DETAILED ACTION
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 10-11, 14, 17, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by JP H01127607, hereinafter, JP607’.
Regarding claim 10, JP607’discloses a wiping apparatus (Fig. 1-5) for removing a liquid from a surface of a strip of metal being conveyed (intended use: “oil removal wiper at the rolling material”), comprising: a first wiping member (left set of 7, 8 – embodiment of Fig. 5) disposed to be contactable with a rolled face of the strip (surface of 4), wherein the first wiping member has an oblique portion (left set of 7, 8 is in an angle oblique to a strip width direction) extending in a direction oblique to a strip width direction of the strip, and wherein the wiping apparatus further comprises a third wiping member (right set of 7, 8 see Fig. 5) disposed to be contactable with an end face (edge of the strip 4) of the strip in the strip width direction, the third wiping member having a flat face (right side set of 7, 8 is flat see Fig. 5) contactable with the end face and extending (extending vertically – see Fig. 2,3) along a plane (vertical plane) perpendicular to the strip width direction.
Regarding claim 11, JP607’discloses the wiping apparatus according to claim 10, comprising: a first elastic member (14) configured to press the third wiping member toward the end face of the strip.
Regarding claim 14, JP607’discloses the wiping apparatus according to the wiping apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the third wiping member (right side set of 7,8 as viewed in Fig. 5) is disposed downstream of the first wiping member in a conveying direction of the strip.
Regarding claim 17, JP607’discloses a rolling facility, comprising: a mill roll (Fig. 1) for rolling a strip of metal (4); and the wiping apparatus according to claim 10, which is disposed downstream of the mill roll in a conveying direction (left to right direction as viewed in Fig. 1) of the strip.
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 1-3, 5-7, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP H01127607, hereinafter, JP607’ in view of Van Anglen (US 6217725).
Regarding claim 1, JP607’discloses a wiping apparatus (Fig. 1-5) for removing a liquid from a surface of a strip of metal being conveyed (intended use: “oil removal wiper at the rolling material”), comprising: a first wiping member (set of 7, 8 – embodiment of Fig. 5) disposed to be contactable with a rolled face of the strip (surface of 4), wherein the first wiping member has an oblique portion (left set of 7, 8 is in an angle oblique to a strip width direction) extending in a direction oblique to a strip width direction of the strip.
Although JP607’ teaches that there are a pair of the first wiping members (Fig. 5) disposed to be contactable with the rolled face of the strip in regions including opposite end portions of the strip in the strip width direction, respectively, JP607’ fails to disclose wherein the wiping apparatus further comprises a pair of second wiping members provided separately from the first wiping member and disposed to be contactable with the rolled face of the strip in regions including opposite end portions of the strip in the strip width direction, respectively.
Van Anglen teaches (Fig. 1-60) that having multiple wiping members in series in the longitudinal direction of the strip is known and provides better wiping of the strip.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to add to the wiping apparatus of JP607’ with another pair of wiping members in the longitudinal direction of the strip (in this case in the downstream direction) as taught by Van Anglen in order to provide better wiping of the strip.
Regarding claim 2, modified JP607’ teaches the wiping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first wiping member includes a first oblique portion (left set of 7, 8 – see Fig. 5) located on a first end side (left end side) of the strip in the strip width direction, and a second oblique portion (right set of 7, 8) located on a second end side of the strip in the strip width direction, wherein the first oblique portion extends in a direction oblique toward downstream in a conveying direction of the strip, from the second end side toward the first end side in the strip width direction, and wherein the second oblique portion extends in a direction oblique toward downstream in the conveying direction of the strip, from the first end side toward the second end side in the strip width direction. (see Fig. 5)
Regarding claim 3, modified JP607’ teaches the wiping apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a first drive part (13) for moving the first wiping member along the strip width direction.
Regarding claim 5, modified JP607’ teaches the wiping apparatus according to the wiping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of second wiping members is disposed downstream of the first wiping member in a conveying direction of the strip, and is disposed so as to partially overlap the first wiping member in the strip width direction. (as modified, the second wiping members will be in the down stream of the first wiping member and would overlap with the first wiping member since it will be duplicate of the first set of wiping members – see claim 1 rejection).
Regarding claim 6, modified JP607’ teaches the wiping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of second wiping member is disposed adjacent to the first wiping member in an extension direction (longitudinal direction of the strip. Since first wiping member also extends in the direction as well.) of the first wiping member.
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Regarding claim 7, modified JP607’ teaches the wiping apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a second drive part (13s) for moving each of the pair of second wiping member along the strip width direction.
Regarding claim 15, modified JP607’ teaches a rolling facility, comprising: a mill roll (Fig. 1) for rolling a strip of metal (4); and the wiping apparatus according to claim 1, which is disposed downstream of the mill roll in a conveying direction (left to right direction as viewed in Fig. 1) of the strip.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 9, 12, 13, 16 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 a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art discloses or render obvious claims 8, 9, 12, 13, 16. Therefore, the claims are indicated allowable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 4601112, US 6217725 teach a similar wiping device.
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 BOBBY YEONJIN KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-1866. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 am - 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Templeton can be reached on (571) 270-1477. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BOBBY YEONJIN KIM/ Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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