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 claims 1-8, in the reply filed on 03/27/2026, is acknowledged.
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 1 – 8 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 1 recites “…and to provide, to provide electrically, heating power…”, in 3rd line, which renders the limitation and the claim vague and indefinite. It is not clear if to what the claim is referring to by citing “…to provide, to provide…”. Does the limitation mean “…and to, electrically, provide heating power…”? Clarification is required.
Claim 1 recites “the heating device is inserted into the bore of the roller”, in 6th line, which renders the limitation and the claim vague and indefinite. Prior to this citation, claim, in 2nd line, recites “a heating element which is configured to be inserted into a bore” and it is not clear that if the “a heating element” is already inserted into a bore, how the heating device is also inserted within the same bore. Clarification is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
Claim(s) 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (CN 212796367) in view of Kubik (DE 100 26 883), the following citations refers to attached English Translations of both references.
As to claim 1, Chen et al. (CN ‘367) disclose a heating device (¶ [0006]) for heating a roller (pressing roller 10 including pressing columns 14, ¶ [0001]), wherein the heating device (¶ [0006]) has a heating element (a movable shaft 20, ¶ [0002], including a first lead joint 24 and a second lead joint 25 which are connected to the two ends of the electrified wire, finishing a closed loop circuit, ¶ [0006]) which is configured to be inserted into a bore of the roller (pressing roller 10 including pressing columns 14, ¶ [0001]) and to, electrically, provide heating power or heat for heating the roller (the pressing roller 10 and pressing columns 14 that are connected to the movable shaft 20, wherein the first and second lead joints 24 and 25 of the two ends of the electrified wire, finishing a closed loop circuit, for heating the pressing columns 14 and the pressing roller 10, ¶ [0006]) or a roller body of the roller (pressing roller 10 including pressing columns 14, ¶ [0001]), and wherein the heating device (¶ [0006]) has a clamping element (an annular shoulder 21, ¶ [0002]) which is arranged on a surface of the heating element (a movable shaft 20, ¶ [0002]) and which is configured to contact an inner surface (the driven surface 17, ¶ [0002]) of the bore when the heating element (a movable shaft 20, ¶ [0002]) is inserted into the bore of the roller (pressing roller 10 including pressing columns 14, ¶ [0001]) and to transfer heat from the heating element (a movable shaft 20, ¶ [0002]) to the roller (pressing roller 10 including pressing columns 14, ¶ [0001]) or the roller body (pressing roller 10 including pressing columns 14, ¶ [0001]).
[AltContent: textbox (A roller (10, 14))]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A clamping element (21))][AltContent: textbox (A heating element (20))][AltContent: arrow]
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Chen et al. (CN ‘367) disclose the heating element (20, ¶ [0002]) transfers heat to the pressing columns (14, ¶ [0002]) that results in heating the roller (10), however, is silent on disclosing that the heat transfers from the heating element (20, ¶ [0002]) to the roller or the roller body (10), conductively, as claimed in claim 1.
In the analogous art, Kubik (DE ‘883) discloses a rolling apparatus (100) with a roller (10) with a cylindrical roller body (1) of the roller (10) forming the working roller periphery (2), which is rotatably supported at the ends in a roller frame and inside at least over a substantial part of the length of the working roller periphery (2) one to the roller periphery (2) has a coaxial cylindrical recess (6), and with a heater arranged in the interior of the recess (6), characterized in that several rod-shaped, axially parallel, distributed over the circumference, separately controllable heating elements (9) are provided on the circumference of the recess (6) and the roller (10). (see claim 1)
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Heating elements (9))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Bores (8))][AltContent: arrow]
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Therefore, as to claim 1, Kubik (DE ‘883) teaches a heating device (rolling apparatus 100, ¶ [0001]) comprising a roller (10, ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) including heating elements (9, ¶ [0003]) which are configured to be inserted into predetermined bores (circumferential continuous axially parallel recesses 8, ¶ [0003]) of the roller (10, ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) and to provide heat for heating the roller (10, ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) or a roller body of the roller (10, ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]), wherein the heating elements (9, ¶ [0003]) is inserted into the bores (recesses 8, ¶ [0003]) of the roller (10) and to transfer heat from the heating element (9, ¶ [0003]) conductively to the roller (10) or the roller body. (¶ [0003] - ¶ [0004])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the time of applicant’s invention, to position the heating element, as taught by Chen et al. (CN ‘367), in contact to the inner surface of the roller so for the heat to be capable of conductively transferred from the heating element to the roller or the roller body in order to increase the power transferred at the inner circumferential surface of the roller resulting higher heat input at the outer surface area of the roller, as suggested by Kubik (DE ‘883): ¶ [0006].
As to claim 2, Chen et al. (CN ‘367) discloses the clamping elements (an annular shoulder 21, ¶ [0002]) have an annular shape. (¶ [0002])
As to claim 3, Chen et al. (CN ‘367) teaches the clamping elements (an annular shoulder 21, ¶ [0002]) have first clamping rings (21) having first inclined surfaces (inclined driving surfaces 22, ¶ [0002]) and a second clamping ring (a pressing column 14, ¶ [0006] – [0008]) having a second inclined surface (the driven surface 17, ¶ [0002]), wherein each first surface (22) and the second surface (17) contact and/or support one another. (¶ [0002] – ¶ [0004])
As to claim 4, Chen et al. (CN ‘367) discloses the clamping element (an annular shoulder 21, ¶ [0002]) has a variable thickness. (See Fig. 2)
As to claim 5, Chen et al. (CN ‘367) teaches the clamping element (an annular shoulder 21, ¶ [0002]) comprises aluminum, copper, or steel. (¶ [0002] – ¶ [0004])
As to claim 6, Chen et al. (CN ‘367) discloses the heating element (a movable shaft 20, ¶ [0002]) is rod-shaped, wherein the clamping element (an annular shoulder 21, ¶ [0002]) is arranged on a lateral surface of the heating element (a movable shaft 20, ¶ [0002]). (see Fig. 2)
As to claim 7, Kubik (DE ‘883) teaches the heating element (9, ¶ [0003]) has a diameter between 5 mm and 40 mm. (see ¶ [0020])
As to claim 8, Chen et al. (CN ‘367) discloses the clamping element (an annular shoulder 21, ¶ [0002]) has a thickness of 2 mm to 8 mm. (¶ [0002] – ¶ [0004])
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH whose telephone number is (571)272-6215. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, SUSAN D. LEONG can be reached at (571)270-1487. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1754
05/02/2026
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