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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to Applicant’s amendment filed 24 June 2026.
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 of this title, 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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kitagawa et al. (JP 2541667 B2) in view of Zheng et al. (CN 110340459 A).
Regarding claims 1-2, Kitagawa et al. discloses a tap machining method comprising: forming a female thread (in hole 10a) by cutting while synchronizing a rotation phase of a main spindle with positions of a workpiece to be machined (using numerical control device 80) by a tap 16 and the main spindle 18 in a rotation axis direction of the main spindle, the main spindle rotating while holding the tap with a tool holder 14 mounted on a distal end portion.
Kitagawa et al. does not disclose adding or subtracting an angle amount of torsional deformation of the tap generated according to a cutting speed to or from the rotation phase of the main spindle during the synchronization, or wherein the angle amount of the torsional deformation of the tap is calculated from a relationship between an angle amount of the torsional deformation of the tap and the cutting speed preliminarily obtained by at least any one of a calculation based on material mechanics, a finite element method, or an actual measurement.
Zheng et al. teaches a tap machining method wherein a tap tool shaft torsion deformation is measured according to a rotational period (time for one rotation of the tap) from a rotational phase of the tap main spindle (circumferential position of the tap which is attached to a spindle), wherein the angle amount of the torsional deformation of the tap is calculated from a relationship between an angle amount ΔӨ-1 of the torsional deformation of the tap and the cutting speed (based on the rotational period) using a calculation of actual measurements by a photoelectric sensor, all for the purpose of optimizing the tapping precision of the machine. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to have combined the tap machining method of Kitagawa et al. with the torsional deformation measurement of Zheng et al. in order to improve the tapping precision of the tap machining method.
Regarding claims 3-4, Kitagawa et al. discloses a tap machining apparatus comprising: a machining unit 12/14/16/18/20 that forms a female thread (in hole 10a) by cutting while synchronizing a rotation phase of a main spindle 18 with positions of a workpiece 10 to be machined (using numerical control device 80) by a tap 16 and the main spindle in a rotation axis direction of the main spindle, the main spindle rotating while holding the workpiece mounted on a distal end portion 12.
Kitagawa et al. does not disclose an adding or subtracting unit that adds or subtract an angle amount of torsional deformation of the tap generated according to a cutting speed to or from the rotation phase of the main spindle during the synchronization, or wherein the angle amount of the torsional deformation of the tap is calculated from a relationship between an angle amount of the torsional deformation of the tap and the cutting speed preliminarily obtained by at least any one of a calculation based on material mechanics, a finite element method, or an actual measurement.
Zheng et al. teaches a tap machining apparatus comprising a control box 2 that is used whereby a tap tool shaft torsion deformation is measured according to a rotational period (time for one rotation of the tap) from a rotational phase of the tap main spindle (circumferential position of the tap which is attached to a spindle), wherein the angle amount of the torsional deformation of the tap is calculated from a relationship between an angle amount ΔӨ-1 of the torsional deformation of the tap and the cutting speed (based on the rotational period) using a calculation of actual measurements by a photoelectric sensor, all for the purpose of optimizing the tapping precision of the machine. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to have combined the tap machining method of Kitagawa et al. with the torsional deformation measurement of Zheng et al. in order to improve the tapping precision of the tap machining apparatus.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 4-7, filed 24 June 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-4 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Kitagawa et al. (JP 2541667 B2) in view of Zheng et al. (CN 110340459 A).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC ANDREW GATES whose telephone number is (571)272-5498. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 9-6, Alt Fr 9-5.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sunil Singh, can be reached on 571-272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ERIC A. GATES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3722 15 July 2026
Prosecution Insights