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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-9, 11, and 13-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) / (a)(2) as being anticipated by Nakamura (US 2018/0009146)
As to claims 1 and 13, Nakamura (US ‘146) discloses an injection molding system (1, Fig.1; Abstract) comprising: a coupling member (103, Fig. 1; para [0027]-[0028]) configured to couple a fixed mold plate (101, Fig. 1) of a mold and a movable mold plate (102, Fig. 1) of the mold (100A, 100B, Fig. 1; para [0026]); a fixed mold clamp configured to maintain coupling of a fixed clamping plate and a fixed platen, the fixed clamping plate being connected with the fixed mold plate; a movable mold clamp configured to maintain coupling a movable clamping plate and a movable platen, the movable clamping plate being connected with the movable mold plate; and a driving member (6, Fig. 1-2; para [0044]) configured to separate the fixed clamping plate from the fixed platen (61, Fig. 6-11) by moving the movable platen after the fixed mold clamp releases the coupling between the fixed clamping plate and the fixed platen (61) in a state where: (1) the fixed mold plate (101, Fig. 6-11) and the movable mold plate (102, Fig. 6-11) are coupled by the coupling member (103, Fig 1; para [0027]-[0028]), and (2) the movable mold clamp maintains the coupling between the movable clamping plate and the movable platen.
As to claims 2 and 14, Nakamura (US ‘146) teaches the coupling member (103, Fig 1; para [0027] - [0028]) includes a magnet (para [0027]) configured to couple the fixed mold plate (101, Fig. 1) and the movable mold plate (102, Fig. 1) with a magnetic force.
As to claims 3 and 15, Nakamura (US ‘146) discloses the coupling member (103, Fig. 1; para [0027]-[0028]) includes a spring (para [0027]) configured to couple the fixed mold plate (101, Fig. 1) and the movable mold plate (102, Fig. 1) with an elastic force.
As to claims 4 and 16, Nakamura (US ‘146) discloses the spring (para [0027]) is located between the fixed clamping plate and the fixed platen. (see para [0028])
As to claim 5 and 17, Nakamura (US ‘146) teach the coupling member (103, Fig 1; para [0027]-[0028]) includes a ball plunger (see para. [0046]) arranged on the movable clamping plate and the fixed clamping plate of the mold, respectively.
As to claim 6 and 18, Nakamura (US ‘146) discloses a plate with a hardness value greater than a hardness value of the fixed platen, wherein the plate is provided between the movable clamping plate and a movable platen or between the fixed clamping plate and the fixed platen.
As to claims 7 and 19, Nakamura (US ‘146) discloses the driving member (6, Figs. 1-2; para [0044]) is configured to move the movable platen (102, Fig. 1) in an injecting direction (Fig. 1-2 – the left horizontal direction) as the resin is injected by an injection unit.
As to claims 8 and 20, Nakamura (US ‘146) teaches a conveying member (3A, 3B, Fig. 1; para [00300]) configured to convey the mold (100A, 100B, Fig. 1; para [0026]) in a conveyance direction (Fig. 1- the vertical direction) that differs from the injecting direction (Fig. 1 – the horizontal direction), wherein the driving member (6, Fig. 1-2; para [0044]) is configured to move the movable platen (102, Fig. 1) after resin is injected into the mold (100A, 100B, Fig. 1) and before the mold (100A, 100B, Fig. 1) is conveyed by the conveying member.
As to claims 9 and 21, Nakamura (US ‘146) discloses the driving member (6, Figs. 1-2; para [0044]) is configured to move the movable platen (102, Fig. 1) in a mold clamping process, and wherein a moving direction (Fig. 1 – the lest horizontal direction) of the movable platen (102, Fig. 1) for separating the fixed clamping plate from the fixed platen (61, Fig. 6-11 – the fixed mold plate 101 being moved away from the fixed platen 61) is opposite a moving direction (Fig. 1 – the right horizontal direction) of the movable platen (102, Fig. 1) in the mold clamping process.
As to claims 11 and 22, Nakamura (US ‘146) teaches the movable mold clamp is configured to release (6, Fig. 1-2; para [0044]) the coupling (para [0054]-[0056] – the releasable coupling between 102a and 62 by clamp 610) after moving the movable platen (102a, Fig. 1) and then the driving member is configured to separate the movable clamping plate (102a, Fig. 1) from the movable platen (62, Fig. 1-2) by moving the movable platen (102a, Fig. 1) in a direction (Fig. 1- the lest horizontal direction) opposite the direction of the movement.
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Okumura (US 2007/0077329) discloses an injection molding machine comprising: a fixed mold; a movable mold; an injection unit which supplies molten resin to a space formed between the fixed mold and the movable mold when being pressed to a non-molding face of the fixed mold; clamping mechanism which makes the movable mold contact with the fixed mold and clamps thereat; pressing mechanism which makes the injection unit press to the non-molding face of the fixed mold; and a controller which controls the clamping mechanism and the pressing mechanism such that the injection unit is pressed to the fixed mold only while the fixed mold and the movable mold are clamped, in the case the fixed mold and the movable mold are repeatedly opened and closed for continual molding.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH whose telephone number is (571)272-6215. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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/SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1754 09/30/2025