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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the pressure of cooling medium" in line 15 of the claim; and the limitation "the rotational speed" in line 16 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the pressure of cooling medium" in lines 17 and 18 of the claim; and the limitation "the rotational speed" in line 19 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 8, 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hartwich et al. (EP 27083011, herein referenced by the EPO English Machine Translation).
Re Claim 1, Hartwich discloses a tool holder 3 configured to hold a tool for processing a workpiece in a non-rotatable manner, comprising: a body part 17, a rotary member 24, a pump 22, and a nozzle 36, the body part 17 has an attaching part (not labeled, the member on the underside of the tool holder near numeral 14, see figure 2) configured to be detachably attached to a tool holder attachment part of a machine tool 1, a body part inner peripheral surface (Pars. 0035-0040, Fig. 2), a body part interior space formed by the body part inner peripheral surface (See figure 3), a first body part passage 30, and a second body part passage 34; the rotary member 24 is rotatably disposed within the body part interior space of the body part (See figure 3); the pump 22 has a rotary part 23, an inlet part 31, and an outlet part 32, and is configured so that the rotary part 23 is disposed in the body part interior space of the body part so as to be rotatable in conjunction with rotation of the rotary member 24, the inlet part 31 communicates with the first body part passage 30 of the body part 17, the outlet part 32 communicates with the second body part passage 34 of the body part 17, and pressure of a cooling medium suctioned from the inlet part 31 is increased to a pressure corresponding to a rotational speed of the rotary part 23 and pressurized cooling medium is discharged from the outlet part 32; the nozzle 36 has a spray hole configured to spray the pressurized cooling medium, and is attached to the body part 17 so that the spray hole communicates with the second body part passage 34 of the body part 17; and the tool holder 3 is configured such that, in a state in which the attaching part has been attached to the tool holder attachment part, cooling medium supplied from the machine tool 1 is conducted through the first body part passage 30, and the rotary member 24 is rotationally drivable by a drive mechanism 12 provided in the machine tool (Pars. 0041-0053, Figs. 1-3).
Re Claim 8, Hartwich discloses a tool holder 3 configured to hold a tool for processing a workpiece in a non-rotatable manner, comprising: a body part 17 having: an attaching part configured to be detachably attachable to a tool holder attachment part of a machine tool 1 (Pars. 0035-0040), an inner peripheral surface, an interior space defined by the inner peripheral surface (See figure 3), a first fluid passage 30, and second fluid passage 34; a rotary member 24 rotatably disposed within the interior space of the body part 17; a pump 22 including: a rotary part 23 disposed in the interior space of the body part 17 and configured to be rotated by the rotary member 24, an inlet port 31 in fluid communication with the first fluid passage 30 of the body part 17, and an outlet port 32 in fluid communication with the second fluid passage 34 of the body part 17, the pump 22 being configured to proportionally increase pressure of a cooling medium suctioned from the inlet port 31 in accordance with rotational speed of the rotary part 23 and to discharge pressurized cooling medium from the outlet port 32 to the second fluid passage 34 of the body part 17 (Pars. 0043-0049, Fig. 3); and a nozzle 36 attached to the body part 17 such that a spray hole of the nozzle 36 is in fluid communication with the second fluid passage 34 of the body part 17; the tool holder is configured such that, in a state in which the attaching part has been attached to the tool holder attachment part and the rotary member 24 is being rotationally driven by a drive mechanism 12 provided in the machine tool, cooling medium supplied from the machine tool flows into the first fluid passage 30 of the body part (Pars. 0038-0040 and 0050-0053, Figs. 2 and 3).
Re Claims 2-7, Hartwich discloses the body part 17 includes a body member (see figure 3), a sleeve 25, and a cap 27; the body member is formed in a cylindrical shape (See figure 3), and has the attaching part, a body member inner peripheral surface, a body member interior space formed by the body member inner peripheral surface (See figure 3), a first body member passage 30 that opens at the body member inner peripheral surface, and a second body member passage 34 that opens at the body member inner peripheral surface; the sleeve 25 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a sleeve inner peripheral surface (See figure 3), a sleeve outer peripheral surface, a sleeve interior space formed by the sleeve inner peripheral surface (See figure 3), a first sleeve passage that opens at the sleeve outer peripheral surface and the sleeve inner peripheral surface, and a second sleeve passage that opens at the sleeve inner peripheral surface and at the sleeve outer peripheral surface; the sleeve 25 is disposed in the body member interior space so that the first sleeve passage communicates with the first body member passage 30 and the second sleeve passage communicates with the second body member passage 34 (The first and second sleeve passages communicate with the first and second body passages respectively via the inlet and outlet parts 31, 32 as seen in figure 3; as the inlet part provides cooling medium to the sleeve 25 and the outlet part 32 removes cooling medium from the sleeve 25); the cap 27 is provided on the sleeve 25 so as to close the front end side of the sleeve interior space (Par. 0047); the rotary member 24 is rotatably disposed in the body member interior space; the pump 22 is configured so that the rotary part 23 is disposed between the rotary member 24 and the cap 27, the inlet part 31 communicates with the first sleeve passage, and the outlet part 32 communicates with the second sleeve passage; the nozzle 36 is attached to the body member so that the spray hole communicates with the second body member passage 34; and the tool holder 3 is configured such that, in the state in which the attaching part has been attached to the tool holder attachment part, the cooling medium supplied from the machine tool 1 is conducted through the first body member passage 30 (Pars. 0038-0040 and 0050-0053, Fig. 3).
Re Claim 9, Hartwich discloses the body part 17 includes a body member having a cylindrical shape; and the attaching part is defined on the body member (See figure 3).
Re Claim 10, Hartwich discloses the body member has a body member inner peripheral surface, a body member interior space defined by the body member inner peripheral surface, a first body member fluid passage 30 that opens at the body member inner peripheral surface, and a second body member fluid passage 34 that opens at the body member inner peripheral surface (See figure 3).
Re Claim 11, Hartwich discloses the body member inner peripheral surface is a first portion of the inner peripheral surface of the body part 17, the body member interior space is a first portion of the interior space of the body part 17, the first body member fluid passage 30 is a first portion of the first fluid passage of the body part 17, and a second body member fluid passage 24 is a second portion of the first fluid passage of the body part 17 (See figure 3).
Re Claim 12, Hartwich discloses the body part includes a sleeve 25 having a cylindrical shape; the sleeve 25 has a sleeve inner peripheral surface, a sleeve outer peripheral surface, a sleeve interior space defined by the sleeve inner peripheral surface (See figure 3), a first sleeve fluid passage (not shown) that opens at the sleeve outer peripheral surface and at the sleeve inner peripheral surface, and a second sleeve fluid passage (not shown) that opens at the sleeve inner peripheral surface and at the sleeve outer peripheral surface; and the sleeve is disposed in the body member interior space so that the first sleeve fluid passage is in fluid communication with the first body member passage 30 and the second sleeve fluid passage is in fluid communication with the second body member passage 34 (Pars. 0050-0053, Fig. 3). Note: The first and second sleeve passages communicate with the first and second body passages respectively via the inlet and outlet ports 31, 32 as seen in figure 3; as the inlet part provides cooling medium to the sleeve 25 and the outlet part 32 removes cooling medium from the sleeve 25.
Re Claim 13, Hartwich discloses the sleeve inner peripheral surface is a second portion of the inner peripheral surface of the body part 17, the sleeve interior space is a second portion of the interior space of the body part 17, the first sleeve passage is a second portion of the first fluid passage of the body part, and the second sleeve passage is a second portion of the second fluid passage of the body part 17 (See figure 3).
Re Claim 14, Hartwich discloses the body part includes a removable cap 27 that closes a front end side of the sleeve interior space; the rotary member 24 is rotatably disposed in the body member interior space; and the rotary part 23 of the pump 22 is disposed between the rotary member 24 and the cap 27 in a direction along a rotational axis of the rotary part 23, the inlet port 31 of the pump 22 is in fluid communication with the first sleeve fluid passage, and the outlet port 32 of the pump 22 is in fluid communication with the second sleeve fluid passage (Pars. 0038-0040 and 0050-0053, Fig. 3). Note: The first and second sleeve passages communicate with the first and second body passages respectively via the inlet and outlet ports 31, 32 as seen in figure 3; as the inlet part provides cooling medium to the sleeve 25 and the outlet part 32 removes cooling medium from the sleeve 25.
Re Claim 15, Hartwich discloses the nozzle 36 is attached to the body member such that the spray hole is in fluid communication with the second body member fluid passage 34 (See Figure 3); and the tool holder 3 is configured such that, in the state in which the attaching part has been attached to the tool holder attachment part, the cooling medium supplied from the machine tool 1 flows through the first body member fluid passage 30 and the first sleeve fluid passage into the inlet port 31 of the pump 22 (Pars. 0038-0040 and 0050-0053, Figs. 2 and 3).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BAYAN SALONE whose telephone number is (571)270-7739. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-60 PM.
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/BAYAN SALONE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726
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