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 .
Continued Examination
The Final Office Action dated 08/28/2026 is now replaced by this Non-Final Office Action, and the new responding time will restart from the mailing date of this Office 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.
Claims 1, 3-5 and 7, 9-11, and 13-18 are again 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.
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.
Regarding the newly added limitation, the combination of Morozumi, Nagura et al. and Urata et al. is capable of applying more of the grease to an upper half of a circumferential surface of the link pin than to a lower half of the circumferential surface of the link pin, by providing/injecting lubricant from the upper side of the link pin. As the lubricant is injected into the pin from the top, the upper half will be filled before the lower half – thus, there would be more lubricant is applied to the upper half of the link pin than the lower half of the link pin.
Regarding claims 17-18, Morozumi further discloses that the mold clamping housing is provided with an upper mold clamping housing clevis and a lower mold clamping housing clevis, wherein each clevis has a pin hole for housing the link pin and a grease passage therein (Morozumi, [0021]) as shown below:
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Current application Morozumi
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/02/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant argued that the prior art fails to disclose that the main lubrication target link pin is configured so that more of the received grease is applied to an upper half of a circumferential surface of the link pin than to a lower half of the circumferential surface of the link pin. However, the location where the lubricant is applied and the amount of lubricant is an intended to be used and/or an obvious matter of design choice, because where the parts most likely to get stuck, the more lubricant is needed, and the more lubricant is applied.
Further, the current specification discloses that: “since a larger amount of grease is applied to an upper half than a lower half of a circumferential surface of the mold clamping force receiving link pin 43, the grease is more likely to adhere to the contact part 83, which is located on the upper side. Accordingly, a sufficient lubrication state is ensured at the contact part 83, and thus wear is reduced.” See paragraph [0049]. Because upper half of the link pin is more likely adhere to the contact part, more lubricant is needed, and more lubricant is supplied. There is no difference in the structure of the upper half and the lower half of the link pin.
Regarding claims 17 and 18, the combination of Morozumi, Nagura et al. and Urata et al. is capable of applying more of the grease to an upper half of a circumferential surface of the link pin than to a lower half of the circumferential surface of the link pin via a grease passage (Nagura, 29, 30) in order to supply and control the amount of lubricant supplied at the link pin.
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.
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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.
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/Thu Khanh T. Nguyen/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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