DETAILED ACTION
This application is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “stoppers” recited in Claims 3 and 10, the “compression spring” and/or “tension spring” recited in Claims 5 and 12, the “compression spring fixing post” and/or “tension spring fixing post” recited in Claims 7 and 14 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) 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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 1, 3-5, 8, 10-12, and 15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1: The Office recommends amending the limitation “to make” (Line 12) to recite, e.g., “to force.”
Claim 3: The limitation “is” (Line 2) should be amended to recite “are,” and the limitation “the lengthwise direction” (Lines 2-3) should be amended to recite “a lengthwise direction.”
Claim 4: The Office recommends inserting the word “wherein” prior to the limitation “the tensioning pulley cover” (Line 3).
Claim 5: The Office recommends inserting a comma prior to the limitation “or a tension spring” (Line 2).
Claim 8: The Office recommends amending the limitation “to make” (Line 14) to recite, e.g., “to force.”
Claim 10: The limitation “is” (Line 2) should be amended to recite “are,” and the limitation “the lengthwise direction” (Lines 2-3) should be amended to recite “a lengthwise direction.”
Claim 11: The Office recommends inserting the word “wherein” after the word “and” (Line 3).
Claim 12: The Office recommends inserting a comma prior to the limitation “or a tension spring” (Line 2).
Claim 15: The Office recommends inserting the word “the” prior to the limitation “at least one timing pulley” (Lines 1-2), and replacing the limitation “corresponding” (Line 2) to recite “at least one,” and inserting the words “at least one” prior to the limitation “lead screw” (Line 3).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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.
Claims 1-2, 6-9, and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 1: The “spring fixing post” (Line 16) is a double inclusion. The Office recommends amending the limitation “a spring fixing post” (Line 16) to recite “the spring fixing post.”
Claim 2: The wording and/or punctuation used in the limitation “locking screw, can be (sic) tightened or loosened, (sic) with the locking screw tightened” (Line 2) renders the Claim indefinite.
Claim 2: The metes and bounds of the limitation “at this time” (Line 3) are unclear.
Claim 6: The “torsion spring” (line 3) lacks clear antecedent basis. The Office recommends amending Claim 6 to specify that the “spring is a torsion spring.” Claim 5 establishes a list of possible springs that the spring may be, but does not provide sufficient antecedent basis for the assignment of the claimed “spring” as a torsion spring.
Claim 7: The “compression spring” (line 3) lacks clear antecedent basis. The Office recommends amending Claim 7 to specify that the “spring is a compression spring.” Claim 5 establishes a list of possible springs that the spring may be, but does not provide sufficient antecedent basis for the assignment of the claimed “spring” as a compression spring. This same issue applies to the “tension spring” recited in Line 5.
Claim 8: The “belt tensioning mechanism” (Line 4) lacks clear antecedent basis.
Claim 8: The “spring fixing post” (Line 18) is a double inclusion. The Office recommends amending the limitation “a spring fixing post” (Line 18) to recite “the spring fixing post.”
Claim 9: The wording and/or punctuation used in the limitation “locking screw, can be (sic) tightened or loosened, (sic) with the locking screw tightened” (Line 2) renders the Claim indefinite.
Claim 9: The metes and bounds of the limitation “at this time” (Line 3) are unclear.
Claim 13: The issue described above with Claim 6 applies to Claim 13 as well.
Claim 14: The issue described above with Claim 7 applies to Claim 14 as well.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the pending clarity issues described under 35 U.S.C. 112.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0144564 to Padgett et al. and Chinese Patent Publication No. 206939988 U to Zhang et al. are the closest prior art.
Regarding Claim 1, Padgett discloses a belt tensioning mechanism for a 3D printer, wherein the 3D printer comprises at least one lead screw 154 arranged in a vertical direction (see FIG. 24) and a printing bed 152 sleeved on the at least one lead screw 154, and the belt tensioning mechanism comprises:
a base 63 provided with an idler pulley/tensioning pulley 165 (i.e., not with a “first sliding groove,” as recited in Claim 1);
a driving pulley 162 and at least one timing pulley 160 mounted on the base 63 and connected in series with each other via a belt 164, wherein the at least one timing pulley 160 is configured to drive the at least one lead screw 154 to rotate under the driving of the driving pulley 162 to enable the printing bed 152 to be raised and lowered along the at least one lead screw 154; and
a tensioning pulley 165 mounted [adjacent the driving pulley 162], and connected in series with the driving pulley 162 and the at least one timing pulley 160 via the belt 164 so as to tension the belt 164.
Padgett does not disclose a “first sliding groove” provided with the base 63, or “a sliding block mounted on the base 63 and capable of sliding along the first sliding groove,” or a “spring configured to apply an elastic force to the sliding block to make the sliding block at a working position within the first sliding groove, wherein at the working position, the tensioning pulley tensions the belt, and wherein the base 63 is further provided with a spring fixing post, wherein one end of the spring can be fixed on [the] spring fixing post, while the other end of the spring can be fixed on the sliding block.
Zhang teaches a belt tensioning mechanism which comprises:
a base provided with a first sliding groove;
a sliding block 541 mounted on the base and capable of sliding along the first sliding groove;
a tensioning pulley 53 mounted on the sliding block 541, and connected in series with a driving pulley and at least one timing pulley via a belt 41 to tension the belt 41; and
a spring 544 configured to apply an elastic force to the sliding block 541 to make [the sliding] block 541 at a working position within the first sliding groove, wherein at the working position, [the] tensioning pulley 53 tensions the belt 41.
A motivation for this type of belt tensioning mechanism, according to Zhang, is to prevent slippage of the belt.
In view of the Zhang teaching, the Office finds that it would have been obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of filing to modify, with a reasonable expectation of success, the belt tensioning mechanism disclosed by Padgett, such that the base 63 is provided with a first sliding groove, wherein the belt tensioning mechanism comprises:
a sliding block mounted on the base 63 and capable of sliding along the first sliding groove;
a tensioning pulley mounted on the sliding block, and connected in series with the driving pulley 162 and at least one timing pulley 160 via the belt 164 to tension the belt 164; and
a spring configured to apply an elastic force to the sliding block 541 to make [the sliding] block 541 at a working position within the first sliding groove, wherein at the working position, [the] tensioning pulley 53 tensions the belt 41,
in order to reduce slippage of the transmission belt, as taught by Zhang.
The combination of Padgett and Zhang does not disclose or suggest the “spring fixing post” recited in Claim 1. Further, the Office submits that it would not have been obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of filing to modify the combination of Padgett and Zhang so as to attain the belt tensioning mechanism recited in Claim 1.
Claim 8 is allowable over the closest art for the same reasons described above relating to Claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RANDELL J KRUG whose telephone number is (313) 446-6577. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 9:00-14:00 AZ time.
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/RANDELL J KRUG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618