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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/20/2024 was filed and is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cochran et al. (US Pub No. 20140311256 A1, as provided) in view of Maguire et al. (US Pub No. 20180270701 A1, as provided).
Regarding Claim 1,
Cochran discloses A method for inspecting containers provided with container closures, wherein the container closure has a closure cap screwed onto a mouth of the container, (Cochran, [0005], discloses a method comprises capturing a first image of a cap fitted to a container, capturing a second image of at least a portion of a support ring of the container, wherein the capturing of the first image and the second image occurs non-simultaneously, and, analyzing the first image and the second image to determine a removal torque required to remove the cap from the container or a rotational position of the cap based on the fiducials, marks or orientation patterns; connecting )
wherein the containers are transported by a transport device and inspected by an inspection device, wherein a rotational position of the closure cap relative to the container is determined, and wherein a first marking located on the container is recorded in order to determine the rotational position, wherein the rotational position of the container closure is determined from a position of the connecting strand and/or a position of at least one fastening section. (Cochran, [0042-0043], [0051], discloses technique to assess or analyze cap (or closure) opening, or removal, torque required for containers having caps (or closures) fitted thereon, or a rotational position of the cap on the bottle. In at least one form, the presently described embodiments relate to a high speed, on-line machine vision system which measures or determines the rotational position of the cap on a bottle, measures or determines the rotational position of the finish or neck portion (e.g. threaded, in most cases) of the same bottle, and then, in some cases, uses such positional information to predict or estimate the torque (e.g. opening or removal torque) that it will take for a consumer to remove the bottle cap from the bottle, conditions of 1) the cap being too difficult for the consumer to open the container, and 2) the cap not rotated or turned sufficiently onto the bottle to seal properly, may both be addressed by the presently described embodiments. Also, the rotational position of the cap may be assessed for acceptability or otherwise using the techniques of the presently described embodiments; there is a substantial correlation between the exact rotational position of the cap, after cap application, and the rotational position of, for example, the bottle threads from the perspective of cap removal torque requirements. The rotational position of the cap alone, e.g. relative to the bottle, may also provide useful information. Refer, for example, to FIG. 2(a). By comparison of the final rotational position of the bottle finish or neck 104 including the neck or support ring 106 with the final applied rotation of the cap 108, an estimation of the torque that will be required to open the bottle 102 or a rotational position of the cap can be derived. In this regard, the finish area 104 of the bottle 102 and the threads molded into the cap both have tolerance limits/ranges. The estimation of the opening torque will be within its own composite tolerance range. Also, it should be appreciated that, in at least one form, the caps and support rings have fiducials, marks or orientation patterns consistently oriented with respect to a start of the respective thread elements of the cap and bottle or neck portion; marker initial position and position after rotation is determined based on image captured after rotation to determine secure fastening of bottle cap with the bottle)
Cochran does not explicitly disclose a securing device arranged on the container below the mouth in a longitudinal direction of the container, a connecting strand that connects the securing device to the closure cap, a first fastening section where the connecting strand is fastened to the closure cap, and a second fastening section with which the connecting strand is arranged on the securing device
Maguire discloses a securing device arranged on the container below the mouth in a longitudinal direction of the container, a connecting strand that connects the securing device to the closure cap, a first fastening section where the connecting strand is fastened to the closure cap, and a second fastening section with which the connecting strand is arranged on the securing device (Maguire, [0018], [0049], Fig. 1, 2(a)-2(g), 3, 17-23, the plurality of connecting portions 5 are formed in between the first incision line 3 and the plurality of second incision lines 4. In the present invention, the shape of the plurality of connecting portions 5 is not particularly limited. The shape of the plurality of the connecting portions 5 is depended on the shapes of the first incision line 3 and the plurality of second incision lines 4 located at the sides of the plurality of connecting portions 5. In the present example, the shape of the plurality of connecting portions 5 is cuboid (shown in FIG. 3). In the present invention, the quantity of the plurality of connecting portions 5 is not particularly limited. However, in the present example, the quantity of the plurality of connecting portions 5 is 2. In the present invention, the spacing between each of the plurality of connecting portions 5 is not particularly limited as well. However, in the present example, each of the plurality of connecting portions 5 is separated by parts of the plurality of second incision lines 4; a cap 301 that after being removed from a container 300, may be held against container 300 in a flipped position. Specifically, in FIG. 17, a cap 301 is shown secured on a container 300. A first incision 303 and a second incision 304 form a connection portion 305 and a connection portion 306 between cap 301 and a ring member 302. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, a region 307 exists between a location where connection portion 305 is connected to ring member 302 and where connection portion 306 is connected to cap 301. A height of cap 301 and a diameter of cap 301 affect a length of region 307 and whether region 307 even exists, as dimensions of region 307, first incision 303 and second incision 304 are all dependent on sizing connection portion 305 and sizing connection portion 306 so that when cap 301 is removed from container 300, cap 301 may be held in a flipped position against container 300 by connection portion 305 and connection portion 306; first and second fastening sections are disclosed with which the fastening thread is attached to first part of the cap and second part of the thread to the bottle for securing or fastening the cap with container bottle)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to combine the teachings of Cochran in view of Maguire having a method of determining markings patterns on container and container closure cap by extracting patterns in the captured image, with the teachings of Maguire by processing threads and its securing means on both the container and closure to determine if the container closure cap is fully secured on top of a container bottle for applications including manufacturing and supplying of perishable and nonperishable items securely without spill.
Regarding Claim 2,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein at least one image of an upper side of the container closure is recorded. (Cochran, [0045], Fi. 2(a)-2(c), Fig, 3-4, discloses each example bottle or container 102 has a neck or finish portion and support (or neck) ring. During the process, the system 100 fits a cap or closure to the bottles or containers 102. The system uses a camera/lighting/optics or imaging system 120 that may take a variety of forms (as will be described in greater detail below in example embodiments), but, in one form, views a capped bottle 102 from the top and images both the cap and also the neck or support ring (just below the cap). Multiple views and/or multiple cameras could be used. The system, which can include a variety of features including many of the features described below, obtains an image or images using one or more cameras; images from top side (upper side) of the container cap is disclosed). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 3,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the marking located on the container is received by the same inspection device, such as the position of the connecting strand and/or the position of the fastening section. (Cochran, [0051] With respect to the presently described embodiments as thus far described, it should be appreciated, for example, that there is a substantial correlation between the exact rotational position of the cap, after cap application, and the rotational position of, for example, the bottle threads from the perspective of cap removal torque requirements. The rotational position of the cap alone, e.g. relative to the bottle, may also provide useful information. Refer, for example, to FIG. 2(a). By comparison of the final rotational position of the bottle finish or neck 104 including the neck or support ring 106 with the final applied rotation of the cap 108, an estimation of the torque that will be required to open the bottle 102 or a rotational position of the cap can be derived. In this regard, the finish area 104 of the bottle 102 and the threads molded into the cap both have tolerance limits/ranges. The estimation of the opening torque will be within its own composite tolerance range. Also, it should be appreciated that, in at least one form, the caps and support rings have fiducials, marks or orientation patterns consistently oriented with respect to a start of the respective thread elements of the cap and bottle or neck portion; location of marking and its pattern is located). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 4,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the inspection device determines at least one further property characteristic of the container closure and/or of its arrangement on the container. (Cochran, [0064], Fig. 4, discloses provide for the neck ring or support ring 106 to have an identifiable orientation feature or fiducial 410 to help assess the rotational orientation of the cap 108. For example, the orientation feature could either be a naturally occurring feature in its normal design aesthetics or specifically molded in for rotational orientation detection (as shown by mark 410) or any combination of the two. Similarly, the cap or closure could have naturally aesthetic features which could be used to detect the bottle, molded features, and/or the thread start features. A special mark or fiducial 420 could be molded in for this purpose and would often be needed. These marks or features could be used alone or in combination (as will be described below in example embodiments) to assess whether the cap is properly fitted to the bottle; multiple features are located from container bottle cap and threading and fastening sections are located from the image). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 5,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the further property is selected from a group of properties which contains a color of the container closure, a type of the container closure, an orientation of the container closure on the container, and damage to the container closure or the container. (Cochran, [0064], Fig. 4, discloses provide for the neck ring or support ring 106 to have an identifiable orientation feature or fiducial 410 to help assess the rotational orientation of the cap 108. For example, the orientation feature could either be a naturally occurring feature in its normal design aesthetics or specifically molded in for rotational orientation detection (as shown by mark 410) or any combination of the two. Similarly, the cap or closure could have naturally aesthetic features which could be used to detect the bottle, molded features, and/or the thread start features. A special mark or fiducial 420 could be molded in for this purpose and would often be needed. These marks or features could be used alone or in combination (as will be described below in example embodiments) to assess whether the cap is properly fitted to the bottle; multiple features are located from container bottle cap and threading and fastening sections are located from the image including orientation patterns feature). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 6,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the inspection device records at least one spatially resolved image of the container and the container closure. (Maguire, [0028], Fig. 3, discloses three-dimensional schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the cap for a container of the present invention being separated from a container, wherein the cap shown can be any one of the caps of any one of the above-mentioned examples. Hereinafter, the practical application of the cap provided by the present invention will be further described in detail using the cap shown in Fig. 1; discloses container closure cap image with spatial details). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 7,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the container is inspected in its longitudinal direction and/or perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. (Cochran, [0055], Fig. 1, 2(a)-2(c), 3-4, discloses a system 200 incorporating a single camera is shown. In the system 200, a camera 205 is provided with a telecentric lens 210. Of course, the camera 205 may take a variety of forms. For example, the camera(s) used may be monochromatic or color cameras--each of which has advantageous features. For example, if a color camera is used, different color planes could be used to generate separate images, respectively (e.g. cap image in one color plane and a neck or support ring image in another color plane). It should be appreciated that, in at least one form, the image capturing (e.g. capturing a cap image and a support or neck ring image) may be accomplished by the camera non-simultaneously (e.g. sequentially). Likewise, although a telecentric lens is illustrated, other types of lens systems may be incorporated in the system. An optional beam splitter 215 may be provided between the lens 210 and a light source 220 (for example, having light emitting elements 225, e.g. Light Emitting Diodes LEDs, configured in suitable arrays to direct light to surfaces of interest such as the top surface of the cap 108 and the support ring 106 of the container 102). If optional beam splitter 215 is used, a lighting array 217 may be provided to generate additional axial lighting or collimated lighting; Fig. discloses longitudinal and perpendicular direction image of the container and closure cap being processed). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 8,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein container closure is identified. (Cochran, [0064-0065], Fig. 2a-2c, 3-4, the presently described embodiments, in at least one form, provide for the neck ring or support ring 106 to have an identifiable orientation feature or fiducial 410 to help assess the rotational orientation of the cap 108. For example, the orientation feature could either be a naturally occurring feature in its normal design aesthetics or specifically molded in for rotational orientation detection (as shown by mark 410) or any combination of the two. Similarly, the cap or closure could have naturally aesthetic features which could be used to detect the bottle, molded features, and/or the thread start features. A special mark or fiducial 420 could be molded in for this purpose and would often be needed. These marks or features could be used alone or in combination (as will be described below in example embodiments) to assess whether the cap is properly fitted to the bottle; it should be appreciated that the marks or fiducials, in at least one form, on the cap can be correlated to the thread pattern on the inside of the cap. In some cases, a dual thread pattern may dictate that more than one fiducial be molded into the cap. Also, the marks or fiducials for the support ring can be correlated to the thread pattern of the bottle; container closure cap thread (fastening) is determined). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 9,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein a type of the container closure is taken into account for determining the rotational position of the container closure. (Cochran, [0068-0070], discloses applied to many different types of containers including, but not limited to, plastic bottles, glass bottles, metal cans with a threaded or twist cap or closure removal, or other types of containers having threaded opening facility; if a neck ring or support ring is not part of the container's design, it is possible to use another visible surface of the container which can incorporate a fiducial mark for the practice of the presently described embodiments; it should be appreciated that, in at least some circumstances, optimized optics and illumination techniques will improve overall performance and, for example, may facilitate using smaller and less noticeable or less obtrusive fiducials; different types of container types are taken into account when twisting applied to caps for rotations of the threads). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 13,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the marking located on the container is received by the same inspection device, such as the position of the connecting strand and/or the position of the fastening section. (Cochran, [0051], discloses there is a substantial correlation between the exact rotational position of the cap, after cap application, and the rotational position of, for example, the bottle threads from the perspective of cap removal torque requirements. The rotational position of the cap alone, e.g. relative to the bottle, may also provide useful information. Refer, for example, to FIG. 2(a). By comparison of the final rotational position of the bottle finish or neck 104 including the neck or support ring 106 with the final applied rotation of the cap 108, an estimation of the torque that will be required to open the bottle 102 or a rotational position of the cap can be derived. In this regard, the finish area 104 of the bottle 102 and the threads molded into the cap both have tolerance limits/ranges. The estimation of the opening torque will be within its own composite tolerance range. Also, it should be appreciated that, in at least one form, the caps and support rings have fiducials, mark s or orientation patterns consistently oriented with respect to a start of the respective thread elements of the cap and bottle or neck portion; marking patterns are located from the image of container and closure cap). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 14,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the inspection device determines at least one further property characteristic of the container closure and/or of its arrangement on the container. (Cochran, [0064], Fig. 4, discloses provide for the neck ring or support ring 106 to have an identifiable orientation feature or fiducial 410 to help assess the rotational orientation of the cap 108. For example, the orientation feature could either be a naturally occurring feature in its normal design aesthetics or specifically molded in for rotational orientation detection (as shown by mark 410) or any combination of the two. Similarly, the cap or closure could have naturally aesthetic features which could be used to detect the bottle, molded features, and/or the thread start features. A special mark or fiducial 420 could be molded in for this purpose and would often be needed. These marks or features could be used alone or in combination (as will be described below in example embodiments) to assess whether the cap is properly fitted to the bottle; features are determined from the image to be processed). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 15,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein Amendment the further property is selected from a group of properties which contains a color of the container closure, a type of the container closure, an orientation of the container closure on the container, and damage to the container closure or the container. (Cochran, [0064], Fig. 4, discloses provide for the neck ring or support ring 106 to have an identifiable orientation feature or fiducial 410 to help assess the rotational orientation of the cap 108. For example, the orientation feature could either be a naturally occurring feature in its normal design aesthetics or specifically molded in for rotational orientation detection (as shown by mark 410) or any combination of the two. Similarly, the cap or closure could have naturally aesthetic features which could be used to detect the bottle, molded features, and/or the thread start features. A special mark or fiducial 420 could be molded in for this purpose and would often be needed. These marks or features could be used alone or in combination (as will be described below in example embodiments) to assess whether the cap is properly fitted to the bottle; features including orientation are determined from the image to be processed). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 16,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the inspection device records at least one spatially resolved image of the container and the container closure. (Maguire, [0028], Fig. 3, discloses three-dimensional schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the cap for a container of the present invention being separated from a container, wherein the cap shown can be any one of the caps of any one of the above-mentioned examples. Hereinafter, the practical application of the cap provided by the present invention will be further described in detail using the cap shown in Fig. 1; discloses container closure cap image with spatial details). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 17,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the container is inspected in its longitudinal direction and/or perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. (Cochran, [0055], Fig. 1, 2(a)-2(c), 3-4, discloses a system 200 incorporating a single camera is shown. In the system 200, a camera 205 is provided with a telecentric lens 210. Of course, the camera 205 may take a variety of forms. For example, the camera(s) used may be monochromatic or color cameras--each of which has advantageous features. For example, if a color camera is used, different color planes could be used to generate separate images, respectively (e.g. cap image in one color plane and a neck or support ring image in another color plane). It should be appreciated that, in at least one form, the image capturing (e.g. capturing a cap image and a support or neck ring image) may be accomplished by the camera non-simultaneously (e.g. sequentially). Likewise, although a telecentric lens is illustrated, other types of lens systems may be incorporated in the system. An optional beam splitter 215 may be provided between the lens 210 and a light source 220 (for example, having light emitting elements 225, e.g. Light Emitting Diodes LEDs, configured in suitable arrays to direct light to surfaces of interest such as the top surface of the cap 108 and the support ring 106 of the container 102). If optional beam splitter 215 is used, a lighting array 217 may be provided to generate additional axial lighting or collimated lighting; Fig. discloses longitudinal and perpendicular direction image of the container and closure cap being processed). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 18,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the container closure is identified. (Cochran, [0064-0065], Fig. 2a-2c, 3-4, the presently described embodiments, in at least one form, provide for the neck ring or support ring 106 to have an identifiable orientation feature or fiducial 410 to help assess the rotational orientation of the cap 108. For example, the orientation feature could either be a naturally occurring feature in its normal design aesthetics or specifically molded in for rotational orientation detection (as shown by mark 410) or any combination of the two. Similarly, the cap or closure could have naturally aesthetic features which could be used to detect the bottle, molded features, and/or the thread start features. A special mark or fiducial 420 could be molded in for this purpose and would often be needed. These marks or features could be used alone or in combination (as will be described below in example embodiments) to assess whether the cap is properly fitted to the bottle; it should be appreciated that the marks or fiducials, in at least one form, on the cap can be correlated to the thread pattern on the inside of the cap. In some cases, a dual thread pattern may dictate that more than one fiducial be molded into the cap. Also, the marks or fiducials for the support ring can be correlated to the thread pattern of the bottle; container closure cap thread (fastening) is determined). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Regarding Claim 19,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein a type of the container closure is taken into account for determining the rotational position of the container closure. . (Cochran, [0068-0070], discloses applied to many different types of containers including, but not limited to, plastic bottles, glass bottles, metal cans with a threaded or twist cap or closure removal, or other types of containers having threaded opening facility; if a neck ring or support ring is not part of the container's design, it is possible to use another visible surface of the container which can incorporate a fiducial mark for the practice of the presently described embodiments; it should be appreciated that, in at least some circumstances, optimized optics and illumination techniques will improve overall performance and, for example, may facilitate using smaller and less noticeable or less obtrusive fiducials; different types of container types are taken into account when twisting applied to caps for rotations of the threads). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Claims 10-12 and 20 recite method with steps corresponding to the apparatus elements recited in Claims 1, 1, 3 and 13 respectively. Therefore, the recited steps of the method Claims 10-12 and 13 are mapped to the proposed combination in the same manner as the corresponding elements of Claims 1, 1, 3 and 13 respectively. Additionally, the rationale and motivation to combine the Cochran and Maguire references presented in rejection of Claim 1, apply to these claims.
Furthermore, the combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses An apparatus for inspecting containers (Cochran, [0046], Fig. 2(c), discloses after an image is obtained, the image is sent to a vision processing computer or processing element 130 (although the processor could be incorporated in the camera electronics) where the image is interrogated by way of software algorithms appropriate for the task. Such software routines may be maintained and/or executed using suitable hardware such as memory devices and/or the noted processing computers or processors in or associated with the system. However, it should be appreciated that the presently described embodiments may be implemented using a variety of hardware configurations and/or software techniques).
Regarding Claim 20,
The combination of Cochran and Maguire further discloses wherein the apparatus has an image evaluation device which is configured for outputting, from at least one of the recorded images, at least one value which is characteristic of an angular position of the connecting strand and/or at least one fastening section. (Cochran, [0064], Fig. 4, discloses provide for the neck ring or support ring 106 to have an identifiable orientation feature or fiducial 410 to help assess the rotational orientation of the cap 108. For example, the orientation feature could either be a naturally occurring feature in its normal design aesthetics or specifically molded in for rotational orientation detection (as shown by mark 410) or any combination of the two. Similarly, the cap or closure could have naturally aesthetic features which could be used to detect the bottle, molded features, and/or the thread start features. A special mark or fiducial 420 could be molded in for this purpose and would often be needed. These marks or features could be used alone or in combination (as will be described below in example embodiments) to assess whether the cap is properly fitted to the bottle; features including orientation are determined from the image to be processed). Additionally, the rational and motivation to combine the references Cochran and Maguire as applied in rejection of claim 1 apply to this claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 10520449 B2 (Abstract, Implementations disclose methods and devices for closure control of containers. A method includes performing, by an inspection apparatus, optical 3D measuring of a closed container, the closed container comprising a closure coupled to the container; generating, by the inspection apparatus, 3D data based on the optical 3D measuring; and processing, by an evaluation device, the 3D data to determine at least one of tightness or correct seating of the closure relative to the container)
US 20210404906 A1 (A device and a method for detecting leaks of closed containers with an inspection apparatus configured to determine the curvature of the container closure of the closed containers, as well as an evaluation apparatus by means of which the curvature of the closure is compared with a predefined value. A pressure generating apparatus is used to press each container closure flat prior to inspection. The pressure-generating apparatus comprises an actuator with which pressure is applied locally to each container closure from the outside)
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/Pinalben Patel/Examiner, Art Unit 2673