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) 1-2 and 4-9 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 1, Wang teaches a welding device (title), comprising: a loading station (10A); a welding station (10C); an unloading station (10D); a transport mechanism (100/110) configured to transport a workpiece (workpiece) between the loading station, the welding station, and the unloading station; a positioning mechanism (130) configured to position the workpiece when the workpiece is transported between the loading station, the welding station, and the unloading station, the positioning mechanism being arranged on the transport mechanism; a pressing mechanism (320) arranged at the welding station and configured to press the workpiece during welding, the pressing mechanism and the positioning mechanism being arranged at opposite ends of the workpiece; and a welding mechanism (310) arranged at the welding station and configured to weld the workpiece (figures 1-9; and the machine translation).
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).
With respect to claim 2, Wang teaches wherein the welding mechanism is configured to perform spin welding on the workpiece (welding rotary mechanism 330 spins the workpiece during welding).
With respect to claim 4, Wang teaches wherein the pressing mechanism (320) is further configured to be capable of driving the workpiece (workpiece) to rotate, such that the welding mechanism performs spin welding on the workpiece (welding rotary mechanism 330 spins the workpiece during welding).
With respect to claim 5, Wang teaches wherein the pressing mechanism comprises: a first driving member (324); and a pressing member (323) connected to the first driving member and configured to abut against the workpiece, wherein the first driving member is capable of driving the pressing member to rotate the workpiece and then drive the workpiece to be spin welded (figures 1-9; and the machine translation).
With respect to claim 6, Wang teaches wherein the pressing mechanism further comprises a bearing seat (bearing seat), a connecting shaft (rotating shaft) and a coupling (bearing), wherein the bearing seat is connected to the pressing member (323), and the connecting shaft has one end connected to the bearing seat and the other end connected to an output shaft of the first driving member via the coupling (figure 5; and the machine translation); and/or the pressing member is removably connected (broadest reasonable interpretation) to the first driving member (figure 5; and the machine translation).
With respect to claim 7, Wang teaches wherein the pressing mechanism (320) and the positioning mechanism (130) are respectively located at two ends of the workpiece in a height direction thereof (figures 1-3 and 5; and the machine translation).
With respect to claim 8, Wang teaches wherein the positioning mechanism comprises an accommodating member on which a first accommodating groove is formed (receptacle in which the workpiece is inserted), the first accommodating groove is configured to accommodate the workpiece, and the accommodating member is connected to the transport mechanism (100/110).
With respect to claim 9, Wang teaches wherein the accommodating member is further provided with an avoidance hole (guide hole) in communication with the first accommodating groove (receptacle), and the welding device further comprises a push assembly (guide rod), wherein a part of the push assembly is configured to be capable of passing through the avoidance hole and driving the workpiece to approach the pressing mechanism, such that the pressing mechanism and the push assembly cooperate with each other to clamp the workpiece (figures 2-3; and the machine translation).
Claim(s) 1 and 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 1, Shimin teaches a welding device (title), comprising: a loading station (111); a welding station (70); an unloading station (114); a transport mechanism (20) configured to transport a workpiece between the loading station, the welding station, and the unloading station; a positioning mechanism (25) configured to position the workpiece when the workpiece is transported between the loading station, the welding station, and the unloading station, the positioning mechanism being arranged on the transport mechanism; a pressing mechanism (746) arranged at the welding station and configured to press the workpiece during welding, the pressing mechanism and the positioning mechanism being arranged at opposite ends of the workpiece; and a welding mechanism (722) arranged at the welding station and configured to weld the workpiece (figures 1-4; and the machine translation).
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).
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.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wang (CN-113245854A) (hereafter Wang ‘854).
With respect to claim 3, Wang does not teach wherein the welding mechanism comprises: a rotating driving member; and a welding member connected to the rotating driving member that drives the welding member to rotate to perform spin welding on the workpiece.
However, Wang ‘854 teaches wherein the welding mechanism comprises: a rotating driving member (figures 1-4; and the machine translation); and a welding (laser) member connected to the rotating driving member that drives the welding member to rotate to perform spin welding on the workpiece (figures 1-4; and the machine translation).
At the time of filing the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the circumferential laser welder of Wang ‘854 on the apparatus of Wang in order to form a uniform high-energy density weldment around the outer periphery of the components being welding.
Claim(s) 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chi et al. (CN-208772853U) (hereafter Chi).
With respect to claim 13, Wang does not teach a clamping mechanism for clamping a side surface of the workpiece, wherein the clamping mechanism comprises at least two clamping members arranged on two sides of the workpiece.
However, Chi teaches a clamping mechanism (clamping device) for clamping a side surface of the workpiece, wherein the clamping mechanism comprises at least two clamping members (18/19) arranged on two sides of the workpiece (figures 2-6; and the machine translation).
At the time of filing the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the clamp of Chi on the apparatus of Wang in order to uniformly clamp the workpiece about its center.
With respect to claim 14, Chi teaches wherein each of the at least two clamping members comprises a fixing frame (the frame 18 holding the clamping wheels 19) and at least two clamping wheels (clamping wheels 19), wherein the at least two clamping wheels are rotatably arranged on the fixing frame, the clamping wheels of the at least two clamping members enclose a clamping space for clamping the workpiece (figures 2-6; and the machine translation).
With respect to claim 15, Chi teaches wherein the clamping mechanism further comprises at least two third driving members (top rods 17 powered by the extensions of cam 9), each of the third driving members is connected to one of the at least two clamping members, and the at least two third driving members are capable of respectively driving the at least two clamping members to approach each other so as to clamp a side peripheral surface of the workpiece (figures 2-6; and the machine translation).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-12 and 16-19 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
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.
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/KILEY S STONER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
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