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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-11 in the reply filed on 5/27/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 12-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/27/2026.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in Application No. 18944055, filed on 11/12/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/16/2024 and 11/12/2024 are filed after/on the filing date of the application on 11/12/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been 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 1-4 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Akio (JPH 09300300 A).
Regarding claim 1, Akio teaches a method for shredding a scrap skeleton produced as a machining product of separating machining of a plate-like workpiece and having a scrap skeleton main plane, the method comprising
creating an incomplete joint having a course along a separating line running in a longitudinal direction of the incomplete joint on the scrap skeleton (paragraph 0021 of translation), wherein the scrap skeleton is machined for separation along the separating line, and wherein a breakable residual connection arranged along the separating line is established between a first scrap skeleton part and a second scrap skeleton part, the first skeleton part being arranged on a first side of the incomplete joint and forming a free end of the scrap skeleton and the second scrap skeleton part being arranged on a second side of the incomplete joint as a remaining scrap skeleton (paragraph 0002-0005 of translation), and
after the incomplete joint is created, deflecting the first scrap skeleton part and the second scrap skeleton part relative to one another perpendicularly to the scrap skeleton main plane so that the residual connection between the first scrap skeleton part and the second scrap skeleton part breaks, thereby separating the first scrap skeleton part and the second scrap skeleton part from one another (see Figures 1-6 and paragraph 0022 of translation).
Regarding claim 2, Akio teaches the breakable residual connection between the first scrap skeleton part and the second scrap skeleton part is established by a connection (material around the holes 9 11, 15), wherein the connection forms the breakable residual connection between the first scrap skeleton part and the second scrap skeleton part, the connection being left during the separating machining of the scrap skeleton along the separating line (see Figures 1-6).
Regarding claim 3, Akio teaches the scrap skeleton with the scrap skeleton main plane (plane into the page in Figure 3) oriented perpendicularly to a direction of gravity is supported in the direction of gravity by a scrap skeleton support (up and down direction in Figure 3), the incomplete joint is created on the scrap skeleton that is supported in the direction of gravity by the scrap skeleton support, after the incomplete joint is created, the scrap skeleton support, which acts in the direction of gravity for the first scrap skeleton part is removed, thereby releasing the first scrap skeleton part for the deflection in the direction of gravity (See Figure 3), and the released first scrap skeleton part is deflected in the direction of gravity in relation to the second scrap skeleton part under an action of gravity so that the residual connection between the first scrap skeleton part and the second scrap skeleton part breaks, thereby the released first scrap skeleton part is separated from the second scrap skeleton part (paragraph 0022 of translation).
Regarding claim 4, Akio teaches the separating line runs in a transverse direction (y direction) to a movement direction (x direction) of the scrap skeleton, wherein the scrap skeleton is moved in the transverse direction parallel to the scrap skeleton main plane, after the incomplete joint is created, so that the first scrap skeleton part leads in the movement direction of the scrap skeleton, after the incomplete joint is created, the support, which acts in the direction of gravity for the first scrap skeleton part, is removed by the first scrap skeleton part being moved beyond the scrap skeleton support in the movement direction into a region in which the first scrap skeleton part is released in the direction of gravity for the deflection under the action of gravity (up and down direction in Figure 3), and the released first scrap skeleton part is deflected in the direction of gravity in relation to the second scrap skeleton part, which remains on the scrap skeleton support under the action of gravity, so that the residual connection between the first scrap skeleton part and the second scrap skeleton part breaks, thereby the first scrap skeleton part is separated from the second scrap skeleton part (see Figures 1-7).
Regarding claim 6, Akio teaches the incomplete joint is created by the scrap skeleton being machined for separation along the separating line in such a way that the incomplete joint, on at least one side of the residual connection, opens into a free edge of the scrap skeleton that is remote from the residual connection along the separating line (see Figures 1-7).
Regarding claim 7, Akio teaches a method for separating machining of a plate-like workpiece, the method producing a workpiece part and a scrap skeleton by the separating machining as machining products, the scrap skeleton at least partially enclosing the workpiece part, and after the workpiece part and the scrap skeleton are produced, shredding the scrap skeleton in accordance with the method as claimed in claim 1 (see Figures 1-7)..
Regarding claim 8, Akio teaches the separating machining of the workpiece for producing the workpiece part and the scrap skeleton and the creating the incomplete joint are carried out using a same separating tool (see Figures 1-7)..
Regarding claim 9, Akio teaches the workpiece to be machined for separation is arranged in a machining position by a positioning movement in a workpiece advancing direction provided as a movement direction of the scrap skeleton, wherein in the machining position, the workpiece is oriented with a workpiece main plane perpendicular to a direction of gravity and is supported in the direction of gravity by a workpiece support provided as a scrap skeleton support, as the workpiece is arranged in the machining position, the incomplete joint is created on the scrap skeleton, wherein the incomplete joint is supported in the direction of gravity by the workpiece support and has a course along the separating line which runs in a transverse direction to the workpiece advancing direction, after the workpiece part is at least partially separated from the scrap skeleton and after the incomplete joint is created on the scrap skeleton, the scrap skeleton is moved in the workpiece advancing direction in such a way that the first scrap skeleton part leads in the workpiece advancing direction, as the first scrap skeleton part is moved beyond the workpiece support in the workpiece advancing direction into a region in which the first scrap skeleton part is released in the direction of gravity, for the deflection under an action of gravity, and the released first scrap skeleton part is deflected in the direction of gravity in relation to the second scrap skeleton part, which remains on the workpiece support, under the action of gravity in such a way that the residual connection between the first scrap skeleton part and the second scrap skeleton part breaks, thereby the first scrap skeleton part is separated from the second scrap skeleton part (see Figures 1-7)..
Regarding claim 10, Akio teaches the workpiece, on account of the movement of the scrap skeleton in the workpiece advancing direction, is arranged in a further machining position, in which the workpiece is oriented with the workpiece main plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity and is supported in the direction of gravity by the workpiece support, as the workpiece is arranged in the further machining position, a further workpiece part is at least partially separated from the scrap skeleton by the separating machining of the workpiece, and a further incomplete joint with a further course along a further separating line is created on the scrap skeleton which is supported in the direction of gravity by the workpiece support, the further separating line running in the transverse direction to the workpiece advancing direction, wherein a further breakable residual connection is established between a further first scrap skeleton part arranged on a first side of the further incomplete joint and a further second scrap skeleton part arranged on a second side of the further incomplete joint, after the further workpiece part is at least partially separated from the scrap skeleton and after the further incomplete joint is created on the scrap skeleton, the scrap skeleton is moved in the workpiece advancing direction in such a way that the further first scrap skeleton part leads in the workpiece advancing direction, as the further first scrap skeleton part, is moved beyond the workpiece support in the workpiece advancing direction into a region in which the further first scrap skeleton part is released in the direction of gravity for deflection under the action of gravity, and the released further first scrap skeleton part is deflected in the direction of gravity in relation to the further second scrap skeleton part, which remains on the workpiece support, under the action of gravity in such a way that the further residual connection between the further first scrap skeleton part and the further second scrap skeleton part breaks, thereby separating the further first scrap skeleton part from the further second scrap skeleton part (see Figures 1-7).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akio (JPH 09300300 A) in view of Epperlein (US 20190091817 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Akio teaches all elements of the current invention as set forth in claim 3 above.
Akio fails to teach the first scrap skeleton part, after the separation from the second scrap skeleton part, is supplied to a collection container under the action of gravity.
Epperlein teaches after cutting metal, the first scrap skeleton part, after the separation from the second scrap skeleton part, is supplied to a collection container under the action of gravity (see Figures 3A-C and paragraphs 0018 and 0021).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method of Akio to add the step of collecting the scrap, as taught by Epperlein, in order to better sort the scrap (paragraphs 0018 and 0021 of Epperlein).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akio (JPH 09300300 A) in view of Pace (US 20010030180 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Akio teaches all elements of the current invention as set forth in claim 3 above.
Akio fails to teach the workpiece to be machined for separation is unwound from a coil in order to be arranged in the machining position.
Pace teaches supply a cutting machine with work piece, wherein the workpiece to be machined for separation is unwound from a coil in order to be arranged in the machining position (see Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method of Akio to feed the work piece from a coil, as taught by Pace, in order to provide a way to feed the work piece (abstract of Pace).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIANG DONG whose telephone number is (571)270-0479. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8 AM-6 PM.
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/LIANG DONG/Examiner, Art Unit 3724 6/24/2026
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