DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16th, 2013 is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Sheet
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/09/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 12, the amended claim reads as follows, “The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein claim 1, the processing unit…” It is likely that the Applicant meant, “The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC §112(b)
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 3-9 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.
Regarding claims 3-6 and 8, these claims recite the passive phrase “can be determined” (e.g., “a temperature distribution… can be determined” in claim 3). The claims fail to positively recite the specific structure responsible for making these determinations. Therefore, the claims listed above are rejected for failing to fully define the metes and bounds of the claim. To resolve this, the claims must explicitly state what is performing the action (e.g., “wherein the processing unit determines…”).
Regarding claims 7 and 9, these claims are also rejected under 35 USC 112(b) due to their dependence upon rejected claims above.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC §102
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 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 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.
Claims 1-3 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Imposti (WO 2022/043024).
Regarding claim 1, Imposti discloses an arrangement comprising:
a) a first unrolling device (Figure 1A, #3) for unrolling a first material web (Figure 1A, N1),
b) a second unrolling device (Figure 1A, #5) for unrolling a second material web (Figure 1A, #N2),
c) an apparatus (Figure 1A, #7) for producing a corrugated cardboard web (Figure 1A, #NS1) which is laminated on one side from the first material web (Figure 1A, #N1) and the second material web (Figure 1A, #N2), wherein the apparatus for producing a corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side (Described in ¶'s [0040] - [0043]) comprises –
i) a corrugating device (Figure 1A, #101/#103) for corrugating the first material web (#N1) to form a corrugated web (Described in ¶'s [0019] & [0040]),
ii) a glue application device for gluing the corrugated web (Described in ¶'s [0019], [0042], and [0047] - [0049]), and
iii) a pressing device (Figure 1B, #23) for pressing the glued corrugated web and the second material web against each other to form a corrugated cardboard web (#NS1) which is laminated on one side (Described in ¶'s [0019] & [0040]),
d) at least one contactless temperature measuring device (Figure 3, #75/#77/#79) for contactlessly measuring a temperature of the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side (Described in ¶'s [0059] & [0080]), and
e) a processing unit (Figure 1A, #120) which is at least from time to time in signal connection with the at least one contactless temperature measuring device (Figure 3, #75/#77/#79) and is capable of processing temperature signals from the at least one contactless temperature measuring device to the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side (Described in ¶'s [0079] - [0083]).
Regarding claim 2, Imposti further discloses wherein the at least one contactless temperature measuring device is designed as a thermal imaging device (Figure 3, #75/#77/#79 and described in ¶'s [0079] - [0083]).
Regarding claim 3, Imposti further discloses wherein, a temperature distribution of at least one longitudinal edge region of the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side can be determined (Described in ¶'s [0019] & [0079] - [0083]).
Regarding claim 15, Imposti discloses a method comprising the steps of:
(a) unrolling a first material web (Figure 1A, N1) from a first unrolling device (Figure 1A, #3),
(b) unrolling a second material web (Figure 1A, #N2) from a second unrolling device (Figure 1A, #5),
(c) producing a corrugated cardboard web (Figure 1A, #NS1) which is laminated on one side (Figure 1A, #N1) by means of an apparatus (Figure 1A, #7) for producing a corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side (Described in ¶'s [0040] - [0043]), which apparatus has –
(i) a corrugating device (Figure 1A, #101/#103) for corrugating the first material web (#N1) in order to form a corrugated web (Described in ¶'s [0019] & [0040]),
(ii) a glue application device for gluing the corrugated web (Described in ¶'s [0019], [0042], and [0047] - [0049]), and
(iii) a pressing device (Figure 1B, #23) for pressing the glued corrugated web and the second material web against each other to form a corrugated cardboard web (#NS1) which is laminated on one side (Described in ¶'s [0019] & [0040]),
(d) contactlessly measuring a temperature of the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side (Described in ¶'s [0059] & [0080]) by means of at least one contactless temperature measuring device (Figure 3, #75/#77/#79), and
(e) processing temperature signals from the at least one contactless temperature measuring device (Figure 3, #75/#77/#79) to the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side doing so by means of a processing unit (Figure 1A, #120) which is at least from time to time in signal connection with the at least one contactless temperature measuring device (Described in ¶'s [0079] - [0083]).
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.
Claims 4-5 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Imposti in view of Ishibuchi (EP 1757548).
Regarding claim 4, Imposti teaches does not specifically teach wherein at least one longitudinal edge of the corrugated web can be determined.
Ishibuchi teaches wherein at least one longitudinal edge of the corrugated web can be determined (Described in ¶ [0039]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Ishibuchi to include position detection and control means in a facer with the motivation of providing a structure for allowing the control of the web travel position, as recognized b Ishibuchi in the abstract.
Regarding claim 5, Imposti teaches does not specifically teach wherein at least one side glue edge of a glue application produced by the glue application device can be determined.
Ishibuchi teaches wherein at least one side glue edge of a glue application produced by the glue application device can be determined (Described in ¶ [0064]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Ishibuchi to include position detection and control means in a facer with the motivation of providing a structure for allowing the control of the web travel position, as recognized b Ishibuchi in the abstract.
Regarding claim 9, Imposti teaches does not specifically teach wherein the processing unit is capable of effecting a minimization of the at least one single-ply edge region of the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side in a transverse direction of the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side.
Ishibuchi teaches wherein the processing unit is capable of effecting a minimization of the at least one single-ply edge region of the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side in a transverse direction of the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side (Described in ¶ [0042]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Ishibuchi to include position detection and control means in a facer with the motivation of providing a structure for allowing the control of the web travel position, as recognized b Ishibuchi in the abstract.
Claims 6-8 and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Imposti in view of Gnan (US 2020/0369487 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Imposti does not specifically teach wherein a course of at least one circumferential groove of at least one corrugating roller of the corrugating device can be determined.
Gnan teaches wherein a course of at least one circumferential groove of at least one corrugating roller of the corrugating device can be determined (Described in ¶ [0052]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Gnan to include determining a position of the roller with the motivation of providing a method for controlling the formation of the web, as recognized by Gnan in ¶’s [0003] & [0052].
Regarding claim 7, Imposti does not specifically teach wherein the processing unit is capable of checking a position of the corrugated web relative to at least one circumferential groove.
Gnan teaches wherein the processing unit is capable of checking a position of the corrugated web relative to at least one circumferential groove (Described in ¶ [0052]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Gnan to include determining a position of the roller with the motivation of providing a method for controlling the formation of the web, as recognized by Gnan in ¶’s [0003] & [0052].
Regarding claim 8, Imposti does not specifically teach wherein at least one single-ply edge region of the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side can be determined.
Gnan teaches wherein at least one single-ply edge region of the corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on one side can be determined (Described in ¶ [0096]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Gnan to include determining a position of the roller with the motivation of providing a method for controlling the formation of the web, as recognized by Gnan in ¶’s [0003] & [0052].
Regarding claim 10, Imposti does not specifically teach wherein the processing unit is at least from time to time in signal connection with the first unrolling device and is capable of effecting a change in a transverse position of the first material web.
Gnan teaches wherein the processing unit is at least from time to time in signal connection with the first unrolling device and is capable of effecting a change in a transverse position of the first material web (Described in ¶'s [0052] - [0053]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Gnan to include determining a position of the roller with the motivation of providing a method for controlling the formation of the web, as recognized by Gnan in ¶’s [0003] & [0052].
Regarding claim 11, Imposti does not specifically teach wherein the processing unit is at least from time to time in signal connection with the second unrolling device and is capable of effecting a change in a transverse position of the second material web.
Gnan teaches wherein the processing unit is at least from time to time in signal connection with the second unrolling device and is capable of effecting a change in a transverse position of the second material web (Described in ¶'s [0052] - [0053]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Gnan to include determining a position of the roller with the motivation of providing a method for controlling the formation of the web, as recognized by Gnan in ¶’s [0003] & [0052].
Regarding claim 12, Imposti does not specifically teach wherein the processing unit is at least from time to time in signal connection with the glue application device and is capable of effecting a change in the application of glue to the corrugated web in a transverse direction of the corrugated web.
Gnan teaches wherein the processing unit is at least from time to time in signal connection with the glue application device and is capable of effecting a change in the application of glue to the corrugated web in a transverse direction of the corrugated web (Described in ¶ [0055] & [0092]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Gnan to include determining a position of the roller with the motivation of providing a method for controlling the formation of the web, as recognized by Gnan in ¶’s [0003] & [0052].
Regarding claim 13, Imposti does not specifically teach at least one first transverse position detection apparatus arranged upstream of the corrugating device and at least from time to time in signal connection with the processing unit for detecting a transverse position of the first material web.
Gnan teaches at least one first transverse position detection apparatus arranged upstream of the corrugating device and at least from time to time in signal connection with the processing unit for detecting a transverse position of the first material web (Described in ¶ [0095]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Gnan to include determining a position of the roller with the motivation of providing a method for controlling the formation of the web, as recognized by Gnan in ¶’s [0003] & [0052].
Regarding claim 14, Imposti does not specifically teach at least one second transverse position detection apparatus arranged upstream of the pressing device and at least from time to time in signal connection with the processing unit for detecting a transverse position of the second material web.
Gnan teaches at least one second transverse position detection apparatus arranged upstream of the pressing device and at least from time to time in signal connection with the processing unit for detecting a transverse position of the second material web (Described in ¶ [0095]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Imposti to incorporate the teachings of Gnan to include determining a position of the roller with the motivation of providing a method for controlling the formation of the web, as recognized by Gnan in ¶’s [0003] & [0052].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB A SMITH whose telephone number is (571) 272-3974 and email address is Jacob.Smith@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 7:30AM - 5:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at (571) 270-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JACOB A SMITH/Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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