DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 4-6, and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites “to blow out air”, in 21st and 24th lines, which needs to be modified as to “to blow out the air” as it is clear that “air” refers back to previously recited “blowing air”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 4-5 recite “blowing of air at the molded article”, in 10th line, which needs to be modified as to “blowing of the air” as it is clear that “air” refers back to previously recited “blowing air”, in claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 6-8 recite “causing air to blow at the plurality of molded articles”, in 11th line, which needs to be modified as to “causing the air” as it is clear that “air” refers back to previously recited “blowing air”, in claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
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 non-obviousness.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (CN 113352546).
Zhang et al. (CN ‘546) disclose an injection molding system comprising:
an injection molding device (injection mold 52, ¶ [0011]) including an injection molding section that has a fixed (right, fig. 1) section to which a fixed (right, fig. 1) molding die and a movable (left, fig. 1) molding die, which faces the fixed (right, fig. 1) molding die and which is reciprocable with respect to the fixed (right, fig. 1) molding die, are attached and fixed, and that is configured to mold a molded article (container, ¶ [0014] - ¶ [0015]) by injecting a material into cavities formed between the fixed (right) molding die and the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die, and a first movement between a molding die closed position and a molding die open position;
a cleaning device (a container surface cleaning assembly 9 comprising plasma cleaning machine 10, ¶ [0041]) configured to clean a molded article that was taken out from the injection molding device (injection mold 52, ¶ [0011]) by blowing air onto the molded article; and
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A cleaning device (9, 10))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A movable molding die)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A fixed molding die)][AltContent: textbox (Injection molding device (52))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]
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a control device configured to control the injection molding device (injection mold 52, ¶ [0011]) and the cleaning device (a container surface cleaning assembly 9 comprising plasma cleaning machine 10, ¶ [0041]), wherein the control device, when the fixed (right, fig. 1) molding die and the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die are attached to the fixed section and the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die is not located at the molding die closed position, does not cause the cleaning device (a container surface cleaning assembly 9 comprising plasma cleaning machine 10, ¶ [0041]) to blow out air and, when the fixed (right, fig. 1) molding die and the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die are attached to the fixed (right, fig. 1) section and the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die is located at the molding die closed position, causes the cleaning device to blow out air.
Zhang et al. (CN ‘546) is silent on disclosing the configuration of injecting a material containing a metal powder into cavities formed between the fixed (right, fig. 1) molding die and the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die, as claimed in claim 1.
However, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the time of Applicant’s invention, to alter a processing of the injection molding device, as suggested by Zhang et al. (CN ‘546), through feeding metal powder into cavities in order to form containers with higher strengths. Further, altering processing of the injection molding device is considered as “intended use” and the intended use has been continuously held not to be germane to determining the patentability of the apparatus. Also, material or article worked upon does not limit the apparatus claims. See MPEP 2115.
As to claim 2, Zhang et al. (CN ‘546) disclose the cleaning device (a container surface cleaning assembly 9 comprising plasma cleaning machine 10) blows ultrasonic vibration air as the air at the molded article. (see ¶ [0024] - ¶ [0025])
As to claim 3, Zhang et al. (CN ‘546) teach the injection molding device (injection mold 52, ¶ [0011]), the cleaning device (a container surface cleaning assembly 9 comprising plasma cleaning machine 10), and a pallet (container placing end 18, ¶ [0041]) on which the molded article cleaned by the cleaning device is placed are arranged in a predetermined first direction in the order of the injection molding device, the cleaning device, and the pallet and a partition plate is provided between the cleaning device (9, 10) and the pallet (container placing end 18, ¶ [0054] - ¶ [0056]).
As to claim 4, Zhang et al. (CN ‘546) disclose a second movement section for moving a relative position between the cleaning device (9, 10; ¶ [0056] - ¶ [0057]) and the molded article removed from the injection molding device (injection mold 52, ¶ [0011]) and when the fixed (right, fig. 1) molding die and the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die are attached to the fixed section and the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die is located at the molding die closed position, the control device controls the cleaning device (9, 10; ¶ [0056] - ¶ [0057]) and the second movement section and performs blowing of air at the molded article.
As to claim 5, Zhang et al. (CN ‘546) teach when the fixed (right, fig. 1) molding die and the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die are attached to the fixed section and the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die is located at the molding die closed position, the control device controls the cleaning device (9, 10; ¶ [0056] - ¶ [0057]) and the second movement section to repeatedly perform blowing of air at the molded article and, after the blowing of the air at the molded article is completed, controls the first movement section and causes the movable (left, fig. 1) molding die to move to the molding die open position.
As to claim 6, Zhang et al. (CN ‘546) disclose the injection molding section molds a plurality of molded articles, the injection molding system includes an arrangement mechanism (sucker seat 58, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) on which a plurality of molded articles that were removed from the injection molding device are placed and which changes arrangement of the placed plurality of molded articles, and the control device controls the cleaning device (9, 10; ¶ [0056] - ¶ [0057]) and performs cleaning of the plurality of molded articles by causing air to blow at the plurality of molded articles placed on the arrangement mechanism (sucker seat 58, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]).
As to claim 7, Zhang et al. (CN ‘546) teach a robot for placing the plurality of molded articles that were cleaned by the cleaning device (9, 10; ¶ [0056] - ¶ [0057]) from the arrangement mechanism (sucker seat 58, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) onto a pallet (container placing end 18, ¶ [0054] - ¶ [0056]) and the control device controls the robot to change intervals between the molded articles after the arrangement was changed by the arrangement mechanism (sucker seat 58, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]), and to place the molded articles on the pallet (container placing end 18, ¶ [0054] - ¶ [0056]) after the intervals between the molded articles were changed.
As to claim 8, Zhang et al. (CN ‘546) disclose the injection molding section (injection mold 52, ¶ [0011]) molds a plurality of molded articles in one injection step, the injection molding system includes an arrangement mechanism (sucker seat 58, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) on which a plurality of molded articles that were removed from the injection molding device (injection mold 52, ¶ [0011]) are placed and a robot for placing the plurality of molded articles from the arrangement mechanism onto a pallet (container placing end 18, ¶ [0054] - ¶ [0056]), the control device (9, 10; ¶ [0056] - ¶ [0057]) controls the cleaning device and performs cleaning of the plurality of molded articles by causing air to blow at the plurality of molded articles placed on the arrangement mechanism (sucker seat 58, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]), and the control device controls the robot to change the arrangement of the plurality of molded articles after cleaning was performed by the cleaning device (9, 10; ¶ [0056] - ¶ [0057]), and to place the plurality of molded articles after the arrangement of the plurality of molded articles was changed onto the pallet (container placing end 18, ¶ [0054] - ¶ [0056]).
As to claim 9, Zhang et al. (CN ‘546) teach the injection molding system (injection mold 52, ¶ [0011]) includes an arrangement mechanism (sucker seat 58, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) on which the molded article taken out from the injection molding device (injection mold 52, ¶ [0011]) is placed, a second movement section configured to move a relative position between the arrangement mechanism (sucker seat 58, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) and the cleaning device (9, 10; ¶ [0056] - ¶ [0057]), and a robot for placing the molded article from the arrangement mechanism (sucker seat 58, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) onto a pallet (container placing end 18, ¶ [0054] - ¶ [0056]) and the control device performs cleaning of the molded article by air by moving a relative position between the cleaning device and the arrangement mechanism (sucker seat 58, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) on which the molded article is placed and then uses the robot to place the molded article after cleaning onto the pallet (container placing end 18, ¶ [0054] - ¶ [0056]).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Guadagnin (US 2016/0185055) disclose an apparatus for manufacturing a polarized lens for spectacles, wherein the lens is produced by co-injection moulding of the lens on to a polarizing optical filter structure, wherein the optical filter structure, which already has a curved shape imparted to it during the production of the filter, is subjected, before insertion into the injection mould, to a step of thermoforming for the purpose of providing the desired curvature in the optical filter for the subsequent step of co-injection moulding of the lens on to the optical filter structure. (see claim 1)
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH whose telephone number is (571)272-6215. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, SUSAN D. LEONG can be reached at (571)270-1487. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1754
01/07/2026