DETAILED ACTION
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.
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 of Group I, claims 1-8 in the reply filed on May 25, 2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)). \
The Examiner will consider rejoining of claims 9-10 upon allowability of claims 1-8.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 1-8 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 1 recites the limitation "the glass ribbon” in lines 23 and 24. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The Examiner interprets “the glass ribbon” in line 23 should be “a glass ribbon”. This will provide antecedent basis for “the glass ribbon” in line 24. Claims 2-8 depend from claim 1 and are also indefinite for the same reasons as claim 1.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "“the drive of the first motor”" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The Examiner interprets “the drive of the first motor” should be “a drive of the first motor”.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: typographical error “control the thickness of the glass ribbon” should be “control thickness of the glass ribbon”. Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 contain allowable subject matter. However, allowance of the claims hinges upon satisfactorily addressing the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) issues and objections to the claims.
If claims 9-10 are to be rejoined upon allowance of Claims 1-8 please address the following issues with claims 9 and 10.
Claim 9 the term “along the sides of the partition” in line 8 should be “along sides of the partition” to resolve antecedent basis issue.
Claim 10, line 3, “control the spacing between” should be “control spacing between” and in line 4 “control the thickness of the glass ribbon” should be “control thickness of the glass ribbon” to resolve antecedent basis issues.
Claim 10, line 8, “the glass clamp” should be “a glass clamp”, line 16, “the gear motors” should be “gear motors” to resolve antecedent basis issues, and line 17, “in vertical state to horizontal state” should be “in a vertical state to a horizontal state” to resolve typographical errors.
Claim 10, the term “hot” is a relative term, and therefore, claim 10 would be considered indefinite under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) Additionally, in line 12, the phrase “to cut the glass ribbon in hot” is awkwardly worded. Please fix the issues with claim 10 in order to rejoin claim 10.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter. Below is a discussion of the prior art
Glacki et al. (US 2021/0024400 – hereinafter Glacki) (Figs. 1 and 4, abstract, [0030],[0038]-[0039]) discloses a manufacturing device comprising a glass former body (“apparatus 1”) comprising a first outer plate and a second outer plate (see side walls of drawing tank 7) arranged symmetrical at intervals. Glacki discloses a forming cavity for holding molten glass 5 formed between the first and second outer plate and end plates 71, and discloses molten glass flows from top (i.e. inlet 74) to a bottom (i.e. slots 97,98) of the forming cavity. Glacki (see annotated Fig. 4 of Glacki) discloses a partition (“guiding body 11”) vertically arranged in a middle part between the first outer plate and the second outer plate, and the partition divides an upper part of the forming cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity. Glacki discloses the forming cavity further includes a glass ribbon cavity located at a lower part of the forming cavity (see section of forming cavity including the lower end portion 100 of the guiding body 11).
PNG
media_image1.png
670
875
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Figure 1: Annotated Fig. 4 of Glacki
Glacki (Fig. 4) discloses an end of the partition (i.e. lower end 100) located at an upper part of the glass ribbon cavity and discloses the glass ribbon outlet includes a pull-down outlet of the molten glass and the pull-down outlet is a double slit structure formed by the lower end 100 of the guide body extending through nozzle opening 9 to form two nozzle slots 94, 96 which forms a pull-down outlet having a double-slit structure communicating with a bottom of the first cavity and a bottom of the second cavity, respectively. Glacki (Fig. 1 and annotated Fig. 4 above) discloses the molten glass flows from top to bottom in the first cavity and the second cavity and the molten glass in the first cavity and the second cavity flows into the glass ribbon cavity simultaneously.
Glacki discloses a transverse barrier bottom plates 97, 98 arranged below a first outer plate and a second outer plate (collectively referred to as outer plate). Glacki discloses a gripping device (“drawing device 17”). However, Glacki fails to disclose the transverse barrier is slidably arranged, fails to disclose an upper guide plate is vertically arranged below each outer plate, and therefore, also fails to disclose the transverse barrier slidably arranged between the upper guide plate and the outer plate, and fails to disclose a lower guide plate is vertically arranged below each upper guide plate, a cutting wire arranged between the upper guide plates and the lower guide plates, two ends of the cutting wire are respectively connected to a cross-cutting device to cut the glass ribbon, and the gripping device is arranged below the lower guide plates. Accordingly, the prior art fails to disclose or fairly suggest the apparatus of claim 1.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zimmer et al. (US 2021/0269347A1)
Glacki et al. (US 2021/0024399A1)
Clawson et al. (US 2019/0031553A1) (Fig. 22 and [0128]) discloses a heated nichrome wire to cut through glass fiber.
Mouly et al. (US 4,749,400) (Col. 11, lines 39-43 and Fig. 10) discloses a cutting wire (not shown) to sever glass at heated line 118.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA HERRING whose telephone number is (571)270-1623. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: EST 8:15am-4:15pm.
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, Alison Hindenlang can be reached at 571-270-7001. 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.
/LISA L HERRING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741
Prosecution Insights