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 Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 6 is 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites the limitation " the automatic tool changers " in line 1 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 (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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 8-10 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Walter et al. (US 5452502).
Re Claim 1, Walter discloses a processing system (See figure 8), comprising: a processing chamber unit 70 configured to accommodate a workpiece 150, the processing chamber unit 70 including, a wall portion 180, 190, 200, 210 having a window 211, and a conveyor 010 surrounded by the wall portion 180, 190, 200, 210, the conveyor 010 configured to grip and convey the workpiece 150 to a processing position opposing to the window 211; and a processing machine unit 220a-220c disposed to cover the window 211, the processing machine unit 220a-220c including a processing part 381 configured to process the workpiece 150 located at the processing position through the window (Col. 7, Line 31-Col. 8, Line 65, Figs. 8 and 9).
Re Claim 2, Walter discloses the wall portion 180, 190, 200, 210 includes a plurality of the windows 181, 191, 201, the processing system further comprising: a plurality of the processing machine units 220a-220c each disposed to the corresponding windows 181, 191, 201 (Col. 7, Lines 43-50, Fig. 8).
Re Claim 8, Walter discloses the conveyor 010 includes a rotary conveyor configured to rotate the workpiece 150 about a rotation axis, and the processing machine units 220a-220c are arranged in a circumferential direction about the rotation axis (Col. 7, Lines 32-42, Fig. 8).
Re Claim 9, Walter discloses the conveyor 010 includes a translational conveyor configured to translate the workpiece 150, and the processing machine units 220a-220c are arranged along a moving direction of the translational conveyor 010 (Col. 7, Lines 32-42, Fig. 8).
Re Claim 10, Walter discloses a single processing position faces a plurality of the windows 181, 191, 201 (See figure 8).
Re Claim 12, Walter discloses the processing chamber unit 70 is dividable into a plurality of sections (See figure 8).
Claim(s) 1 and 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Haueter et al. (US 2019/0030666 A1).
Re Claim 1, Haueter discloses a processing system (See figures 1 and 2), comprising: a processing chamber unit configured to accommodate a workpiece (not shown), the processing chamber unit including, a wall portion having a window (not labeled, see figure 2), and a conveyor 3 surrounded by the wall portion, the conveyor 3 configured to grip and convey the workpiece to a processing position opposing to the window (Par. 0013, Fig. 2); and a processing machine unit 6, 8 disposed to cover the window, the processing machine unit 6, 8 including a processing part 8 configured to process the workpiece located at the processing position through the window (Pars. 0013-15, Figs. 1 and 2).
Re Claim 3, Haueter discloses the processing machine unit 8 includes a cover portion 11 through which the processing part passes, the cover portion 11 covering substantially entire face of the window (Pars. 0014 and 15, Fig. 2).
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.
Claim(s) 3 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Walter et al. (US 5452502), in view of Haueter et al. (US 2019/0030666 A1).
Re Claims 3 and 13, Walter does not explicitly disclose the processing machine unit includes a cover portion through which the processing part passes, the cover portion covering substantially entire face of the window.
Haueter discloses a processing system (See figures 1 and 2), comprising: a processing chamber unit configured to accommodate a workpiece (not shown), the processing chamber unit including, a wall portion having a window (not labeled, see figure 2), and a conveyor 3 surrounded by the wall portion, the conveyor 3 configured to grip and convey the workpiece to a processing position opposing to the window (Par. 0013, Fig. 2); and a processing machine unit 6, 8 the processing machine unit 6, 8 including a processing part 8 configured to process the workpiece located at the processing position through the window; the processing machine unit 6, 8 includes a cover portion 11 through which the processing part 8 passes, the cover portion 11 covering substantially entire face of the window, for the benefit of separating the working space from other regions of the processing machine unit (Pars. 0014 and 15, Fig. 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Walter by providing a processing machine unit that includes a cover portion through which the processing part passes, for the benefit of separating the working space from other regions of the processing machine unit.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haueter et al. (US 2019/0030666 A1), in view of Walter et al. (US 5452502).
Re Claim 2, Haueter does not explicitly disclose the wall portion includes a plurality of the windows, the processing system further comprising: a plurality of the processing machine units each disposed to the corresponding windows.
Walter discloses a processing system (See figure 8), comprising: a processing chamber unit 70 configured to accommodate a workpiece 150, the processing chamber unit 70 including, a wall portion 180, 190, 200, 210 having a plurality of windows 211, 181, 191, 201 and a conveyor 010 surrounded by the wall portion 180, 190, 200, 210, the conveyor 010 configured to grip and convey the workpiece 150 to a processing position opposing to the windows 211, 181, 191, 201; and a plurality of processing machine units 220a-220c disposed to cover a corresponding window 211, 181, 191, 201 the processing machine units 220a-220c each including a processing part 381 configured to process the workpiece 150 located at the processing position through the window (Col. 7, Line 31-Col. 8, Line 65, Figs. 8 and 9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Haueter to have a plurality of windows and corresponding processing machine units for each window as disclosed by Walter, for the benefit having multiple processing machine units to perform various processes on a workpiece.
Claim(s) 4-7, 11, 15, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haueter et al. (US 2019/0030666 A1), in view of Bayer et al. (EP 3181308, herein referenced by the EPO English machine translation).
Re Claims 4-6, 15, 17 and 18, Haueter discloses the processing part 8 includes a spindle to which a tool is attachable, the spindle 8 facing the processing chamber through the window, and the processing machine unit 6 includes an automatic tool changer 18, the automatic tool changer 18 configured to exchange the tool (Pars. 0014-0016, Fig. 2).
Haueter does not explicitly disclose the processing chamber unit includes a partition wall partitioning a region surrounded by the wall portion into a processing chamber and an exchange chamber, and the processing machine unit includes an automatic tool changer facing the exchange chamber through the window; automatic tool changers of adjacent processing machine units face a single exchange chamber; or the processing machine unit includes a protruding wall protruding into a region surrounded by the wall portion through the window, the protruding wall partitioning the region surrounded by the wall portion into the processing chamber and the exchange chamber together with the partition wall, and the partition wall is connected to a distal end of the protruding wall.
Bayer discloses a processing system (See figure 7), comprising: a processing chamber unit 1 configured to accommodate a workpiece 2, the processing chamber unit 1 including, a wall portion 4 having a window 14, and a conveyor 5 surrounded by the wall portion 4, the conveyor 5 configured to grip and convey the workpiece 2 to a processing position opposing to the window 14; and a processing machine unit 12 disposed to cover the window 14, the processing machine unit 12 including a processing part configured to process the workpiece 2 located at the processing position through the window 14; the processing chamber unit 1 includes a partition wall partitioning a region surrounded by the wall portion 4 into a processing chamber 3 and another chamber 3; the processing machine unit 12 includes a protruding wall 31 protruding into a region surrounded by the wall portion 4 through the window, the protruding wall 31 partitioning the region surrounded by the wall portion 4 into the processing chamber 3 and the exchange chamber together with the partition wall, and the partition wall is connected to a distal end of the protruding wall 31 (Pars. 0041-0048 and 0074-0077, Figs. 1-5 and 7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Haueter by providing a partition wall and a protruding wall to provide multiple chambers as disclosed by Bayer, thus providing an exchange chamber for the tool changer separate from the processing chamber, and tool changers of adjacent processing machine units face a single exchange chamber; to allow a user to easily access a processing machine unit to exchange tools for performing different processes.
Re Claim 7, Haueter does not explicitly disclose the processing machine unit includes a receiving portion disposed below the processing part, the receiving portion passing through the window.
Bayer discloses a processing system (See figure 7), comprising: a processing chamber unit 1 configured to accommodate a workpiece 2, the processing chamber unit 1 including, a wall portion 4 having a window 14, and a conveyor 5 surrounded by the wall portion 4, the conveyor 5 configured to grip and convey the workpiece 2 to a processing position opposing to the window 14; and a processing machine unit 12 disposed to cover the window 14, the processing machine unit 12 including a processing part configured to process the workpiece 2 located at the processing position through the window 14 (Pars. 0041-0048 and 0071-0077; the processing machine unit 1 includes a receiving portion 11 disposed below the processing part 12 the receiving portion 11 adjacent to the window (Par. 0064). The Examiner construes this to be equivalent to the claimed receiving portion passing through the window, as the receiving portion is easily accessible via the window and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Haueter to include a receiving portion disposed below the processing part, as disclosed by Bayer, for the benefit of easily removing chips and lubricant from the processing chamber.
Re Claim 11, the combination as applied to claim 4 remains as previously applied. Haueter discloses the processing chamber unit 1 includes a door 16, 19 disposed on the wall portion 4 for an operator 28 to enter the exchange chamber (Pars. 0048 and 0049, Figs. 1-5 and 7).
Claim(s) 14, 16 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haueter et al. (US 2019/0030666 A1), in view of Walter et al. (US 5452502) and Bayer et al. (EP 3181308, herein referenced by the EPO English machine translation).
Re Claims 14 and 16, the combination as applied to claim 2 remains as previously applied. Haueter discloses the processing part 8 includes a spindle to which a tool is attachable, the spindle 8 facing the processing chamber through the window, and the processing machine unit 6 includes an automatic tool changer 18, the automatic tool changer 18 configured to exchange the tool (Pars. 0014-0016, Fig. 2).
Haueter does not explicitly disclose the processing chamber unit includes a partition wall partitioning a region surrounded by the wall portion into a processing chamber and an exchange chamber, and the processing machine unit includes an automatic tool changer facing the exchange chamber through the window; or automatic tool changers of adjacent processing machine units face a single exchange chamber.
Bayer discloses a processing system (See figure 7), comprising: a processing chamber unit 1 configured to accommodate a workpiece 2, the processing chamber unit 1 including, a wall portion 4 having a window 14, and a conveyor 5 surrounded by the wall portion 4, the conveyor 5 configured to grip and convey the workpiece 2 to a processing position opposing to the window 14; and a plurality of processing machine units 12 disposed to cover a plurality of windows 14, each processing machine unit 12 including a processing part configured to process the workpiece 2 located at the processing position through a corresponding window 14; the processing chamber unit 1 includes a partition wall partitioning a region surrounded by the wall portion 4 into a processing chamber 3 and another chamber 3 (Pars. 0041-0048 and 0074-0077, Figs. 1-5 and 7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Haueter by providing multiple chambers as disclosed by Bayer, thus providing an exchange chamber for the tool changer, and tool changers of adjacent processing machine units face a single exchange chamber; to allow a user to easily access a processing machine unit to exchange tools for performing different processes.
Re Claim 20, the combination as applied to claim 2 remains as previously applied. Haueter does not explicitly disclose the processing machine unit includes a receiving portion disposed below the processing part, the receiving portion passing through the window.
Bayer discloses a processing system (See figure 7), comprising: a processing chamber unit 1 configured to accommodate a workpiece 2, the processing chamber unit 1 including, a wall portion 4 having a window 14, and a conveyor 5 surrounded by the wall portion 4, the conveyor 5 configured to grip and convey the workpiece 2 to a processing position opposing to the window 14; and a processing machine unit 12 disposed to cover the window 14, the processing machine unit 12 including a processing part configured to process the workpiece 2 located at the processing position through the window 14 (Pars. 0041-0048 and 0071-0077; the processing machine unit 1 includes a receiving portion 11 disposed below the processing part 12 the receiving portion 11 adjacent to the window (Par. 0064). The Examiner construes this to be equivalent to the claimed receiving portion passing through the window, as the receiving portion is easily accessible via the window and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Haueter to include a receiving portion disposed below the processing part, as disclosed by Bayer, for the benefit of easily removing chips and lubricant from the processing chamber.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BAYAN SALONE whose telephone number is (571)270-7739. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-60 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Bryant can be reached at (571)272-4526. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/BAYAN SALONE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726
Prosecution Insights