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
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-8, 11, 12 and 14-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by DeVries (US 2015/0274434).
DeVries shows a conveyor belt scraper blade 12 which extends along a belt 56. Shown is a support structure 55 which includes a base portion from which an engagement portion such as 42 extends and there is a reinforcement portion 52 which protrudes into the scraper 12 and the supporting structure 55 is made of a first material and the scraper 12 of a different second material (see paragraph [0022]).
Re claim 2, the engagement portions such as 42 protrude into the scraper 12.
Re claim 3, the support structure is of a constant cross-section.
Re claim 4, an extrusion process is disclosed.
Re claim 5, paragraph [0022] discloses the use of an elastomer.
Re claim 6, the material used can be considered biodegradable.
Re claim 7, the material for the support is harder than the material for the scraper.
Re claim 8, at least one of these materials is disclosed.
Re claim 11, shown is a hollow portion which receives a mounting shaft.
Re claim 12, the base includes the hollow portion.
Re claim 14, a plurality of blades are used and shown is a tensioning mechanism 50.
Re claim 15, different materials are used and the reinforcement is inserted into blade 12.
Re claim 16, as per claim 4 rejection.
Re claim 17, a molding process is disclosed.
Re claim 18, different materials are used.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 10 and 13 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 prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES R BIDWELL whose telephone number is (571)272-6910. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8 to 4.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gene Crawford, can be reached at telephone number (571)272-6911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES R BIDWELL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651 08/11/2026
