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 § 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 1-5 and 7-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morozumi et al. (EP 3 640 001) in view of Urata et al. (US 2011/0159132) and Nagura et al. (4,773,845).
Morozumi et al. discloses a molding apparatus, comprising a mold clamping unit 100, an ejector unit 200, an injection unit 300, a movement unit 400, a controller 700, and a frame 900. The frame 900 includes a mold clamping unit frame 910 and an injection unit frame 920. Each of the mold clamping unit frame 910 and the injection unit frame 920 is installed on a floor 2 via a leveling adjuster 930. The controller 700 is disposed in an internal space of the injection unit frame 920.
Wherein the mold clamping unit 100 includes a stationary platen 110, the movable platen 120, a toggle support 130, a tie bar 140, a toggle mechanism 150, a mold clamping motor 160, a motion conversion mechanism 170, and a mold space adjustment mechanism 180.
Wherein the toggle mechanism 150 is disposed between the movable platen 120 and the toggle support 130 and moves the movable platen 120 in the mold opening and closing directions with respect to the toggle support 130. The toggle mechanism 150 includes a crosshead 151, a pair of link groups, or the like. Each link group includes a first link 152 and a second link 153 which are bendably/stretchably connected by pins 50. The first link 152 is attached to the movable platen 120 so as to be oscillated by pins 50. The second link 153 is attached to the toggle support 130 so as to be oscillated by pins 50. The second link 153 is attached to the crosshead 151 via a third link 154. If the crosshead 151 moves forward or rearward with respect to the toggle support 130, the first link 152 and the second link 153 are bent and stretched and the movable platen 120 moves forward or rearward with respect to the toggle support 130.
Morozumi et al. further discloses a wear detection unit 88 which detects wear of the sliding surfaces of the connection pin 50 and the bush 55 is provided in the connection portion 40, wherein the wear detection unit and position measuring unit 88 are connected to the controller 700 to determine whether the pin 50 or the bush 55 are worn, and the position of the link 153 is displaced to the toggle support 130 accordingly.
Regarding to the newly added limitation, Morozumi et al. fails to disclose that additional greasing point each of the mold clamping force receiving link pins includes at least one greasing point through which grease is provided to the link pin.
Morozumi et al. also fails to disclose that the amount of grease provide at the pin is regulated so that the main lubrication target link pin is configured to receive more grease than the other mold clamping force receiving link pins by either including an additional greasing point through which additional grease is provided to the main lubrication target link pin or connecting its one greasing point to multiple grease metering valves.
Nagura et al. discloses a toggle-type mold-clamping apparatus, comprising a plurality of toggle pins 23 and toggle bushing 24, wherein each toggle pin 23 is provided with an axial oil-feed hole 29 extending halfway from a substantially central portion of the upper end surface of the toggle pin 23; and a radial oil-feed hole 30 which extends radially to communicate with the axial oil-feed hole 29 and to open in a peripheral surface of the toggle pin 23, so that a divergent opening of the radial oil-feed hole 30 is formed in the peripheral surface of the toggle pin 23; a grease mixed with the fine particles of the solid lubricant is filled in the axial oil-feed hole 29 and the radial oil-feed hole 30, so that the thus filled grease 35 incorporates with the lubricant film 34 to lubricate each toggle pin 23.
Urata et al. discloses an automatic grease supply device for an injection molding machine, comprising a toggle mechanism forming the mold clamping mechanism and made up of a toggle link 25 and the like is disposed between the rear platen 1 and the movable platen 7 and a nut provided to a crosshead of the toggle mechanism is fitted by screwing over a ball screw 17 mounted to the rear platen 1 to be rotatable but axially immovable. The mold clamping servomotor 21 drives the ball screw 17 through a transmission mechanism 19 to thereby move the movable platen 7 toward or away from the fixed platen 13 to close or open the molds 9 and 11 to thereby form a toggle-type mold clamping device, a grease supply pump 29 sends the grease for lubrication and stored in a grease cartridge 27 to the respective grease supply points 3 through the grease supply pipe 5 under control of the controller 2. The grease supply pump 29 supplies a predetermined amount of the lubricant such as the grease to the respective grease supply points 3, outputs a grease end signal, and stops automatically as shown in Figures 1-2.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide Morozumi et al. with an automatic grease supply device for the toggle mechanism as taught by Urata et al. to a plurality of oil-feed holes at each of the toggle pin as taught by Nagura et al. by supply an appropriate amount of lubricant to a specific pin location based on the detection of the pin wear detection unit of Morozumi et al. and using the automatic grease supply controller of Urata et al. in order to improve and effectively prevent wear of sliding surfaces and rotating surfaces of movable portion of the plurality of toggle pins in an injection molding machine. Because the main lubrication target link pin is subjected to more use, more lubrication oil/grease is needed as detected by the pin wear detection unit of Morozumi, more lubrication oil would be supplied by the automatic grease supply controller.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-5 and 7-16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Nagura et al. disclose that a grease mixed with the fine particles of the solid lubricant is filled in the axial oil-feed hole 29 and the radial oil-feed hole 30, so that the thus filled grease 35 incorporates with the lubricant film 34 to lubricate the toggle pin 23 and the toggle bushing 24.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide additional lubricant feeding holes at each and all toggle pins as taught by Nagura, wherein the lubricant oil feeding hole can be connected to an automatic oil controlled/supplied system as taught by Urata to improve the operation of Morozumi et al’s toggle system.
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