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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because of the following issues:
in Fig. 1a, reference character 103 as identified in the specification as “rigid constraint frame” points to a different part than the text reading “rigid constraint frame” therefore appearing as if they are two different parts
In Fig. 2a, reference characters 101 and 103 appear to refer to the same part
In Fig. 2e, reference characters 102 and 103 appears to refer to a different parts than what they refer to in Fig. 1
In Fig. 2e, the part “jamming layers” uses a dashed box structure which appears to include more than the jamming layer as previously established
In Fig. 4, reference character 102 appears to be pointing to the flexible actuator shown in the previous figures
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 Rejections - 35 USC § 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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 22-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 22 recites the limitation "the internal pockets" in Line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 23 recites the limitation "the air inlet" in Line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 23 recites the limitation "the internal space" in Line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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, 7, 11, 17, 22-25, 28, 31 and 34-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haugs US 5568957 (hereinafter Haugs) in view of Ou US 2015/0107233 (hereinafter Ou).
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Re. Cl. 1, Haugs discloses: A finger for a robotic gripper (Fig. 9-10), the finger comprising: a flexible actuator (21b””’, Fig. 9) having a proximal end, a distal end disposed opposite the proximal end, a first side, and a second side disposed opposite the first side (see Fig. 9-10); a flexible backbone (26, Fig. 10) coupled to the flexible actuator and disposed along the first side of the flexible actuator (see Fig. 10); a rigid constraint frame (27, Fig. 9-10) coupled to the flexible actuator and disposed along the second side of the flexible actuator (see Fig. 9-10).
Re. Cl. 2, Haugs discloses: the flexible actuator comprises a bellows (see Fig. 6, 26 is in the form of a bellows).
Re. Cl. 3, Haugs discloses: the flexible actuator comprises: an actuator base defining the first side of the flexible actuator (see annotated figure 6); and a plurality of actuator segments each extending from the base to the second side of the flexible actuator (see annotated figure 6).
Re. Cl. 4, Haugs discloses: the actuator segments are arranged in series along the base in a direction from the proximal end to the distal end of the flexible actuator (see annotated figure 6).
Re. Cl. 5, Haugs discloses: the flexible actuator further comprises a plurality of internal pockets defined therein (see Fig. 6), and wherein one of the internal pockets is defined within each of the actuator segments (see annotated figure 6, internal areas of the segments).
Re. Cl. 7, Haugs discloses: the flexible actuator further comprises a plurality of channels defined therein (see Fig. 6, portions of 21b””’ between the pockets of the segments), and wherein one or more of the channels extends between the internal pockets of each adjacent pair of actuator segments (see Fig. 6).
Re. Cl. 11, Haugs discloses: the rigid constraint frame comprises a plurality of frame segments (see Fig. 9, the member 27 can be split into “segments” similar to the segments shown by 27 in Fig. 8) each coupled to one of the actuator segments, and wherein the rigid constraint frame defines a channel extending in a direction from the proximal end to the distal end of the flexible actuator (see Fig. 9-10),.
Re. Cl. 22, Haugs discloses: a first air tube coupled to an air inlet of the flexible actuator and in fluid communication with a plurality of internal pockets of the flexible actuator (see Fig. 1, 24), wherein the first air tube is configured to deliver air to and withdraw air from the internal pockets to actuate the flexible actuator (see Fig. 1).
Re. Cl. 24, Haugs discloses: a pressurized air source in fluid communication with the first air tube (10, Fig. 1).
Re. Cl. 25, Haugs discloses: the flexible actuator is configured to be actuated between a first curved configuration (Fig. 9) and a second straight configuration (Col. 10, Lines 10-14).
Re. Cl. 28, Haugs discloses: an actuation spring (31, Fig. 9-11) coupled to the flexible actuator and configured to bias the flexible actuator toward the first a curved configuration (see Fig. 9).
Re. Cl. 31, Haugs discloses: the flexible actuator is configured to be actuated from the first a curved configuration (Fig. 9) toward the second a straight configuration when a positive pressure is generated within the flexible actuator (Col. 10, Lines 10-14).
Re. Cl. 34, Haugs discloses: A robotic gripper (Fig. 9-10) comprising: a bellows (21b””’, Fig. 9); a spring (31, Fig. 10-11) coupled to the bellows and biasing the bellows toward a curved configuration (see Fig. 9); an air inlet coupled to the bellows (24, Fig. 1) and configured to provide positive bellows pressure to the bellows to actuated the bellows toward a straight configuration against the bias of the spring (see Fig. 1 and Col. 10, Lines 10-14).
Re. Cl. 35, Haugs discloses: the robotic gripper is arranged in a soft curved configuration when the air inlet is not pressurized (see Fig. 9), wherein the robotic gripper is arranged in a stiff curved configuration when the air inlet is not pressurized (see Fig. 9), wherein the robotic gripper is arranged in a soft straight configuration when the air inlet provides the positive bellows pressure to the bellows (Col. 10, Lines 10-14).
Re. Cl. 36, Haugs discloses: A method of operating a robotic gripper (see Fig. 9-10), the method comprising: biasing the robotic gripper toward a curved configuration with a spring (see Fig. 9-10, via 31); providing positive bellows pressure to a bellows to actuate the robotic gripper toward a straight configuration against the bias of the spring (Col. 10, Lines 10-14).
Re. Cls. 1, 11, 17, 23-24, and 34-36 Haugs does not disclose a plurality of jamming layers coupled to the flexible actuator and disposed at least partially within the rigid constraint frame; and a jamming bag disposed at least partially within the rigid constraint frame, the jamming bag configured to apply a compressive force to the jamming layers when a positive pressure is generated within the jamming bag (Cl. 1), wherein the jamming layers are disposed at least partially within the channel, and wherein the jamming bag is disposed at least partially within the channel (Cl. 11), the jamming layers are disposed between the jamming bag and the actuator (Cl. 17), a second air tube coupled to the air inlet of the jamming bag and in fluid communication with an internal space of the jamming bag, wherein the second air tube is configured to deliver air to and withdraw air from the internal space to expand and contract the jamming bag (Cl. 23), a pressurized air source in fluid communication with the second air tube (Cl. 24), and a jamming bag coupled to and fluidly isolated from the bellows, and configured to provide a first stiffness of the robotic gripper at a first pressure and a second stiffness of the robotic gripper at a second pressure (Cl. 34), and the first pressure is provided to the jamming bag, and the second pressure is provided to the jamming bag (Cl. 35) or and provide positive jamming pressure to a jamming bag to stiffen the robotic gripper (Cl. 36). Ou discloses an apparatus for stiffening a flexible member (Abstract, Lines 1-5) using a jamming structure (101, Fig. 1a). Re. Cl. 1, Out discloses a plurality of jamming layers (105, 107, 109, 111 Fig. 1a) coupled to the flexible actuator (“device: referenced in Abstract, Line 2) and disposed at least partially within the rigid constraint frame (the member 101 would need to be within the frame of the “device” to affect its rigidity); and a jamming bag (102, Fig. 1a) disposed at least partially within the rigid constraint frame, the jamming bag configured to apply a compressive force to the jamming layers when a positive pressure is generated within the jamming bag (see Fig. 1b). Re. Cl. 11, Ou discloses wherein the jamming layers are disposed at least partially within the channel, and wherein the jamming bag is disposed at least partially within the channel (see Fig. 9 in Haugs, in the proposed combination the jamming bag would need to be at least partially within the channel to provide the rigidity to the device). Re. Cl. 17, Ou discloses the jamming layers are disposed between the jamming bag and the actuator (see Fig. 1b of Ou, in the combination the jamming bag would need to be between the actuator and layers so that the layers are isolated from the actuator and the air could be evacuated as shown in Figs. 1a-b). Re. Cl. 23, Ou discloses a second air tube coupled to the air inlet of the jamming bag and in fluid communication with an internal space of the jamming bag, wherein the second air tube is configured to deliver air to and withdraw air from the internal space to expand and contract the jamming bag (113, Fig. 1a-b). Re. Cl. 24, Ou discloses a pressurized air source in fluid communication with the second air tube (Pump system in paragraph 0025). Re. Cl. 34, Ou discloses a jamming bag (102, Fig. 1a) coupled to and fluidly isolated from the bellows (device, Abstract, Line 2), and configured to provide a first stiffness of the robotic gripper at a first pressure and a second stiffness of the robotic gripper at a second pressure (see Fig. 1a-b). Re. Cl. 35, Ou discloses the first pressure is provided to the jamming bag (see Fig. 1a), and the second pressure is provided to the jamming bag (see Fig. 1b). Re. Cl. 36, Ou discloses providing a positive jamming pressure to a jamming bag to stiffen the robotic gripper (see Fig. 1a-b).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Haugs device to include the jamming bag of Ou with reasonable expectation of success since Ou states that such a modification enables the user to make the device rigid in its new shape (Abstract, Lines 3-5). Such a modification would make the grip less susceptible to slipping.
Re. Cl. 32, the combination of Haugs in view of Ou does not explicitly disclose the flexible actuator and the jamming bag are formed of at least one of a thermoplastic elastomer and a thermoplastic polyurethane, and wherein the flexible backbone and the rigid constraint frame are formed of at least one of a thermoplastic polyester and a polyethylene terephthalate glycol. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the combined Haugs in view of Ou device to be made out of the material claimed, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416. Please note that in the instant application, Applicant has not disclosed any criticality for the claimed limitations.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14 and 18 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Arrichiello US 6484601, Biagtan US 6146339, and Lessing US 2017/0036355 disclose other known grippers presented to the applicant for their consideration.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER E GARFT whose telephone number is (571)270-1171. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at (571)272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER GARFT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632