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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1 – 7 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zublin (5405053).
Regarding claim 1, the Zublin reference discloses a raw material input apparatus (20), comprising: a main body part (26) configured to move a material contained in a container (22) through an internal flow path (64); an inlet part (24) penetrated at a side of the main body part to communicate with the internal flow path; and an input part (60) connected to the inlet part so as to be erected vertically, penetrated to communicate with the internal flow path, and having a sharp first end (62).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the input part comprises a body portion (48) provided with an inclined portion (i.e., coned shaped outer funnel) that is formed at the first end thereof and gradually becomes closer to the inlet part from a first edge of the first end to an opposite second edge of the first end. See Figures 1 and 7.
Regarding claim 3, wherein the input part comprises: a pointed sharp portion (78) on the first edge (82) of the first end of the body portion; and a concave cut-prevention portion on the second edge (84) of the first end of the body portion. See Figure 4.
Regarding claim 4, wherein the inclined portion of the first end of the body portion comprises: a curved first inclined portion; and a second inclined portion continuously extended from the first inclined portion and inclined at a different angle from the first inclined portion. See Annotated Figure 4.
PNG
media_image1.png
370
516
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 5, wherein the input part comprises: a coupling portion (91; Figure 7) bent at a second end thereof opposite to the first end; and a coupling member (90) configured to allow the coupling portion to be coupled to the main body part.
Regarding claim 6, wherein the coupling portion is provided with a plurality of bent portions (54), and the coupling portion comprises a scattering particle collection hole (56) penetrated at one of the plurality of bent portions. See Figure 3.
Regarding claim 7, Absent further defined structure, the scattering particle collection hole (56) communicates with the internal flow path (64) of the main body part where the material rejoins with the main body part (26).
Regarding claim 11, the method would be inherent during normal use and operation of the device.
Claim(s) 11 - 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Berthoux (FR 3027595).
Regarding claim 11, the Berthoux reference discloses a raw material input method, comprising:
a transfer step in which a transfer part transfers a container to an upper side of a main body part; and an inner skin cutting step in which the transfer part drops the container toward an input part placed on the upper side of the main body part. See Figures 5 – 7.
Regarding claim 12, further comprising: an outer skin fixing step in which an outer skin of the container (82, 83) is sealed and fixed to a boundary between the main body part and the input part using a sealing portion between the transfer step and the inner skin cutting step. See Figure 6.
Regarding claim 13, wherein the outer skin of the container externally surrounds and seals the input part. See Figure 7.
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.
Claim(s) 8 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zublin in view of Wang (CN 109436846).
Regarding claim 8, the Zublin reference discloses the invention (discussed supra), but doesn’t disclose a sealing portion configured to be detachably coupled to a periphery of the coupling portion. The Wang reference discloses another raw material feeding device (1) having a cutting portion (3), input part (11) and a sealing portion (10) to prevent leaking. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify the Zublin device to have a sealing portion (as defined) as, for example, taught by the Wang reference in order to enable the device to be leakproof at the connection to the main body part.
Regarding claim 9, Wang further teaches wherein the sealing portion has a band shape (i.e., ring 10), and comprises one or more materials from among natural rubber, chloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, and fluorine rubber (i.e., ring 10 is a rubber ring).
“the discharging barrel 1 outer wall is sleeved with an anti-leakage rubber ring 10. The accompanying drawings FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, anti-dropping door 8 to drawings FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 after the state of the leak-proof rubber ring 10 pushing on the extrapolated leak-proof rubber ring 10 and auxiliary adjusting hole of the piercing opening 9 closed, prevent the material leaking from the puncturing opening or auxiliary adjusting hole 9.”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is 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:
None of the prior art of record, alone or in combination, teach: The raw material input apparatus further comprising: a sealing portion that comprises a power portion provided at the main body part and configured to generate power, a pressurizing portion configured to be movable by the power portion, and a support portion provided on a periphery of the coupling portion and configured to be closely coupled to the pressurizing portion when the pressurizing portion is moved.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The Park et al. reference (2025/0304304) discloses a raw material feeding device having penetration portion (100) and powered sealing portion (230).
The Schmidt et al. reference (DE 19937700) discloses a raw material feeding device having penetration portion (4), main body part (1) and input part (3).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY LEWIS MAUST whose telephone number is (571)272-4891. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 7am - 5pm.
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, Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607. 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.
/TIMOTHY L MAUST/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
Prosecution Insights