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 .
Status of the Claims
Claim 1 has been amended. Claims 2 – 6 are as previously presented. Therefore, claims 1 – 6 are currently pending and have been considered below.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 12/23/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 5, filed 12/26/2025, with respect to the rejection of claim 1 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive, in view of Applicant’s amendment adding a new limitation to claim 1. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of Applicant’s amendment.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song (CN 203448933) in view of Ishida et al. (JP 2017-059429) and Li et al. (CN 208762589).
Regarding claim 1, Song discloses a workpiece support device (Fig. 1, “frame 10” [page 2 of attached translation]) comprising:
a base (see annotated Fig. 1);
an electrically conductive worktable (Fig. 1, worktable / “output disk 30” [page 2]; “pivot 30 [sic, 31] of the output disc 31 [sic, 30] is electrically connected with copper wire column 70. Obviously, the pivot 31 has at least partially an electrical conductor” [page 2]) rotatably supported around a rotational axis with respect to the base (“output plate 30 rotates” [page 2]);
a motor (Fig. 1, “motor 20” [page 2]);
a reducer (Fig. 1, “speed reducer 50” [page 2]) that transmits rotation of the motor to the worktable and reduces speed of the rotation; and
an adapter (Fig. 1, “insulating plate 40” [page 2]) interposed between the worktable (Fig. 1, 30) and the reducer (Fig. 1, 50) to separate the worktable and the reducer from each other (see Fig. 1),
wherein the worktable and the adapter are electrically insulated (the insulating property of adapter / “insulating plate 40” provides insulation between the worktable and the adapter).
Song does not expressly disclose wherein the adapter is a metal adapter, and wherein the worktable and the adapter are electrically insulated by an insulating coating film formed by a surface treatment on a surface of the worktable or the adapter.
Ishida discloses a metal adapter comprising an insulating coating film (adapter / “separation regulating member 40” [page 4 of attached translation]; “separation regulating member 40 is made of a material having at least a region in contact with the terminal fitting 20 having electrical insulation. Specifically, the entire separation regulating member 40 may be formed of an elastic ceramic or a synthetic resin material, or an insulating coating may be formed on the surface of a metal base” [page 4]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the adapter is a metal adapter, and wherein the worktable and the adapter are electrically insulated by an insulating coating film formed by a surface treatment on a surface of the worktable or the adapter. Song achieves insulation between the worktable and the reducer by providing an “insulating plate 40.” However, as described above, it is known to use a metal adapter comprising an insulating coating film for insulation purposes. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to select either an insulating adapter, as described in Song, or a metal adapter with an insulating coating, as described in Ishida, to achieve insulation between two elements.
While Song discloses an adapter interposed between the worktable and the reducer as described above, Song does not expressly disclose wherein the adapter is interposed at a location recessed, in a direction along the rotational axis, from an end surface of the reducer.
Li is directed to an insulating device for a drive shaft [Abstract]. Li discloses wherein an adapter (Figs. 1 and 2, adapter / “insulating cylinder 10” [page 4 of attached translation]) is interposed at a location recessed, in a direction along the rotational axis (Figs. 1 and 2, rotational axis is along the horizonal direction), from an end surface of the reducer (Figs. 1 and 2, reducer / “driving gear 5” [page 4]; “at the position of insulating cylinder 10 at a fixing bolt 8 passes through the driving gear 5 and prevent the fixing bolt 8 of the connecting conductive, right end fixing bolt 8 presses the end head and the driving gear 5 of the support beam 13 is provided with an insulating ring 12, for avoiding the cathode roller shaft 1 through the shaft sleeve 2 is conductive to fixed bolt 8. the right end fixedly bolt 8 presses conductive end on the support beam 13 of the driving gear 5” [page 4]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the adapter is interposed at a location recessed, in a direction along the rotational axis, from an end surface of the reducer. This is a known, alternative configuration, also providing insulation between two elements.
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Fig. 1 of Song, annotated
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song (CN 203448933) in view of Ishida et al. (JP 2017-059429), Li et al. (CN 208762589), and Paquette et al. (US 2008/0303197).
Regarding claim 2, Song discloses wherein
the adapter (Fig. 1, 40) is interposed between an annular flange surface (see annotated Fig. 1) of the reducer and an annular flange surface (see annotated Fig. 1) of the worktable,
the adapter (Fig. 1, 40) has a contact surface that contacts the worktable (Fig. 1, 50); (see Fig. 1), and
the adapter has a plurality of through holes through which bolts that fasten the worktable and the reducer are inserted (see annotated Fig. 1), and
wherein the worktable and the reducer are fastened together by the bolts (see Fig. 1).
While the adapter of Song may be ring shaped, Song does not expressly disclose this.
However, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the adapter has a ring shape, since the courts have held that a change in shape alone, without demonstration of the criticality of a specific limitation, may be considered obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP § 2144.04-IV-B.
Song does not expressly disclose wherein the contact surface of the adapter is provided with the insulating coating film. However, Ishida discloses the insulating coating film as described in the rejection of claim 1.
Song does not expressly disclose insulating washers having electrical insulating properties.
Paquette discloses utilizing insulating washers in a welding fixture (“modular welding fixture” [Title]; “Insulating washers 104 are arranged between the fasteners 105 and the locating plate 44” [0031]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include insulating washers having electrical insulating properties. This advantageously provides insulation between electrically conductive elements.
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Fig. 1 of Song, annotated, for claim 2
Claims 3 – 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song (CN 203448933) in view of Ishida et al. (JP 2017-059429), Li et al. (CN 208762589), Paquette et al. (US 2008/0303197), and Miyashita et al. (JP 2008-229778).
Regarding claim 3, Song does not expressly disclose wherein through holes into which the bolts are inserted and counterbores in which heads of the bolts are disposed are formed in one of the worktable and the reducer, screw holes in which the bolts are tightened are provided in the other one of the worktable and the reducer.
Miyashita discloses connecting two elements as follows: “through holes 16 are formed in the flange portion 13a of the locate pin 13, and four through holes 17 with counterbore are formed in the work receiving ring 14 corresponding to the through holes 16, as shown in FIG. In addition, the locating pin 13 and the work receiving ring 14 are fixed to the cylindrical portion 10b by bolts 18 that pass through the respective through holes 16 and 17 and are screwed to screw holes (not shown) formed in the cylindrical portion 10b” [page 4 of attached translation].
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein through holes into which the bolts are inserted and counterbores in which heads of the bolts are disposed are formed in one of the worktable and the reducer, screw holes in which the bolts are tightened are provided in the other one of the worktable and the reducer. This is a known way of connecting two elements, applied to a known device, to achieve predictable results.
Song does not expressly disclose wherein the insulating washers are interposed between seating surfaces in the counterbores and the heads of the bolts.
However, Paquette discloses insulating washers as described in the rejection of claim 2.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the insulating washers are interposed between seating surfaces in the counterbores and the heads of the bolts. Utilizing washers with bolts is a known means for connecting two elements.
Regarding claim 4, Song does not expressly disclose wherein the through holes in the worktable or the reducer and parts of outer peripheral surfaces of the bolts that are inserted into the through holes or inner peripheral surfaces of the through holes are covered with a coating containing an electrically insulating material or with an insulating coating film.
However, Ishida discloses an insulating coating film as described in the rejection of claim 1.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the through holes in the worktable or the reducer and parts of outer peripheral surfaces of the bolts that are inserted into the through holes or inner peripheral surfaces of the through holes are covered with a coating containing an electrically insulating material or with an insulating coating film. This is an alternative means for providing electrical insulation between the reducer and the worktable.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song (CN 203448933) in view of Ishida et al. (JP 2017-059429) and Li et al. (CN 208762589), further in view of Xu et al. (CN 103624470).
Regarding claim 5, Song discloses wherein the motor (Fig. 1, “motor 20” [page 2]) is fixed to the base (see annotated Fig. 1, above).
Song does not expressly disclose wherein the motor and the base are electrically insulated from each other by an electrically insulating material.
Xu discloses a workpiece positioner [Abstract] comprising a motor (Fig. 1, “motor 31” [page 3 of attached translation] and an “insulating base 13” [page 3].
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the motor and the base are electrically insulated from each other by an electrically insulating material. This advantageously prevents unwanted energization.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song (CN 203448933) in view of Ishida et al. (JP 2017-059429) and Li et al. (CN 208762589), further in view of Noma (JP 2003-245779).
Regarding claim 6, Song does not expressly disclose wherein the motor and the reducer are each equipped with a toothed gear that transmits rotations of the motor, and an insulating coating film is formed by a surface treatment on a surface of the toothed gear of the motor.
Noma discloses wherein a motor and the reducer are each equipped with a toothed gear that transmits rotations of the motor (“Gear teeth (not shown) having a predetermined pitch are formed, and the gear teeth of the motor and the gear teeth of the motor are meshed with each other through a speed reducer, so that the driving force can be transmitted from the motor 150 described later. There is. As a result, the rotation block 130 is rotated by the driving force of the motor 150 transmitted through the gear teeth of the motor and the speed reducer” [page 2 of attached translation]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein the motor and the reducer are each equipped with a toothed gear that transmits rotations of the motor. This is a known structural implementation of a speed reducer.
Song / Noma do not expressly disclose wherein an insulating coating film is formed by a surface treatment on a surface of the toothed gear of the motor.
However, Ishida discloses utilizing an insulating coating film as described in the rejection of claim 1.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include wherein an insulating coating film is formed by a surface treatment on a surface of the toothed gear of the motor. This advantageously prevents unwanted energization.
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 ELIZABETH KERR whose telephone number is (571)272-3073. The examiner can normally be reached M - F, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM.
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/ELIZABETH M KERR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761