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 .
Claims 1-5 are pending in this application.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 12/26/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference signs mentioned in the description:
X, Y and Z-axis of fig.2
PC member (2) of fig.2
PS steel (21) of fig.2
External magnetization system (200) of fig.2
Magnetization device 410 of fig.4
Multiple solenoid modules (410_1 to 410_3) of fig.4
PS steel (e.g., 21 in fig.5)
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Page 20 line 2, “1010_5 to 1010_5” should be –1010_1 to 1010_5--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 10, “A control device” should be -- a control device--.
Claim 2 line 1, “The method of claim 1” should be -- The external magnetization system of claim 1--. Similar corrections are required for claims 3-4.
Claim 5 line 4, “a PS steel” should be -- a prestressed (PS) steel--.
Claim 5 line 5, “a PC member” should be -- a prestressed concrete (PC) member--.
Appropriate 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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Joh (KR 20150073349 A), and further in view of Tada (KR 20180030991 A).
Regarding claim 1, Joh teaches an external magnetization system (abstract, applied to a
PS steel material using a magnetic field passing through the PS steel material outside), the external magnetization system comprising:
a support frame (i.e. yoke type core 10, figs.1-2);
a magnetization device (e.g. device comprising magnetization coil 20, figs.1-2), and generating a plurality of magnetic lines in a predetermined direction (e.g. magnetic force lines 122, figs.1-2) for cross-sectional magnetization of a prestressed (PS) steel (i.e. PS steel material 21, figs.1-2) in a prestressed concrete (PC) member (i.e. PC member 200, figs.1-2);
a detection device (i.e. hall sensor 11, figs.1-2) measuring changes in a magnetic flux density associated with the plurality of magnetic lines (abstract, measure a strength of a magnetic field coming in each stimulus); and
a control device (page 6, control unit) controlling the magnetization device in conjunction with the detection device (page 6, controlling the motor for moving the magnetic pole 12 in the lateral direction).
Joh does not teach, the magnetization device including multiple solenoid modules arranged in a predetermined direction by a Halbach array along the support frame,
wherein the multiple solenoid modules include:
a first solenoid module having N and S poles arranged in a predetermined direction;
a second solenoid module arranged at one end associated with the N pole of the first solenoid module; and
a third solenoid module arranged at the other end associated with the S pole of the first solenoid module.
Tada teaches in a similar field of endeavor of detecting defect by magnetic flux density, a magnetization device (i.e. inspection probe 100, fig.1) including multiple solenoid modules (page 3, a first magnet 2, a second magnet 3, a third magnet 4) arranged in a predetermined direction by a Halbach array (page 6, among the second magnets 3, the first magnets 2 and the third magnets 4 arranged in the Halbach array) along a support frame (i.e. yoke 1, fig.1),
wherein the multiple solenoid modules include:
a first solenoid module (i.e. first magnets 2, fig.1) having N and S poles arranged in a predetermined direction (e.g. direction along air introduction hole 9, fig.1);
a second solenoid module (i.e. second magnets 3, fig.1) arranged at one end associated with the N pole of the first solenoid module (e.g. 3 is arranged at the N pole of 2, fig.1); and
a third solenoid module (i.e. third magnets 4, fig.1) arranged at the other end associated with the S pole of the first solenoid module (e.g. 4 is arranged at the S pole of 2, fig.1).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the magnetization device including multiple solenoid modules arranged in a predetermined direction by a Halbach array along the support frame,
wherein the multiple solenoid modules include:
a first solenoid module having N and S poles arranged in a predetermined direction;
a second solenoid module arranged at one end associated with the N pole of the first solenoid module; and
a third solenoid module arranged at the other end associated with the S pole of the first solenoid module in Joh, as taught by Tada, as it provides the advantage of increased magnetic flux generation and uniform distribution of magnetic flux, enabling better detection of magnetic flux density from the prestressed steel.
Regarding claim 2, Joh and Tada teach the external magnetization system of claim 1, wherein when the N and S poles of the first solenoid module are arranged along a first direction (Tada, e.g. direction along air introduction hole 9, fig.1), S and N poles of the second solenoid module are arranged along a second direction (Tada, e.g. direction along air injection hole 10, fig.1), and wherein N and S poles of the third solenoid module are arranged along the second direction (Tada, e.g. direction along air injection hole 10, fig.1).
Regarding claim 3, Joh and Tada teach the external magnetization system of claim 1, wherein when the S and N poles of the first solenoid module are arranged along a first direction (Tada, e.g. direction along air introduction hole 9, fig.1), S and N poles of the second solenoid module are arranged along a second direction (Tada, e.g. direction along air injection hole 10, fig.1), and wherein N and S poles of the third solenoid module are arranged along the second direction (Tada, e.g. direction along air injection hole 10, fig.1).
Regarding claim 4, Joh and Tada teach the external magnetization system of claim 1, wherein the detection device includes one or more magneto resistance sensors (Joh, abstract, hall sensor 11).
Regarding claim 5, the method is rejected for the same reasons as stated above for claims 1 and 4.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kim (KR 102310402 B1) fig.2.
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/SREEYA SREEVATSA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838 07/28/2026
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