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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
The applicant’s priority to foreign application DE10 2022 106 453.0 filed on March 18th 2022 has been accepted.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement filed on September 18th, 2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
The applicant is advised that claim 17 appears to be a duplicate of claim 15. If one of these claims is indicated as allowable the other claim must be canceled .
Claim Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities: the claims should start with “A method” or “A device.” 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.
Claims 1-20 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 filter elements" in L13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. This claim will be interpreted as if it read “the insert elements.”
Claim 2 is rendered indefinite for reciting “and/or other movement profiles (L3-4).” It is unclear what types of movement profiles are included in this limitation.
Claim 13 is rendered indefinite for disclosing “including carrying out the method according to claim 1.” It is unclear what structure performs which part of claim 1.
Claim 15 is rendered indefinite for reciting “means for automatic conveying.” It is unclear whether the “projections” recited in the claim are the means for conveying
Claims 3-12, 14, and 16-20 are rejected by virtue of their dependencies
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 1 previously recites “rotating the transport drum at least intermittently around an axis X, around which the transport drum is rotatably mounted; transporting the insert elements through the transport drum.” Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 would be allowable once the 35 U.S.C. 112 rejections are overcome.
Independent claim 1 would be allowable for disclosing “supplying the insert elements into a rotatable transport drum, which is provided with openings or through-holes of such a shape or size that the insert elements remain in the transport drum during the pretreatment.”
Independent claim 13 would be allowable for disclosing “wherein a transport drum rotatably movable about an axis X is provided between the supply container and the storage container.”
The closest prior art of Faltenbacher et al. (US 9950880) discloses “ A method for the pretreatment of insert elements for the fitting of injection molded parts (Abstract), wherein the insert elements (F) are transported as bulk material from a supply container (11) to a storage container (1a), the bottom of which is formed as a sieve plate (1) with corresponding openings or bores (1.1), into which the insert elements are transferred.
Although drum screens are known in the art from US-5915569, US-5507396, and US-20220288639, there is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art that would render it obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to add a drum screen before a sieving storage container as recited.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA LYNN BURKMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5824. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30am to 6:00pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at (571)272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.L.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3653
/MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3653