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 § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 and 12-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Su et al. (US Pub. No. 2021/0206005).
Regarding claim 1, the Su et al. (hereinafter Su) reference discloses a flexible finger (100) for a robotic grasping device, the flexible finger comprising:
a flexible beam mechanism (120) having an axis (vertical axis in Fig. 1H) extending through a proximal end and a distal end of the flexible finger (Fig. 1H); and
a slider (130) movably mounted on the beam;
wherein moving the slider along the axis of the flexible beam mechanism changes the stiffness of the finger (Fig. 1I).
Regarding claim 2, the Su reference discloses the flexible beam mechanism comprises a parallel beam mechanism (Fig. 2A).
Regarding claim 3, the Su reference discloses the flexible beam mechanism comprises a first beam (100) and a second beam (100)that are parallel to each other (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 4, the Su reference discloses the first beam and the second beam are spaced apart laterally and define a space therebetween (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 5, the Su reference discloses the space extends along axial lengths of the first and second beams and is continuous between the proximal and distal ends of the flexible finger (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 6, the Su reference discloses at least a portion of the slider is disposed in the space (Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 7, the Su reference discloses moving the slider toward the distal end of the flexible finger causes the slider to occupy the space and moving the slider toward the proximal end of the flexible finger causes the slider to vacate the space (e.g. cable will vacate the space as it is actuated).
Regarding claim 8, the Su reference discloses the stiffness of the finger is changed by changing an occupied ratio, wherein the occupied ratio is a ratio of a volume of the space occupied by the slider to a total volume of the space not occupied by the slider (e.g. Fig. 1I).
Regarding claim 9, the Su reference discloses the stiffness of the finger decreases as the occupied ratio decreases, and the stiffness of the finger increases as the occupied ratio increases (Fig. 1I).
Regarding claim 10, the Su reference discloses a drive mechanism (132) for moving the slider continuously along the axis of the flexible beam mechanism.
Regarding claim 12, the Su reference discloses a robotic grasping device (Fig. 1A) comprising the flexible finger of claim 1 (Figs. 1A).
Regarding claim 13, the Su reference discloses the robotic grasping device further comprising a base portion (102) coupled to the proximal end of the flexible finger Fig. 1A).
Regarding claim 14, the Su reference discloses a drive mechanism (132) that extends and retracts the slider in and out of the base portion.
Regarding claim 15, the Su reference discloses the robotic grasping device further comprising at least a second flexible finger (Para. [0056]).
Regarding claim 16, the Su reference discloses a method of adjusting the stiffness of a variable-stiffness robotic finger according to claim 1, the method comprising moving the slider continuously along the axis of the flexible beam mechanism (Fig. 1I).
Regarding claim 17, the Su reference discloses moving the slider toward the distal end of the flexible beam mechanism to stiffen the flexible finger; and moving the slider toward the proximal end of the flexible beam mechanism to make the flexible finger more flexible (Figs. 1A,1I).
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.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Su in view of Kennerknecht et al. (US Patent No. 9,616,578).
Regarding claim 11, the Su reference discloses the invention substantially as claimed in claim 10.
However, the Su reference fails to explicitly disclose the drive mechanism comprises a stepper motor.
The Kennerknecht et al. (hereinafter Kennerknecht) reference, a handling apparatus, discloses that stepper and servo motors can be used interchangeably (Col. 2, Lines 15-24).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to use a stepper motor in the Su reference in view of the teachings of the Kennerknect reference in order to reduce manufacturing costs while maintaining gripping pressure.
Conclusion
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/GILBERT Y LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675