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 § 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.
Claims 1-3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP-2557621-Y2 (hereinafter Minoru) in view of CN 120573349 A (hereinafter Jin).
Regarding claim 1, Minoru discloses an apparatus for transferring powder (Fig. 1), the apparatus comprising: a guide rail part extending horizontally on a container (Fig. 3, No 18); and a powder transfer part coupled to the insert part and configured to suction and transfer the powder stored in the container (Fig. 1, No. 1).
Minoru discloses an insert part installed on the guide rail part (Fig. 2, Nos. 12 and 14) but does not disclose it comprising an expansion rod configured to expand and open a cut portion of the container; or a cutting part installed on the guide rail part and comprising a blade configured to cut a portion of the container.
Jin discloses an expansion rod (Fig. 3, No. 43) configured to expand the hole cut by the cutting part blade (Fig. 3, No. 32).
Regarding claim 2, Minoru discloses the apparatus of claim 1, further wherein the suction pipe is travelable and moveable up and down, (pg. 3, 2nd full paragraph), but does not disclose a blade.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the powder suction device of Minoru with the opening blade of Jin. A blade affixed to the top of the apparatus as opposed to the bottom would allow for less powder escaping into the air, and more controlled emptying of the container.
Regarding claim 3, Minoru discloses the apparatus of claim 1, further wherein the insert part (Fig. 1, No. 14) is installed so as to be travelable along the guide rail part (Fig. 1 No. 12) and comprises the expansion rod configured to be able to be movable up and down (Fig. 1 No 16).
Regarding claim 5, Minoru and Jin disclose the apparatus of claim 1. Minoru further discloses wherein a container withdrawal part is located below thee guide rail part (Fig. 1, No, 19).
Claims 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minoru and Jin in view of US 20230278812 A1 (hereinafter Zhen).
Regarding claim 11, Minoru discloses the apparatus of claim, further wherein the powder transfer part comprises a hollow tube (Fig. 2, No. 2). Minoru does not disclose that the powder transfer part comprises a penetration member disposed at an inlet thereof entering an inside of the container. Zhen discloses a penetration member (Fig. 1 No. 5).
Regarding claim 12, Minoru, Jin, and Zhen disclose the apparatus of claim 11. Zhen further discloses a penetration member that is formed in a shape that becomes sharper towards a tip (Fig. 1, No. 5) and comprises a plurality of through holes (Fig. 1, No. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the apparatus of Minoru and Jin with the penetration member of Zhen. The motivation would be to further reduce the amount of powder flung into the air.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6-10, and 13-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMARI JADAN MEDDLING whose telephone number is (571)272-8178. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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/AMARI J MEDDLING/ Examiner, Art Unit 3651
/GENE O CRAWFORD/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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