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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 2, Figures 1-4 and 6, claims 1-10 in the reply filed on 12, 224/31/2025 is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 1-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Mao et al. (US 2022/0200433).
Regarding claim 1, Mao discloses a motor comprising:
a shell (11);
a motor (para. [0049]) connected to the shell (11);
wherein the motor includes a base (12, 224) and a magnetic circuit (22),
an accommodating space (10) is formed in the base (12, 224), and
at least part of the magnetic circuit (22) is accommodated in the accommodating space;
the magnetic circuit (22) at least comprises:
a magnetic conductive cover plate (222),
a voice coil (31, 32) and
an iron core (223, 225),
the magnetic conductive cover plate (222) is located on one side of a base (12, 224);
the magnetic conductive cover plate (222) is fixedly connected to the shell (11) and the magnetic conductive cover plate (222) is movably connected to the base (12, 224);
Since Mao’s device is similar with the applicant’s invention, it inherently would produce the same function.
the voice coil (31,32) and the iron core (223, 225) are accommodated in the accommodating space (10) and fixedly connected to the base (12, 224);
the voice coil (31, 32) is sleeved on the iron core (223, 225); along a thickness direction of the motor,
a preset gap is formed between the iron core (223, 225) and the magnetic conductive cover plate (222); and
the voice coil (31, 32) and the iron core (223, 225) are configured to drive the magnetic conductive cover plate (222) to drive the shell to move in the thickness direction of the motor.
Since Mao discloses the motor as a similar structure as the applicant’s invention, it inherently would produce the same function.
Regarding claim 2, Mao discloses:
the magnetic circuit (22) comprises two iron cores (223, 225) and two voice coils (31, 32),
the two iron cores (223, 225) are arranged along a length direction of the motor,
the two voice coils (31, 32) are respectively sleeved on the corresponding iron cores (223, 225), and directions of current in the two voice coils are opposite to each other.
Regarding claim 3, Mao discloses:
the motor further comprises at least one elastic member (4, 41), in the thickness direction of the motor,
the elastic member (4, 41) is located between the magnetic conductive cover plate (222) and the base (12, 224), one end of the elastic member (4, 41) is connected to the magnetic conductive cover plate (222), and the other end of the elastic member is connected to the base (12, 224).
Regarding claim 4, Mao discloses:
the elastic member (4, 41) is a flat spring.
Regarding claim 6, Mao discloses:
two elastic members (4, 41), in a length direction of the motor,
the two elastic members (4, 41) are located on two sides of the base (12, 224), and the voice coil (31, 32) and the iron core (223, 225) are located between the two elastic members (4, 41).
Regarding claim 8, Mao discloses:
the base (12, 224) is a magnetic conductor (224),
the base (12, 224) comprises a bottom plate (12, 224) and two side plates (13), the bottom plate (12, 224) and the two side plates (13) enclose to form the accommodating space (10);
the two side plates (13) are located on two sides of the bottom plate (12, 224) and fixedly connected to the bottom plate (12, 224), and
the two side plates (13) both extend in the thickness direction of the motor.
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mao et al. (US 2022/0200433).
Regarding claim 7, Mao discloses:
a circuit board (32, 33) connected to the base (12, 224, 222);
the voice coil (223, 225) is located on a side of the circuit board (32, 33) away from the base (12, 224, 222), and is electrically connected to the circuit board (32, 33);
the circuit board (32, 33) is provided with at least one through hole along the thickness direction of the motor, and the iron core (223, 225) is located in the corresponding through hole.
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Regarding claim 7, Mao teaches the claimed subject as disclosed above, however, fails to explicitly disclose the circuit board (33) located in the accommodating space.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to move the circuit board (33) as taught by Mao located in the accommodating space for the purpose of providing structural support, protection from environmental damage, and efficient interconnection of components, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mao et al. (US 2022/0200433) in view of Gao et al. (CN 206542317).
Regarding claim 9, Mao teaches the claimed subject as disclosed above, however, fails to explicitly disclose a sensor configured to detect operation of the button, and the sensor is electrically connected to the motor.
Gao discloses a device comprises a sensor (10, 11) configured to detect operation of the button, and the sensor is electrically connected to the motor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the sensor as taught by Gao with Mao’s device for the purpose of featuring precise control and arbitrarily settable scanning range and rate.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mao et al. (US 2022/0200433) in view of Lin (US 2015/0153771).
Regarding claim 10, Mao discloses:
a shell (11);
a motor (see abstract) connected to the shell (11);
wherein the motor includes a base (12, 224) and a magnetic circuit (22),
an accommodating space (10) is formed in the base (12, 224), and
at least part of the magnetic circuit (22) is accommodated in the accommodating space (10);
the magnetic circuit (22) at least comprises:
a magnetic conductive cover plate (222),
a voice coil (31, 32) and an iron core (223, 225),
the magnetic conductive cover plate (222) is located on one side of a base (12, 224);
the magnetic conductive cover plate (222) is fixedly connected to the shell (11) and is movably connected to the base (12, 224);
Since Mao’s device is similar with the applicant’s invention, it inherently would produce the same function.
the voice coil (31, 32) and the iron core (223, 225) are accommodated in the accommodating space (10) and fixedly connected to the base (12, 224);
the voice coil (31, 32) is sleeved on the iron core (223, 225); along a thickness direction of the motor,
a preset gap is formed between the iron core (223, 225) and the magnetic conductive cover plate (222); and
the voice coil (31, 32) and the iron core (223, 225) are configured to drive the magnetic conductive cover plate (222) to drive the shell (11) to move in the thickness direction of the motor.
Since Mao discloses the motor as a similar structure as the applicant’s invention, it inherently would produce the same function.
Regarding claim 10, Mao teaches the claimed subject as disclosed above, however, fails to explicitly disclose a body; a button mounted on the body.
Lin discloses a device comprising:
a body PC;
a button (130) mounted on the body PC.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the button mounted on the body as taught by Lin with Mao’s device for the purpose of controlling power, and specialized functions.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not teach or suggest the button, wherein the motor comprises:
Claim 5: a first welding tab and a second welding tab, in a length direction of the motor, the first welding tab and the second welding tab are located on two sides of the elastic member and connected to the elastic member; in a thickness direction of the motor, the first welding tab and the second welding tab are located between the magnetic conductive cover plate and the elastic member, the first welding tab is connected to the magnetic conductive cover plate, and a gap is formed between the second welding tab and the magnetic conductive cover plate.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Lisa Homza whose telephone number is (571) 272-3592.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Shawki Ismail can be reached on (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Lisa Nhung Homza/
Patent Examiner - Art Unit 2837
April 24, 2026
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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