DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/20/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 12/19/2025 has been entered. Claims 1-2 and 4-13 remain pending in the application. Applicant' s amendments to the claims have overcome each and every 112(b) rejection and objection previously set forth in the Final Office Action mailed 10/24/2025.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kono (JP 2005237168 A).
Regarding claim 1, Kono discloses an actuator (see Fig. 8) comprising: a hollow part (3) extending and running through the actuator, at least one umbilical member (10) extending through the hollow part, at least one first junction part (left side 13 in the figure) positioned at one end side of the actuator (left side in the figure) and being connected to one end of the umbilical member (left side of 10 in the figure), at least one second junction part (right side 13 in the figure) positioned at another end side of the actuator (right side in the figure) and being connected to another end of the umbilical member (right side of 10 in the figure), a first fastening part (8) fastening the umbilical member to the actuator between the first junction part and the second junction part, and a second fastening part (9) fastening the umbilical member to the actuator, a line segment (see annotated Fig. 8 below; A) connecting the first fastening part and the second fastening part is parallel to a central axis of the actuator (see annotated Fig. 8 below; B), and a length of the umbilical member between the first fastening part and the second fastening part being made longer than a shortest distance between the first fastening part and the second fastening part (see Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 6, Kono discloses the actuator includes a hollow motor (32) and a hollow speed reducer (31) coupled coaxially with the hollow motor (see Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 8, Kono discloses the actuator further comprises a hollow brake (33) arranged coaxially with the hollow motor (32).
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 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kono (JP 2005237168 A) in view of Miyazawa (US 20200235636 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Kono fails to disclose a force detector detecting a force acting on an output shaft of the actuator. However, Miyazawa teaches a force detector (see Fig. 1, 60) detecting a force acting on an output shaft (12) of the actuator (2-1). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date to modify Kono with a force detector, as taught by Miyazawa, to measure the rotational torque transmitted from the reducer (see paragraph [0035]), such that the measurement result can be transmitted to a host via a cable, and the host may appropriately adjust (feedback) the value of the current supplied to the motor according to the received measurement results. As a result, the actuator may output target torque even in a case of receiving an external force (see paragraph [0107]).
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1 - Kono (JP 2005237168 A) Fig. 8 Annotated
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejections that were necessitated by an amendment.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH BROWN whose telephone number is (313)446-6568. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs: 8:00am - 5:00pm EST.
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/JOSEPH BROWN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618