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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-4 in the reply filed on 12/10/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 5-7 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Groups II and III, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/10/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 2 recites in lines 5-7 that “a chuck portion…attached to a first main surface which a main surface on a side to which the contact members art attached, among two main surfaces of the base portion”. However, it is unclear to which it is referring to by “among two main surfaces” of the base portion? Is it that the chuck portion is attached among two main surfaces of the base portion? Or a first main surface which is a main surface on a side to which contact members are attached, among two main surfaces of the base portion? Or of which contact members are attached, among two main surfaces of the base portion? Further clarification is needed.
Claim 2 recites in lines 9-11 that “the force sensor is attached on a side closer to a second main surface which is a main surface located opposite to the first main surface, among the two main surfaces of the base portion”. However, it is unclear to which it is referring to by “among two main surfaces” of the base portion? Is it that the force sensor is attached among two main surfaces of the base portion? Or a side closer to a second main surface which is a main surface located opposite to the first main surface? Or of the first main surface, among two main surfaces of the base portion? Further clarification is needed.
Claim 3 recites in lines 2-5 that an alerting section is “configured to output a predetermined signal in a case where at least one of the force in the pressing direction and the torque about the axis orthogonal to the pressing direction, the force and torque having been detected by the force sensor, has a value exceeding a predetermined numerical range”. However, the conditional phrase “a case where at least one of” renders the claim indefinite as it is unclear if the limitations right after the conditional phrase are actually part of the scope of the claim or not. What will happen where there is no case where at least one of the force…and torque…has a value exceeding a predetermined numerical range? Further clarification is needed.
Claim 4 recites in line 2 “a disc-shaped casting having a draft angle”. However, it is unclear what exactly this “draft angle” is. In relation to what is this angle determined? Further clarification is needed.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 10 2018 122 027 (hereafter—DE’027--).
In regards to claim 1, DE’027 discloses (in Figure 1) a mounting device configured to mount a turning target (19) to a turning processing device (5), the mounting device comprising a pressing jig (2, 6, and 7) configured to press the turning target (19) against the turning processing device (1), wherein to the pressing jig (2, 6, and 7), contact members (6) contactable with the turning target (19) and a force sensor (10) configured to, via the contact members (6), to be capable of detecting a force in a pressing direction and a torque about an axis orthogonal to the pressing direction, the force and the torque acting from the turning processing device on the turning target, are attached.
In regards to claim 2, DE’027 discloses the mounting device according to claim 1, DE’027 also discloses that the pressing jig (2, 6, and 7) includes: a flat plate-shaped base portion (2) extending in a direction orthogonal to the pressing direction; and a chuck portion (refer to the portion within 6) configured to hold the turning target (19), the chuck portion being attached to a first main surface (4) which is a main surface on a side to which the contact members (6) are attached, among two main surfaces of the base portion, the force sensor (10) is attached on a side closer to a second main surface which is a main surface located opposite to the first main surface, among the two main surfaces of the base portion, and the contact members are bar-shaped structures (see Figure 1) extending along the pressing direction and are provided at regular intervals along an imaginary circle including the chuck portion as a center of the imaginary circle (see Figure 1).
In regards to claim 3, DE’027 discloses the mounting device according to claim 1, DE’027 also discloses an alerting section (display unit 22) capable of being configured to output a predetermined signal in a case where at least one of the force in the pressing direction and the torque about the axis orthogonal to the pressing direction, the force and the torque having been detected by the force sensor, has a value exceeding a predetermined numerical range.
In regards to claim 4, DE’027 discloses the mounting device according to claim 1, DE’027 also discloses that the turning target (19) is a disc-shaped casting having a draft angle. A recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. DE’027 device is capable of holding a disc-shaped casting having a draft angle turning target.
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(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Stangl et al. US 2024/0139830 (hereafter—Stangl--).
In regards to claim 1, Stangl discloses (in Figure 1) a mounting device configured to mount a turning target (31) to a turning processing device (1), the mounting device comprising a pressing jig (4) configured to press the turning target (31) against the turning processing device (1), wherein to the pressing jig (4), contact members (10) contactable with the turning target (31) and a force sensor (16) configured to, via the contact members (10), to be capable of detecting a force in a pressing direction and a torque about an axis orthogonal to the pressing direction, the force and the torque acting from the turning processing device on the turning target, are attached.
If the applicant considers that the interpretation of the claim(s) under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102, i.e., is or may be in dispute under given the current interpretation, the current under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) is appropriate. See MPEP §§ 2111- 2116.01.
If the applicant considers that the current interpretation of Stangl fails to explicitly teach that “force sensor is configured to, via the contact members, detect a force in a pressing direction and a torque about an axis orthogonal to the pressing direction”; the Examiner takes Official Notice on the fact that strain gauge sensors as the ones set forth by Stangl are well used in the art to detect both pressing and torque forces1 and thus provide accurate reading of forces generated within a machining environment.
Therefore, the examiner takes Official Notice that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time the Applicant' s invention was filed, to have the force sensor of Stangl be capable of detecting both a pressing and torque force, to provide accurate reading of forces generated within a machining environment.
In regards to claim 2, Stangl discloses the mounting device according to claim 1, Stangl also discloses that the pressing jig includes: a flat plate-shaped base portion (2) extending in a direction orthogonal to the pressing direction; and a chuck portion (refer to the portion within 4) configured to hold the turning target (31), the chuck portion being attached to a first main surface which is a main surface on a side to which the contact members (10) are attached, among two main surfaces of the base portion, the force sensor is attached on a side closer to a second main surface which is a main surface located opposite to the first main surface, among the two main surfaces of the base portion, and the contact members are bar-shaped structures (see Figures 3 and 4) extending along the pressing direction and are provided at regular intervals along an imaginary circle including the chuck portion as a center of the imaginary circle (see Figure 1).
In regards to claim 3, Stangl discloses the mounting device according to claim 1, Stangl also discloses an alerting section (see Figure 1, refer to 5 as set forth in lines 15-17 on paragraph [0037]) capable of being configured to output a predetermined signal in a case where at least one of the force in the pressing direction and the torque about the axis orthogonal to the pressing direction, the force and the torque having been detected by the force sensor, has a value exceeding a predetermined numerical range.
In regards to claim 4, Stangl discloses the mounting device according to claim 1, Stangl also discloses that the turning target (31) is a disc-shaped casting having a draft angle. A recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. Stangl device is capable of holding a disc-shaped casting having a draft angle turning target.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICOLE N RAMOS whose telephone number is (571)272-5134. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 7:00 am -5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sunil K Singh can be reached at (571) 272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICOLE N RAMOS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3722
1 See teachings of DE’027 on section 10 above.