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.
(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) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (CN-10990961A) (hereafter Wang).
With respect to claim 20, Wang teaches a method for using a welding device, the method comprising: transporting, by a transport mechanism (100/110), a workpiece (workpiece) between a loading station (10A), a welding station (10C), and an unloading station (10D); positioning, by a positioning mechanism (130) arranged on the transport mechanism, the workpiece during transportation; pressing, by a pressing mechanism (320) arranged at the welding station, the workpiece that is transported to the welding station, wherein the pressing mechanism and the positioning mechanism are arranged at opposite ends of the workpiece; and welding, by a welding mechanism (310) arranged at the welding station, the workpiece (figures 1-9; and the machine translation).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shimin et al. (CN-201776565A) (hereafter Shimin).
With respect to claim 20, Shimin teaches a method for using a welding device, the method comprising: transporting, by a transport mechanism (20), a workpiece between a loading station (111), a welding station (70), and an unloading station (114); positioning, by a positioning mechanism (25) arranged on the transport mechanism, the workpiece during transportation; pressing, by a pressing mechanism (746) arranged at the welding station, the workpiece that is transported to the welding station, wherein the pressing mechanism and the positioning mechanism are arranged at opposite ends of the workpiece; and welding, by a welding mechanism (722) arranged at the welding station, the workpiece (figures 1-4; and the machine translation).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15, 17-19, and 21 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/30/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant alleges that claim 20 depends ultimately from claim 1.
The examiner respectfully disagrees as instant claim 20 is currently an independent claim.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KILEY SHAWN STONER whose telephone number is (571)272-1183. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday.
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, Keith Walker can be reached on 571-272-3458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KILEY S STONER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
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