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
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 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) 1-9 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Dreher (US 20220258360 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Dreher discloses a hairpin gripper comprising: a gripper main body (20; see Fig. 16); a first finger grip part (27; see Fig. 16) provided on the gripper main body and configured to grip a first portion of a hairpin (see Fig. 16); and a second finger grip part (28; see Fig. 16) provided on the gripper main body and configured to grip a second portion of the hairpin independently of the first finger grip part (see Fig. 16).
Regarding claim 2, Dreher discloses the hairpin gripper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first finger grip part (27; see Fig. 16) comprises: a first finger (29; see Fig. 5); and a second finger (30; see Fig. 5) configured to be movable toward or away from the first finger such that the first finger and the second finger collectively grip the first portion of a hairpin (see Fig. 16 for gripping hairpin).
Regarding claim 3, Dreher discloses the hairpin gripper as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first finger grip part (27; see Fig. 16) further comprises: a first guide portion (31; see Fig. 6) provided on the first finger and configured to guide one surface of a hairpin; and a second guide portion (31; see Fig. 6) provided on the second finger and configured to face the first guide portion and guide another surface of the hairpin (see Fig. 6), wherein the first portion of the hairpin is guided along the first guide portion and the second guide portion and aligned between the first finger and the second finger (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 4, Dreher discloses the hairpin gripper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second finger grip part (28; see Fig. 16) comprises: a first finger (29; see Fig. 5); and a second finger (30; see Fig. 5) configured to be movable toward or away from the first finger such that the first finger and the second finger collectively grip the first portion of a hairpin (see Fig. 16 for gripping hairpin).
Regarding claim 5, Dreher discloses the hairpin gripper as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second finger grip part (28; see Fig. 16) further comprises: a first guide portion (31; see Fig. 6) provided on the first finger and configured to guide one surface of a hairpin; and a second guide portion (31; see Fig. 6) provided on the second finger and configured to face the first guide portion and guide another surface of the hairpin (see Fig. 6), wherein the first portion of the hairpin is guided along the first guide portion and the second guide portion and aligned between the first finger and the second finger (see Fig. 6; see Para. 0127 for first gripping part and second gripping part having identical structure, “Preferably, the two gripping jaws 29, 30 of the first gripper 27 and the second gripper 28 have an analogous or identical structure”).
Regarding claim 6, Dreher discloses the hairpin gripper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second finger grip part is provided to be selectively movable rectilinearly toward or away from the first finger grip part (see Para. 0128 and Figs. 9-12).
Regarding claim 7, Dreher discloses the hairpin gripper as claimed in claim 6, comprising: a drive part (35; see Para. 0129) configured to provide driving power that allows the second finger grip part to rectilinearly move toward or away from the first finger grip part (see Para. 0128-0129 and Figs. 9-12).
Regarding claim 8, Dreher discloses the hairpin gripper as claimed in claim 1, wherein a hairpin to be gripped by the hairpin gripper comprises: a crown portion (see annotated Fig. 16 below); a first leg portion connected to one end of the crown portion (see annotated Fig. 16 below); and a second leg portion connected to another end of the crown portion (see annotated Fig. 16 below), wherein the first portion is defined as a boundary between the crown portion and the first leg portion, and wherein the second portion is defined as a boundary between the crown portion and the second leg portion.
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Regarding claim 9, Dreher discloses the hairpin gripper as claimed in claim 8, comprising: a lifting part (21a; see Para. 0151) provided on the gripper main body and configured to selectively lift the crown portion in when the first finger grip part and the second finger grip part grip the hairpin (see Fig. 16-17 for gripping and lifting the hairpin).
Regarding claim 14, Dreher discloses the hairpin gripper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first finger grip part (27; see Fig. 16) is configured to finger-grip a first portion of a hairpin (see Fig. 16), and wherein the second finger grip part (28; see Fig. 16) is configured to finger-grip a second portion of the hairpin independently of the first finger grip part (see Fig. 16).
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) 10-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dreher (US 20220258360 A1) in view of Cho (KR 102535588 B1).
Regarding claim 10, Dreher discloses the hairpin gripper as claimed in claim 9.
Dreher fails to disclose wherein the lifting part comprises: a lifting member provided on the gripper main body and configured to be selectively movable upward or downward; and a hook member provided on the lifting member and configured to support the crown portion.
However, Cho teaches a hairpin gripper comprising a lifting member (213; see Fig. 23) provided on the gripper main body and configured to be selectively movable upward or downward (see Fig. 23 for gripping portions able to move up or down); and a hook member (see annotated Fig. 23 below) provided on the lifting member and configured to support the crown portion.
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Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to introduce a lifting member provided on the gripper main body and configured to be selectively movable upward or downward; and a hook member provided on the lifting member and configured to support the crown portion on the hairpin gripper of Dreher, as taught by Cho, in order to stably move the hairpin up and down (see Page 8, Para. 9-10).
Regarding claim 11, Cho further teaches a lifting drive part (230; see fig. 19) configured to provide driving power that allows the lifting member to move upward or downward relative to the gripper main body (see Page 8, Para. 9-10). See motivation of claim 10.
Regarding claim 12, Cho further teaches wherein the second finger grip part is provided to be selectively movable rectilinearly toward or away from the first finger grip part (see Abstract for first and second forming means may me moved in the x axis), and wherein a reference height of the hook member with respect to the crown portion varies depending on a rectilinear movement of the second finger grip part relative to the first finger grip part (height of the hook can vary, up or down, depending on the rectilinear movement of the first or second grip part; see annotated Fig. 23 below). See motivation of claim 10.
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Regarding claim 13, Cho further teaches a cam follower (215; see Fig. 23) provided on the gripper main body and configured to be selectively movable upward or downward and support the lifting member (see Fig. 23 for cam able to move up and down); a first link (113; first rotation gripper; see Fig. 23) member having one end rotatably connected to the first finger grip part (see annotated Fig. 23 below), and another end rotatably connected to the cam follower (see Fig. 24 for 113 rotatably connected to 215); and a second link member (113; see Fig. 23) having one end rotatably connected to the second finger grip part (see annotated Fig. 23 below), and another end rotatably connected to the other end of the first link member (see Fig. 24 for 113 rotatably connected to 215), and wherein the lifting member moves upward or downward based on an upward or downward movement of the cam follower (see Fig. 23 for 215 being able to move up or down).
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REHMAN A QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)272-6262. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Hodge can be reached at (571) 272-2097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/REHMAN A QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/ROBERT W HODGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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