as to adjust a roll gap between the work rolls (3,3') by adjusting an inclination of the work roll (3'). A sensor (21) is operable to measure a parameter (substrate center position deviation; [0014], lines 2-3) of the metal substrate (1) at a position upstream (arrow, Fig. 1 shows substrate direction of travel) from the work stand. A controller (22; Fig. 1) is connected to the steering control actuator (5,7) and the sensor (21). The controller (22) has a processor (computer; [0015], line 7 and calculation device 25) and a memory (storage; [0016], line 7) which includes instructions executable by the processor to generate a model (process online model; [0015], lines 3-4) for the work stand and determine an adjustment value (optimum leveling amount; [0015], line 5). The controller (22) receives the measured parameter (substrate center position deviation; [0014], lines 2-3) from the sensor (21) and determines an expected output parameter (estimated meandering amount Yi; [0019], lines 2 and 3) by adjusting the measured parameter (center position deviation) by the adjustment value (optimum leveling amount), compares the expected output parameter (estimated meandering amount, Yi) with a target output parameter (meandering target value with no substrate center deviation; [0016], lines 11-12) and actuates the steering control actuator (5,7) with servo-valves (9,11) by a leveling amount (ΔSref; [0025], lines 3-4) so that the expected output parameter is within a predetermined tolerance (work stand is level and substrate center position does not deviate) to the target parameter.
Sekine discloses a plurality of roll stands ([0010], lines 1-7) with a deflection sensor (21) between roll stands and Fig. 1 shows feedforward control of the upstream roll stand (3,3’,4,4’) but Sekine does not specifically recite feedback control of an upstream rolling stand. Kajiwara teaches a deflection sensor (5; col. 3, lines 50-58) which is configured to send a feedforward signal from transducer (14) to a feedforward controller (17) that controls roll screwdown motors (13,13’) of a downstream roll stand (2,2’) and the deflection sensor (5) is configured to send a feedback signal from transducer (14) to a feedback controller (16) that controls roll screwdown motors (12,12’) on roll stand (1,1’) upstream of the deflection sensor (5). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the rolling mill of Sekine to include feedback control of the upstream rolling stand as taught by Kajiwara so as to control deflection of a head end of the strip as is passes through the upstream roll stand.
Regarding claims 4,16 and 20, Sekine discloses that the measured parameter is a substrate center position deviation ([0014], lines 2-3) of the metal substrate (1) relative to a centerline of the rolling mill. Regarding claims 6 and 13, Sekine discloses a plurality of roll stands ([0027], lines 1-3 and [0030], lines 1-3) and applying the processor and model control to the rolling mill comprising the plurality of roll stands Regarding claims 7 and 17, Sekine discloses that the steering control actuator comprises controlling hydraulic cylinders (5,7) acting on a backup roll (4'; Fig. 1). Regarding claim 8, Sekine discloses that the meandering detection and leveling amount ([0016], lines 5-7) data items are stored in chronological order so there are data items from earlier time periods in the rolling operation that are used as setup data for each sampling time period (ΔT) and a general model is setup ([0017], lines 1-2). Regarding claim 10, Sekine discloses that the meandering control and modeling is used for the sixth and seventh stages of a rolling mill ([0027], lines 1-2) and that the meandering control occurs when the tail end of each stand of the rolling mill is released ([0030], lines 1-3). Regarding claim 12, Sekine discloses that the work rolls (3,3') are contacting the substrate (1) during rolling (Fig. 1). Regarding claim 19, the processor (22) is configured to generate a control to actuate the steering control actuator (5,7) to control an inclination of a work roll to level the work stand and prevent meandering.
Claim(s) 2,3,5,9,14 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sekine et al. (JP 06-297017A) in view of Kajiwara (3,491,562) and further in view of Fairlie et al. (2017/0259313). Sekine in view of Kajiwara does not disclose a sensor configured to sense tension, thickness and flatness. Fairlie teaches ([0031], lines 1-6) that a tension sensor (130) and a plurality of inter-stand strip thickness and flatness sensors (210,212,214) are configured to sense tension, thickness, thickness profile and flatness of a metal strip (136) and that the sensors (201,212,214) are used in strip steering ([0035], lines 8-18) to maintain the strip position at a centerline of work rolls (202,204). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the strip sensing of Sekine in view of Kajiwara to include tension, thickness and flatness sensors as taught by Fairlie to determine a thickness profile variation and a flatness variation of the strip as it is being rolled so that the thickness and flatness values are used to prevent meandering of the strip away from the centerline of the work rolls.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2-19-2026 have been fully considered. The reference to Kajiwara has been used to respond to Applicant’s amendment in the independent claims 1,11 and 18 claiming feedforward and feedback control capability. Sekine discloses that the meandering model ([0010], lines 7-8) changes moment to moment and any prior moment (time period) is read as “data measured in one prior roll operation” as claimed in claim 1, lines 3-4; claim 11, lines 10-11 and claim 18, lines 6-7. Kajiwara teaches that is it conventional in meandering control devices to install an inter-stand strip deflection sensor (5) between an upstream rolling stand (1,1’) and a downstream rolling stand (2,2’), the upstream and downstream rolling stands include a controller (16,17) constructed to receive signals from the inter-stand deflection sensor and to control the upstream and downstream rolling stand in response to the signals from the inter-stand deflection sensor.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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 EDWARD THOMAS TOLAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4525. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5.
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/EDWARD T TOLAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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