DETAILED ACTION
In Reply filed on 06/03/2026, claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 16-19 are withdrawn based on the restriction requirement. Claim 20 is newly added. Claims 1, 5, and 12 are currently amended. Claims 1-15 and 20 are considered in the current Office 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 .
Status of Previous Objections/Rejections
Previous claim objection is withdrawn based on the Applicant’s amendment.
Previous 35 USC 112(b) rejections are withdrawn based on the Applicant’s amendment.
Previous 35 USC 102 and/or 103 rejections are maintained in view of the Applicant’s amendment. See Response to Argument below.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Interpretation
Claim 1 recites the limitation “a cover comprising at least two cover parts arranged so as to be movable separately from each other in relation to the receiving shell”. The instant specification discloses “ ‘movable separately from each other’ may mean that the cover parts, independently from each other, are able to carry out a movement with different degrees of freedom of movement, for example, a respective different translatory and/or rotatory movement. In this context, it is however not precluded that a kinematic coupling exists, for example, by a common drive, between the movements of the individual cover parts” in [0016]. Thus, the Examiner has interpreted the recited limitation as the at least two cover parts are able to carry out a movement with different degrees of freedom of movement independently. In other words, the cover parts moves in different trajectory and/or path independently from each other even if they are bounded by the same common drive.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9-15 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US5,308,559 (“Baracchi et al” hereinafter Baracchi).
Regarding Claim 1, Baracchi teaches a casting shell (Figure 1) for producing a filter element (abstract) for filtering a fluid comprising a filter body (Figure 1, filtering element 9) and one or more components (Figure 1, gasket 3) at least partially circumferentially extending around the filter body (Figure 1), the casting shell (Figure 1) comprising:
a receiving shell (Figure 1, lower die 1) comprising a groove (Figure 1, channel 25) and a support surface (Figure 1, bearing plane 8), wherein the groove is configured to receive a casting material (Figure 1 and Col. 3, lines 36-62, the filtering element 9 is placed within the channel 25 of the lower die 1), and wherein the support surface is configured to support the filter body (Figure 1 and Col. 3, lines 36-62, filtering element 9 is placed on the plane 8 of the lower die 1);
a cover (Figure 1, upper die 2) comprising at least two cover parts (Figure 1 and 3, four orthogonal walls 12, 12a, 13, 13a) arranged so as to be movable separately from each other in relation to the receiving shell (Col. 2, lines 66-Col. 3, line 6, the walls 12 and 12a traveled different trajectory as the wall 12a with different travel distance, thus, they are considered to be movable separately from each other based on the interpretation provided in the specification although they are moving by a common drive), wherein each of the at least two cover parts is movable between a first position (Figure 1, first open position), in which the groove is open (Figure 1, channel 25 is opened during the first open position), and a second position (Figure 2, second closed position), in which the groove is substantially covered when the filter body inserted in the casting shell (Figure 2, channel 25 is covered by the filtering element 9) with the filter body supported by the support surface (Figure 2, filtering element 9 is supported by the bearing plane 8),
wherein, when the at least two cover parts are in the second position (Figure 2), a bottom side of the at least two cover parts faces a cavity formed by the groove and wherein the bottom side is configured to mold a seal surface or a function surface of said one or more components (Figure 2).
Regarding Claim 2, Baracchi teaches the casting shell according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cover parts each are supported at the receiving shell so as to be movable separately from each other (Col. 2, lines 66-Col. 3, line 6).
Regarding Claim 3, Baracchi teaches the casting shell according to claim 1, wherein the groove comprises a groove wall at an inner side of the groove (see annotated Figure 2a) and a groove wall at an outer side of the groove (see annotated Figure 2a), wherein the groove wall at the inner side of the groove is lower than the groove wall at the outer side of the groove (see annotated Figure 2a), wherein the groove wall at the inner side of the groove comprises the support surface (see annotated Figure 2a, the surface of the groove holds the filtering element 9).
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Regarding Claim 4, Baracchi teaches the casting shell according to claim 3, wherein the support surface is horizontal (Figure 1, plane 8 is a horizontal plane surface).
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Regarding Claim 5, Baracchi teaches the casting shell according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cover parts each comprise a respective axis arranged parallel to the support surface (see annotated Figure 3), wherein the at least two cover parts each are arranged at the receiving shell so as to be pivotable about the respective axis (Figure 1 and Figure 3, Col. 2, lines 46-58).
Regarding Claim 6, Baracchi teaches the casting shell according to claim 5, wherein the at least two cover parts each are pivotable about the respective axis by 180° (Figure 1 and Figure 3, Col. 2, lines 46-58).
Regarding Claim 7, Baracchi teaches the casting shell according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cover parts are arranged at the receiving shell so as to be slidable parallel to the support surface in different directions, respectively (Figure 1 and Figure 3, Col. 2, lines 46-58).
Regarding Claim 9, Baracchi teaches the casting shell according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cover parts in the second position provide a free space in the casting shell, wherein the free space is larger than a cross section of the filter body inserted as intended in the casting shell (Figure 2, Col. 3, lines 19-32).
Regarding Claim 10, Baracchi teaches the casting shell according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cover parts comprise side faces bordering an outer side of the filter body in the second position (Figure 2), wherein the side faces are embodied to have a complementary shape to the outer side of the filter body (Figure 2).
Regarding Claim 11, Baracchi teaches the casting shell according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cover parts comprise end faces bordering one another and seal-tightly adjoining each other in the second position (Figure 1 and Col.2, lines 46-56, the walls combine with the gasket formed a seal-tight join between the filtering element 9 and the low die 2).
Regarding Claim 12, Baracchi teaches a casting device (Figure 1) comprising: the casting shell according to claim 1 (see claim 1 rejection); and a metering device (Figure 4, carrousel 40 composes of two injectors 60 and 61 for resin injection) configured to fill the casting material into the groove of the receiving shell (Col. 4, lines 22-38).
Regarding Claim 13, Baracchi teaches the casting device according to claim 12, wherein the at least two cover parts are embodied so as to seal-tightly adjoin the filter body inserted as intended into the casting shell (Figure 1 and Col.2, lines 46-56, the walls combine with the gasket formed a seal-tight join between the filtering element 9 and the low die 2).
Regarding Claim 14, Baracchi teaches the casting device according to claim 12, wherein the at least two cover parts are formed so as to be spaced apart by a gap from the filter body inserted as intended into the casting shell (Figure 2, the walls 13 and 13a are spaced apart by the gap for the filtering element 9).
Regarding Claim 15, Baracchi teaches the casting device according to claim 12, further comprising a hold-down configured to fix the filter body during a casting process in the casting shell (Figure 2 and Col. 2, line 65-Col. 3, line 18).
Regarding Claim 20, Baracchi teaches the casting shell of claim 1, wherein the one or more components comprises at least one of a seal (Figure 1, gasket 3) and an end disk (optional limitation).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US5,308,559 (“Baracchi et al” hereinafter Baracchi) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of DE102015011339 (“Nguyen et al” hereinafter Nguyen), machine translation provided.
Regarding Claim 8, Baracchi teaches the casting shell according to claim 1, but fails to teach a fastening device configured to fix the at least two cover parts in the second position, wherein the fastening device is a mechanical fastening device; a magnetic fastening device; or a mechanical fastening device and a magnetic fastening device.
However, Nguyen teaches a fastening device configured to fix the at least two cover parts in the second position( Figures 4 and 5, snap in tab 30 the connects two frame parts 16, 18 at a second closed position [0047]), wherein the fastening device is a mechanical fastening device (Figure 5, snap in tab 30 are mechanical fastening device).
Baracchi and Nguyen are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because both are in the same filed of manufacturing a filter element using a casting mold. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modified the apparatus as taught by Baracchi such that it includes all of the abovementioned limitations as taught by Nguyen to creates a seal surrounding the edge circumferentially between the filter and the walls of the casting frame ([0008]) and connects two frame parts together ([0047]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/03/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant argues the four orthogonal walls 12, 12a, 13, and 13a of Baracchi are not moveable separately from each other. In fact, the walls are rigidly connected to each other, thus, Baracchi does not teach the claimed limitations of claim 1.
The Examiner respectfully disagreed. The instant specification discloses “ “movable separately from each other” may mean that the cover parts, independently from each other, are able to carry out a movement with different degrees of freedom of movement, for example, a respective different translatory and/or rotatory movement. In this context, it is however not precluded that a kinematic coupling exists, for example, by a common drive, between the movements of the individual cover parts” in [0016]. In other words, the at least two cover parts are able to carry out a movement with different degrees of freedom of movement, moves in different trajectory and/or path, even under the same drive unit. Figure 1 of Baracchi discloses the apparatus in a first open position, the wall 12 and wall 12a are connected to the same pin 6. However, the trajectory and/or path that the walls 12 and 12a traveled are completely different and independent from each other despite being connected by a common pin drive which read upon the claimed limitation “movable separately from each other” based on the interpretation provided in [0016] of the instant application. Thus, the rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action as directed to newly added claim 20. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XINWEN (Cindy) YE whose telephone number is (571)272-3010. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8:30 - 17:00.
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XINWEN (CINDY) YE
Examiner
Art Unit 1754
/LARRY W THROWER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1754
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