Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2024-12-04)

CLAIMS:
Amendments to the Claims:

The following listing of claims replaces all prior listings of claims in the application.

Listing of claims:

1\. (Currently amended) A carrier for supporting a yarn to be used by a braiding machine,comprising:
a spool carrying the yarn;
a motor drivingly engaged to the spool;
at least one sensor for producing data about a condition of the yarn in the spool; and
a controller operatively connected to the motor and to the at least one sensor, the controller having a processor and a computer-readable medium operatively connected to the processor and having instructions stored thereon executable by the processor for:
receiving said data from the at least one sensor;
determining operation parameters of the motor based on the received data; and
operating the motor per the determined operation parameters to create the desired tension in the yarn, including rewinding the yarn around the spool with the motor to create the desired tension.

2\. (Original) The carrier of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the data includes receiving data about a quantity of yarn remaining around the spool.

3\. (Original) The carrier of claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is a potentiometer engaged to an arm pivotably mounted to a housing of the carrier supporting the spool, a distal end of the arm biased in abutment against the yarn of the spool, the distal end of the arm movable toward the spool as the yarn is consumed, the receiving of the data about the quantity of the yarn includes receiving a signal from the potentiometer indicative of the quantity of the yarn remaining.

4\. (Original) The carrier of claim 1, wherein the determining of the operation parameters includes determining a torque generated by the motor.

5\. (Original) The carrier of claim 4, wherein the determining of the torque includes determining a current to be supplied to the motor to achieve the determined torque.

6\. (Original) The carrier of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the data includes receiving data about an angular position of the motor.

7\. (Original) The carrier of claim 6, comprising an encoder operatively coupled to the motor and to the controller, the receiving of the data includes receiving the angular position of the motor from the encoder.

8\. (Original) The carrier of claim 1, comprising a battery operatively connected to the controller and to the motor, the battery located within a housing of the carrier, the spool rollingly engaged to the housing.

9\. (Original) The carrier of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured for transmitting data about the tension in the yarn.

10\. (Original) The carrier of claim 1, wherein the spool is disposed around the motor, a shaft of the motor supported by two arms protruding from a housing, the spool rollingly engaged to the housing via the two arms.

11\. (Original) The carrier of claim 1, wherein an end of the spool is rollingly engaged to a housing,the spool sized to receive therein a bobbin of the yarn from an opposed free end of the spool, the spool having a tightening mechanism to secure the bobbin to the spool for concurrent rotation.

12\. (New) A carrier for supporting a yarn to be used by a braiding machine, comprising:a spool carrying the yarn;
a motor drivingly engaged to the spool;
at least one sensor for producing data about a condition of the yarn in the spool; and
a controller operatively connected to the motor and to the at least one sensor, the controller having a processor and a computer-readable medium operatively connected to the processor and having instructions stored thereon executable by the processor for:
receiving said data from the at least one sensor, the receiving of the data including receiving data about a quantity of yarn remaining around the spool;
determining operation parameters of the motor based on the received data; and

operating the motor per the determined operation parameters to create the desired tension in the yarn.

13\. (New) The carrier of claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor is a potentiometer engaged to an arm pivotably mounted to a housing of the carrier supporting the spool, a distal end of the arm biased in abutment against the yarn of the spool, the distal end of the arm movable toward the spool as the yarn is consumed, the receiving of the data about the quantity of the yarn includes receiving a signal from the potentiometer indicative of the quantity of the yarn remaining.

14\. (New) The carrier of claim 12, wherein the determining of the operation parameters includes determining a torque generated by the motor.

15\. (New) The carrier of claim 14, wherein the determining of the torque includes determining a current to be supplied to the motor to achieve the determined torque.

16\. (New) The carrier of claim 12, wherein the receiving of the data includes receiving data about an angular position of the motor.

17\. (New) The carrier of claim 16, comprising an encoder operatively coupled to the motor and to the controller, the receiving of the data includes receiving the angular position of the motor from the encoder.

18\. (New) The carrier of claim 12, comprising a battery operatively connected to the controller and to the motor, the battery located within a housing of the carrier, the spool rollingly engaged to the housing.

19\. (New) The carrier of claim 1, wherein the spool is disposed around the motor, a shaft of the motor supported by two arms protruding from a housing, the spool rollingly engaged to the housing via the two arms.

20\. (New) The carrier of claim 1, wherein an end of the spool is rollingly engaged to a housing, the spool sized to receive therein a bobbin of the yarn from an opposed free end of the spool, the spool having a tightening mechanism to secure the bobbin to the spool for concurrent rotation.

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
EXAMINER'S AMENDMENT
An examiner’s amendment to the record appears below. Should the changes and/or additions be unacceptable to applicant, an amendment may be filed as provided by 37 CFR 1.312. To ensure consideration of such an amendment, it MUST be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee.
Authorization for this examiner’s amendment was given in an interview with Pierre T. A.-Nguyen on 19 November 2024.
The application has been amended as follows:
In the Claims:
Claim 19, line 1:
DELETED:	“claim 1”
INSERTED:	--claim 12--
Claim 20, line 1:
DELETED:	“claim 1”
INSERTED:	--claim 12--
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 are allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Specifically, at least Skelton et al (4909127) Figure 1 and Cook (2071111) Figure 1 teach elements similar to those as currently claimed.

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: RE
MARKS
/
ARG
UME
NTS
Claims 12-20 are new. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Allowable Subject Matter
Applicant thanks the Examiner for stating that claims 2, 3, 6, and 7 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. New claim 12 corresponds to allowable claim 2.
Claim Re
j
ections - 35 USC 102
Claims 1, 4, 5, 9, and 10 stand rejected under 35 USC 102 over Reinisch (US 20170298546). The rejection is traversed.
Reinisch discloses a bobbin carrier 7 having a braking unit 6 for the bobbin 2. A wire tensile force measuring device 3 is used to determine a tension in the wire 1. The controller 4 is able to change a force generated by the braking device 4 to adjust the tension in the wire 1. As recited in  59, the braking unit 6 may be an electric braking motor. However, Reinisch is silent about using this motor to rewind the wire 1 around the bobbin 2. The Reinisch motor is used solely to exert a resistance to maintain a tension in the wire 1. Without agreeing with the rejection, but merely to expedite prosecution, claim 1 is amended to recite the rewinding aspect of the claimed motor. Reinisch fails to teach this feature. The brake unit 6 of Reinisch is used solely to resist the unwinding of the wire 1 to create tension. However, this brake unit 6 is unable to rewind the wire 1 around the bobbin 2.
At least in view of the above, claim 1 and any claims dependent thereon are novel and patentable over the cited reference. Reconsideration and withdrawal of the rejection is therefore respectfully anticipated.
Claim Re
j
ections - 35 USC 103
Claims 8 and 11 stand rejected under 35 USC 103 over Reinisch. The rejection is traversed.
The Examiner is referred to the arguments presented above with regards to Reinisch. Reinisch cannot overcome its own deficiencies.
At least in view of the above, claim 1 and any claims dependent thereon are patentable over the cited reference(s). Reconsideration and withdrawal of the rejection are therefore respectfully anticipated.
Conclusions


CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US4909127A: Claims:
A braider, comprising: (A) a braider bed having first and second closed tracks, said first and second closed tracks defining an intersecting serpentine path around said braider bed; (B) a plurality of yarn package carriers for carrying packages of yarn, said yarn package carriers travelling along said first and second closed tracks; and (C) means for driving said yarn package carriers along said intersecting serpentine path to supply the yarns from the packages carried by said yarn package carriers to form a braid at a braiding location which is substantially central of said braider bed; wherein said intersecting serpentine path defined by said first and second tracks defines an average path which is non-circular and closed; and wherein said yarn package carriers include means for maintaining the yarns under substantially constant tension by rewinding the yarns onto said yarn package carriers and allowing the yarns to be drawn off said yarn package carriers as said yarn package carriers are driven along said intersecting serpentine path.
(A) a braider bed having first and second closed tracks, said first and second closed tracks defining an intersecting serpentine path around said braider bed;
(B) a plurality of yarn package carriers for carrying packages of yarn, said yarn package carriers travelling along said first and second closed tracks; and
(C) means for driving said yarn package carriers along said intersecting serpentine path to supply the yarns from the packages carried by said yarn package carriers to form a braid at a braiding location which is substantially central of said braider bed; wherein said intersecting serpentine path defined by said first and second tracks defines an average path which is non-circular and closed; and wherein said yarn package carriers include means for maintaining the yarns under substantially constant tension by rewinding the yarns onto said yarn package carriers and allowing the yarns to be drawn off said yarn package carriers as said yarn package carriers are driven along said intersecting serpentine path.
wherein said intersecting serpentine path defined by said first and second tracks defines an average path which is non-circular and closed; and
wherein said yarn package carriers include means for maintaining the yarns under substantially constant tension by rewinding the yarns onto said yarn package carriers and allowing the yarns to be drawn off said yarn package carriers as said yarn package carriers are driven along said intersecting serpentine path.
A braider as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tracks define an average path which is oval or elliptical.
A braider as claimed in claim 1, wherein said path is a link shaped path comprising two substantially parallel bed portions each interconnected by substantially semi-circular portions.
A braider, comprising: (A) a braider bed having first and second closed tracks, said first and second closed tracks defining an intersecting serpentine path around said braider bed; (B) a plurality of yarn package carriers for carrying packages of yarn, said yarn package carriers travelling along said first and second closed tracks; and (C) means for driving said yarn package carriers along said intersecting serpentine path to supply the yarns from the packages carried by said yarn package carriers to form a braid at a braiding location which is substantially central of said braider bed; wherein said intersecting serpentine path defined by said first and second tracks defines an average path which is non-circular and closed; wherein said yarn package carriers include means for maintaining the yarns under substantially constant tension; wherein each of said yarn package carriers comprises: (i) a base for guiding said yarn package carrier along said tracks; (ii) means for carrying the yarn package on said base; (iii) yarn supply means for leading yarn from the yarn package to said braiding location; and (iv) constant torque means for applying a predetermined, substantially constant torque to the yarn package to maintain a substantially constant tension in the yarn during braiding; and wherein the yarn package is a bobbin; said braider further comprising: (D) sensing means for sensing the amount of yarn on the bobbin; and (E) control means for controlling said constant torque means as a function of the amount of yarn on the bobbin.
(C) means for driving said yarn package carriers along said intersecting serpentine path to supply the yarns from the packages carried by said yarn package carriers to form a braid at a braiding location which is substantially central of said braider bed;
wherein said intersecting serpentine path defined by said first and second tracks defines an average path which is non-circular and closed;
wherein said yarn package carriers include means for maintaining the yarns under substantially constant tension;
wherein each of said yarn package carriers comprises: (i) a base for guiding said yarn package carrier along said tracks; (ii) means for carrying the yarn package on said base; (iii) yarn supply means for leading yarn from the yarn package to said braiding location; and (iv) constant torque means for applying a predetermined, substantially constant torque to the yarn package to maintain a substantially constant tension in the yarn during braiding; and
(i) a base for guiding said yarn package carrier along said tracks;
(ii) means for carrying the yarn package on said base;
(iii) yarn supply means for leading yarn from the yarn package to said braiding location; and
(iv) constant torque means for applying a predetermined, substantially constant torque to the yarn package to maintain a substantially constant tension in the yarn during braiding; and
wherein the yarn package is a bobbin;
said braider further comprising:
(D) sensing means for sensing the amount of yarn on the bobbin; and
(E) control means for controlling said constant torque means as a function of the amount of yarn on the bobbin.
A braider, comprising: (A) a braider bed having first and second closed tracks, said first and second closed tracks defining an intersecting serpentine path around said braider bed; (B) a plurality of yarn package carriers for carrying packages of yarn, said yarn package carriers travelling along said first and second closed tracks, each of said yarn package carriers comprising constant torque means for applying a predetermined, substantially constant torque to the yarn package to maintain a substantially constant tension in the yarn during braiding, said constant torque means comprising a motor for driving a torque applicator for controlling the rotation of the yarn package; and (C) means for driving said yarn package carriers along said intersecting serpentine path to supply the yarns from the packages carried by said yarn package carriers to form a braid at a braiding location which is substantially central of said braider bed; wherein said intersecting serpentine path defined by said first and second tracks defines an average path which is non-circular and closed; and wherein said yarn package carriers include means for maintaining the yarns under substantially constant tension.
(B) a plurality of yarn package carriers for carrying packages of yarn, said yarn package carriers travelling along said first and second closed tracks, each of said yarn package carriers comprising constant torque means for applying a predetermined, substantially constant torque to the yarn package to maintain a substantially constant tension in the yarn during braiding, said constant torque means comprising a motor for driving a torque applicator for controlling the rotation of the yarn package; and
wherein said yarn package carriers include means for maintaining the yarns under substantially constant tension.
A braider as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said yarn package carriers comprises: (i) a base for guiding said yarn package carrier along said tracks; (ii) means for carrying the yarn package on said base; and (iii) yarn supply means for leading yarn from the yarn package to said braiding location.
(ii) means for carrying the yarn package on said base; and
(iii) yarn supply means for leading yarn from the yarn package to said braiding location.
A braider as claimed in claim 6, wherein said motor is a battery operated motor.
A braider as claimed in claim 6, wherein the yarn package is a bobbin.
Ref US2071111A: [content unavailable]