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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claims 7 and 8 are 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 7 recites the limitation “a biasing force by the biasing portion is smaller than a reaction force of the plunger against the predetermined pressure” in line 14-16. It is unclear whether “against the predetermined pressure” refers to the biasing force being smaller than the predetermined pressure, whether the reaction force of the plunger is providing a force against the predetermined pressure, or whether the limitation has a different interpretation or meaning. Applicant’s disclosure recites in [0063] “A biasing force of the biasing portion 158 is smaller than a reaction force of the plunger 78 against the nozzle opening pressure. In other words, when a pressure in the flow path 140 is equivalent to the nozzle opening pressure, the biasing portion 158 cannot move the first wall portion 156a in the +X-axis direction”. Therefore, for the purpose of examination, Examiner will interpret the limitation “against the predetermined pressure” as “when the pressure in the flow path is larger than the predetermined pressure”. However, clarification and correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogihara et al. (US20230182393), and further in view of Gruber et al. (US6413465).
Regarding claim 1, Ogihara teaches an injection molding device (injection molding device 120; Figure 14) comprising:
a plasticization unit (plasticizing unit 126; Figure 14) configured to plasticize a material to generate a plasticized material ([0009] A material feeding device includes a plasticizing unit configured to plasticize a material to generate a plasticized material);
a nozzle (nozzle 127; Figure 14) having a nozzle opening and being configured to dispense the plasticized material through the nozzle opening (Abstract: a nozzle that has a nozzle opening and is configured to send out the plasticized material from the nozzle opening to the outside);
a sucking/dispensing unit (suction unit 129; Figure 14) including:
a cylinder (injection cylinder 134; Figure 14) communicating with the nozzle opening and being coupled to a flow path in which the plasticized material flows ([0144] The suction unit 129 injects the plasticized material 18 in the injection cylinder 134 into a cavity 141);
a plunger (plunger 136; Figure 14) configured to reciprocate inside the cylinder ([0144] The plunger 136 slides inside the injection cylinder 134, and pressure-feeds the plasticized material 18 in the injection cylinder 134 to the nozzle 127);
a motor configured to drive the plunger (plunger motor 139; Figure 14); and
a driving force transmission unit (yoke 137 and crank pin 138; Figure 14) configured to transmit a driving force of the motor to the plunger ([0143] The plunger 136 corresponds to a combination of the plunger 37, the coupling rod 38, and the reciprocating rod 45 according to the first embodiment. The yoke 137, the crank pin 138, and the plunger motor 139 respectively correspond to the yoke 47, the crank pin 48, and the plunger motor 41 according to the first embodiment, [0053], [0054]); and
a control unit (control unit 125; Figure 14) configured to control the motor ([0144] Under the control of the control unit 125, the suction unit 129 controls an injection amount of the plasticized material 18 injected from the nozzle 127… The plunger 136 is driven by the plunger motor 139),
wherein the control unit executes:
sucking processing of sucking the plasticized material into the cylinder by controlling a rotation speed of the motor ([0065] As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 7 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 55 that executes various processing, and a memory 56 that stores various kinds of information. The CPU 55 is coupled to a motor drive device 57, [0066], [0068]) and moving the plunger in a direction away from the flow path ([0063] In the suction unit 33, the output shaft 41a of the plunger motor 41 and the plunger 37 are coupled to each other via the Scotch yoke mechanism 39….Therefore, the plasticized material 18 can be drawn into the first cylinder 36 from the flow path 31, and the plasticized material 18 can be pushed out to the flow path 31); and
dispensing processing of dispensing the plasticized material inside the cylinder to the nozzle by controlling the rotation speed of the motor ([0065] As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 7 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 55 that executes various processing, and a memory 56 that stores various kinds of information. The CPU 55 is coupled to a motor drive device 57, [0066], [0068]) and moving the plunger in a direction approaching the flow path ([0063] In the suction unit 33, the output shaft 41a of the plunger motor 41 and the plunger 37 are coupled to each other via the Scotch yoke mechanism 39….Therefore, the plasticized material 18 can be drawn into the first cylinder 36 from the flow path 31, and the plasticized material 18 can be pushed out to the flow path 31).
While Ogihara teaches a Scotch yoke mechanism for reciprocating the plunger ([0063]), the Scotch yoke mechanism fails to comprise a rotary plate provided with a rotation axis at an eccentric position; and a support portion having a hole portion through which the rotation axis passes and being configured to support the plunger, the hole portion extends in a moving direction of the plunger, the support portion swings in an extending direction of the hole portion by rotation of the rotary plate, when the dispensing processing is terminated, an angle is larger than 90 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees, the angle being formed between a linear line connecting the rotation axis and a center of the rotary plate to each other and the moving direction of the plunger as viewed in a direction of the rotation axis, and the control unit controls the rotation speed of the motor according to the angle during the dispensing processing.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to injection molding, Gruber teaches a driving force transmission unit that includes:
a rotary plate (crank plate 5; Figure 1) provided with a rotation axis at an eccentric position (see crosshair representing rotation axis in Figure 3);
and a support portion having a hole portion through which the rotation axis passes and being configured to support the plunger (see annotated Figure 1 below), the hole portion extends in a moving direction of the plunger (see hole portion extending in same direction as arrow indicating movement of injection element 1 in annotated Figure 1 below), the support portion swings in an extending direction of the hole portion by rotation of the rotary plate (col 2 line 40-44; see support portion holding tappet 4 swinging from one position in Figure 2 where injection element 1 is retracted to another position in Figure 1 where injection element 1 is extended),
when the dispensing processing is terminated, an angle is larger than 90 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees, the angle being formed between a linear line connecting the rotation axis and a center of the rotary plate to each other and the moving direction of the plunger as viewed in a direction of the rotation axis (col 2 line 63- col 3 line 2; plate is rotated by 190 + 70 degrees = 260 degrees during dispensing and therefore the angle formed between a linear line connecting the rotation axis and a center of the rotary plate to each other and the moving direction of the plunger is either 260 degrees or 360- 260= 100 degrees as shown in Figure 3), and
the control unit controls the rotation speed of the motor according to the angle during the dispensing processing (col 3 line 11-15). The driving force transmission unit of Gruber quickly achieves an exactly predetermined stroke with high reproducibility (col 1 line 57-59).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the driving force transmission unit of Ogihara with the driving force transmission unit of Gruber, for the benefit of quickly achieving an exactly predetermined stroke with high reproducibility.
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Regarding claim 2, Ogihara modified with Gruber teaches an injection molding device according to claim 1.
Further, Gruber teaches wherein the plunger is configured by a plurality of components, and the plurality of components are removably attached, and are arrayed in the moving direction of the plunger (see Figure 1 and Figure 2).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the driving force transmission unit of Ogihara with the driving force transmission unit of Gruber, for the benefit of quickly achieving an exactly predetermined stroke with high reproducibility.
Regarding claim 3, Ogihara modified with Gruber teaches the injection molding device according to claim 1.
Further, Ogihara teaches wherein a protruding portion is formed in a periphery of the plunger (plunger is a rod with two protruding ends), and the control unit executes processing of detecting a length of the plunger by causing the protruding portion that is formed at the plunger to contact with an abutting part positioned in the moving direction of the plunger and detecting a torque value of the motor ([0114]- [0118], [0120] According to this configuration, the approximate equation calculation unit 76 accurately obtains a relationship between a position of the plunger 37 and a torque value of a holding torque). Detecting a torque value of the motor from the detecting length of the plunger avoids the use of sensors and, therefore, reduces the number of components ([0114]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the control unit of Ogihara modified with Gruber executes the process of detecting a length of the plunger by causing the protruding portion that is formed at the plunger to contact with an abutting part positioned in the moving direction of the plunger and detecting a torque value of the motor, for the benefit of avoiding the use of sensors and reducing the number of components.
Regarding claim 4, Ogihara modified with Gruber teaches the injection molding device according to claim 3.
Further, Ogihara teaches wherein according to the detected length of the plunger, the control unit executes processing of generating control data for controlling the rotation speed of the motor or processing of selecting the control data from data stored in a storage unit ([0086]-[0087], [0093], [0096]).
Claim(s) 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogihara et al. (US20230182393) and Gruber et al. (US6413465), and further in view of Yokoyama et al. (US20170282243).
Regarding claim 5, Ogihara modified with Gruber teaches the injection molding device according to claim 1.
Ogihara further teaches the control unit executes processing of causing a display unit to display information alerting a user ([0074]) and relating the plunger length to the torque value of the motor during the dispensing processing ([0114]- [0118], [0120] According to this configuration, the approximate equation calculation unit 76 accurately obtains a relationship between a position of the plunger 37 and a torque value of a holding torque), but fails to teach wherein the control unit executes processing of causing the display unit to display a changeable amount of the length of the plunger, based on chronological data relating to the torque value of the motor during the dispensing processing.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to injection molding, Yokoyama teaches a control unit executes processing of causing a display unit to display a changeable amount of the length of the plunger, based on chronological data ([0143]). Displaying the changeable amount alerts a user when changeable amount values exceed a predetermined threshold value ([0012] The control device includes a display control part which makes the display device display a predetermined alert image at the time when a difference between the position of the plunger at the time of end of the open control which is calculated based on the target velocity set by the target velocity setting part and the position of the plunger detected by the sensor at the time of end of the open control exceeds a predetermined threshold value) and improves the trackability of the injection velocity at the start of injection ([0015]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the control unit of Ogihara modified with Gruber display a changeable amount of the length of the plunger, as taught by Yokoyama, based on chronological data relating to the torque value of the motor during the dispensing processing, as taught by Ogihara, for the benefit of improving the trackability of the injection velocity at the start of injection.
Regarding claim 6, Ogihara modified with Gruber teaches the injection molding device according to claim 1.
Ogihara further teaches the control unit executes processing of causing a display unit to display information alerting a user ([0074]) and relating the plunger length to the torque value of the motor during the dispensing processing ([0114]- [0118], [0120] According to this configuration, the approximate equation calculation unit 76 accurately obtains a relationship between a position of the plunger 37 and a torque value of a holding torque), but fails to teach wherein the control unit executes processing of causing the display unit to display at least one of a maximum injection force according to the length of the plunger, a maximum held pressure, a maximum pressure holding time, or a moving speed of the plunger.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to injection molding, Yokoyama teaches a control unit executes processing of causing a display unit to display a moving speed of the plunger ([0143]). Displaying the moving speed of the plunger alerts a user when moving speed values exceed a predetermined threshold value ([0012] The control device includes a display control part which makes the display device display a predetermined alert image at the time when a difference between the position of the plunger at the time of end of the open control which is calculated based on the target velocity set by the target velocity setting part and the position of the plunger detected by the sensor at the time of end of the open control exceeds a predetermined threshold value) and improves the trackability of the injection velocity at the start of injection ([0015]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the control unit of Ogihara modified with Gruber display a moving speed of the plunger, as taught by Yokoyama, for the benefit of improving the trackability of the injection velocity at the start of injection.
Claim(s) 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogihara et al. (US20230182393) and Gruber et al. (US6413465), and further in view of Horigome et al. (US20160297129).
Regarding claim 7, Ogihara modified with Gruber teaches the injection molding device according to claim 1.
Further, Gruber teaches wherein the support portion includes a wall portion being provided between the rotary plate and the plunger and being coupled to the plunger (see annotated Figure 1 below), the driving force transmission unit includes a biasing portion being provided between the wall portion and the rotary plate and biasing the wall portion in a direction approaching the flow path (col 2 line 38-44).
However, Ogihara modified with Gruber fails to teach the nozzle includes an opening/closing mechanism configured to open and close the nozzle opening, the opening/closing mechanism is configured to open the nozzle opening when a pressure in the flow path is larger than a predetermined pressure, and a biasing force by the biasing portion is smaller than a reaction force of the plunger against the predetermined pressure.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to injection molding, Horigome teaches the nozzle includes an opening/closing mechanism (shutoff plunger 12; Figure 3A- Figure 3F) configured to open and close the nozzle opening ([0044] At the same time, the shutoff drive cylinder 14 is driven to bring the shutoff plunger 12 into a retracted state (open state)),
the opening/closing mechanism is configured to open the nozzle opening when a pressure in the flow path is larger than a predetermined ([0039] When the resin in the resin path 6 is to have its pressure maintained in the above-mentioned injection device, the injecting drive cylinder 5 is driven, with the shutoff plunger 12 being open, to pressurize the injection screw 2), and
a biasing force by the biasing portion is smaller than a reaction force of the plunger when the pressure in the flow path is larger than the predetermined pressure (when a biasing force by holding pressure piston 25 on the holding pressure plunger 22 is smaller than a force of the holding pressure plunger 22 on the holding pressure piston 25 then there will be a backward movement of the holding pressure plunger 22; [0039] When the resin in the resin path 6 is to have its pressure maintained in the above-mentioned injection device, the injecting drive cylinder 5 is driven, with the shutoff plunger 12 being open, to pressurize the injection screw 2. As a result, the holding pressure plunger 22 is moved backward under the pressure of the resin to flow the resin into the holding pressure path 9, and the resin in the resin path 6 is pressurized, as shown in FIG. 1 , [0046]-[0047] and see Figure 3B).
Having a backward motion of the needle when the nozzle is opened allows for sufficient charging times, lowered rotational speeds of the injection screw, and lower barrel temperatures ([0053] After the holding pressure plunger 22 maintains the pressure of the resin in the resin path 6 and the holding pressure path 9, charging (metering) of the resin for next injection can be started immediately. Thus, the charging time can be ensured sufficiently, and the rotational speed of the injection screw 2 can be lowered. Furthermore, the barrel whose temperature is to be set can be lowered in temperature, and the occurrence of acetaldehyde can be decreased). Further, the backward motion of the needle with the nozzle opening allows for resin to be discharged using a simple structure without the use of an extensive mechanism, which suppresses burn marks and reliably eliminates the residence of resin in the cylinder which the plunger is configured to reciprocate in ([0058] Thus, the resin in the holding pressure path 9 can be discharged to the resin path 6 reliably with an extremely simple structure, without the use of an extensive mechanism. It becomes possible, therefore, to reliably eliminate the residence of the resin in the holding pressure mechanism (holding pressure path 9) and suppress burn marks).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the nozzle of Ogihara modified with Gruber include an opening/closing mechanism configured to open the nozzle opening when a pressure in the flow path is larger than a predetermined pressure such that the needle moves back when the nozzle is opened, as taught by Horigome, for the benefit of enabling sufficient charging times, lowered rotational speeds of the injection screw, and lower barrel temperatures. The backward motion of the needle with the nozzle opening has a further benefit of suppressing burn marks and reliably eliminating the residence of resin in the cylinder which the plunger is configured to reciprocate in.
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Regarding claim 8, Ogihara modified with Gruber and Horigome teaches the injection molding device according to claim 7.
Further, Ogihara teaches wherein the control unit executes the sucking processing while detecting the pressure in the flow path ([0131]-[0132]).
However, Ogihara modified with Gruber fails to teach when the sucking processing is terminated, the biasing force of the biasing portion is larger than the reaction force of the plunger against the pressure in the flow path.
In the same field of endeavor pertaining to injection molding, Horigome teaches teach when the sucking processing is terminated, the biasing force of the biasing portion is larger than the reaction force of the plunger against the pressure in the flow path (when a biasing force by holding pressure piston 25 on the holding pressure plunger 22 is larger than a force of the holding pressure plunger 22 on the holding pressure piston 25 then there will be a forward movement of the holding pressure plunger 22 ([0055] In the state shown in FIG. 3(f), backward movement of the injection screw 2 is continued (e), and the holding pressure plunger 22 moves forward until its tip projects into the resin path 6 (f)).
Moving the needle forward when the sucking process is terminated allows for resin to be discharged using a simple structure without the use of an extensive mechanism, which suppresses burn marks and reliably eliminates the residence of resin in the cylinder which the plunger is configured to reciprocate in ([0058] Thus, the resin in the holding pressure path 9 can be discharged to the resin path 6 reliably with an extremely simple structure, without the use of an extensive mechanism. It becomes possible, therefore, to reliably eliminate the residence of the resin in the holding pressure mechanism (holding pressure path 9) and suppress burn marks).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the biasing force of the biasing portion of Ogihara modified with Gruber and Horigome be larger than the reaction force of the plunger against the pressure in the flow path, as taught by Horigome, for the benefit of discharging the resin using a simple structure without the use of an extensive mechanism, which suppresses burn marks and reliably eliminates the residence of resin in the cylinder which the plunger is configured to reciprocate in.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARIELLA MACHNESS whose telephone number is (408)918-7587. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 6:30-2:30 PT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Galen Hauth can be reached at 571-270-5516. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARIELLA MACHNESS/ Examiner, Art Unit 1743
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