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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-3, 7 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2017/0028458 A1 by Wilkosz et al., hereinafter “Wilkosz”.
Regarding claim 1, Wilkosz discloses an incremental sheet forming tool (tool system 10 in Fig. 1; ¶[0011]) which comprises:
a tool body (tool body holder 56 in Figs. 1-8; ¶[0028]);
a tool head, integral with the body and comprising a punch (tool head 58 in Figs. 1-8; ¶[0028]);
a housing formed inside the body (¶[0043] discloses vibration source 64 may be integrally housed inside tool body holder 56 as shown in Fig. 4);
an actuator, located in the housing and capable of producing a vibration in a first direction that can be propagated to the punch (actuator vibration source 64 is integrally housed within holder 56 as shown in Fig. 4 and produces vibrations parallel to long axis 66; ¶[0042]-[0044]); and
at least one element configured to transform the first direction of vibration into a second direction of vibration, during propagation of the vibration to the punch (¶[0043] discloses the vibration source may also include transducer element 68 in Fig. 5 capable of transforming the vibration produced by vibration source 64 in Fig. 4 into a second direction of vibration perpendicular to long axis 66).
Regarding claim 2, Wilkosz anticipates the incremental sheet forming tool according to claim 1 as explained above. Wilkosz further discloses the at least one element comprises at least one portion which is non-axisymmetrical with respect to a main axis of the tool. Fig. 5 shows transducer element 68 is attached non-axisymmetrically to tool 58 with respect to main long axis 66 as a non-axisymmetrical portion.
Regarding claim 3, Wilkosz anticipates the incremental sheet forming tool according to claim 1 as explained above. Wilkosz further discloses the at least one element (element transducer 68 in Fig. 5) is arranged so that a unidirectional vibration parallel to a main axis of said tool (axis 66 in Figs. 4 and 5) and produced by said actuator (vibration actuator source 64 in Fig. 4) causes the punch (punch tool 58 in Figs. 4 and 5) to vibrate in at least one direction orthogonal to the main axis (¶[0043] discloses transducer 68 causes vibration perpendicular to axis 66 and parallel to the surface of the workpiece.).
Regarding claim 7, Wilkosz anticipates the incremental sheet forming tool according to claim 2 as explained above. Wilkosz further discloses the body (tool body holder 56 in Fig. 5) comprises an addition of material non-axisymmetrical with respect to a main axis of the body (adding transducer element 68 non-axisymmetrically to holder 56 is an addition of material to holder 56), said addition constituting at least partially said non-axisymmetrical portion (transducer element 68 in Fig. 5 is the non-axisymmetrical portion).
Regarding claim 11, Wilkosz anticipates the incremental sheet forming tool according to claim 1 as explained above. Wilkosz further discloses the punch (punch tool 58 in Figs. 1-8) is capable of vibrating in at least one resonance mode in response to a vibration generated by the actuator (actuator vibration source 64 in Fig. 4) along a main axis (main long axis 66 in Figs. 4 and 5), and wherein the tool has at least one resonance frequency for a vibration mode for a transfer function defined by a ratio between the an amplitude of the vibration of the punch according to the vibration mode and an amplitude of the vibration of the actuator parallel to the main axis, said resonance frequency being between 5 kHz and 30 kHz (¶[0044] discloses punch tool 58 may be vibrated at several different frequency ranges including 5 to 40 kHz).
Regarding claim 12, Wilkosz anticipates the incremental sheet forming tool according to claim 11 as explained above. Wilkosz further discloses the vibration mode of actuator vibration source 64 is parallel to the main long axis 66 in Figs. 4 and 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wilkosz in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2023/0035585 A1 by Elford et al., hereinafter “Elford”.
Regarding claim 4, Wilkosz anticipates the incremental sheet forming tool according to claim 2 as explained above. However, Wilkosz does not disclose the housing integrally holding vibration actuator 64 is offset with respect to the main axis of the tool.
In the same field of incremental sheet forming tools, Elford teaches it was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange the tool holder offset with respect to the axis in which the incremental forming takes place. See at least paragraphs [0053] through [0059].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to offset Wilkosz’s integral housing of vibration source 64 within tool holder 56 from the axis of incremental forming performed by tool 58 in the same way Elford teaches. A person of ordinary skill would have recognized applying the teaching of Elford to Wilkosz’s incremental forming tool would achieve the predictable result of offsetting Wilkosz’s tool holder from the axis of incremental forming of the tool as Elford teaches.
Regarding claim 5, Wilkosz anticipates the incremental sheet forming tool according to claim 2 as explained above. However, Wilkosz does not disclose the axis fixing the actuator inside the housing is offset with respect to the main axis of the tool constituting the at least partially non-axisymmetrical portion.
In the same field of incremental sheet forming tools, Elford teaches it was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange the tool holder offset with respect to the axis in which the incremental forming takes place. See at least paragraphs [0053] through [0059].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to offset Wilkosz’s integral housing of vibration source 64 within tool holder 56 from the axis of incremental forming performed by tool 58 in the same way Elford teaches. A person of ordinary skill would have recognized applying the teaching of Elford to Wilkosz’s incremental forming tool would achieve the predictable result of offsetting Wilkosz’s tool holder from the axis of incremental forming of the tool as Elford teaches.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wilkosz in view of World Intellectual Property Publication No. WO 2017/032958 A1 by Ashcroft, hereinafter “Ashcroft”.
Regarding claim 8, Wilkosz anticipates the incremental sheet forming tool according to claim 2 as explained above. Fig. 5 of Wilkosz shows transducer element 68 non-axisymmetrically attached to tool holder 56. However, Wilkosz does not go into detail as to how transducer element 68 is attached. Therefore, Wilkosz does not expressly disclose a non-axisymmetrical recess for the attachment of transducer element 68 to tool holder 56.
In the same field of using ultrasonic vibration to form metal, Ashcroft teaches it was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a non-axisymmetric recess to attach an ultrasonic transducer vibration element to a metal forming tool. See Figs. 2, 4A and 4B and the written description at page 4, line 20-31.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange a non-axisymmetrical recess in Wilkosz’s tool holder 56 to non-axisymmetrically attached Wilkosz’s vibration transducer 68 in the same way Ashcroft teaches. A person of ordinary skill would have recognized applying the teaching of Ashcroft to Wilkosz’s incremental sheet forming tool would achieve the predictable result of utilizing a recess to connect Wilkosz’s non-axisymmetrically attached transducer to the tool holder.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art reference combination of Wilkosz in view of Ashcroft renders the incremental sheet forming tool according to claim 8 unpatentable as explained above. Ashcroft further teaches the at least one recess (recess hole 16 in Fig. 2) comprises at least one hole formed within the body. When Ashcroft’s teaching is applied to Wilkosz’s incremental sheet forming tool, the transducer element 68 in Fig. 5 would be non-axisymmetrically attached to tool holder 56 by way of a hole which connects transducer element 68 with the housing inside tool holder 56 which houses actuator 64 shown in Fig. 4.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wilkosz in view of Chinese Patent Publication No. CN 101306451 A by Zhou et al., hereinafter “Zhou”.
Regarding claim 10, Wilkosz anticipates the incremental sheet forming tool according to claim 1 as explained above. However, Wilkosz is silent regarding the tool also comprising one or more shims installed within the housing so as to exert a mechanical preloading stress on the actuator.
In the same field of incremental sheet forming, Zhou teaches it was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include one or more shims installed within the tool housing to exert a mechanical preloading stress of the actuator. See the abstract.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate shims within Wilkosz’s housing in the same way Zhou teaches. A person of ordinary skill would have recognized applying the teaching of Zhou to Wilkosz’s incremental sheet forming tool would achieve the predictable result of using shims as Zhou teaches.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is 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. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 6 specifies the actuator is installed in a substantially offset manner with respect to the main axis of the body. Wilkosz, which is the closest prior art, does not disclose nor teach this concept. Examiner interprets Wilkosz as requiring the forming tool to comprise vibration source 64 and transducer 68 simultaneously in order to anticipate the claim language of claims 1 and 2 as explained above. Wilkosz teaches arranging vibration source 64 symmetrically along axis 66, as shown in Fig. 4, when transducer 68 is non-axisymmetrically attached to tool holder 56 as shown in Fig. 5. Thus Wilkosz teaches away from arranging vibration source 64 non-axisymmetrically when interpreted as explained above.
Conclusion
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/P DEREK PRESSLEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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