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
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.
Claims 1-3, 7, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Prankl (US 2018/0141772 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Prankl discloses an automatic material supply apparatus for supplying a material winding roll (Fig. 1; Pg.9-10, ¶79, apparatus 10 being automated to supply rolls 12 for), on which a material is wound (Pg. 8, ¶70, rolls 12 being wound), the automatic material supply apparatus comprising a transfer unit which comprises a unit shaft configured to receive and move the material winding roll (Fig. 1; Pg. 8, ¶70, handling device 16 corresponding to a transfer unit; ¶72, wherein the handling device 16 comprises a retaining mandrel 32 corresponding to a unit shaft), and an unwinder which comprises an unwinder shaft, configured to receive the material winding roll mounted thereon, the unwinder configured to unwinds the material from the material winding roll (Fig. 3-4; Pg. 12, ¶91, packaging machine 14, corresponding to an unwinder, comprised receiving mandrels 70), wherein the transfer unit is configured to mount the material winding roll to the unwinder shaft of the unwinder after the unit shaft is aligned with the unwinder shaft of the unwinder (Fig. 6-7; Pg. 12, ¶91).
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[AltContent: textbox (Image 1: Arrows depicting which element corresponds to a transfer cylinder and transfer cylinder shaft)] Regarding claim 2, Prankl discloses wherein the transfer unit further comprises a transfer cylinder and a transfer cylinder shaft mounted to the transfer cylinder, the transfer cylinder shaft configured to push and move the material winding roll positioned on the unit shaft toward the unwinder shaft of the unwinder by movement of the transfer cylinder shaft (Fig. 7; Pg. 14, ¶107, retaining mandrel 32 comprising a punch attachment 82 corresponding to a transfer cylinder shaft which pushes an end which corresponds to a transfer cylinder). In this instance, the punch attachment 82 comprises two elements, and elongated member which pushes the flanged member causing the roll to be transfer. Further clarification is provided in the labeled image below of figure 7A.
Regarding claim 3, Prankl discloses wherein the unit shaft of the transfer unit is configured to be positioned at the same height as the unwinder shaft of the unwinder, and the transfer unit is configured to move horizontally and to convey the material winding roll to the unwinder (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 10, ¶83).
Regarding claim 7, Prankl discloses further comprising a lift unit that is configured to receive the material winding roll and is configured to convey the material winding roll to the transfer unit, wherein the lift unit is configured to rotate horizontally and is configured to move vertically to convey the received winding roll to the transfer unit (Pg. 9, ¶75, manipulator 48 corresponding to a lift unit which movies the roll 12 freely and for alignment).
Regarding claim 12, Prankl discloses further comprising an article supply unit that is configured to supply the material winding roll to the lift unit (Fig. 1; Pg. 9, ¶75, pallet 52 corresponding to an article supply unit).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prankl (US 2018/0141772 A1) in view of Nagafuchi (US 10,793,384 B2).
Regarding claim 4, Prankl discloses the transfer unit but fails to disclose traveling means. However, Nagafuchi teaches wherein the transfer unit comprises a traveling means provided in a lower portion of the transfer unit, and the transfer unit is configured to be horizontally moved along a support table by the traveling means and is configured to convey the material winding roll to the unwinder (Col. 5, Ln. 23-39, rail 40 corresponding to traveling means, running section body 42 corresponding to a lower portion, and rail members 40a corresponding to a support table). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a traveling unit to the transfer unit to provide a wider range of movement and roll transferring. Doing so may be obvious to one skilled in the art as it only requires adding a track beneath the transfer unit.
Regarding claim 5, Prankl discloses further comprising an unwinder alignment sensor configured to detect an alignment state between the unit shaft of the transfer unit and the unwinder shaft of the unwinder (Fig. 1; Pg. 12, ¶95, camera 74 corresponding to a sensor).
Regarding claim 6, Prankl discloses wherein the traveling means is configured to horizontally move the transfer unit to a position at which the unit shaft of the transfer unit and the unwinder shaft of the unwinder are aligned with each other (Pg. 14, ¶104).
Regarding claim 7, Prankl discloses further comprising a lift unit that is configured to receive the material winding roll and is configured to convey the material winding roll to the transfer unit, wherein the lift unit is configured to rotate horizontally and is configured to move vertically to convey the received winding roll to the transfer unit (Pg. 9, ¶75, manipulator 48 corresponding to a lift unit which movies the roll 12 freely and for alignment).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject mat-ter:
Claim 8 is allowable because it includes the limitation of an automatic separator supply apparatus wherein the lift unit is configured to convey the separator winding roll to the unit shaft of the transfer unit after the lift shaft is aligned with the unit shaft of the transfer unit, in combination with the other elements recited in claim 8. The prior art reference of Prankl discloses the manipulator 48, corresponding to the lift unit, having a retaining mandrel 54 which transfers a new roll to the mandrel 32 of handling device 16, corresponding to a transfer unit. However, Prankl fails to disclose wherein the lift shaft is aligned to the unit shaft for the purpose of transferring the new roll. Rather, Prankl relies on a platform between both the transfer and lifting unit to pass the new roll from one unit to the next (see Pg. 9, ¶75). Dependent claims 9-11 are also distinguished from the prior art as they further limit claim 8 in a way that is not taught or suggested by the prior art.
None of the references of the prior art teach or suggest the elements of the device as advanced above and such do not provide the necessary motivation, absent applicant's specification, for modifying the device in the manner required by the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art references refer to automatic roll supplying devices which have the main elements of a winding unit and a transfer unit.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERMIA E MELIKA whose telephone number is (571)270-5162. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Victoria P. Augustine can be reached at (313) 446-4858. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERMIA E. MELIKA/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/ANNA M MOMPER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3619