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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on May 25th 2023 and May 18th 2023 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, the limitation “…than the fixed position …”, should be changed to make grammatical sense.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-5 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.
In claim 1, the limitation “…a distal end…” is recited once in line 2 and twice in line 12, it is unclear how many “distal end” is being claimed and are they the same “distal end”. Clarification is required. For examination purposes, it is assumed that the “distal end” in line 2 are a different “distal end” in line 12 than the two “distal end” in line 12, the two “distal end” in line 12 can be one or two different “distal end” than each other.
Claim 2-5 are dependent claims of claim 1, and are rejected based on the inherited deficiencies of the corresponding independent claim.
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.
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 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haefner et al (US4675502) herein set forth as Haefner, in view of Fukunaga et al (US2011/0278272A1) herein set forth as Fukunaga.
Regarding claim 1, Haefner discloses a robot system (refer to fig.1-4) comprising:
a robot (robot #10, fig.1-4) including a wrist mechanism (wrist #35, fig.4 and refer to annotated “wrist mechanism” in zoom in fig.1) and, the wrist mechanism (wrist #35, fig.4 and refer to annotated “wrist mechanism” in zoom in fig.1) including, at a distal end (refer to annotated “distal end” in zoom in fig.1) thereof, a flange (refer to the annotated “flange” in zoom in fig.1) that is rotatable about a rotation axis (rotation twist axis #37, fig.4);
a welding torch (weld torch #14, fig.1) fixed to the flange (refer to the annotated “flange” in fig.1) by a torch bracket (refer to the annotated “torch bracket” in zoom in fig.1); and
a welding sensor (optical unit #16, fig. 1-4) that is fixed with respect to the welding torch (weld torch #14, fig.1) and that detects, in advance, a weld line (joint #18, fig.2) to be welded by the welding torch (weld torch #14, fig.1),
wherein the welding sensor (optical unit #16, fig. 1-4) is disposed at a position between the flange (refer to the annotated “flange” in zoom in fig.1) and a fixed position (refer to annotated “fixed position” in zoom in fig.1) at which the welding torch (weld torch #14, fig.1) is fixed to the torch bracket (refer to the annotated “torch bracket” in zoom in fig.1), the welding sensor (optical unit #16, fig. 1-4) is configured to scan a laser beam (laser #22, fig.1-4) in a direction intersecting the weld line (joint #18, fig.2) along a plane (refer to the plane that is parallel to the rotation axis (rotation twist axis #37, fig.4), and
the welding torch (rotation twist axis #37, fig.4) includes a tubular torch body (refer to the tubular body of #14, fig.1) that is arranged so as to protrude toward a distal end side (refer to the annotated “distal end side” in zoom in fig.1) than the fixed position (refer to annotated “fixed position” in fig.1), and makes a wire (refer to the annotated “wire” in zoom in fig.1) protrude from a distal end (refer to the annotated “distal end of the tubular body” in zoom in fig.1) of the tubular torch body (refer to the tubular body of #14, fig.1).
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Haefner does not explicitly disclose makes a wire protrude from a distal end of the tubular torch body in a direction parallel to the rotation axis by the tubular torch body curved at least twice.
In the similar field of robot system for welding, Fukunaga discloses a robot system (robot #3, fig.1) that makes a wire (wire #2a, fig.1) protrude from a distal end of the tubular torch body (torch #2, fig.1) in a direction parallel (refer to fig.6) to the rotation axis (refer to fig. 6)by the tubular torch body (torch #2, fig.1) curved at least twice (refer to #10a and #10b that is curved at least three time in fig.1).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Haefner’s robot system with causing a wire to protrude from a distal end of the tubular torch body in a direction parallel to the rotation axis by the tubular torch body curved at least twice, as taught by Fukunaga, in order to provide a better tracking of the movement and more accurate welding position and displacement, such that would reduce in welding defects (refer to the abstract).
Regarding claim 4, the modification of Haefner and Fukunaga discloses substantially all features set forth in claim 1, Haefner further discloses wherein the welding sensor (optical unit #16, fig. 1-4) is fixed to the torch bracket (refer to the annotated “torch bracket” in zoom in fig.1).
Claims 2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haefner et al (US4675502) herein set forth as Haefner, in view of Fukunaga et al (US2011/0278272A1) herein set forth as Fukunaga, and further in view of Nio et al (US4728974) herein set forth as Nio.
Regarding claim 2, the modification of Haefner and Fukunaga discloses substantially all features set forth in claim 1, Haefner further discloses wherein the torch body (refer to the tubular body of #14, fig.1) protrudes the wire (refer to the annotated “wire” in zoom in fig.1), along the rotation axis, from the distal end (refer to the annotated “distal end side” in zoom in fig.1) of the torch body (refer to the tubular body of #14, fig.1) onto the rotation axis (rotation twist axis #37, fig.4).
Haefner does not disclose the torch body curved.
In the similar field of robot system for welding, Nio discloses the torch body curved (refer to the welding torch #6 curved body in fig.1A).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Haefner’s torch body with Nio’s curved torch body, because the substitution of one known element for another would have yielded predictable results of wire protrusion from the weld torch. In order to provide the different torch body for different tight or hard to reach welding location that specifically required a certain curves or bended torch body.
Regarding claim 5, the modification of Haefner and Fukunaga discloses substantially all features set forth in claim 1, Haefner further discloses wherein the welding sensor (optical unit #16, fig. 1-4) is fixed to the flange (refer to the annotated “flange” in zoom in fig.1).
Haefner does not explicitly disclose the use of a sensor bracket separately from the torch bracket.
In the similar field of robot system for welding, Nio further discloses the use of a sensor bracket (attachment seat #22, fig.1A) separately from the torch bracket (welding torch support #5, fig.1A).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Haefner’s robot system with the use of a sensor bracket separately from the torch bracket for the welding sensor, as taught by Nio, in order to provide the flexibility of replacing one of them without disturbing the setup and calibration of the other, such that would greatly reduce recalibration and work time to replace one but not effecting the other.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haefner et al (US4675502) herein set forth as Haefner, in view of Fukunaga et al (US2011/0278272A1) herein set forth as Fukunaga, and further in view of JPH0811300B2 herein set forth as JPH11300B2.
Regarding claim 3, the modification of Haefner and Fukunaga discloses substantially all features set forth in claim 1, Haefner does not discloses a recessed portion that is provided between the flange and the fixed position and that is recessed radially inward about the rotation axis, wherein the welding sensor is positioned so as to be partially accommodated in the recessed portion.
In the similar field of robot system for welding, JPH11300B2 discloses a recessed portion (refer to the recess portion where optical sensor #3 located in fig.1) that is provided between the flange (holder tube #2a, fig.1) and the fixed position (refer to where welding torch #1 attached to mounting base #2 in fig.1) and that is recessed radially inward about the rotation axis (refer as the welding torch#1 and holder tube #2a central axis in fig.1), wherein the welding sensor (optical sensor #3, fig.1) is positioned so as to be partially accommodated in the recessed portion (refer to the recess portion where optical sensor #3 located in fig.1).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Haefner’s robot system with a recessed portion that is provided between the flange and the fixed position and that is recessed radially inward about the rotation axis, wherein the welding sensor is positioned so as to be partially accommodated in the recessed portion, as taught by JPH11300B2, it order to provide a more compacted welding torch with sensor, a certain protection within the recess and more accurate position reading to the welding contact point.
Conclusion
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/YEONG JUEN THONG/Examiner, Art Unit 3761 January 31th 2026
/STEVEN W CRABB/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3761