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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because figs. 1a-1d, 2a-2d, 3a-3b and 4a-4b have reference designators that are illegible. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akamatsu et al. (US 12076889 and Akamatsu hereinafter.).
Regarding claim 1, Akamatsu discloses a magnetic clamping device [magnetic clamping device 10] in which a plurality of magnet blocks [plurality of magnet blocks 11] having a non-reversible magnet [non-reversible magnet 16] and a reversible magnet [reversible magnet 19] whose polarity can be reversed by a magnetizing coil are arranged on a surface of a plate made of magnetic material [col 2 lines 27-47], and in which magnetically clamps a mold when in a magnetized state [col 2 lines 17-23], comprising: a controller [ignition circuit 48 controlled via controller 7]; a rectification circuit performing half-wave rectification on an alternating-current power source [ac power course 49, rectifying via thyristor 46, 47 controlled via ignition circuit 48, col 5 lines 27-31], supplying positive-side pulses to the magnetizing coil of the reversible magnet for a given period when being instructed by the controller to magnetize the magnetizing coil [fig. 2c, col 5 lines 36-39].
Akamatsu does not explicitly disclose supplying negative-side pulses to the magnetizing coil for a predetermined number of negative side pulses to the magnetizing coil of the reversible magnet when being instructed to demagnetize the same.
However, figure 2B shows opposite connected thyristors 46 and 47 of a power supply supplying power for driving the magnetizing coil 17 of all of the magnet blocks 11 of the magnetic clamping device 10 with controller 7 controlling ignition engine 48 with ignition coil 48 controlled via controller 7. Fig. 2C shows positive half-wave/pulse signals from a full-wave AC signal provided to the magnets. Therefore, it would be a simple practice for someone skilled in the art before the effective filing date to change the instruction set on controller 7 to utilize the negative half-wave/pulse signal from the AC input signal shown in fig. 2c and to supply negative-side pulses to the magnetizing coil for a predetermined number of negative side pulses to the magnetizing coil of the reversible magnet when being instructed to demagnetize the same.
Akamatsu does not explicitly disclose a first circulating circuit having a diode and a switch that are serially connected to each other, wherein the switch is turned on during a period in which magnetization is instructed by the controller to form a closed circuit with the magnetizing coil and to circulate a current generated by the magnetizing coil, and is turned off during a period in which demagnetization of the magnetizing coil is instructed by the controller.
However, it is well known in the art that thyristors function as switchable diodes. Combining this with the disclosure of Akamatsu [col 5 lines 27-63] “The thyristor 46 is turned on when magnetizing, and the thyristor 47 is turned on when demagnetizing. Each of the thyristor 46, 47 is controlled by an ignition circuit 48 for an ignition angle θ. The ignition circuit 48 can change the ignition angle θ of the thyristor 46 according to the instruction of the controller 7. The ignition circuit 48 can generate a trigger pulse TC for the thyristor 46 in a phase t1 at a rising time of the AC power supply 49 or in a phase t2 shifted by the ignition angle θ ”. Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have the controller 7 and ignition circuit 48 to control thyristors 46 and 47 to have a first circulating circuit [a first thyristor of 46 and 47] having a diode and a switch that are serially connected to each other, wherein the switch is turned on during a period in which magnetization is instructed by the controller to form a closed circuit with the magnetizing coil and to circulate a current generated by the magnetizing coil, and is turned off during a period in which demagnetization of the magnetizing coil is instructed by the controller to improve a clamping device by selectively enabling or disabling a magnet to hold or release a mold
Akamatsu does not explicitly disclose the first circulating circuit to circulate a current obtained from back electromotive force.
However, fig. 2a shows sensor coils 44 of the magnet blocks 11 to detect changes in magnetic flux with respect to the entire magnetic clamping device 10. Furthering this, it is inherent that a changing flux from the magnets will create a voltage and therefore a current through the circuit in question and therefore the sensor coils 44. Therefore, it would be a simple exercise to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to combine these sensors with the controller 7 controlling thyristors 46 and 47 to have the first circulating circuit to circulate a current obtained from back electromotive force so as to mitigate any unwanted forces exhibited by a back electromotive force.
Regarding claim 2, Akamatsu does not explicitly disclose the magnetic clamping device further comprising a number of positive-side pulses generated by the rectification circuit is greater than number of negative-side pulses.
However, with controller 7 controlling ignition circuit 48 to turn off or on thyristors 46 and 47 to fully demagnetized or fully magnetized the magnetics [col 5 lines 27-63] it would be a simple practice for one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to combine this disclosure with a change in the instruction set on controller 7 to utilize both negative and positive half-wave/pulse signal from the AC input signal shown in fig. 2c and to supply more positive pulses than negative pulses or vice versa to have a magnetized state somewhere between full magnetized or fully demagnetized to help assist in holding a magnet within a mold since it has been held that the provision of adjustability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art. In re Stevens, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954). This would allow for an ideal magnetized state for holding a mold that might be fragile so as to prevent breakage
Regarding claim 3, Akamatsu disclose the magnetic clamping device further comprising: a second circulating circuit having a diode and a switch that are serially connected to each other [a second thyristor of the thyristors 46 and 47], wherein the switch is turned on during a period in which demagnetization [col 5 lines 27-63] is instructed by the controller [controller 7 controlling ignition circuit 48] to form a closed circuit with the magnetizing coil and to circulate a current obtained from back electromotive force generated by the magnetizing coil [current flowing from wave-wave/pulses and inherent current from changing magnetic flux], and is turned off during a period in which magnetization of the magnetizing coil is instructed by the controller [col 5 lines 27-63], and wherein polarities of the diodes of the first circulating circuit and the second circulating circuit are opposite to each other [opposite polarities of thyristors 46 and 47 shown in fig. 2b].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
disclosure, Sarh (US 9281108) is cited to teach pulse-width modulation control of a magnet and coil for selectively magnetizing and demagnetizing magnets.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES G YEAMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5580. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 954 Schedule.
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/JAMES G YEAMAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/TAELOR KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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