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 .
Claims 1 and 3-20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/5/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicants have amended claim 1 with the features of claim 2 (now canceled), and further made arguments concerning the combination compared to the prior art references.
It is noted that the feature regarding spinning an industrial bio-based polyamide filament of 55 dtex-2222 detx is directed to an intended use of the spinning-drawing-winding device. Here, the structural elements are taught to be capable of working for spinning the materials and the claimed particular material to be spun while noted do not provide additional structural claim limitations to differentiate over the prior art.
Further, the arguments primarily concerns the opposite rotational directions of the tow windings between subsequent hot rollers as claimed has been reconsidered. However, after an updated search, it is noted that the ICHIKAWA reference teaches of this particular arrangement, see the rejections below.
Lastly, concerning the teaching of the duplication of the rollers and heating plates of MAN, this has been considered. However, the ICHIKAWA teaches of a similar embodiment of successive rollers which are all heated, while in an alternative configuration, having a similar effect across the plural drawing rollers. This concept is considered in light of the combination of the MAN in view of ICHIKAWA concerning maintaining the temperature across the plural drawing rollers.
In conclusion, the amended claims and arguments have been considered. The rejection of the remaining pending claims are shown below in light of the latest reference that teaches the features raised.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 10-12, and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 108642583 A (MAN et al, from IDS) in view of US2014/0302263A1 (ISE) and ICHIKAWA (US 20130264733 A1).
Re: 1, MAN teaches of a spinning-drawing-winding device for industrial bio-based polyamide (see polyamide melt 56), sequentially comprising, along a traveling direction of a tow, a feeding-splitting filament tension roller, a first pair of drawing hot rollers, a second pair of drawing hot rollers, a third pair of drawing hot rollers, a fourth pair of drawing hot rollers and a fifth pair of drawing hot rollers (see pairs of rollers 15-19);
two adjacent rotational directions among a rotational direction of the tow winding through the first pair of drawing hot rollers, a rotational direction of the tow winding through the second pair of drawing hot rollers.
See teaching in abstract of an extrusion device (1), a melt conduit system (2, 3), a spinning beam, metering pumps (5), a spinning device (6), a cooling device (9), a channel component, an oiling device (11), the yarn guiding and drafting device and winding devices (see abstract); and further comprises an individual suction device (sucking pipe). See MAN with teaching of the pairs of rollers, see Fig. 1.
See also teaching of the polyamide yarn formed and of the breaking strength of not less than 8.5cn/dtex. The MAN reference does not specifically teach of the structure that is “to spin an industrial bio-based polyamide filament of 55 dtex - 2222 dtex”. However, it is an intended use of the structure that the apparatus structure of MAN is capable of operating upon filament. Whereupon, spinning such materials are known in the art, as seen in in the teaching by ISE that teaches of polyamide fiber formed, and includes fiber density of 100-700 dtex, see abstract. Although the reference does not explicitly state the claimed range, there is an overlapping ranges taught in the reference and the claimed range. Here, regarding the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. See MPEP 2144.05 (I).
Whereupon, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to recognize the spinning-drawing-winding device of MAN would be capable in operating such material such that taught in ISE for spinning a filament.
Regarding the features of, wherein, along the direction of traveling of the tow, the device sequentially comprises the feeding-splitting filament tension roller, a first heating plate, the first pair of drawing hot rollers, a second heating plate, the second pair of drawing hot rollers, a third heating plate, the third pair of drawing hot rollers, a fourth heating plate, the fourth pair of drawing hot rollers, a fifth heating plate and the fifth pair of drawing hot rollers; the first heating plate, the second heating plate, the third heating plate, the fourth heating plate and the fifth heating plate each heat the tow in areas between two adjacent rollers. It is noted that the MAN reference does not specifically teach of the additional plates and rollers after the heating plate and hot rollers.
See in MAN of the teaching of heating plate 7c, see Fig. 6. Wherein, the rollers 15-19 are hot rollers. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the rollers and plates of the MAN reference with the additional heating plates are seen as a duplication of parts, in this regards of the heating plate taught by the reference, see MPEP2144.04 VI B.
Further, MAN does not specifically teach of “a rotational direction of the tow winding through the third pair of drawing hot rollers, a rotational direction of the tow winding through the fourth pair of drawing hot rollers are opposite to each other.”
Wherein, the concept of the rotational direction of the tow windings from successive pairs of rollers are known in the art, see in the teaching by ICHIKAWA of different variations of the arrangement, see Figs. 2 and 5-8, and includes the claimed arrangement of the rotational directions of the tow windings being opposite to each other on the rollers, see Fig. 6, between rollers 6-3 to 6-8. As seen in [0104], the rotation direction of the opposed rolls being of reversed directions are a known configuration, and see also [0226] of the rotating in reversed direction of the opposed rolls. Allowing for shorter drawing length without spoiling threadability, see [0226].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have further modify the roll arrangements of the modified MAN with the reverse direction of the rolls as taught by ICHIKAWA for allowing for shorter drawing length without spoiling threadability.
Further, the ICHIKAWA reference teaches of the sets of rollers, see Fig. 5, that are heated in an insulation box 5-8, see [0239]. Which would encompass the concept regarding maintaining the heat of the claimed successive heating plates and pairs of drawing hot rollers, and wherein the teaching of the MAN reference regarding the duplication of the parts of the rollers and the heating plates would provide for maintaining the desired temperature of filament along the drawing rollers.
Re: 3 (upon 1), wherein:
the feeding-splitting filament tension roller adopts a fixed cold roller cooperating with an angle-adjustable splitting filament roller; and the first pair of drawing hot rollers, the second pair of drawing hot rollers, the third pair of drawing hot rollers, the fourth pair of drawing hot rollers and the fifth pair of drawing hot rollers each adopt an angle-adjustable hot roller cooperating with an angle-adjustable hot roller;
the first pair of drawing hot rollers are low-temperature rollers;
the second pair of drawing hot rollers, the third pair of drawing hot rollers, the fourth pair of drawing hot rollers and the fifth pair of drawing hot rollers each are high temperature rollers; and a draw ratio between the feeding-splitting filament tension roller and the first pair of drawing hot rollers is maintained at 1: (1.04-1.08);
a draw multiple of the first pair of drawing hot rollers and the second pair of drawing hot rollers is 1.5 to 3.5 times; a draw multiple of the second pair of drawing hot rollers and the third pair of drawing hot rollers is 2.0 to 3.5 times; a draw multiple of the third pair of drawing hot rollers and the fourth pair of drawing hot rollers is generally 1.7 to 2.5 times; and a draw multiple of the fourth pair of drawing hot rollers and the fifth pair of drawing hot rollers is 0.9-1.0 times.
See teaching of cooling roller, see including claim 9.
See teaching of wire drawing device that comprises of guide member 13, wire feeding roller part 14, first pair of drafting rollers 15, second pair of drafting rollers 16, and holding the guide roller 20. The additional rollers are seen as a duplication of parts, in this regards of rollers taught by the reference, see MPEP2144.04 VI B.
Re: 4 (upon 1), wherein:
when an industrial bio-based polyamide filament of 55 dtex-111 dtex is spun, a heating temperature of the first heating plate is set as 50-65°C, and a temperature of the first pair of drawing hot rollers is set as 75-100°C; and
when an industrial bio-based polyamide filament of 1670 dtex-2222 dtex is spun, a heating temperature of the first heating plate is set as 70-90°C, and a temperature of the first pair of drawing hot rollers is set as 75-100°C.
The temperature settings are an intended use of the apparatus. Wherein, the reference teaches of the filament that are drawn at a dtex that overlaps with the claimed range.
Re: 10 (upon 1), concerning the plural heating plates and of the construction of these elements, the MAN reference already teaches of the heating plate, and whereby, the additional heating plates are seen as a duplication of parts, in this regards of the heating plate taught by the reference, see MPEP2144.04 VI B.
Re: 11, Claim 11 having similar production process as taught in claim 1 above.
Re: 12 (upon 11), wherein the feeding-splitting filament tension roller adopts a fixed cold roller cooperating with an angle-adjustable splitting filament roller, here, the features of the drafting rollers are taught in claim 9 of the MAN reference.
Re: 14 (upon 11), regarding the claimed screw extruder features, the MAN reference teaches of a screw extruder 1 which one skilled in the art would recognize as teaching the implied features.
Re: 15-16 (upon 11), regarding the claimed melt pipe features, the MAN reference teaches of the melt pipeline system 3, melt branches 3b, spinning boxes (spinning device), and delivery pumps 5, see Figs. 3-4. Wherein, the claimed arrangement is seen as a variation of the configuration taught by the MAN reference.
Re: 17 (upon 11), regarding the spinning box features, the MAN reference teaches of the melt pipeline system 3, melt branches 3b, spinning boxes (spinning device), and delivery pumps 5, see Figs. 3-4. Wherein, the claimed arrangement is seen as a variation of the configuration taught by the MAN reference.
Re: 18-19 (upon 11), regarding the suction mechanism, see teaching of the monomer suction device for spinning machine, see MAN, Fig. 8, suction pipe 8a.
Re: 20 (upon 11), wherein the double-surface oiling mechanism, see teaching of oiling device taught by MAN.
Claim(s) 5-9 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MAN in view of ISE and ICHIKAWA as applied to claims 1, 4, and 12 above, and further in view of KEULERS (US 10370780 B2).
Re: 5-9 and 13 these are seen as intended use of the heating plates and drawing hot rollers, which the modified structure of Man in view of Ise would be capable of operating at the particular temperatures for the desired output of the product formed.
Further, the teaching of KEULERS teaches of the successive rolls, see 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, see Figs. 1 and 2. Wherein heated roll pairs are provided and having different stages with different temperatures, see pair of rolls 11 at 50-80 and then a pair 21 at 120-245, While in in Fig. 2, the later heated pairs are at 250-260, and further applying of heated hot air ovens, etc, see Col. 5, lines 5-10 and lines 18-34.
Here, these are known variations of operation of the drawing rolls and can be heated, drawn, and relaxed, and it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have further modify the operation at the different stages of the modified MAN in view of ISE as seen by the different temperature operating conditions as taught by KEULERS for steps that includes teaching of higher temperature for relaxation being increased in each subsequent stage that allows for sufficient yarn tension is maintained between relaxation rolls which avoids breaking the yarn, see Col. 5, lines 57-63.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMANUEL S LUK whose telephone number is (571)272-1134. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9 to 5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xiao S Zhao can be reached at 571-270-5343. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EMMANUEL S LUK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744