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 12 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wolfgang (DE2801526).
Regarding claim 12, Wolfgang teaches a conveyor of a high-pressure liquid jet cutting machine for moving products P to be cut under a jet of high-pressure liquid coming out according to a vertical direction D of a nozzle of said cutting machine, comprising:
a plurality of continuous loops (1a, 1b) with a width L and with a thickness E arranged parallel to one another and stretched between two drive rolls so that each determines an upper run and a lower run, each loop comprising at least two longitudinal walls and being arranged so that the longitudinal walls of at least one portion of the upper and lower runs are perpendicular to the direction D, and
two guide members (3a, 3b) associated with at least each of the loops and arranged between the two drive rolls, these two guide members allow twisting the upper run of the at least one associated loop so that its longitudinal walls are, between said two guide members, parallel to said direction D.
See Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 17, the belts 1 contacting with the rollers 3 are best seen in Figs. 1 and 3.
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 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wolfgang (DE2801526) in view of Bell (4,846,774).
Wolfgang teaches the invention substantially as claimed except for an adjustable tension device.
Bell teaches a conveyor belt 110 having an adjustable tension device 380 for adjusting tension of the conveyor belt for providing a proper tension on the belt. See Fig. 3.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to provide an adjustable tension device for the conveyor system in Wolfgang as taught by Bell so that an operator can adjust a proper tension for the conveyor belts.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-16, 18-20, and 22 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.
Claim 13 is allowable for setting a pair of rollers pressing on the belt to bend it up vertically.
Claim 15 is allowable for setting forth a detail structure of the guide member.
Claim 18 is allowable for setting forth the loop being twisted like a Moebius ring.
Claim 19 is allowable for setting forth the waterjet coming out of the nozzle being between the two guide members.
Claim 22 is allowable for setting forth a combination of a waterjet system and the conveyor belt system of claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Conveyor belts of general interest are cited in form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHONG H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4510. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Boyer Ashley can be reached at 571-272-4502. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PHONG H NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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