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 Group I (Claims 1-5) in the reply filed on 12/18/2025 is acknowledged. Claims 6-7 have been withdrawn from consideration. Claims 1-5 have been examined as set forth below.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “microcontroller” in claim 1, must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are further objected to because the reference number “15” positioned between reference numbers “6” and “16” in Fig. 2, needs to either be removed or changed to “14”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In ¶ [0033], lines 10-11, the phrase “a first sealing ring 13 is provided at the butt joint of the first body 9 the second body 10” needs to be changed to “a first seal ring 13 is provided at the butt joint of the first body 9 and the second body 10”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
the term “coil;” in line 6, needs to be changed to “coil,”,
the phrase “a magnetic powder” in line 8, needs to be changed to “magnetic powder”,
the term “cavity;” in line 9, needs to be changed to “cavity,”,
the term “ring;” in line 11, needs to be changed to “ring,”,
the phrase “the seam” in line 12, needs to be changed to “a seam”,
the term “mandrel;” in line 16, needs to be changed to “mandrel,”, and
the term “body;” in line 20, needs to be changed to “body, and”.
Appropriate corrections are required.
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities:
the phrase “the base” in line 4, needs to be changed to “a base”,
the phrase “the emitting electrode” in line 8, needs to be changed to “an emitting electrode”, and
the phrase “connected to a power” in line 10, needs to be changed to “connected to power”.
Appropriate corrections are 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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for the following reasons. Claim 1, in lines 7-8, recites: “wherein the first body and the second body are disposed respectively on each side of the movement disc and are merged by a seal ring to form a sealing cavity”, and in lines 12-13, recites: “wherein the seal ring comprises a first seal ring disposed at the seam between the first body and the second body, and two second seal rings disposed outside the sealing cavity”. The limitations recites in lines 12-13 conflict with the limitations recited in lines 7-8. It is unclear how “a” (or one) seal ring, can include three seal rings. Further clarification and appropriate corrections are respectfully requested.
Applicant is suggested to amend line 8 of the claim to recite: “merged by seal rings to form a sealing cavity” to overcome this rejection. Furthermore, claim 1, recites: “a magnetic force generated by the magnetic powder to attract the first body and the second body to move in the direction of the movement disc to form a damping”, and it is unclear what is meant by the phrase “to form a damping”. Further clarification and appropriate corrections are respectfully requested. Claims 2-5 are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, by virtue of dependency upon claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the objections and the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 2-5 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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: with respect to claim 1, the prior arts of record fail to disclose, teach or render obvious a multi-purpose digital damping device, with all the structural components and functional limitations as detailed in claim 1. One close prior art reference, Zhou (CN 212564147U), teaches a multi-purpose digital damping device, comprising: a mandrel (input/output shafts 5 and 6); a movement disc (18) disposed in a middle section of the mandrel (Fig. 2); a first body (i.e. 1 with 9 and 15 on the left side) and a second body (2 with 10 and 15 on the right side) rotationally connected to the mandrel (Fig. 2); wherein the first body and the second body are disposed respectively on each side of the movement disc and are merged by a seal ring (1502 and 19) to form a sealing cavity (16), a magnetic powder (17) and the movement disc are both disposed in the sealing cavity (Fig. 2); wherein the first body and the second body are both rotationally connected to the mandrel by bearings (4, Fig. 2); wherein the seal ring comprises a first seal ring (19) disposed at the seam between the first body (at 9) and the second body (at 10, Fig. 4), and two second seal rings (1502) disposed outside the sealing cavity (Fig. 5), one of the second seal rings is disposed at a contacting position between the first body and the mandrel (Figs. 2 and 5), and another one of the second seal rings is disposed at a contacting position between the second body and the mandrel (Figs. 2 and 5); wherein a coil frame (13) for coil mounting is provided outside of the sealing cavity, the coil (12) is mounted on the coil frame (Fig. 2).
However, Zhou doesn’t teach an inertia wheel rotationally connected coaxially to the mandrel; a pulse-width modulation circuit electrically connected to a coil, wherein each bearing is limited in radial freedom by an elastic retaining ring wherein a third body is provided for enclosing the coil on the coil frame, the third body is detachably connected respectively to the first body and the second body; wherein the pulse width modulation circuit is used for power amplifying a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal of a microcontroller and outputting different current to control a magnetic force generated by the magnetic powder to attract the first body and the second body to move in the direction of the movement disc to form a damping, the damping is proportional to the current outputting.
Although another prior art Wang (CN 110368644A, a translation copy of this document has been provided with this Office Action, the cited portions are with respect to the translation) teaches an inertial wheel (flywheel 13), rotationally connected to a mandrel/axle (axle of flywheel 13, Fig. 1), a magnetic powder brake (14) that is connected to the axle of the flywheel (13), and a pulse-width modulation circuit electrically connected to a coil (¶ [37], [39], [54]-[55], a magnetic powder brake inherently includes a coil); wherein the pulse width modulation circuit is used for power amplifying a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal of a microcontroller and outputting different current to control a magnetic force generated by the magnetic powder to form a damping, the damping is proportional to the current outputting (¶ [54]-[55]), Wang fails to teach any other parts of the multi-purpose digital damping device recited in claim 1. Furthermore, modifying Wang’s invention with features of Zhou, still would not teach all the limitations of claim 1.
Another prior art, Huang (CN 209041387U) teaches a multi-purpose digital damping device, comprising: a mandrel (shaft 5); a movement disc (14) disposed in a middle section of the mandrel (Fig. 2); a first body (9) and a second body (2) rotationally connected to the mandrel (Fig. 2); wherein the first body and the second body are disposed respectively on each side of the movement disc and are merged by a seal ring (4) to form a sealing cavity (16), a magnetic powder (15) and the movement disc are both disposed in the sealing cavity (Fig. 2); wherein the first body and the second body are both rotationally connected to the mandrel by bearings (7, Fig. 2), and each bearing is limited in radial freedom by an elastic retaining ring (8, Fig. 2); wherein the seal ring comprises two second seal rings disposed outside the sealing cavity (4), one of the second seal rings is disposed at a contacting position between the first body and the mandrel (Fig. 2), and another one of the second seal rings is disposed at a contacting position between the second body and the mandrel (Fig. 2); wherein a coil frame (3) for coil mounting is provided outside of the sealing cavity (Fig. 2), the coil (6) is mounted on the coil frame (Fig. 2), and a third body (1) is provided for enclosing the coil on the coil frame (Fig. 2).
However, Huang fails to teach an inertia wheel rotationally connected coaxially to the mandrel; and a pulse-width modulation circuit electrically connected to a coil; wherein the seal ring comprises a first seal ring disposed at the seam between the first body and the second body, wherein the third body is detachably connected respectively to the first body and the second body; and wherein the pulse width modulation circuit is used for power amplifying a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal of a microcontroller and outputting different current to control a magnetic force generated by the magnetic powder to attract the first body and the second body to move in the direction of the movement disc to form a damping, the damping is proportional to the current outputting.
As such, limitations of claim 1 are allowable over the teachings of the prior art. Claims 2-5 are allowable by virtue of dependency upon claim 1. Please see PTO-892 for further pertinent prior art references.
Note to Applicant:
For purposes of clarity in claim language and compact prosecution, applicant is provided with proposed claim amendments for claims 1-5 below, which overcome the claim objections and 112(b) rejections and further clarify the claim language. Please note that the proposed amendments below, are based on the Examiner’s understanding of the invention as described in the specification.
Proposed Claim Amendments
1. (Currently Amended-Proposed) A multi-purpose digital damping device, comprising:
a mandrel;
a movement disc disposed in a middle section of the mandrel;
a first body and a second body rotationally connected to the mandrel;
an inertia wheel rotationally connected coaxially to the mandrel; [[and]]
a coil mounted on a coil frame; and
a pulse-width modulation circuit electrically connected to [[a]]the coil[[;]],
wherein the first body and the second body are disposed respectively on each side of the movement disc and are merged by [[a]] seal rings to form a sealing cavity, [[a]] magnetic powder and the movement disc are both disposed in the sealing cavity[[;]],
wherein the first body and the second body are both rotationally connected to the mandrel by bearings, and each bearing is limited in radial freedom by an elastic retaining ring[[;]],
wherein the seal rings comprises a first seal ring disposed at [[the]]a seamone of the second seal rings is disposed at a contacting position between the first body and the mandrel, and another one of the second seal rings is disposed at a contacting position between the second body and the mandrel[[;]],
wherein [a]]the coil frame , and
wherein the pulse width modulation circuit is configured to power amplifyprovide damping, the damping is proportional to the current outputting.
2. (Currently Amended-Proposed) The multi-purpose digital damping device of claim 1, wherein the pulse width modulation circuit comprises a first resistor, a second resistor, a third resistor, a fourth resistor, a high-speed switching transistor, and a field effect transistor,
wherein:
[[a]]the first resistor, [[a]]the high-speed switching transistor, [[a]]the fourth resistor and [[a]]the field effect transistor are connected sequentially,
one end of the first resistor is connected to the PWM signal of the microcontroller[[,]]and another end of the first resistor is connected to [[the]]a base electrode of the high-speed switching transistor, [[and]] the first resistor is connected to ground through the second resistor,
one end of the second resistor is connected to the base electrode of the high-speed switching transistor[[,]]and another end of the second resistor is connected to ground and [[the]]an emitting electrode of the high-speed switching transistor,
a collecting electrode of the high-speed switching transistor is connected to one end of the fourth resistor[[,]]and another end of the fourth resistor is connected to [[a]] power through the third resistor, and
a gate of the field effect transistor is connected to said another end of the fourth resistor, [[and]] a source of the field effect transistor is connected to the power, [[and]] a drain of the field effect transistor is connected to one end of the coil, and another end of the coil is grounded.
3. (Original) The multi-purpose digital damping device of claim 2, wherein a voltage regulator diode is connected between the drain and the source of the field effect transistor.
4. (Currently Amended-Proposed) The multi-purpose digital damping device of claim 1, wherein the movement disc is disposed in the sealing cavity such that gaps between the movement disc and the first body and the second body are 0.5~2mm.
5. (Currently Amended-Proposed) The multi-purpose digital damping device of claim 1, wherein the first body, [[and]] the second body and the movement discs are fabricated through electrical pure iron.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHILA JALALZADEH ABYANEH whose telephone number is (571)270-7403. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:30 am - 3:00 pm.
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/SHILA JALALZADEH ABYANEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3784
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