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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-9, 11-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kurumachi (English translation of JP5809337) in view of Hara et al. (EP0307482).
Regarding claim 1, Kurumachi discloses an injection nozzle 6 to be attached to a tip end of a heating cylinder 3 of an injection device 1 by a predetermined attachment fixing member, the injection nozzle comprising:
A rear end portion temperature sensor 8 configured to measure a temperature in a rear end portion of the injection nozzle to be attached to the heating cylinder,
Wherein the injection nozzle has a sensor hole of a predetermined depth formed in the vicinity of the rear end portion (see para 14), and
Wherein the rear end portion temperature sensor includes a sensor device at a distal end and a conductive wire portion, the sensor device being inserted into the sensor hole, and the conductive wire portion extending outwardly in a vicinity of a central portion of the injection nozzle (para 14, fig. 1-2).
Kurumachi does not teach wherein the injection nozzle has a groove of a predetermined length formed in an outer peripheral surface from a vicinity of the rear end portion toward a tip end of the injection nozzle in a longitudinal direction, and the conducive wire portion being housed along the groove near the distal end. However, Hara et al. teaches a thermocouple 11 for detecting the temperature of the band heater 10 is located in the groove 6 in the axial direction in a middle rear portion 3a of the peripheral nozzle body (fig. 1, page 5, line 3-13, page 6, line 1-10). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurumachi with the groove as taught by Hara et al. since Hara et al. teaches an alternative method of housing the temperature sensor.
Regarding claims 2, 6 and 12, Hara et al. teaches wherein the injection nozzle is formed with a flange portion having an enlarged diameter at the rear end portion, and the injection nozzle is attached to the heating cylinder by the attachment fixing member pressing the flange portion toward the heating cylinder (fig. 1, page 5, line 3-13).
Regarding claim 3, 7 and 13, Kurumachi does not teach wherein the sensor hole is formed near the flange portion. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the sensor hole near the flange portion in order to detect the temperature near the rear end of the injection nozzle.
Regarding claim 5, Kurumachi discloses an injection device comprising:
A heating cylinder 3;
A screw 4 placed in the heating cylinder; and
An injection nozzle 6 attached to a tip end of the heating cylinder,
Wherein the injection nozzle includes a rear end portion temperature sensor 8 configured to measure a temperature in a rear end portion attached to the heating cylinder,
Wherein the injection nozzle has a sensor hole of a predetermined depth formed in the vicinity of the rear end portion (see para 14), and
Wherein the rear end portion temperature sensor includes a sensor device at a distal end and a conductive wire portion, the sensor device being inserted into the sensor hole, and the conductive wire portion extending outwardly in a vicinity of a central portion of the injection nozzle (para 14, fig. 1-2).
Kurumachi does not teach the injection nozzle is attached to the tip end of the heating cylinder by a predetermined attachment fixing member, and wherein the injection nozzle has a groove of a predetermined length formed in an outer peripheral surface from a vicinity of the rear end portion toward a tip end of the injection nozzle in a longitudinal direction, and the conducive wire portion being housed along the groove near the distal end. However, Hara et al. teaches a thermocouple 11 for detecting the temperature of the band heater 10 is located in the groove 6 in the axial direction in a middle rear portion 3a of the peripheral nozzle body (fig. 1, page 5, line 3-13, page 6, line 1-10). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurumachi with the groove as taught by Hara et al. since Hara et al. teaches an alternative method of housing the temperature sensor. Hara et al. also teaches the injection nozzle 3 is attached to a tip end of the heating cylinder 1 by a predetermined attachment fixing member (fig. 1, page 5, line 3-13).
Regarding claim 8 and 14, Hara et al. teaches wherein a female thread is formed on a tip end side of the heating cylinder,
Wherein a male thread is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the attachment fixing member, and
Wherein the injection nozzle is attached to the heating cylinder by the flange portion being pressed toward the heating cylinder by the attachment fixing member and the male thread being fastened to the female thread (see page 5, line 3-13, see also Kurumachi, para 13).
Regarding claim 9 and 15, Hara et al. teaches wherein a tapped hole is formed in an end surface of a tip end of the heating cylinder, and
Wherein the injection nozzle is attached to the heating cylinder by the flange portion being pressed by the attachment fixing member, and the attachment fixing member being fixed to the heating cylinder by a bolt fastened in the tapped hole (see page 5, line 3-13).
Regarding claim 11, Kurumachi discloses an injection molding machine 1 comprising:
An injection device; and
A mold clamping device (para 2),
Wherein the injection device includes:
A heating cylinder 3;
A screw 4 placed in the heating cylinder; and
An injection nozzle 6 attached to a tip end of the heating cylinder,
Wherein the injection nozzle includes a rear end portion temperature sensor 8 configured to measure a temperature in a rear end portion attached to the heating cylinder,
Wherein the injection nozzle has a sensor hole of a predetermined depth formed in the vicinity of the rear end portion (see para 14), and
Wherein the rear end portion temperature sensor includes a sensor device at a distal end and a conductive wire portion, the sensor device being inserted into the sensor hole, and the conductive wire portion extending outwardly in a vicinity of a central portion of the injection nozzle (para 14, fig. 1-2).
Kurumachi does not teach the injection nozzle is attached to the tip end of the heating cylinder by a predetermined attachment fixing member, and wherein the injection nozzle has a groove of a predetermined length formed in an outer peripheral surface from a vicinity of the rear end portion toward a tip end of the injection nozzle in a longitudinal direction, and the conducive wire portion being housed along the groove near the distal end. However, Hara et al. teaches a thermocouple 11 for detecting the temperature of the band heater 10 is located in the groove 6 in the axial direction in a middle rear portion 3a of the peripheral nozzle body (fig. 1, page 5, line 3-13, page 6, line 1-10). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurumachi with the groove as taught by Hara et al. since Hara et al. teaches an alternative method of housing the temperature sensor. Hara et al. also teaches the injection nozzle 3 is attached to a tip end of the heating cylinder 1 by a predetermined attachment fixing member (fig. 1, page 5, line 3-13).
Claim(s) 4, 10 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kurumachi in view of Hara et al. as applied to claim 1, 5 or 11 above, and further in view of Nakayama (English abstract of JP2023-030519).
Regarding claim 4, Kurumachi does not teach wherein the injection nozzle has an oblique hole extending from the outer peripheral surface to an internal resin flow path, and a tip end of a needle valve driven to move forward and backward being inserted into the hole to open and close the resin flow path. However, Nakayama teaches wherein the injection nozzle 40 has an oblique hole 43 extending from the outer peripheral surface to an internal resin flow path P2, and a tip end 91 of a needle valve 90 driven to move forward and backward being inserted into the hole to open and close the resin flow path (see fig. 2, 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurumahci with the teaching of Nakayama since Nakayama teaches that needles valves are known in the art of injection nozzles.
Regarding claim 10 and 16, Kurumachi does not teach wherein the injection device includes a needle valve; and a drive mechanism configured to drive the needle valve, wherein the injection nozzle has an oblique hole extending from the outer peripheral surface to an internal resin flow path, and wherein the needle valve is inserted into the hole and driven to move forward and backward by the drive mechanism to open and close the resin flow path. However, Nakayama teaches wherein the injection nozzle 40 has an oblique hole 43 extending from the outer peripheral surface to an internal resin flow path P2, and a tip end 91 of a needle valve 90 driven to move forward and backward being inserted into the hole to open and close the resin flow path (see fig. 2, 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurumahci with the teaching of Nakayama since Nakayama teaches that needles valves are known in the art of injection nozzles.
Conclusion
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/X.H.L/Examiner, Art Unit 1742 /CHRISTINA A JOHNSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1742