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 .
For clarity of the record and consideration for amendments, the Examiner notes the subject matter of the abstract is not directed towards the claimed invention of the instant application and instead, directed towards the subject matter of the parent application 17/101322.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-10) and Species II in the reply filed on 07/29/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention (i.e. a method of operating an abrasive liquid jet cutting system), there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07/26/2026.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “the first port is positioned at least partially between the second port and the third in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cutting head” from claim 3 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: “a first port,” “a second port,” “a third port,” “a first substance,” “a second substance,” etc. in the claims. The Examiner suggests confirming claimed subject matter antecedent basis within the originally filed disclosure.
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.
Claims 1-6 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boman (US Patent No. 7,775,854) in view of Pao (US Patent No. 6,283,833).
Regarding claim 1, Boman (US Patent No. 7,775,854) discloses an abrasive liquid jet cutting system (fig. 1), comprising:
a cutting head (item 20; fig. 1), including-
a nozzle (within cutting head 20; col. 4, ll. 63-65) downstream from ports (defined as ports in which first substance, i.e. abrasive 22, and second substance, i.e., fluid, are received; not explicitly shown), wherein the nozzle is configured to emit a jet (item 21; col. 4, ll. 65 through col. 5, ll. 1; fig. 1), including a first substance (defined as abrasive particles 22; col. 5, ll. 1-3; fig. 1) and a second substance (defined as fluid; col. 4, ll. 63-65; fig. 1), to cut through a workpiece (item 28; col. 5, ll. 18-23);
a catch tank (item 34; col. 5, ll. 29-30; fig. 1) downstream from the cutting head (fig. 1), wherein the catch tank is configured to receive the first substance and the first and second portions of the second substance from the jet and receive fines from the workpiece (col. 5, ll. 30-35; catch tank 34 is capable of receiving first substance, i.e. abrasive particles from abrasive supply 22 and fluid from water supply 24 and recycled supply; fig. 1); and
a reclamation system (includes conduit 44, tank 48, settling tank 8, filter 108, station 148, heat exchanger 152, and conduit 150; fig. 1) configured to-
receive the first substance, the first and second portions of the second substance, and the fines from the catch tank (weir tank 48 is capable of receiving first substance and second substance and fines of workpiece via conduit 44; col. 5, ll. 43-47),
separate at least a portion of the second substance from the first substance and the fines to form recycled second substance (settling tank 98 is capable of separating abrasive, i.e. first substance, from fines of the workpiece; further, filter 108 and treatment station 148 separate finer particles of abrasive and workpiece from water to form recycled second substance; col. 6, ll. 47-59 and col. 7, ll. 25-26 and col. 8, ll. 36-40), and
return the recycled second substance for reintroduction into the jet (via conduit 150; col. 8, ll. 41-45; fig. 1).
Though Boman discloses a cutting head including a nozzle and configured to receive a first substance (i.e. abrasive) and a second substance (i.e. fluid), Boman is silent on the interior details of the cutting head, such as the cutting head including a first port configured to receive the first substance, a second port configured to receive a first portion of the second substance, a third port configured to receive a second portion of the second substance, and the nozzle is downstream from the ports.
However, Pao (US Patent No. 6,283,833) teaches a cutting head (fig. 1) for an abrasive liquid jet cutting system (col. 1, ll. 17-20),
wherein the cutting head includes
a first port (item 20; fig. 1) configured to receive a first substance (defined as air/particle stream; col. 9, ll. 2-3),
a second port (item 52; col. 9, ll. 11-15; fig. 1) configured to receive a first portion (at least a portion of fluid enters into second port 52) of a second substance (second substance defined as high-pressure fluid; col. 9, ll. 15-18),
a third port (item 54; col. 9, ll. 11-15; fig. 1) configured to receive a second portion of the second substance (at least a portion of fluid enters into third port 54, i.e. separate from second port thereby, a second portion of the second substance), and
a nozzle (item 80; fig. 1) downstream from the ports (fig. 1), wherein the nozzle is configured to emit a jet, including the first substance and second substance, to cut through a workpiece (col. 9, ll. 25-27).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the cutting head, as disclosed in Boman, to include a first, second, and third port configured to receive the first substance and portions of the second substance, as taught in Pao, in order for the device to function as intended and produce a high-velocity particle stream for use in cutting a workpiece.
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Pao Annotated Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 2, Boman as modified discloses the abrasive liquid jet cutting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second and third ports are positioned on opposite sides of the cutting head (in view of fig. 1 of Pao above; second port 52 and third port 54 are on opposite, i.e. left and right, sides of cutting head).
Regarding claim 3, Boman as modified discloses the abrasive liquid jet cutting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first port is positioned at least partially between the second port and the third port (Pao; at least a portion of the first port is positioned between uppermost portion of second port 52 and lowermost portion of third port 54 in a direction parallel to longitudinal of cutting head; designated in second annotated fig. 1 below) in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis (Pao; longitudinal axis designated in annotated fig. 1 above) of the cutting head.
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Pao Second Annotated Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 4, Boman as modified discloses the abrasive liquid jet cutting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first port is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the cutting head (Pao; longitudinal axis designated in annotated fig. 1 above; first port extends along longitudinal axis), and wherein the second and third ports are spaced apart from the longitudinal axis (Pao; second port 52 and third port 54 are offset, i.e. spaced off in horizontal direction, from longitudinal axis, which is defined centrally through cutting head).
Regarding claim 5, Boman as modified discloses the abrasive liquid jet cutting system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second and third ports are positioned at nonparallel angles relative to longitudinal axis (Pao; col. 9, ll. 11-15; fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Boman as modified discloses the abrasive liquid jet cutting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second and third ports are positioned between the first port and the nozzle (Pao; second port 52 and third port 54 are positioned between the uppermost portion of first port, designated in annotated fig. 1 below, and nozzle 80 in longitudinal direction of cutting head).
Regarding claim 8, Boman as modified discloses the abrasive liquid jet cutting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the second substance include a fluid (defined as ultra-high pressure fluid, corresponding to fluid through pump 18 Boman and fluid through supply line 50 in Pao).
Regarding claim 9, Boman as modified discloses the abrasive liquid jet cutting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cutting head further includes a cavity (Pao; item 42; fig. 1) upstream from the nozzle and configured to receive the first substance, the second substance and the recycled substance (cavity is capable of receiving first substance, i.e. abrasives, second substance, i.e. fluid, and the recycled substance, i.e. recycled fluid from reclamation system).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boman (US Patent No. 7,775,854) in view of Pao (US Patent No. 6,283,833) and further in view of Yeo (US Patent No. 12,459,074).
Regarding claim 7, Boman as modified discloses the abrasive liquid jet cutting system as claimed in claim 1. Neither Boman or Pao disclose wherein the first substance includes a slurry.
However, Yeo (US Patent No. 12,459,074) teaches a cutting head for an abrasive liquid jet finishing system (col. 1, ll. 16-18), wherein the cutting head is supplied a first substance (col. 1, ll. 50-51 and col. 2, ll. 55-56; first substance may be a slurry or may be a dry abrasive, analogous to the first substance in Boman and Pao) and a second substance (col. 2, ll. 55; second substance is a fluid, i.e. water).
Both Boman in view of Pao and Yeo disclose a cutting head comprising a first substance and a second substance, wherein the first substance is an abrasive (dry or wet, i.e. slurry), and wherein the second substance is fluid. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the dry first substance, as disclosed in Boman in view of Pao, with a slurry (i.e. wet abrasive), as taught in Yeo, to achieve the predictable result of finishing a workpiece. Further, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the first substance as a slurry in order to assist in eliminating the generation of dust and related environmental, health, occupational and operational safety hazard inherent to dry particle stream surface preparation (Pao; col. 6, ll. 6-10).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boman (US Patent No. 7,775,854) in view of Pao (US Patent No. 6,283,833) and further in view of Yam (US Patent No. 5,827,114).
Regarding claim 10, Boman as modified discloses the abrasive liquid jet cutting system as claimed in claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose further comprising a pump upstream from the cutting head and configured to provide the first substance to the cutting head at a pressure of up to 30,000 psi.
However, Yam (US Patent No. 5,827,114) teaches a system (fig. 1) comprising a cutting head for wet blasting processes (fig.. 1; col. 4, ll. 45-55), wherein the cutting head includes a first port (item 28; fig. 1) for a first substance (defined as abrasive; col. 9, ll. 16-21) and a second port (item 22; fig. 1) for a second substance (defined as air; col. 9, ll. 14; fig. 1), wherein the system comprises a pump (item 26; fig. 1) upstream from the cutting head (fig. 1) and configured to provide the first substance to the cutting head a pressure up to 30,000psi (col., ll. 55-60; pump 26 is capable of providing first substance to cutting head 20 at about 80 psi, i.e. within the range of up to 30,000psi).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SIDNEY D FULL whose telephone number is (571)272-6996. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7:00a.m.-2:30p.m..
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/SIDNEY D FULL/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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