DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group I claims 10-17 in the reply filed on 3-18-2026 is acknowledged. The restriction is made final.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 10-13 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schoellhammer et al. (2019/0240941). Regarding claim 10, Schoellhammer discloses a method for shaping a sheet metal component ([0002]) in a press device (10) including a drawing device (20) and a lubrication device (30) which is configured for shaping a provided sheet metal blank workpiece (11) wherein at least one parameter characterizing the sheet metal workpiece (parameters P1-Pm; [0059]) is sensed by a sensing device (48,49) included in the press device (10) when the workpiece (11) is located in the press ([0024], lines 9-12 and [0077], lines 9-11) before a forming operation on the sheet blank (not yet shaped workpiece, 11; [0059], line 8) and transmitting a sensed characterizing parameter signal (B) to an electronic computing device (controller 31; [0024], lines 1-10 and [0077], lines 14-18) of the pressing device (10). The sheet blank (11) is formed into the sheet metal component taking into account the characterizing parameter [0086, lines 1-7]. Examiner notes that “taking into account” in claim 1, line 9 is a broad recitation which does not specify any calculation, processing or press control using the characterizing parameter so the scope of the limitation is not ascertainable, but Schoellhammer discloses that a workpiece surface structure ([0077], lines 18-21), a workpiece dimension measurement ([0030],[0061]) and a workpiece material or coating [0031]) characterizing parameter is used to control the press operation through ram control ([0051]-[0053]), drawing force (F), lubricant quantity [0056] and transfer device control [0057], the press device (10) then shapes the sheet metal component taking into account the characterizing parameter [0088].
Regarding claims 11 and 17, Schoellhammer discloses that a process parameter (A1-An) of the press (10) is adapted based on the characterizing parameter [0087], wherein the controller (31) is configured to adapt the process parameter (A1-An) to the characterizing parameter ([0068], lines 1-3).
Regarding claim 12, Schoellhammer discloses that a process parameter is a coating which changes a frictional condition of the workpiece and tooling [0031] and that a lubrication device (30) is used to lubricate a surface of the workpiece, no oiling step is claimed so it not clear what reoiling in the claim would refer to but the lubrication device is configured to apply lubricant to change a sliding friction property of the workpiece ([0048], lines 3-5) in a lubricating (oiling) or reoiling (change of workpiece surface) operation.
Regarding claim 13, Schoellhammer discloses that a characterizing parameter is workpiece thickness ([0030], line 7), oiling (coating; [0031], lines 2-3) and material property [0060].
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.
Claim(s) 14 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schoellhammer et al. (2019/0240941) in view of Xu et al. (2021/0205870). Schoellhammer does not disclose marking the workpiece. Xu teaches that an automatic marking die (30) is configured to stamp identifying characters on a metal workpiece ([0050]. It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to mark the workpieces of Schoellhammer as taught by Xu in order to identify a material of the workpiece or a workpiece dimension prior to forming the workpiece in the press device so that the press control is adjusted based upon the workpiece characteristics provided by the labeling mark.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schoellhammer et al. (2019/0240941) in view of Suzuki et al. (8,965,554). Regarding claim 16, Schoellhammer discloses a memory (33) for the characterizing parameter ([0067], lines 4-6) but does not disclose storing a serial number. Suzuki teaches storing workpiece information (col. 6, lines 53-62) through a bar code or IC tag (col. 3, lines 30-34; col. 6, 38-41) on the workpiece wherein the bar code contains a serial number (ID number; col. 4, line 57). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to mark the workpieces of Schoellhammer as taught by Suzuki with computer identifiable codes in order to identify a material characteristic of the workpiece prior to forming the workpiece in the pressing device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWARD THOMAS TOLAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4525. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5.
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/EDWARD T TOLAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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