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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 15.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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.
Claim Objections
Claims 8 and 9 are objected to because they contain multiple periods, which is improper.
Each claim begins with a capital letter and ends with a period. Periods may not be used elsewhere in the claims except for abbreviations. See MPEP 608.01(m).
Appropriate correction is required.
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 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al (CN 114717740; see translation).
Regarding Claim 1, Zhang teaches an electromagnetic stepping three-dimensional rotary braiding machine, comprising an upper support plate (Detail 12), a plurality of cross-shaped forks mounted on the upper support plate (Figure 1, at Detail 1), a drive mechanism for driving the cross-shaped forks to rotate (Detail 7), and a plurality of yarn carrier assemblies (Detail 3) cooperating with the cross-shaped forks; wherein
the plurality of cross-shaped forks are evenly mounted in rows and columns on the upper support plate (Figure 3), each cross-shaped fork comprises a central rotating shaft perpendicular to a surface of the upper support plate and inserted into the upper support plate (Figure 4), and finger portions extending from the central rotating shaft in four directions (Visible in Figure 2); each finger portion is an electromagnet structure and is independently controlled for power supply; and the drive mechanism is configured to drive all the cross-shaped forks to rotate simultaneously, and rotation directions of two adjacent cross-shaped forks are opposite (last full paragraph; must be opposite to exchange bobbin); and
each yarn carrier assembly comprises a yarn carrier base and a yarn carrier mounted on the yarn carrier base, and a support post made of ferromagnetic material is disposed at a center of the yarn carrier base to cooperate with the finger portions; and when the finger portions of the cross-shaped forks are energized, magnetic force is generated to attract the support post, and the yarn carrier base is driven to rotate (carrier base 3 holds the unshown yarn carrier, forks are magnetized to move the spindle along the path).
Regarding Claim 8, Zhang teaches a control method for the electromagnetic stepping three- dimensional rotary braiding machine comprising following steps
S1. arranging the yarn carrier assemblies on the upper support plate according to braiding requirements;
S2. activating the electromagnetic structure of one finger portion to attract the yarn carrier assemblies;
S3. driving all the cross-shaped forks to rotate by 90° at the same time;
S4. de-energizing the electromagnet structure of the energized finger portion in the step S2, and energizing the electromagnet structure of the finger portion of another cross- shaped fork adjacent to the de-energized one until the yarn carrier assemblies slide toward the energized finger portion;
S5. raising a fabric height according to fabric structural design requirements; and
S6. repeating the above mechanical steps in a predefined trajectory by the braiding machine to form a fabric structure (The carriers are exchanged by energizing and de-energizing the magnets; must rotate 90° or the carrier cannot be exchanged between drive plates; Device 2 must be magnetic to overcome this process to move from the first row 1 to the second row 4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al in view of Jarrell et al (20190085490).
Regarding Claim 4, while Zhang essentially teaches the invention as detailed above, it fails to specifically teach a fabric traction device located above the yarn carrier assemblies for pulling yarns wound on the yarn carrier assemblies. Jarrell, however, teaches that in three-dimensional braiding, such tracking devices are well known (Detail 2308). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have utilized such a device, so as to pull and remove the produced fabric. The ordinarily skilled artisan knows that the product must be removed or the braiding machine of Zhang will be inoperable.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 3, 5-7, 9, and 10 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. See of Record.
Specifically, at least Bi et al (CN 116288918) Figure 3, Gessler et al (201850218739) Figure 1, Mungalov et al (6439096) Figures 1-3, and Tsuzuki et al (5067525) Figures teach elements similar to those as currently claimed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Shaun R Hurley whose telephone number is (571)272-4986. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday, 8:00am - 3:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Clinton T Ostrup can be reached at (571) 272-5559. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHAUN R HURLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3732
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