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 § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jo (US 2021/0123490) in view of Troy (US 3,095,065).
Regarding independent claim 1, Jo discloses an electric actuator (see Abstract, FIGS. 1-5) comprising: an input member (5) that is rotationally driven by an electric motor (2) and includes a first rotation stop part on an inner periphery (see ¶ 0058); an output member (30), on an outer periphery, including a second rotation stop part (33) engageable with the first rotation stop part (see ¶ 0058) and a first screw part (37) (see FIG. 2); and a linear motion member (50) including a second screw part engageable with the first screw part (see ¶ 0037).
Jo does not disclose that at a portion of the second rotation stop part and the first screw part are formed to overlap with each other in an axial direction of the output member.
Troy teaches a drum brake actuator (see Abstract, FIGS. 1, 6) comprising an output member (45) a first rotation stop part (47) and a first screw part (46), wherein a portion of the second rotation stop part and the first screw part are formed to overlap with each other in an axial direction of the output member (see FIG. 6).
It would have been obvious to configure the output member of Jo to have a rotation stop part and a first screw part to overlap with each other, as taught by Troy, to increase the amount of adjustment that can be achieved for a given length of the output member (see e.g. Troy, col. 4, lines 34-40).
Regarding claim 2, Jo discloses that the first screw part is a male screw (see FIG. 1) and the second screw part is a female screw (see FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Jo discloses that the first and second rotation stop parts are spline mechanisms (see ¶ 0058).
Regarding independent claim 4, Jo discloses an electric braking device for a vehicle (see Abstract, FIGS. 1-5) that converts rotation power of an electric motor (2) into linear power and presses a brake lining provided on a brake shoe (6) against a brake drum by the linear power to generate braking force on a wheel (see ¶¶ 0057, 0058, 0067), the electric braking device comprising: a power conversion mechanism (5, 30, 50) that converts the rotation power into the linear power (see ¶ 0067), the power conversion mechanism being configured by, an input member (5) including a first rotation stop part on an inner periphery (see ¶ 0058), an output member (30) including, on an outer periphery, a second rotation stop part (33) engageable with the first rotation stop part (see ¶ 0058) and a first screw part (37) (see FIG. 2), and a linear motion member (50) including a second screw part engageable with the first screw part (see ¶ 0037).
Jo does not disclose that at a portion of the second rotation stop part and the first screw part are formed to overlap with each other in an axial direction of the output member.
Troy teaches a drum brake actuator (see Abstract, FIGS. 1, 6) comprising an output member (45) a first rotation stop part (47) and a first screw part (46), wherein a portion of the second rotation stop part and the first screw part are formed to overlap with each other in an axial direction of the output member (see FIG. 6).
It would have been obvious to configure the output member of Jo to have a rotation stop part and a first screw part to overlap with each other, as taught by Troy, to increase the amount of adjustment that can be achieved for a given length of the output member (see e.g. Troy, col. 4, lines 34-40).
Regarding claim 5, Jo discloses that the first and second rotation stop parts are spline mechanisms (see ¶ 0058).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 4 have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection, noted above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 NICHOLAS J LANE whose telephone number is (571)270-5988. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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, Robert Siconolfi can be reached at (571)272-7124. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICHOLAS J LANE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
November 1, 2025
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