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 Status
Claims 1-8 are rejected.
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.
Claim 6 is 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 6 recites the limitation “a third foreign matter capturing unit” in line 8. However, this is not clear because a second foreign matter capturing unit has not been claimed.
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 and 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davidian et al. (US 2004/0118774) [hereinafter Davidian] in view of Kalashnikov et al. (US 4,275,988) [hereinafter Kalashnikov].
With respect to claim 1, Davidian discloses a fluid reconditioning system, as shown in Fig. 2, having: a holding tank 26 (first coolant tank) that stores a coolant (see paragraph 0021, tank holds coolant); a venturi pump 18 (first pump) that has a first pressure-feeding mechanism portion capable of pressure-feeding the coolant, as shown in Figs. 1-2, and delivers the coolant from the first coolant tank 26 using the first pressure-feeding mechanism portion, as shown in Fig. 2; a pumping means 24 (second pump) that has a second pressure-feeding mechanism portion capable of pressure-feeding the coolant and immersed in the coolant stored in the first coolant tank 26, as shown in Fig. 2, and delivers the coolant from the first coolant tank 26 using the second pressure-feeding mechanism portion, as shown in Fig. 2; a first flow path 68 through which the coolant from the first pump 18 flows, as shown in Fig. 2; a second flow path 60 through which the coolant from the second pump 24 flows, as shown in Fig. 2; and a separator 22 (first foreign matter capturing unit) that has a media 74 (filtration filter), captures a foreign matter contained in the coolant using the filtration filter 74, and is provided on a route of the first flow path 68, of the first flow path and the second flow path, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein the coolant having passed through the first foreign matter capturing unit 22 flows directly through the first coolant tank 26 or a separately placed coolant tank without passing through a machining area of a machine tool, as shown in Fig. 2.
Davidian lacks the second pump having a screw.
Kalashnikov discloses a pump, as shown in Fig. 1, having a housing 1, a liquid inlet sleeve 2 and a liquid outlet 3, and a centrifugal impeller 7 (screw), as shown in Fig. 1. The pump arrangement of the impeller makes it possible to provide a pump having a high suction capacity and high efficiency (see col. 6, lines 42-44). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the pump disclosed by Davidian with a screw, as taught by Kalashnikov, in order to increase suction capacity and improve efficiency (see col. 6, lines 42-44 of Kalashnikov) and since Davidian already teaches the use of a centrifugal pump (see paragraph 0027 of Davidian).
With respect to claim 5, Davidian as modified by Kalashnikov discloses a first coolant discharge portion 18, 68, 64, that is supplied with the coolant through the second flow path 60, and discharges the coolant to avoid a machining point of a workpiece in the machining area, as shown in Fig. 2 of Davidian.
With respect to claim 6, Davidian as modified by Kalashnikov discloses a second coolant tank 14 that stores the coolant discharged from inside the machining area, as shown in Fig. 2 of Davidian; a third flow path 32 through which the coolant flows, the third flow path 32 returning the coolant to the first coolant tank 26, as shown in Fig. 2, and a third foreign matter capturing unit 46 that captures the foreign matter contained in the coolant, and is provided on a route of a third flow path, as shown in Fig. 2 of Davidian.
Davidian as modified by Kalashnikov lacks a third pump that delivers the coolant from the second coolant tank; and a third flow path through which the coolant from the third pump flows. However, this would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in order to efficiently direct the fluid from the second tank to the first tank, since one of ordinary skill would recognize to choose a pump according to a desired application to direct fluid to a desired location.
With respect to claim 7, Davidian as modified by Kalashnikov discloses a second coolant discharge portion 64, 28, that is supplied with the coolant through the first flow path 68, and discharges the coolant toward a machining point of a workpiece in the machining area, as shown in Fig. 2 of Davidian.
With respect to claim 8, Davidian as modified by Kalashnikov discloses wherein the first pump 18 has a first suction portion that is immersed in the coolant stored in the first coolant tank 26, as shown in Fig. 2 of Davidian, and suctions the coolant, as shown in Fig. 2 of Davidian, the second pump 24 has a second suction portion that is immersed in the coolant stored in the first coolant tank 26, and suctions the coolant, as shown in Fig. 2 of Davidian, and a distance from a bottom portion of the first coolant tank 26 to the first suction portion is greater than a distance from the bottom portion of the first coolant tank to the second suction portion, as shown in Fig. 2 of Davidian.
Claim(s) 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davidian (US 2004/0118774) in view of Kalashnikov (US 4,275,988) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Mori (US 6,015,487).
With respect to claim 2, Davidian as modified by Kalashnikov lacks a second foreign matter capturing unit that is of filterless type, captures the foreign matter contained in the coolant, and is provided on a route of the second flow path.
Mori discloses a machining and cooling apparatus, as shown in Fig. 2, having a coolant storage tank 51, as shown in Fig. 2, an amorphous filter 53 and a mesh filter 54, as shown in Fig. 2. A magnetic separator 39 (second foreign matter capturing unit that is of the filterless type) includes a rare earth magnetic roller 52 and which operates as a rare earth-type separator inasmuch as the magnetic particles are collected on a rare earth material contained on the roller 52 and this type of separator has the ability to collect and remove about 97% of the magnetic particles (see col. 4, lines 42-48). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the system disclosed by Davidian as modified by Kalashnikov with a second foreign matter capturing unit that is of filterless type, as taught by Mori, in order to capture magnetic particles in the fluid (see col. 4, lines 42-48). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the second foreign matter capturing unit on a route of the second flow path, as claimed by applicant, in order to remove undesired particles from that particular flow path, since one of ordinary skill would recognize to choose a desired location for the unit according to a desired application.
With respect to claim 3, Davidian as modified by Kalashnikov and Mori discloses wherein the second foreign matter capturing unit is a magnet separator 39 that captures the foreign matter using magnetic force, or a cyclone separator or a centrifugal separator that captures the foreign matter using centrifugal force, as shown in Fig. 2 of Mori.
With respect to claim 4, Davidian as modified by Kalashnikov and Mori discloses wherein the second flow path forms a circulation path for the coolant starting from the first coolant tank 26, as shown in Fig. 2 of Davidian.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sanderson (US 5,660,723) discloses a system including magnetic treatment units.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADELINE GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-5502. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5:30.
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/MADELINE GONZALEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
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