DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claims 3 and 9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 3 recites “further comprises a three-dimensional target further comprises a three-dimensional target” in line 2. This limitation is redundant and should be changed to “further comprises a three-dimensional target.”
Claim 9 is objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate of claim 3. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
Appropriate correction is required.
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 8 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 8 recites the limitation "the expected tool" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the established profile" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the expected predetermined profile" in line 3. 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.
Claims 1, 2, and 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Demesy et al. US 5,084,827 (“Demesy”).
Demesy discloses:
1. Method for detecting the profile of a tool mounted on a toolholder in a machining module including a part support (e.g., Figs. 1-6 #1,2) and a toolholder (e.g., Figs. 1-6 #3,4), including the following steps:
i) providing a detection unit in the machining module, said detection unit including an optical system for determining the profile of said end portion of the tool mounted on the toolholder, wherein said optical system is mounted on the part support (e.g., Figs. 1-6, col. 2 lines 52-63, col. 3 lines 32-51),
ii) loading the tool (e.g., Figs. 1-6 #28) into the toolholder (e.g., Figs. 1-6 #3,4),
iii) positioning the toolholder relative to the part support in a measuring operational position (e.g., Figs. 1-3 #4,5,7, col. 2 lines 31-45),
iv) activating said detection unit (e.g., col. 2 lines 52-63, col. 3 lines 32-51), and
v) via the optical system, determining the profile of said end portion of the tool mounted in the toolholder (e.g., Figs. 1-6, col. 2 lines 52-63, col. 3 lines 32-51).
2. Method for detecting the wear of a tool in a machine tool, wherein the method according to Claim 1 for detecting the profile of the tool is used and which further includes the following steps:
vi) carrying out machining steps using said tool, by which is obtained a tool with an end portion of the tool having a modified profile (e.g., Figs. 1-6, col. 2 lines 52-63, col. 3 lines 32-51),
vii) positioning the toolholder relative to the part support in said measuring operational position (e.g., Figs. 1-3 #4,5,7, col. 2 lines 31-45),
viii) activating said detection unit (e.g., col. 2 lines 52-63, col. 3 lines 32-51),
ix) determining the modified profile of said end portion of the tool mounted in the toolholder (e.g., Figs. 1-6, col. 2 lines 52-63, col. 3 lines 32-51), and
x) establishing a state of wear of the tool from the profile and the modified profile of said end portion of the tool (e.g., col. 3 lines 51-55).
5. Method according to claim 1,
wherein said optical system comprises a first image capture system including a first image acquisition system enabling an image to be captured of the end portion of the tool in the measuring operational position (e.g., col. 1 line 65 – col. 2 line 15, col. 3 line 18 – col. 4 line 9),
wherein in step iv) of activation of said detection unit, said first image acquisition system generates one or more images of the end portion of the tool (e.g., col. 1 line 65 – col. 2 line 15, col. 3 line 18 – col. 4 line 9), and
wherein in step v) analyzing this image enables determination of the contour of the end portion of the tool, thereby providing information on the geometry of the end portion of the tool mounted on the toolholder at the time of imaging (e.g., col. 1 line 65 – col. 2 line 15, col. 3 line 18 – col. 4 line 9).
6. Method according to claim 5, wherein said step v) of analysing this image enables identification of the cutting edge or edges, in projection, as seen by the first image capture system (e.g., col. 3 lines 18-26, col. 3 lines 56 – col. 4 line 10).
7. Method according to claim 5, wherein said step v) of analysing this image enables determining the angular orientation of the tool relative to the axis X of the toolholder and therefore relative to the part support, in the measuring operational position (e.g., col. 3 lines 32-50).
8. Method according to claim 5, wherein said step v) of analysing this image enables to establish the profile and to verify that the tool mounted on the toolholder corresponds to the expected tool based on the established profile corresponding to the expected predetermined profile (e.g., col. 1 line 65 – col. 2 line 15, col. 3 lines 12-16)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, and 10 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest “wherein the target includes on said active face: a first structure defining a plane reference face, and a second structure having a face inclined relative to said plane reference face, wherein said optical system comprises a first image capture system and a second image capture system, and wherein the difference between the focal distance of the second image capture system and the focal distance of the first image capture system is between the minimum distance and the maximum distance inclusive separating the reference face from the inclined face,” as recited in claims 3, 4, and 10, in combination with the remaining features and elements of the claimed invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ekback et al. US 2018/0147684 discloses a method of determining pull-out of a cutting tool mounted in a rotatable tool holder includes the steps of rotating the tool holder and thus the cutting tool, machining a work piece with the rotating cutting tool, measuring an axial position of the cutting tool in the tool holder during machining by a position sensor in the tool holder, calculating an axial displacement from an initial position of the cutting tool by the measured axial position, and determining pull-out of the cutting tool when the axial displacement exceeds a threshold value.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN A JARRETT whose telephone number is (571)272-3742. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth Lo can be reached at 571-272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RYAN A JARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
09/28/26
