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, 4-10, and 19-30 in the reply filed on 02/03/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 11, 14-18, and 31-41 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02/03/2026.
Claim Objections
Claims 8-9 objected to because of the following informalities: “The method of any claim 1”. Appropriate correction is required.
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, 4-10, and 19-30 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 the limitation "the injection molding machine" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the injection cycle" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the injection unit" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the molten plastic" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "the molten plastic material" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 21 recites the limitation "the molten plastic material" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 24 recites the limitation "the molding unit" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 25 recites the limitation "the molding unit" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 26 recites the limitation "the third sensor" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 26 recites the limitation "the molding unit" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 27 recites the limitation "the third sensor" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 27 recites the limitation "the molding unit" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 29 recites the limitation "the molten plastic material" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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)(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, 4-10, 19-25, and 28-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by ALTONEN et al. (2020/0406521).
Regarding claim 1, ALTONEN et al. discloses a method for controlling an
injection molding machine (100) comprising:
injecting a molten polymer into the mold cavity (206-Fig.2, [0045]);
obtaining, using a first sensor (128) positioned at or near the screw (Fig.1), a first
measurement of a variable during the injection cycle, the variable comprising a compressibility of the molten polymer [0028]-[0029];
obtaining, using a second sensory (129) positioned at or near the nozzle (Fig.2), a second measurement of the variable during the injection cycle [0031];
determining a measured compressibility ratio value [0029], the measured compressibility ratio value being a difference between the measured variable obtained by the first sensor and the measured variable obtained by the second sensor [0048];
comparing the measured compressibility ratio value with a reference compressibility ratio value [0058], claim 1;
adjusting at least one control parameter based on a difference between the reference compressibility ratio value and the measured compressibility ratio value [0033] and the compressibility of the molten polymer would inherently determine a density value thereof [0033], claim 1.
Regarding claim 4, ALTONEN et al. discloses obtaining, using a first sensor (128) positioned at or near the screw (Fig.1).
Regarding claim 5, ALTONEN et al. discloses the first sensor comprises a force [0048], [0055].
Regarding claim 6, ALTONEN et al. discloses the second sensor (129) is positioned within a flow channel of the injection unit upstream of the mold cavity (Fig.1).
Regarding claim 7, ALTONEN et al. discloses adjusting a target injection pressure values (401 and 403) [0054].
Regarding claim 8, ALTONEN et al. discloses the controller may receive measurements and translate the measurements to other characteristics of the molten plastic material such as viscosity value [0030].
Regarding claim 9, ALTONEN et al. discloses the first molten plastic material is injected and the actual or calculated melt pressure is used as a target setpoint [0054].
Regarding claim 10, ALTONEN et al. discloses performance of a plurality of injection cycles is monitored for a plurality of different injection molding machines, mold, and molten materials. This historical data can be used as an input to train the machine learning algorithm to correlate the characteristics of the injection molding machine, mold, and/or molten material [0012].
Regarding claim 19, ALTONEN et al. discloses a method for controlling a molding machine having a die forming a profile and a screw that is rotatable at a variable rate, the molding machine being controlled by a controller (140) according to at least one molding parameter, the method comprising:
extruding a molten polymer through the die (Fig.1), [0028];
obtaining, using a first sensor (128) positioned at or near the screw (Fig.1), a first measurement of a variable [0028]-[0029];
obtaining, using a second sensor (129) positioned at or near the die (Fig.2), a second measurement of the variable [0031];
determining a measured compressibility ratio value [0029], the measured compressibility ratio value being a difference between the measured variable obtained by the first sensor and the measured variable obtained by the second sensor [0048];
comparing the measured compressibility ratio value with a reference compressibility ratio value [0058], claim 1; and
adjusting at least one control parameter based on a difference between the reference compressibility ratio value and the measured compressibility ratio value [0033], claim 1.
Regarding claims 20-21, ALTONEN et al. discloses measured variable is compressibility of molten plastic material and the compressibility of the molten polymer would inherently determine a density value thereof [0033], claim 1.
Regarding claim 22, ALTONEN et al. discloses the first sensor (128) is positioned behind a proximal end of the screw (112) [0026].
Regarding claim 23, ALTONEN et al. discloses the first sensor comprises a force [0048], [0055].
Regarding claim 24, ALTONEN et al. discloses the second sensor (129) is located in a runner of the injection machine [0026].
Regarding claim 25, ALTONEN et al. discloses the second sensor (129) is positioned outside of the flow channel of the molding unit [0026].
Regarding claim 28, ALTONEN et al. discloses adjusting a target injection pressure values (401 and 403) [0054].
Regarding claim 29, ALTONEN et al. discloses the controller may receive measurements and translate the measurements to other characteristics of the molten plastic material such as viscosity value [0030].
Regarding claim 30, ALTONEN et al. discloses performance of a plurality of injection cycles is monitored for a plurality of different injection molding machines, mold, and molten materials. This historical data can be used as an input to train the machine learning algorithm to correlate the characteristics of the injection molding machine, mold, and/or molten material [0012].
Conclusion
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STELLA YI
Examiner
Art Unit 1742
/STELLA K YI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742