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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/13/2023 was filed and the submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention (“End Effector”) is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 3-7 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites “a third contact-and-move member, which is configured to move relative to the first contact-and-move member and the second contact-and-move member, in an approaching direction toward, and in a leaving direction from, the first contact-and-move member and the second contact-and-move member.”
It is understood that “a first contact-and-move member (6a)” configured to move in a front-rear direction (X-Y) of the end effector, and in a first orthogonal direction with respect to the support member, and “a second contact-and-move member (6b)” configured to move in the front-rear direction (X-Y), and in a second orthogonal direction with respect to the support member, as recited in claim 1 and as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. However, the exact meaning of the recitation of “a third contact-and-move member” being configured to move relative to the first contact-and-move member and the second contact-and-move member, “in an approaching direction toward, and in a leaving direction from, the first contact-and-move member and the second contact-and-move member” is confusing and not clearly understood. The recitation of “an approaching direction toward, and in a leaving direction” appears to be vague and indefinite. Note that the recitation of “the third contact-and-move member is fixed to the support member, or is movable with respect to the support member in the front-rear direction and in a third orthogonal direction, the third orthogonal direction being another direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction but different from the first orthogonal direction and the second orthogonal direction” as recited in the depending claim 4 is well defined and clearly understood.
Claims 4-7 are rejected as being dependent on, and failing to cure the deficiencies of, rejected the dependent claim 3.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hiroshi Suzuki et al. (the Japanese Publication: JP 59-107886) (see IDS).
RE claims 1, Hiroshi Suzuki et al. (the Japanese Publication: JP 59-107886) discloses
an end effector (see Figs. 1-4) for processing a target object at a processing position of the end effector, the end effector comprising: a support member (see Exhibit A) (see Figs. 1, 2, and 4) configured to be supported by the work machine (1); a processing mechanism (7, 8) provided in the support member, for processing a portion of the target object at the processing position; and a target-object-positioning mechanism (See Figs. 1, 2, and 4) provided at the support member, the target-object-positioning mechanism including a plurality of contact-and-move members (5’, 5’, and 5’) configured to position the portion of the target object at the processing position, wherein the plurality of contact-and-move members includes: a first gripper or a first contact-and-move member (5’) capable of moving in a front-rear direction of the end effector, and in a first orthogonal direction (see Figs. 2 and 4) with respect to the support member, the front-rear direction including a forward direction from the support member toward the processing position of the end effector, and a rearward direction opposite to the forward direction, the first orthogonal direction being orthogonal to the front-rear direction, and a second gripper or a second contact-and-move member (5’) capable of moving in the front-rear direction, and in a second orthogonal direction (see Figs. 2 and 4) with respect to the support member, the second orthogonal direction being orthogonal to the front-rear direction and being different from the first orthogonal direction, to thereby define a contact-and-move-member-moving space in which the plurality of contact-and-move members are movable and of which a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the front-rear direction increases in the forward direction, the first contact-and-move member is configured to, while maintaining a position thereof in the front-rear direction with respect to the support member, move in the first orthogonal direction (see Fig. 2), to make contact with the target object in the contact-and-move-member-moving space, the second contact-and-move member (5’) is configured to, while maintaining a position thereof in the front-rear direction with respect to the support member, move in the second orthogonal direction (see Fig. 2), to make contact with the target object in the contact-and-move-member-moving space, and the first contact-and-move member and the second contact-and-move member are further capable of moving in the rearward direction with respect to the support member and maintaining contact with the target object, to thereby position the portion of the target object at the processing position. Exhibit A
[AltContent: textbox (a second gripper capable of moving first orthogonal direction)][AltContent: textbox (a first gripper capable of moving first orthogonal direction)][AltContent: textbox (in the front-rear direction)][AltContent: textbox (A support member)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (a third gripper or a third contact-and-move member (5))][AltContent: textbox (and a second gripper or a second contact-and-move member (5’))][AltContent: textbox (a first gripper or a first contact-and-move member (5’))][AltContent: textbox ()][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]
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It is pointed out that the Japanese Publication (JP 59-107886) discloses an actuator (9) and a gear (7), and a rack gear (8) being powered by the actuator to open and close
the first contact-and-move member (5, 5, 5’) and the second contact-and-move member are further capable of being moved in the forward and rearward direction with respect to the support member, to thereby position the portion of the target object at the processing position.
RE claim 2, the Japanese Publication (JP 59-107886) shows the first contact-and-move member, the second contact-and-move member, and the processing mechanism are operated by a single actuator (9).
RE claims 3 and 4, Fig. 1 of the Japanese Publication (JP 59-107886) (See Exhibit A), as best understood, also teaches a third contact-and-move member (5), being movable with respect to the support member in the front-rear direction and in a third orthogonal direction, the third orthogonal direction being another direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction but different from the first orthogonal direction and the second orthogonal direction.
RE claims 5 and 6, Figs. 1, 2 and 4 of the Japanese Publication (JP 59-107886) show that the contact-and-move-member-moving space overlaps at least partially with the processing position or overlaps at least partially with the support member when viewed in the front-rear direction.
Claims 1-3, 5, 6, and 8, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakayama (US 2015/0028613).
RE claims 1, Nakayama (US 2015/0028613) discloses an end effector (see Figs. 1-20) for processing a target object (W) (see Figs. 3A, 3B, and 7C) at a processing position of the end effector, the end effector comprising: a support member (61) (see Exhibit B of Fig. 2) being supported by the work machine (see Fig. 18); a processing mechanism (7, 8, and 9) provided in the support member, for processing a portion of the target object at the processing position; and a target-object-positioning mechanism (See Figs. 1-16) provided at the support member, the target-object-positioning mechanism including a plurality of contact-and-move members (21, 22, and 23) configured to position the portion of the target object at the processing position, wherein the plurality of contact-and-move members includes: a first gripper or a first contact-and-move member (21, 22, and 23) capable of moving in a front-rear direction of the end effector, and in a first orthogonal direction (see Figs. 5A and 5B) with respect to the support member, the front-rear direction including a forward direction from the support member toward the processing position of the end effector, and a rearward direction opposite to the forward direction, the first orthogonal direction being orthogonal to the front-rear direction, and a second gripper or a second contact-and-move member (21, 22, and 23) capable of moving in the front-rear direction, and in a second orthogonal direction (see Figs. 5A and 5B) with respect to the support member, the second orthogonal direction being orthogonal to the front-rear direction and being different from the first orthogonal direction, to thereby define a contact-and-move-member-moving space in which the plurality of contact-and-move members are movable and of which a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the front-rear direction increases in the forward direction.
It is pointed out that Nakayama’s end effector (US 2015/0028613) discloses an actuator (62) which could be an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a motor (see paragraphs [0068], [0069]) (RE claim 2) and a shaft (9) which could be a ball screw (see paragraphs [0068], [0069]) being powered by the actuator to open and close the first contact-and-move member and the second contact-and-move member are further capable of being moved in the forward and rearward direction with respect to the support member, to thereby position the portion of the target object at the processing position.
Exhibit B
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RE claim 3, Figs. 1A-3B of Nakayama’s end effector (US 2015/0028613), as best understood, teaches a third contact-and-move member (1), being movable with respect to the support member (61) in the front-rear direction in a forward and rearward moving directions from, the first contact-and-move member and the second contact-and-move member. Note that Nakayama’s end effector (US 2015/0028613) fails to teach “the third contact-and-move member is fixed to the support member, or is movable with respect to the support member in the front-rear direction and in a third orthogonal direction, the third orthogonal direction being another direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction but different from the first orthogonal direction and the second orthogonal direction in regard to claim 4.
RE claims 5 and 6, Fig. 2 of Nakayama’s end effector (US 2015/0028613) appear to show that the contact-and-move-member-moving space overlaps at least partially with the processing position or overlaps at least partially with the support member when viewed in the front-rear direction (See paragraphs [0068], [0069]).
RE claim 8, Fig. 17 of Nakayama’s end effector (US 2015/0028613) teaches an imaging device or a camera (181) (see paragraph [0130]) provided on the support member to monitor the gripping process.
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 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.
Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the Japanese Publication (JP 59-107886) (see IDS) in view of Nakayama (US 2015/0028613).
RE claim 7, the Japanese Publication (JP 59-107886), as presented above, does not specifically show the first contact-and-move member has an end portion that is bent to be of a claw shape, the second contact-and-move member has an end portion that is bent to be of a claw shape, and the third contact-and-move member has an end portion that is bent to be of a claw shape. However, Figs. 12, 13A, 13B, and 14A of Nakayama (US 2015/0028613) teaches a grippier or a contact-and-move member having a protective member (5) (see paragraph [0083]) with an end portion that is bent to be of a claw shape to enclose and firmly grasp the target object. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the mechanical engineering art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a protective member (5) has an end portion that is bent to be of a claw shape to be attached over each gripper or contact-and-move member (5’, 5’, 5) of the Japanese Publication (JP 59-107886) as taught by Nakayama (US 2015/0028613) to enclose and firmly grasp the target object.
RE claim 8, the Japanese Publication (JP 59-107886), as presented above, does not specifically show an imaging device provided on the support member, wherein the plurality of contact-and-move members operate in an imaging area of the imaging device. However, Fig. 17 of Nakayama (US 2015/0028613) teaches an imaging device (181) (see paragraph [0130]) provided on the support member to monitor the gripping process. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the mechanical engineering art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide an imaging device or a camera on the support member of the Japanese Publication (JP 59-107886) as taught by Nakayama (US 2015/0028613) to closely monitor and effectively control the gripping process to a user.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mauro; George ‘084 shows two grippers, a threaded screw to move the grippers and a motor.
Nakayama; Kazutaka ‘379 and TAKIKAWA; Ryuji ‘210 disclose the similar inventions, as provided above, having two grippers and an actuator.
Schectman; Leonard A. ‘622 provides two grippers (30, 32), a scissors link (68), powered by an actuator.
Samen; Moris ‘809 shows three gripping fingers moved by a threaded screw and a power (42) wherein other references provide gripping jaws, a support member, and an actuator to grasp an object.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL T CHIN whose telephone number is (571) 272-2097. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-4:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Hodge, can be reached on (571) 272-6911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL T CHIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654