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 § 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 17 – 35 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 claims 17, 30, 32, 34, the statement “and which are connected with each other…that follows the distance enlargement section” is indefinite. It is not clear what are connected to each other and how or what device “follows” the distance enlargement section.
It is also not clear what “is at a greater distance from the reference line”.
In claim 18, the statements “in each case” and “its course”, “defined in such a way” are vague and idiomatic.
In claims 20, 21, the statement “according to any one of claim 18” is indefinite since it is not clear to what other claim the statement may refer.
In claim 21, the statement “in such a way” is idiomatic.
In clam 24, the statement “according to the definition” is indefinite since it is not clear what would be the definition for a first transverse section, bridging section, etc.
In claim 26, the statement “directly directly” is grammatically incorrect.
In claims 30, 31, the statement “in each case” and “in such a way” are vague.
The claims contain more 112(b) issues and idiomatic statement that are too many to cite. A complete revision of all of the claims is required.
The rest of the dependent claims are rejected due to their dependency on the independent claims.
In order to advance prosecution in the merits, the Prior Art will be applied
as best understood by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 17 – 24, 26 – 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Straub et al (US 2017/0108693) in view of Li (US 2016/0322919).
Straub et al discloses, regarding,
Claim 17, Preloading device, comprising a first spring device 16, a second spring device (see Fig. 4), a first end part and a second end part, wherein the first spring device connects the first end part and the second end part along a first spring device reference axis (see Fig. 4) and the second spring device connects the first end part and the second end part along a second spring device reference axis (see Fig. 4), wherein each spring device in each case comprises a meander section (round section of each spring; see Fig. 4) each with two transversal sections, the distance between which, when viewed from a reference line or the spring device reference axis of the respective spring device, enlarges in a distance enlargement section (since the angle of meander section increases).
The problem to be solve appears to have a spring device follow by a distance enlargement section. Such modification is well-known in the art.
For example, Li is discloses that bridging sections that follow the enlargement section have a larger distance, since the spring device which are connected with each other in a bridging section that follows the distance enlargement section and is at a greater distance from the reference line or the spring device reference axis as the distance enlargement section (see Figs. 6A, 6B, 7A, 8D).
The Prior Art further discloses, regarding,
Claim 22, the first spring device and the second spring device each comprise at least two meander sections (Straub et al, Fig. 4; Li, fig. 6A), wherein each comprise the sections (A1), (A2), (A3), wherein the bridging sections of meander sections in each case of the same spring device (Li, Fig. 6B), which are located one behind the other along the respective spring device reference axis, are located periodically alternately on different sides of the respective spring device reference axis (Le, Fig. 4A).
Claim 23, the spring device reference axis is a center line of the spring device (Li, Fig. 6A).
Claim 24, each spring device comprises two meander sections, wherein a first meander section comprises the sections (A1), (A2), (A3), wherein a further meander section is connected to the second transverse section of the first meander section with a first transverse section according to the definition (Straub, Fig. 4; Li, Figs. 4B, 6A-F), wherein the further meander section comprises a bridging section according to the definition, which is connected to the first transversal section of the further meander section, wherein the further meander section (M2) comprises a second transversal section according to the definition (A3), which is connected to the bridging section of the further meander section, wherein the bridging section of the first meander section and the bridging section of the further meander section are located on mutually different sides of the spring device reference axis RA (Li, Figs. 4A, 4B, 9A-C).
Claim 26, the preloading device comprises at least two meander sections which are located directly adjacent to one another, wherein one of the meander sections comprises an end section and the adjacent meander section (M1, M2) comprises an initial section, wherein the initial section is directly directly connected to the end section (Straub et al, Figs. 3, 5; Li, Figs, 4B).
Claim 27, the initial section, which is directly connected to the end section, is disposed point-symmetrical to the end section (Li, Fig. 6A).
Claim 28, the first spring device reference axis of the first spring device and the second spring device reference axis of the second spring device are disposed axially symmetrically to each other relative to a spring device symmetry axis (Li, Fig. 6A).
Claim 29, the first spring device reference axis of the first spring device and the second spring device reference axis of the second spring device run parallel to one another (Straub et al, Fig. 4).
Claim 30, Drive device, comprising: a preloading device with a first spring device, a second spring device, a first end part and a second end part, wherein the first spring device connects the first end part and the second end part along a first spring device reference axis and the second spring device connects the first end part and the second end part along a second spring device reference axis, wherein each spring device in each case comprises a meander section each with two transversal sections (Straub et al, Figs. 3, 4; Li, Figs. 6A, 6B, 7A-7G), the distance between which, when viewed from a reference line or the spring device reference axis of the respective spring device, enlarges in a distance enlargement section (Straub Fig. 4), and which are connected with each other in a bridging section that follows the distance enlargement section and is at a greater distance from the reference line or the spring device reference axis as the distance enlargement section, an actuator (Li, actuator 42, 44, 54, 132) which is disposed between the first end part and the second end part. and expands or contracts along the spring device reference axis upon actuation (Li, Fig. 6A).
Claim 32, Preloading device with a first end part, with a second end part and with at least one spring device, which connects the first end part to the second end part along a spring device reference axis, wherein at least one spring device in each case comprises at least one meander section (M1, M2) each with two transversal sections (Straub et al, Figs. 3, 4; Li, Figs. 6A, 6B, 7A-7G), the distance of which, when viewed from a reference line or the spring device reference axis of the respective spring device, increases from one another in a section and which are connected to one another with a bridging section at a greater distance from the reference line or the spring device reference axis (Li, Figs. 6A, 6B), wherein the first end part or the second end part or both the first end part and the second end part comprise a decoupling device (Li, hinge, paragraphs 0084, 0085, 0086, 0087, 0090, 0102, , 0110, 0111, 0123, 0124) for elimination of the effect of transverse forces which are directed transversely to the spring device reference axis, wherein the decoupling device forms one of the following feature groups (U), (V) or both of the following feature groups (U), (V): (U) [the following does not need to be met by the Prior Art due to the alternative claimed language] the decoupling device has a first pivot bearing with a first axis of rotation and a second pivot bearing with a second axis of rotation, wherein the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation run transversely to one another, (V) the decoupling device comprises at least one flexure hinge or structural hinge (Li, Figs. 7A-7I).
Claim 34, Drive device, comprising: a preloading device and an actuator which is disposed between the first end part and the second end part. and expands or contracts along the spring device reference axis upon actuation, wherein the preloading device comprises a first end part, a second end part and at least one spring device, which connects the first end part to the second end part along a spring device reference axis, wherein at least one spring device in each case comprises at least one meander section each with two transversal sections (Straub et al, Figs. 3, 4; Li, Figs. 6A, 6B, 7A-7G), the distance of which, when viewed from a reference line or the spring device reference axis of the respective spring device, increases from one another in a section and which are connected to one another with a bridging section at a greater distance from the reference line or the spring device reference axis (Li, Figs. 6A, 6B, 4B), wherein the first end part or the second end part or both the first end part and the second end part comprise a decoupling device (Li, hinge, paragraphs 0084, 0085, 0086, 0087, 0090, 0102, , 0110, 0111, 0123, 0124) for elimination of the effect of transverse forces which are directed transversely to the spring device reference axis, wherein the decoupling device forms one of the following feature groups (U), (V) or both of the following feature groups (U), (V): (U) [the following does not need to be met by the Prior Art due to the alternative claimed language] the decoupling device has a first pivot bearing with a first axis of rotation and a second pivot bearing with a second axis of rotation, wherein the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation run transversely to one another, (V) the decoupling device comprises at least one flexure hinge or structural hinge (Li, Figs. 7A-7I).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to design the device as disclosed by Straub et al and to modify the invention per the limitations disclosed by Li for the purpose of improving the performance of an actuator.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18 – 21, 25, 31, 33, 35 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 and overcoming the 112 rejection noted above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Julio C. Gonzalez whose telephone number is (571)272-2024. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah Riyami can be reached at 5712703119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Julio C. Gonzalez/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2831
June 16, 2026
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