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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11/21/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) have been considered but are not persuasive.
With respect to the applicant’s arguments on page 7 that Jensen fails to disclose an elastic ring that is fastened to the housing of the contactless sensing unit. The examiner agrees. Jensen discloses the optical sensor with housing base and removeable probe devices. However, Jensen does not disclose connecting the probe device to the housing in the same way as in the claims. For that, we turn to Horikawa that discloses a very conventional manner of mounting interchangeable tool elements, a collet chuck. A collet chuck is well known for removably mounting components with repeatable alignment, solving the same problem as Jensen seeks to solve. A collet chuck by definition is an elastic ring, elastic in this case means flexible, that it can be opened and closed.
With respect to applicant’s arguments about the chuck of Horikawa, the examiner disagrees. Horikawa discloses using a collet chuck. In the art, a collet chuck has a certain definition. The examiner has included two documents explaining the details of collet chucks as is known in the art, including “A collet is a subtype of chuck that forms a collar around an object to be held and exerts a clamping force when it is tightened” and “ uniform pressure around the tool” from Foredom “What is the Difference between a chuck and a collet?” and “Collets encircle the cutting tool shank to evenly distribute holding power around its center bore” and “The extraction groove of the collet must be properly seated to the extraction ring of the collet nut” from Technicks “CNC Collets: Types and Maintenance Tips”. These documents teach that collet chucks are known for being rings that circumferentially clamp the cylindrical body of whatever element is placed inside it.
On page 8, the applicant argues that the ring of the invention is more of a precision device than the coupling of Horikawa. Even if this were so, this limitation does not come across in the claim language. It is the claim language that differentiates from prior art, not the applicant’s intentions and motivations behind it.
The examiner disagrees that the springs and pins of Horikawa are not “force regulators” since they do in fact support the chuck’s hold with varying force based on the tension on the piece. The adjustability of these on clamping force depends on how tight and how forceful one is to move them.
For these reasons, the rejection remains as previously presented, updated only to include the new claim language.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 7-16, 18, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jensen et al. U.S. Patent #10,234,272 in view of Horikawa U.S. Patent #5,409,322.
With respect to claim 1 and 14, Jensen discloses an optical sensor comprising:
A contactless sensing unit for a measuring apparatus comprising an optical probe device (abstract, Col.2, l 48-52) , a coupling element for mechanical connection to a complementary coupling element of the measuring apparatus (Col.2, l 52-57, Figure 1, coupling element 6), and a housing retaining optical probe device (Col.5, l 16, sensor housing 1) , the housing being mechanically connected to the coupling element (Figure 1)
Wherein the optical probe device comprises an optical objective at a distal end of a lower portion of said probe device for sensing a surface of a workpiece (Col.2, l 52-60, Col.8, l 61-62, exit windows 21a and 21b, Col.4, l 35-39, wherein the optical unit may be a lens)
Wherein the contactless sensing unit further comprises a collar (collar = mount 24+extension part 18+joint 19, Col.9, l 3-5 wherein mount is a clamp)
However, Jensen fails to specifically disclose the probe is cylindrical and fails to disclose an elastic ring of steel or alloy, clamping circumferentially the cylindrical body of the optical probe device, the elastic ring being adjustably fastened to a fastening portion of the housing and the elastic ring has an adjustable clamping force regulator for adjusting a clamping force of the elastic ring on the cylindrical body.
Horikawa discloses an apparatus for holding tools comprising:
A tool with a coupling element for mechanical connection to a complementary coupling element of an apparatus and a housing for the tool, the housing being mechanically connected to the coupling element (Figure 2a, 2b, tool = 1, coupling element = 13, complementary coupling element = 31 + 32, apparatus = main spindle 3)
Wherein tool comprises a cylindrical body (Figure 2, bit is cylindrical)
Wherein the contactless sensing unit further comprises an elastic ring of steel or of an alloy clamping circumferentially the cylindrical body of the optical probe device, the elastic ring being adjustably fastened to a fastening portion of the housing and elastic ring has an adjustable clamping force regulator for adjusting a clamping force of elastic ring on the cylindrical body (Figure 2a, 2b, elastic ring of steel or alloy = collet chuck 32, housing = sleeve 31, clamping force regulator = elastic spring 34 and pin 37)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to know that the optical probe of Jensen is likely cylindrical and if not would be obvious to be cylindrical since cmm tools and probes are cylindrical as in Hoirkawa. Cylindrical tools allow more freedom of movement, freedom of angular connections, maximize volume for internal components, and remove sharp edges of other shapes that may damage the subject being measured.
Additionally, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to use the collet chuck as described by Horikawa for the collar since it securely and releasably holds a connecting device onto a tool. Using collet chucks to removably hold tool attachments is well known in the art and collet chucks generally include elastic steel or alloy rings that clamp around the top of attachments. Collet chucks are well known in the art for accuracy and consistent gripping pressure around the entire circumference.
With respect to claims 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, Jensen in view of Watanabe discloses all of the limitations as applied to claim 1. In addition, Jensen discloses:
3- The coupling element provides an optical connection or an optical fiber to the complementary coupling element of the measuring apparatus or machine tool to optically connect the optical probe device to said complementary coupling element (Col.8, l 4-17)
4- A first housing portion housing an optical fiber for optically connecting the optical probe device to the optical connection of the coupling element and a second housing portion housing the optical probe device (Figure 1, first housing = optical switch 10, second housing = 1)
7-A data storage circuit for storing an operational parameter related to an axial, radial, or angular position of the optical probe device with respect to the fastening portion (Col.5, l 53-62)
8- said coupling element is configured to provide power and/or data transmission to the data storage circuit (Col.8, l 4-16)
9- the optical probe device comprises a chromatic distance sensor or interferometric distance sensor (Col.1, l 51-60)
10- A coordinate measuring machine comprising the contactless sensor unit in claim 1 wherein the coupling element of the contactless sensor unit is connected to a complementary coupling element of the measuring too (Col.2, l 48-65, inherent)
11- An articulated probe head for orienting and/or positioning the contactless sensor unit, the articulated probe head having the complementary coupling element connected to the coupling element of the contactless sensor (Figure 1, articulated probe head = sensor 1)
12- The articulated probe head being a motorized or manually operated articulating probe head configured to orient the contactless sensor unit along one, two or more perpendicular rotational axis (Claim 23, Col.8, l 58-60)
13- A light source for operating the contactless sensor unit, the light source mounted on a static or mobile portion of the measuring apparatus (Col.6, l 4-16)
19- A rotary table for position a workpiece to be measured (Col.13, l 39-43)
With respect to claim 14, 15, and 16, Jensen in view of Horikawa discloses a method for measuring workpiece dimensions or properties as applied to claim 1 above. In addition, Jensen discloses:
Adjusting a relative axial/radial/angular position of the optical probe device with respect to a fastening portion of the housing by means of a collar rigidly united to the coupling element so as to provide a given axial/radial/angular position of the optical probe device (collar = mount 24+extension part 18+joint 19, Col.9, l 3-5 wherein mount is a clamp, Col.5, l 16-17, Col.5, l 16-17)
Determining an operational parameter related to said given axial/radial/angular position of the optical probe device (Col.6, l 59- Col.7, 6, Col.12, l 40-48)
Storing the operational parameter in a data storage circuit of the contactless sensing unit (Col.13,l 44-52)
Automatically attaching the contactless sensing unit to the measuring apparatus by means of the complementary coupling (Col.2, l 52-57)
Reading the operational parameter stored in the data storage circuit (Col.10, l 53-63)
Using said operational parameter for providing measurement of the dimension or surface properties of the workpiece (Col.10, l 58-63)
With respect to claim 18, Jensen in view of Horikawa discloses a contactless sensing unit as described in claim 4 above. In addition, Jensen inherently discloses “the second housing portion comprising an opening surrounding the optical objective” since the optical unit must be located within some kind of opening in the housing or the light would not be able to transmit therethrough. However, Jensen fails to disclose “a ring” in contact with the optical objective. Such a seal type ring to prevent vibration, shock, or the intrusion of water and dust, is well known in the art. Most optical sensing units that comprise seals around each vulnerable area since preventing dust and water from entering the optical cavity is essential for maintaining accuracy. (Examples of sealing rings around lens- U.S. Patent #9,380,929 and U.S. Publication 2014/0043464)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REBECCA CAROLE BRYANT whose telephone number is (571)272-9787. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 12-4 pm.
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/REBECCA C BRYANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877