DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
The Amendment 3/19/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-14 remain pending in the application.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-11 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nagai (US 20150120030 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nagai teaches a cutting device comprising:
a platen (3) with a groove (groove at next to 12) extending in a main scanning direction (see Figure 1),
a blade mount (5) configured to mount a cutting blade (6, see Figure 4),
a first conveyor (25) configured to move the blade mount and a cutting object placed on the platen relatively in the main scanning direction, the cutting object having a sheet shape (see Figure 7),
a second conveyor (15) configured to move the blade mount and the cutting object placed on the platen relatively in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction (see Figure 7),
a third conveyor (38) configured to move the blade mount in an up-down direction orthogonal to both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction (see Figure 7),
a processor (81) configured to perform processes comprising (paragraph 0123):
acquiring outline data indicating an outline of a pattern (paragraph 0072, see Figure 11A-C),
controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to move the cutting object and the blade mount relatively to a cut starting position (see Figure 11A-C),
controlling the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward to a first cutting position, the first cutting position being a position where a lower end of the cutting blade is below an upper end of the cutting object, and the lower end of the cutting blade is above an upper end of the platen (see Figure 11A-C),
controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form a first cutting line by the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the first cutting position, the first cutting line being a groove-shaped cut along an entire outline of the pattern (half cut, as the device can cut anywhere, including an entire outline of the pattern, see Figure 8 and 11A-C),
controlling, after forming the first cutting line, the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward to a second cutting position, the second cutting position being a position where the lower end of the cutting blade is below the upper end of the platen, and the lower end of the cutting blade is positioned in the groove (see Figure 8 and 11A-C), and
controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form a second cutting line by the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the second cutting position, the second cutting line being a cut completely passing through the cutting object in the up-down direction along selected portions of the entire outline while leaving other portions of the entire outline uncut so as to form joints, each joint including a portion that is cut only by the grove-shaped cut of the fist cutting line (full cut, as the device can cut anywhere, including along selected portions of the entire outline while leaving other portions of the entire outline uncut so as to form joints, see Figure 8 and 11A-C).
Regarding claim 2, Nagai teaches the processor is further configured to perform processes comprising: acquiring a thickness of the cutting object (acquiring data via memory input 85, see Figure 7), and controlling the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward to the first cutting position set based on the thickness (making half and full cut, see Figure 8).
Regarding claim 4, Nagai teaches the processor is further configured to perform processes comprising: generating, based on the outline data (data in 85), first cutting line data and second cutting line data, the first cutting line data being data for forming the first cutting line, and the second cutting line data being data for forming the second cutting line, controlling, based on the first cutting line data, the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form the first cutting line with the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the first cutting position, and controlling, based on the second cutting line data, the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form the second cutting line with the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the second cutting position (making full and half cut, see Figure 11A-C).
Regarding claim 5, Nagai teaches the processor is further configured to perform a process comprising: controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to move the cutting object and the blade mount to the cut starting position set giving priority to, when there are a plurality of the candidate cut starting positions, a candidate position close to a center of a smallest rectangle encompassing the pattern (making full and half cut, and follow the desired patter, see Figure 11A-C).
Regarding claim 6, Nagai teaches the outline data indicates a plurality of line segments forming the outline of the pattern, and the second cutting line includes a plurality of sub-cutting lines arranged along the outline in accordance with a predetermined condition, the plurality of sub-cutting lines passing completely through the cutting object in the up-down direction, the plurality of sub-cutting lines being separated from each other in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the up-down direction, the predetermined condition including a condition of arranging a first sub-cutting line and a second sub-cutting line when an angle between an arbitrary first line segment and an arbitrary consecutive second line segment, from among the plurality of lines segments, is within a predetermined angle, the first sub-cutting line extending, on the first line segment, from a point at a predetermined position to a first point separated from an intersection point of the first line segment and the second line segment, the second sub-cutting line extending, on the second line segment, from the intersection point to a second point separated from the intersection point and different from the first point (making full and half cut, and follow the desired patter, see Figure 11A-C).
Regarding claim 7, Nagai teaches the outline data indicates a plurality of line segments forming the outline of the pattern, and the second cutting line includes a plurality of sub-cutting lines arranged along the outline in accordance with a predetermined condition, the plurality of sub-cutting lines passing completely through the cutting object in the up-down direction, the plurality of sub-cutting lines being separated from each other in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the up-down direction, the predetermined condition including a condition of, when a length of any line segment of interest, from among the plurality of line segments, is equal to or longer than a predetermined length, arranging, at predetermined intervals on the line segment of interest, the plurality of subcutting lines including a first sub-cutting line and a second sub-cutting line (making full and half cut, and follow the desired patter, see Figure 11A-C).
Regarding claim 8, Nagai teaches the processor is further configured to perform processes comprising: when it is determined that the cutting object is placed directly on the platen, controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to move the cutting object and the blade mount relatively to the cut starting position, controlling the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward to the first cutting position, controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form the first cutting line with the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the first cutting position, controlling, after forming the first cutting line, the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward to the second cutting position, and controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form the second cutting line with the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the second cutting position (making full and half cut, and follow the desired patter, see Figure 11A-C).
Regarding claim 9, Nagai teaches the processor is further configured to perform processes comprising: when it is determined that the cutting object is held by an object holder placed on the platen, controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to move the cutting object and the blade mount relatively to the cut starting position, controlling the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward to a third cutting position, the third cutting position being a position where the lower end of the cutting blade is below an upper end of the object holder, and controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form a third cutting line with the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the third cutting position, the third cutting line passing completely through the cutting object in the up-down direction along the outline (making full and half cut, and follow the desired patter, see Figure 11A-C).
Regarding claim 10, Nagai teaches the processor is further configured to perform processes comprising: when it is determined that the cutting object is held by an object holder placed on the platen, controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to move the cutting object and the blade mount relatively to the cut starting position, controlling the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward to a fourth cutting position, the fourth cutting position being a position where the lower end of the cutting blade is below the upper end of the cutting object, and the lower end of the cutting blade is above an upper end of the object holder, controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form the first cutting line with the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the fourth cutting position, controlling, after forming the first cutting line, the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward to a fifth cutting position, the fifth cutting position being a position where the lower end of the cutting blade is below the upper end of the object holder, and controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form the second cutting line with the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the fifth cutting position (making full and half cut, and follow the desired patter, see Figure 11A-C).
Regarding claim 11, Nagai teaches a cutting system provided with a cutting device (5), and a mobile terminal configured to communicate with the cutting device (paragraph 0117), the mobile terminal comprising:
a mobile memory storing computer-readable instructions (paragraph 0117),
a terminal processor (81) configured to perform processes comprising: receiving an input of cutting information specifying a cutting method of a cutting object, the cutting object having a sheet shape, and transmitting the cutting information to the cutting device, the cutting device comprising:
a platen (3) with a groove (groove next to 12) extending in a main scanning direction, a blade mount configured to mount a cutting blade (6, see Figure 1),
a first conveyor (25) configured to move the blade mount and a cutting object placed on the platen relatively in the main scanning direction, the cutting object having a sheet shape (see Figure 7),
a second conveyor (15) configured to move the blade mount and the cutting object placed on the platen relatively in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction (see Figure 7),
a third conveyor (38) configured to move the blade mount in an up-down direction orthogonal to both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction (see Figure 7),
a cutting memory storing computer-readable instructions (paragraph 0012), and a cutting processor configured to perform processes comprising: receiving the cutting information transmitted from the mobile terminal, acquiring outline data indicating an outline of a pattern (abstract),
controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to move the cutting object and the blade mount relatively to a cut starting position (making half cut, see Figures 8 and 11A-C),
controlling the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward to a first cutting position, the first cutting position being a position where, when the cutting information indicates the cutting method for cutting the cutting object when the cutting object is placed directly on the platen, a lower end of the cutting blade is below an upper end of the cutting object, and the lower end of the cutting blade is above an upper end of the platen (making half cut, see Figures 8 and 11A-C),
controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form a first cutting line by the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the first cutting position, the first cutting line being a groove-shaped cut along an entire outline of the pattern (half cut, as the device can cut anywhere, including an entire outline of the pattern, see Figure 8 and 11A-C),
controlling, after forming the first cutting line, the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward to a second cutting position, the second cutting position being a position where the lower end of the cutting blade is below the upper end of the platen, and the lower end of the cutting blade is positioned in the groove, and controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form a second cutting line by the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the second cutting position, the second cutting line being a cut completely passing through the cutting object in the up-down direction along selected portions of the entire outline while leaving other portions of the entire outline uncut so as to form joints, each joint including a portion that is cut only by the grove-shaped cut of the fist cutting line (full cut, as the device can cut anywhere, including along selected portions of the entire outline while leaving other portions of the entire outline uncut so as to form joints, see Figure 8 and 11A-C).
Regarding claim 13, Nagai teaches a cutting device comprising:
a platen (3) having an upper surface and a groove (groove near 12), the groove being a depression recessed downward from the upper surface, the groove extending in a main scanning direction,
a blade mount (5) configured to mount a cutting blade (6), the cutting blade being disposed to face the groove,
a first conveyor (25) configured to move the blade mount relative to the platen in the main scanning direction to move a lower end of the cutting blade along the groove (see Figure 7),
a second conveyor (15) configured to move a sheet placed on the platen relative to the platen in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction (see Figure 7),
a third conveyor (38) configured to move the blade mount relative to the sheet placed on the platen in an up-down direction intersecting both the main scanning direction and the subscanning direction (see Figure 7),
a processor configured to perform processes comprising: acquiring outline data indicating an outline of a pattern (see Figures 8 and 11A-C),
controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to move the blade mount to a cut starting position, controlling the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward from a first initial position to a first cutting position, the first initial position being a position where the lower end of the cutting blade is positioned above an upper surface of the sheet, the first cutting position being a position where the lower end of the cutting blade is positioned between the upper surface of the sheet and the upper surface of the platen (making half cut, see Figures 8 and 11A-C),
controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form a first cutting line by the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the first cutting position, the first cutting line being a groove-shaped cut along an entire outline of the pattern (half cut, as the device can cut anywhere, including an entire outline of the pattern, see Figure 8 and 11A-C),
controlling, after forming the first cutting line, the third conveyor to move the blade mount downward from a second initial position to a second cutting position, the second initial position being a position where the lower end of the cutting blade is positioned above the upper surface of the sheet, the second cutting position being a position where the lower end of the cutting blade is positioned below the upper surface of the platen (making half cut, see Figures 8 and 11A-C), and
controlling the first conveyor and the second conveyor to form a second cutting line by the cutting blade mounted to the blade mount positioned at the second cutting position, the second cutting line being a cut completely passing through the cutting object in the up-down direction along selected portions of the entire outline while leaving other portions of the entire outline uncut so as to form joints, each joint including a portion that is cut only by the grove-shaped cut of the fist cutting line (full cut, as the device can cut anywhere, including along selected portions of the entire outline while leaving other portions of the entire outline uncut so as to form joints, see Figure 8 and 11A-C).
Regarding claim 14, Nagai teaches the outline data indicates a plurality of line segments forming the outline of the pattern, and the second cutting line includes a plurality of sub-cutting lines arranged along the outline in accordance with a predetermined condition, the plurality of sub-cutting lines passing completely through the cutting object in the up-down direction, the plurality of sub-cutting lines being separated from each other in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the up-down direction, the predetermined condition including a condition of arranging a first sub-cutting line and a second sub-cutting line when an angle between an arbitrary first line segment and an arbitrary consecutive second line segment, from among the plurality of lines segments, is within a predetermined angle, the first sub-cutting line extending, on the first line segment, from a point at a predetermined position to a first point separated from an intersection point of the first line segment and the second line segment, the second sub-cutting line extending, on the second line segment, from the intersection point to a second point separated from the intersection point and different from the first point (making full and half cut, and follow the desired patter, see Figure 11A-C).
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagai (US 20150120030 A1) in view of Sugiyama (US 20220234234 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Nagai teaches all elements of the current invention as set forth in claim 2 above.
Nagai fails to teach a detector for outputting a signal indicative of a position in the up-down direction of the blade mount, wherein the processor is further configured to execute: acquiring the thickness of the cutting object, based on a detection result from the detector when the cutting blade contacts the cutting object.
Sugiyama teaches a detector (61) for outputting a signal indicative of a position in the up-down direction of the blade mount, wherein the processor is further configured to execute: acquiring the thickness of the cutting object, based on a detection result from the detector when the cutting blade contacts the cutting object (paragraph 0072).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of Nagai to add the detector, as taught by Sugiyama, in order to better acquiring cutting data for the cutting operation (abstract of Sugiyama).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagai (US 20150120030 A1) in view of Mori (US 20210339419 A1).
Regarding claim 12, Nagai teaches all elements of the current invention as set forth in claim 11 above.
Nagai fails to teach the terminal processor is further configured to perform a process comprising: issuing a notification of an error if the cutting method indicated by the cutting information is not the cutting method corresponding to a determination result of whether the cutting object is directly placed on the platen or held by an object holder placed on the platen.
Mori teaches perform a process comprising: issuing a notification of an error if the cutting method indicated by the cutting information is not the cutting method corresponding to a determination result of whether the cutting object is directly placed on the platen or held by an object holder placed on the platen (paragraph 0084).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of Nagai to add the error detection process, as taught by Mori, in order better performed the cutting process (paragraph 0084-0085 of Mori).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/19/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant's argument that Nagai fails to teach “the first cutting line being a groove-shaped cut along an entire outline of the pattern” and “the second cutting line being a cut completely passing through the cutting object in the up-down direction along selected portions of the entire outline while leaving other portions of the entire outline uncut so as to form joints, each joint including a portion that is cut only by the grove-shaped cut of the fist cutting line”. The examiner disagrees and notes that Nagai teaches the cutting device can make full/half cuts anywhere base on the design wanted by the end user, therefore the device of Nagai is considered to be configured to cut anywhere as desired by the end user, which includes “the first cutting line being a groove-shaped cut along an entire outline of the pattern” and “the second cutting line being a cut completely passing through the cutting object in the up-down direction along selected portions of the entire outline while leaving other portions of the entire outline uncut so as to form joints, each joint including a portion that is cut only by the grove-shaped cut of the fist cutting line”.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIANG DONG whose telephone number is (571)270-0479. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8 AM-6 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ashley Boyer 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LIANG DONG/Examiner, Art Unit 3724 3/31/2026