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 § 102
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 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, 6-7, 9-13, 15-17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sato (US 2017/0137251 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Sato discloses a material supply apparatus for supplying a sheet-type material, the material supply apparatus (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 3, ¶¶55-56, sheet delivery system 1 and sheet W) comprising a suction unit configured to suction an end of the material and unwind a portion of the material from a core so that a material roll, in which the material is wound around the core, is moved in an unwound state (Pg. 5-6, ¶91, suction holding member 33 applying tension to the sheet W), and a conveyance unit configured to convey the material roll at least during a state in which the material roll is unwound by the suction unit (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 3, ¶56, robot 3 corresponding to a conveyance unit, Pg. 10, ¶153 describing the conveying step where the suction holding member 33 works with the robot 3).
Regarding claim 2, Sato discloses further comprising a support unit configured to rotatably support the core when the material roll is conveyed to a connection position by the conveyance unit (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 7, ¶107, holding unit 5), a seating unit on which an existing material is seated (Fig. 19-20; Pg. 10, ¶152, roller 6b), and a connection unit configured to unwind a portion of the material from the core and connect the portion of the material to an end of the existing material when the core is connected to the support unit (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 7, ¶107, joining unit 8).
Regarding claim 6, Sato discloses wherein the conveyance unit comprises a first rail (Fig. 4, Pg. 8, ¶120, fixed section 54c), and a roll support that supports the material roll from below and moves along the first rail (Fig. 1 & 4, Pg. 7, ¶109, and Pg. 8, ¶120, movable body 54 corresponding to a roll support which supports the robot 3 that holds the material roll).
Regarding claim 7, Sato discloses wherein the conveyance unit comprises a second rail spaced apart from the first rail (Fig. 19; Pg. 5, ¶83 support 23 corresponding to a second rail), and a seating pad, being a suction pad, which moves along the second rail and on which the portion of the material unwound by the suction unit is seated (Fig. 8, 19-23; Pg. 5, ¶¶88-89, opposing plates 31a and 31b corresponding to a seating pad which holds the sheet material in an unwound state).
Regarding claim 9, Sato discloses wherein the support unit comprises a core fixing member which is inserted into or removed from the core that is positioned in the connection position (Fig. 1-2, Pg. 3, ¶65, shaft 14).
Regarding claim 10, Sato discloses wherein the connection unit comprises a gripper which grips a portion of the material and moves the portion of the material to a position corresponding to the end of the existing material (Fig. 5 & 7, Pg. 7, ¶112, hand 60), and a connection operating part configured to connect the portion of the material to the end of the existing material (Fig. 20, Pg. 5, ¶84, joining mechanism 28).
Regarding claim 11, Sato discloses wherein the connection operating part comprises a first compression portion which is positioned below the seating unit and faces the end of the existing material that hangs downward, and a second compression portion which faces the first compression portion with the end of the existing material therebetween, wherein the gripper moves the portion of the material between the first compression portion and the second compression portion (Fig. 23-26, Pg. 6, ¶93, pressed surface 33e).
Regarding claim 12, Sato discloses wherein the connection operating part further comprises a cutter configured to cut a distal end of the material (Fig. 23-27, Pg. 11, ¶163, blade 36), and a cut material disposal part configured to collect the distal end of the material that has been cut by the cutter (Fig. 23-27, Pg. 11, ¶¶163-165, pressing member 34 holding on to remaining sheet W corresponding to a disposal part).
Regarding claim 13, Sato discloses wherein the connection operating part comprises a taping part configured to tape the existing material and the material to each other (Fig. 12 & 23, Pg. 11, ¶158, tape attaching mechanism 46).
Regarding claim 15, Sato discloses further comprising a seating pad on which the end of the material is seated so that the material roll is maintained in an unwound state by the suction unit, wherein an angle of the seating pad is adjustable (Fig. 8, 19-23; Pg. 5, ¶¶88-89, opposing plates 31a and 31b corresponding to a seating pad which holds the sheet material in an unwound state).
Regarding claim 16, Sato discloses a material supply method for supplying a sheet-type material, the material supply method comprising unwinding a material roll in which a material is wound around a core (Pg. 3, ¶56, wherein the sheet W is wound on a roll), conveying the material roll to a preset connection position when the material roll is in an unwound state, and connecting a portion of the material of the material roll to an end of an existing material (Pg. 3, ¶56, wherein the sheet W is taken from a conveying apparatus for joining).
Regarding claim 17, Sato discloses further comprising moving the existing material and the material connected to the existing material to a subsequent process (Pg. 10, ¶¶160-162).
Regarding claim 20, Sato discloses wherein the connecting of the portion of the material of the material roll to the end of the existing material comprises gripping the portion of the material with a gripper and moving the portion of the material to a position corresponding to the end of the existing material (Fig. 5 & 7, Pg. 7, ¶112, hand 60), compressing the end of the existing material and the portion of the material on both sides using compression (Fig. 23-26, Pg. 6, ¶93, pressed surface 33e), and taping the end of the existing material and the portion of the material to each other using a taping part (Fig. 12 & 23, Pg. 11, ¶158, tape attaching mechanism 46).
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato (US 2017/0137251 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Sato discloses wherein the seating pad comprises a suction pad (Pg. 5, ¶89). Although the seating pad of Sato does not necessarily disclose it being a suction pad, it is integrated with the suction holding member 33. The opposing plates 31a, 31b, which correspond with the seating pad, are integrated with the suction holding member 33 which assists in the guiding of the sheet material. While both elements have their intended purposes, modifying the opposing plates to having suctioning capabilities only takes routine skill in the art and would prove obvious as various elements within the cited prior art reference require a suctioning platform. In Rolls-Royce, PLC v. United Tech. Corp., 603 F.3d 1325, 95 USPQ2d 1097 (Fed. Cir. 2010). In this instance, providing the seating pad to be a suctioning pad would further allow for the securement of the sheet material during the joining process.
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato (US 2017/0137251 A1) in view of Takahashi (US 5,935,361 A).
Regarding claim 3, Sato fails to disclose a core collection unit. However, Takahashi teaches further comprising a core collection unit located at a position corresponding to the support unit so that an existing core, from which the existing material is unwound, is collected (Fig. 1; Col. 5, Ln. 9-19, storage box 90 corresponding to a core collection unit). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a core collection unit as there is a need for emptying out the station when the replacement of the material is completed. In this instance it would be obvious to one skilled in the art to simply include a station for core disposal without effecting the overall function of the system disclosed by Sato as the core collection unit need not to be unitary with the overall device. The presented invention requires that the core collection unit to be a separate station in which the emptied core is disposed and thus any form of core disposal taught is obvious within the art.
Regarding claim 4, Sato fails to disclose the core collection unit having an inclined plate and container. However, Takahashi teaches wherein the core collection unit comprises a collection plate having a stepped or inclined portion (Fig. 1; Col. 9, Ln. 11-20, guide 92 having an incline), and a collection container in which the core dropping from the collection plate is stored (Fig. 1; Col. 9, Ln. 11-20, stocker 91). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated an inclined plate and a container to the core collection unit so that the incline provides a guide or a path for the empty cores to follow and the container to ensure said cores do not escape from the system.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato (US 2017/0137251 A1) in view of Enwald (US 2012/0048986 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Sato discloses a standby position (Pg. 8, ¶131), but fails to discloses a sub support unit. However, Enwald teaches further comprising a sub support unit configured to rotatably support the core when the material roll is in a standby position behind the connection position (Fig. 16; Pg. 10-11, ¶157, the handling system having a standby station corresponding to a sub support unit). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated a sub support unit the supply apparatus in order to provide a buffer between conveying the reel replacement and the unwinding process so that the next reel is available whenever the device has completed the previous roll. Incorporating such a step would only take one with routine skill as it is disclosed that the robot 3 of Sato hold the reel in a standby position and thus would be efficient for the robot 3 to drop of the reel so that it may free itself up.
Claims 14 and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato (US 2017/0137251 A1) in view of Kadota (JP 2002308484 A).
Regarding claim 14, Sato discloses further comprising a peeling device that peels off an end of the sheet which restrains the end of the material, so that the material roll is unwound, wherein the suction unit is arranged to suctions the end of the material within a certain time range when the peeling device removes the end of the sheet (Fig.1; Pg. 4-5, ¶81, suction roller 21 corresponding to a peeling device), but fails to disclose wherein a restraining member is peeled. However, Kadota teaches a peeling device that peels off a restraining member (Pg. 22-23, ¶55). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated the peeling device peeling of a restraining member of the roll as it would allow the user to feed the device with the roll having the retaining member and have the peeling be done autonomously as it would prove to be efficient.
Regarding claim 18, Sato discloses further comprising, prior to the conveying of the material roll to the preset connection position peeling off an end of a sheet of material, by using a peeling device so that the material roll is unwound (Fig.1; Pg. 4-5, ¶81, suction roller 21 corresponding to a peeling device), and unwinding a portion of the material from the core by using a suction unit so that the portion of the material is seated on a seating pad (Fig. 8, 19-23; Pg. 5, ¶¶88-89, opposing plates 31a and 31b corresponding to a seating pad which holds the sheet material in an unwound state), but fails to disclose wherein a restraining member is peeled. However, Kadota teaches a peeling device that peels off a restraining member (Pg. 22-23, ¶55). Rationales to have modified/combined are above and are reincorporated.
Regarding claim 19, Sato discloses wherein, during the conveying of the material roll to the preset connection position, a roll support for supporting the material roll from below moves to the connection position along a first rail (Fig. 1 & 4, Pg. 7, ¶109, and Pg. 8, ¶120, movable body 54 corresponding to a roll support which supports the robot 3 that holds the material roll), and the seating pad moves to the connection position along a second rail that is spaced apart from and parallel to the first rail (Fig. 19-23; Pg. 5, ¶¶88-89, holding roller 32 corresponding to a seating pad which holds the sheet material in an unwound state).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art reference refer to sheet supplying apparatuses. The cited reference comprise a conveying unit and suctioning unit, both of which have similar embodiments to that of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERMIA E MELIKA whose telephone number is (571)270-5162. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Victoria P. Augustine can be reached at (313) 446-4858. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERMIA E. MELIKA/ Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/JAMES J LEE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3668
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