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
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Arai et al. US 5,160,228 (hereafter—Arai--).
In a first interpretation:
In regards to claim 1, Arai discloses (as in Figures 1-4), a rotary tool (Figure 1), comprising: a holder (110) extending from a front end (end where surface 111 is disposed at) toward a rear end along a rotation axis (O1), and comprising a pocket (122) located on a side of the front end; a cutting insert (20) located in the pocket (122); and a screw (32) to fix the cutting insert (20) to the holder (110), wherein the pocket (122) comprises a seating surface (114) facing toward a front side in a rotation direction of the rotation axis (O1), and a screw hole (158) extending from the seating surface (114) toward a rear side in the rotation direction, and being configured to fix the screw (32), the holder (110) further comprises a connecting hole (152/154) connecting to the screw hole (158), the connecting hole (152/154) comprises an opening (opening of 152 as in Figure 1) that opens into an outer surface of the holder (110), and a connecting part (156) connecting to the screw hole (158), and the opening (of 152) is located on a more rear side in the rotation direction than the connecting part (156).
In regards to claim 2, Arai discloses the rotary tool according to claim 1, Arai also discloses that the connecting hole (152/154) extends toward a rear side in the rotation direction as getting closer to the opening (152) from the connecting part (156) (see Figures 3 and 4).
In regards to claim 3, Arai discloses the rotary tool according to claim 1, Arai also discloses that the outer surface of the holder (110) comprises a front end surface (111) located on a side of the front end, and an outer peripheral surface extending from the front end surface (111) toward the rear end, and the opening (of 152) is located in the outer peripheral surface (see Figure 1).
In regards to claim 4, Arai discloses the rotary tool according to claim 3, Arai also discloses that the connecting hole (152/154) extends toward the rear end as getting closer to the opening from the connecting part (see tapering portion of connecting hole in Figures 3 and 4 that as it gets closer to the opening, extends toward the rear end).
In regards to claim 5, Arai discloses the rotary tool according to claim 3, Arai also discloses that the cutting insert (20) comprises an outer peripheral cutting edge (46) located on an outer peripheral side (see Figures 1-3), and the opening (of 152) is located closer to the rear end than the outer peripheral cutting edge (see Figure 1).
In a second interpretation:
In regards to claim 1, Arai discloses (as in Figures 1-4), a rotary tool (Figure 1), comprising: a holder (110) extending from a front end (end where surface 111 is disposed at) toward a rear end along a rotation axis (O1), and comprising a pocket (122) located on a side of the front end; a cutting insert (20) located in the pocket (122); and a screw (32) to fix the cutting insert (20) to the holder (110), wherein the pocket (122) comprises a seating surface (114) facing toward a front side in a rotation direction of the rotation axis (O1), and a screw hole (see annotated Figure 4 below) extending from the seating surface (114) toward a rear side in the rotation direction (annotated Figure 4 below), and being configured to fix the screw (32), the holder (110) further comprises a connecting hole (annotated Figure 4 below) connecting to the screw hole (annotated in Figure 4 below), the connecting hole (annotated in Figure 4 below) comprises an opening (opening of 154 as in Figure 2) that opens into an outer surface of the holder (110), and a connecting part (annotated in Figure 4 below) connecting to the screw hole (annotated in Figure 4 below), and the opening (of 154) is located on a more rear side in the rotation direction than the connecting part (annotated in Figure 4 below).
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In regards to claim 6, Arai discloses the rotary tool according to claim 1, Arai also discloses that the outer surface of the holder comprises a front end surface (111) located on a side of the front end, and an outer peripheral surface extending from the front end surface toward the rear end, and the opening (of 154) is located in the front end surface (see Figure 2).
In regards to claim 8, Arai discloses the rotary tool according to claim 6, Arai also discloses that the cutting insert comprises an outer peripheral cutting edge (46) located on an outer peripheral side, and the opening (of 154) is located closer to the rotation axis than the outer peripheral cutting edge (46) (see Figures 2 and 3).
Claim(s) 1-2, 6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jager et al. US 2004/0028492 (hereafter—Jager--).
In regards to claim 1, Jager discloses (as in Figures 1-7), a rotary tool (Figure 3), comprising: a holder (1) extending from a front end (machining end) toward a rear end (shank end) along a rotation axis (8), and comprising a pocket (2) located on a side of the front end; a cutting insert (3) located in the pocket (2); and a screw (17) to fix the cutting insert (3) to the holder (1), wherein the pocket (2) comprises a seating surface (4) facing toward a front side in a rotation direction of the rotation axis (8), and a screw hole (22) extending from the seating surface (4) toward a rear side in the rotation direction, and being configured to fix the screw (17), the holder (1) further comprises a connecting hole (hole made up 35 and 36) connecting to the screw hole (22), the connecting hole comprises an opening (opening where nut 18 is inserted into) that opens into an outer surface of the holder (1), and a connecting part (35) connecting to the screw hole (22), and the opening is located on a more rear side in the rotation direction than the connecting part (35) (see Figure 5).
In regards to claim 2, Jager discloses the rotary tool according to claim 1, Jager also discloses that the connecting hole (hole made up 35 and 36) extends toward a rear side in the rotation direction as getting closer to the opening from the connecting part (35) (see Figure 5).
In regards to claim 6, Jager discloses the rotary tool according to claim 1, Jager also discloses that the outer surface of the holder comprises a front end surface (see Figure 3, and refer to surface of 1 located on a side of the front end) located on a side of the front end, and an outer peripheral surface (refer to surface comprising a shank end of holder 1) extending from the front end surface toward the rear end, and the opening is located in the front end surface (see Figure 3).
In regards to claim 8, Arai discloses the rotary tool according to claim 6, Arai also discloses that the cutting insert (3) comprises an outer peripheral cutting edge (see Figure 5) located on an outer peripheral side, and the opening is located closer to the rotation axis than the outer peripheral cutting edge (Figure 5).
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) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arai et al. US 5,160,228 (hereafter—Arai--) as applied to claim 1 above.
In regards to claim 11, Arai discloses the rotary tool according to claim 1, however fails to disclose a method for manufacturing a machined product, comprising: rotating the rotary tool; bringing the rotary tool into contact with a workpiece; and moving the rotary tool away from the workpiece.
Nevertheless, the Examiner takes Official Notice on the fact that rotary cutting tools are well known in the art for being used to machine a workpiece by rotating the rotary tool; bringing the rotary tool into contact with the workpiece; and moving the rotary tool away from the workpiece when machining ends. This is a well-known usage of the rotary tool, specifically well known in end milling, which Arai explicitly discloses. As such, the Examiner takes official notice that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time the Applicant's invention was filed, to use Arai’s end mill to machine a workpiece by rotating the rotary tool; bringing the rotary tool into contact with the workpiece; and moving the rotary tool away from the workpiece when machining ends, as this is a well-known method performed by end mills.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9 and 10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICOLE N RAMOS whose telephone number is (571)272-5134. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 7:00 am -5:00 pm.
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/NICOLE N RAMOS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3722
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