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 .
This action is in response to the preliminary amendment and documents received on May 20, 2025.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 1-6 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by STEINER (US 2005/0167900).
In reference to claim 1, STEINER discloses a supporting device comprising: a support plate 11 and at least one locking device provided at the support plate, the locking device configured to fixe a tooling plate 2 to the support plate 11; wherein the locking device comprises a latch 14 rotable (figures 1a & 2) along a first rotation range with a rotable actuating element 21 between a first height (figure 1a) to a second height (figure 2) in a second rotation range different from the first rotation range.
Regarding claims 2 and 3, STEINER further discloses the latch 14 having a first abutment element (e.g. detent) that abuts a stop surface 29 upon transition of the actuating element 21 from the second rotation range to the first rotation range (paragraph [0025]).
With respect to claims 4 and 9, STEINER further discloses the latch 14 coupled to the actuating element 21 by friction (paragraph [0025]) of an elastic element 27.
In reference to claims 5 and 6, STEINER further discloses a base part 23 embedded in the support plate 11 in a rotably fixed manner such that the latch 14 and actuating element 21 are coupled to the base part such that the latch 14 and actuating element 21 rotate (figures 1a & 2) relative to the base part 23.
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 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DÖRIG et al. (WO 2021/032592) in view of STEINER (US 2005/0167900).
Regarding claim 10, DÖRIG et al. discloses a processing machine comprising: a pressing station with a lower support plate 20 and an upper support plate 10 movable towards one another (abstract); each of the lower support plate 20 and the upper support plate 10 configured to receive a tool plate 14, 21 thereon. DÖRIG et al. does not disclose either of the upper 10 nor lower 20 support plates having a locking device as claimed.
STEINER teaches a supporting device comprising: a support plate 11 and at least one locking device provided at the support plate, the locking device configured to fixe a tooling plate 2 to the support plate 11; wherein the locking device comprises a latch 14 rotable (figures 1a & 2) along a first rotation range with a rotable actuating element 21 between a first height (figure 1a) to a second height (figure 2) in a second rotation range different from the first rotation range. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention to have modified the support plates of DÖRIG et al. to include at least one locking device as claimed, since paragraphs [0014] of STEINER suggests such a modification allows for a tool plate to be quickly and easily secured to a support plate without relying on additional components or tools.
In reference to claim 11, DÖRIG et al. further discloses centering devices 32, 33 configurted to align the tool plate 14, 21 with the respective support plate 10, 20 (abstract)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 8 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Refer to the attached PTO-892 for a notice of references cited and recommended for consideration based on their disclosure of limitations related to the claimed invention. In particular, the disclosures of are found to be particularly relevant to known OETLINGER (US 6,6769,342) and SMITH (US 2003/0050163) pressing tool support securing means.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GLORIA R WEEKS whose telephone number is (571)272-4473. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-2pm & 5pm-7pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shelley Self can be reached at 571-272-4524. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GLORIA R WEEKS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731
September 29, 2026
