DETAILED ACTION
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 § 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 1-6 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “detected by a joint portion detection device” and “detected by a defect detection device”. The claim has not positively recited the devices but rather recited as an intended use recitation. It is unclear if the detection devices are part of the cutting equipment or just part of the intended use.
All dependent claims of above-mentioned claims inherit all of the limitations of the above-mentioned claims. Thus, the claims are likewise rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite.
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.
(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) 1-2, 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Luciano (EP 2355952).
Regarding claim 1, Luciano discloses a cutting equipment for steel strips, the cutting equipment comprising: a cutting device (16 is a laser head that welds and cuts) configured to laser cut a vicinity of a joint portion (12) in which a rear end of a preceding steel strip (11) and a front end (10) of a succeeding steel strip are joined that has been detected by a joint portion detection device (“Before welding the strips 10 and 11, the position of the horizontal symmetry planes of each strip 10, 11 is advantageously detected, i.e. the position of the middle line planes of the thickness of said strips, and the possible deviation with respect to the feeding plane of the strips is determined. The position of the vertical symmetry planes of each strip 10, 11 may also advantageously be detected.
For this purpose, there are provided detecting means for detecting the position of the horizontal symmetry planes of each strip 10, 11, and for detecting their deviation from the feeding plane of the strips and the position of the vertical symmetry planes of each strip 10, 11.
Said detecting means send a control signal to the moving means of output vice 9 and/or input vice 8 which allow their translation both along axis y to align the vertical symmetry planes of the strips, and along axis z to align the horizontal symmetry planes of the strips to one another and to said feeding plane.
The detecting means comprise, for example, photocells to detect the exact position of the head and tail of the strips.”), and a vicinity of a defective portion of the steel strips that has been detected by a defect detection device (inherent. “The laser cutting head may also be used for either continuously or discontinuously trimming the edges or rims, or for eliminating possible faults from the edge. It may also be used to make the hole indicating the welding joint 12, useful for following the passing of joint 12 through the whole treatment line.”) ; and a control unit (“control means”) configured to acquire a detection signal from the joint portion detection device and the defect detection device and to operate the cutting device based on the detection signal, wherein the control unit includes a plurality of modes, including a first cut mode that causes laser cutting in the vicinity of the joint portion, and a second cut mode that causes laser cutting in the vicinity of the defective portion, and the control unit operates the cutting device in accordance with one cut mode in the plurality of modes. (it discloses both joint portion cutting and defect cutting modes)
Regarding claim 2, Luciano discloses the cutting equipment according to claim 1, wherein the first cut mode is a mode that causes the cutting device to execute end portion cutting processing of laser cutting the vicinity of the joint portion and opening machining processing of machining an opening at any position on the steel strips. (it discloses both joint portion cutting and “It may also be used to make the hole indicating the welding joint 12,”)
Regarding claim 4, Luciano discloses a cold rolling line (Fig. 5a) comprising: the cutting equipment according to claim 1; and a cold mill (5, 5’) configured to cold roll the steel strips.
Regarding claim 5, Luciano discloses a method of cutting steel strips to be executed by cutting equipment for steel strips, the cutting equipment comprising: a cutting device (see claim 1 for elements below) configured to laser cut a vicinity of a joint portion in which a rear end of a preceding steel strip and a front end of a succeeding steel strip are joined that has been detected by a joint portion detection device, and a vicinity of a defective portion of the steel strips that has been detected by a defect detection device; and a control unit, and the method comprising: a step, performed by the control unit, of acquiring a detection signal from the joint portion detection device and the defect detection device; and a step, performed by the control unit, of operating the cutting device based on the detection signal, in accordance with one cut mode in a plurality of modes, including a first cut mode that causes laser cutting in the vicinity of the joint portion, and a second cut mode that causes laser cutting in the vicinity of the defective portion.
Regarding claim 6, Luciano discloses a method of producing steel strips, the method comprising a step of cold rolling steel strips after cutting the steel strips according to the method according to claim 5. (see claim 4 rejection)
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 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luciano (EP 2355952) in view of JP S60115387.
Regarding claim 3, Luciano discloses the cutting equipment according to claim 1.
Luciano fails to disclose wherein the cutting device comprises a plurality of cutting devices provided in a pair at both end portions in a width direction of the steel strips, and the plurality of modes includes a multi-device cut mode in which laser cutting is performed by the pair of cutting devices, and a single-device cut mode in which laser cutting is performed by one of the cutting devices.
JP ‘387 teaches a similar joint cutting apparatus comprising a cutting device comprises a plurality of cutting devices (9, 10) provided in a pair at both end portions in a width direction of the steel strips (fig. 7-12).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the cutting device of Luciano to be having two cutting devices instead of one provided in a pair at both end portions in a width direction of the steel strips as taught by JP ‘387 in order to quickly and efficiently trim the workpiece. Having two cutters also provides time efficiencies and cost reduction by reducing manufacturing time. Since Luciano discloses defect trimming, the modified Luciano would inherently teaches that the plurality of modes includes a multi-device cut mode in which laser cutting is performed by the pair of cutting devices, and a single-device cut mode in which laser cutting is performed by one of the cutting devices. Since if the defect is only at one side of the workpiece in the width direction, it would only make sense that the single device would cut the defect.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BOBBY YEONJIN KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-1866. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 am - 5 pm.
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/BOBBY YEONJIN KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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