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 .
Application Status
This action is responsive to the claims filed 3 June 2025.
Claims 1-15 are currently pending and being examined.
Claim Objections
Claims 2-4 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2 line 2 recites “imprints”, should read “the imprints”.
Claim 3 line 3 “of” should be deleted.
Claim 4 line 3 should end in a “:”.
Claim 14 line 1 should end in a “:”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4, 11-12, 14, and their dependents are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 4 lines 11-12 recites “a longitudinal cutting device arranged downstream of the device for producing a corrugated cardboard web, which is laminated on both sides”, which is unclear because on line 5 the web from said device is only laminated on one side. So, is the web actually laminated on both sides before coming to the cutting device or is it further laminated then. Examiner assumes that the web is laminated on both sides at the device.
Claim 11 line 2 recites “the offset printing”, which lacks antecedent basis. Examiner will interpret as “offset printing”.
Claim 12: A broad range or limitation together with a narrow range or limitation that falls within the broad range or limitation (in the same claim) may be considered indefinite if the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. See MPEP § 2173.05(c). In the present instance, claim 12 recites the broad recitation “printing assembly is capable of printing at least one imprint depending on the cross-cutting device”, and the claim also recites “in particular depending on a planned speed change of the cross-cutting device and/or at least one property of the cross-cutting device”. which is the narrower statement of the range/limitation. The claim(s) are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced by such narrower language is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims.
Claim 14 lines 2-4 recites “receiving printing data relating to printing a corrugated cardboard web which is laminated on both sides, and/or at least one material web for forming the corrugated cardboard web, which is laminated on both sides”, which is unclear because either the both sides are laminated twice or just laminated once. Or are both sides laminated and at least one material web for forming the corrugated cardboard web. Examiner will interpret as “receiving printing data relating to printing a corrugated cardboard web which is at least one material web for forming the corrugated cardboard web, which is laminated on both sides”
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)(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) 1-5, 7, and 9-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lang (US 2018/0345619).
Lang teaches:
Claim 1: A printing assembly (120,108-fig.2; 166-figs.4-7) for printing imprints (at least ¶[0124]-[0125],[0147]) onto a corrugated cardboard web (130,140,138-fig.2) at least one material web for forming the corrugated cardboard web (¶[0132]-[0134]) wherein the printing assembly is capable of
a) receiving printing data relating to the printing (¶[0043]; figs.9-15), and
b) adjusting at least one position of at least one of the imprints in a longitudinal direction of the web (at least ¶[0050],[0103]).
Claim 2: The printing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the printing assembly is capable of arranging imprints next to one another (A,B-fig.9; ¶[0088]) and, during transport in a transport direction (Production Direction-fig. 9), of printing the imprints, which are arranged next to one another (¶[0063]), offset from one another in and/or counter to the transport direction in order to adjust their position in the longitudinal direction of the web. (see fig.9 showing the printing jobs A and B offset in the production direction and transverse to the production direction)
Claim 3: The printing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the printing assembly is capable of arranging imprints next to one another and of adjusting at least one position of at least one of the imprints (A,B-fig.9; ¶[0063],[0088]), which are arranged next to one another, depending on at least one adjacent cross-cut (168-fig.7; ¶[0144]; 170-fig.4; ¶[0145]-[0146]; 172-fig.5; ¶[0149]).
Claim 4: A system (120,108-fig.2; 166-figs.4-7) comprising:
a) a corrugated cardboard plant (120-fig.2) for producing corrugated cardboard (¶[0128]-[0136]), the corrugated cardboard plant comprising
i) at least one device for producing at least one corrugated cardboard web (146-fig.2; ¶[0128]-[0136]), which is laminated on one side (134-fig.2; ¶[0133]-[0134]),
ii) a device, arranged downstream of the at least one device for producing at least one corrugated cardboard web, which is laminated on one side, in a transport direction of the corrugated cardboard, for producing the corrugated cardboard web from at least one corrugated cardboard web, which is laminated on one side, and a laminating web (¶[0128]-[0136]),
iii) a longitudinal cutting device (152-fig.8), arranged downstream of the device for producing a corrugated cardboard web (¶[0139]-[0140]), which is laminated on both sides (¶[0013],[0072],[0132]-[0134]), in the transport direction of the corrugated cardboard (Production Direction-fig. 9), for longitudinally cutting the corrugated cardboard web (¶[0139]-[0140]), which is laminated on both sides (¶[0013],[0072],[0132]-[0134]), into corrugated cardboard part-webs (156A,156B; fig.8),
iv) a cross-cutting device (148-fig.2,8), arranged downstream of the longitudinal cutting device (152-fig.8) in the transport direction of the corrugated cardboard (¶[0139]), for cross-cutting the corrugated cardboard part-webs into corrugated cardboard sheets to produce cross-cuts (¶[0136],[0139]), and
v) a corrugated cardboard plant actuation assembly (¶[0039]), and
b) at least one printing assembly according to claim 1 (see claim 1 above) arranged upstream of the cross-cutting device (at least ¶[0128],[0147]).
Claim 5: The system according to claim 4, further comprising a cross-cut detection assembly (162-fig.2; ¶[0021]), arranged downstream of the cross-cutting device (148-fig.2) in the transport direction of the corrugated cardboard (abstract), for detecting the cross-cuts produced by the cross-cutting device (¶[0117]; abstract).
Claim 7: The system according to claim 5, wherein the cross-cut detection assembly is capable of detecting cross-cutting marks for actuating the cross-cutting device (¶[0021],[0056],[0173]).
Claim 9: The system according to claim 4, further comprising an experience database (at least ¶[0039],[0169]-[0172]) for saving actual corrugated cardboard production values for corresponding subsequent corrugated cardboard production orders (at least ¶[0073],[0163],[0167]-[0171]).
Claim 10: The system according to claim 9, wherein the experience database is at least temporarily in signal connection with the corrugated cardboard plant actuation assembly (¶[0167]-[0171]).
Claim 11: The system according to claim 4, wherein the offset printing of the imprints can be adjusted depending on a corrugated cardboard transport speed (¶[0006],[0010],[0023],[0029],[0096]).
Claim 12: The system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one printing assembly is capable of printing at least one imprint depending on the cross-cutting device (¶[0169]-[0172],[0176]-[0185]), at least one property of the cross-cutting device (figs.4-7; ¶[0143]-[0147]).
Claim 13: The system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one printing assembly (108-fig.1) is arranged upstream thereof (¶[0006],[0125],[0128]).
Claim 14: A printing method comprising the steps of
- receiving printing data relating to printing a corrugated cardboard web at least one material web for forming the corrugated cardboard web (¶[0132]-[0134]), which is laminated on both sides (¶[0013],[0072],[0132]-[0134]),
- printing (108-fig.1), using the printing data (¶[0043]; figs.9-15), imprints onto at least one material web for forming the corrugated cardboard web (¶[0006],[0125],[0128]), and
- adjusting at least one position of at least one of the imprints in a longitudinal direction of the web (at least ¶[0050],[0103]).
Claim 15. A material web (130,140,138-fig.2) comprising imprints arranged next to one another in the width direction thereof (¶[0063]), wherein the imprints arranged in a particular row are arranged offset from one another in and/or counter to a longitudinal direction of the material web (¶[0169]-[0172]; see fig.9 showing the printing jobs A and B offset in the production direction and transverse to the production direction).
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) 6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lang (US 2018/0345619) in view of Tokiwa (US 2001/0054360).
Lang teaches:
Claim 6: The system according to claim 5.
Lang does not expressly teach a cross-cut position evaluation unit, which is at least temporarily in signal connection with the cross-cut detection assembly, for evaluating target cross-cut positions and actual cross-cut positions of the corrugated cardboard sheets.
However, Tokiwa teaches a cut position evaluation unit (8-fig.5), which is at least temporarily in signal connection with the cut detection assembly (fig.5), for evaluating target cut positions and actual cut positions of the corrugated cardboard sheets (¶[0016],[0088]-[0090]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the applicant's claimed invention, to modify the system of Lang, by having a cut position evaluation unit, as taught by Tokiwa, to determine if the webs were cut currently and so the machine can be adjusted if there were improper cuts made to “minimize spoilage involved with this work”. (Tokiwa ¶[0012]).
Claim 8: The system according to claim 5.
Lang does not expressly teach the cross-cut detection assembly is capable of at least temporarily being in signal connection with the at least one printing assembly.
However, Tokiwa teaches a cut detection assembly is capable of at least temporarily being in signal connection with the at least one printing assembly (at least [0015]-[0023], [0075]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the applicant's claimed invention, to modify the system of Lang, by having the printer to be in contact with the cut detector, as taught by Tokiwa, to determine if the webs were print or cut currently, so the machine can be adjusted to “minimize spoilage involved with this work”. (Tokiwa ¶[0012])
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KATIE L GERTH whose telephone number is (303)297-4602. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm (CT).
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/KATIE L GERTH/Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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