DETAILED ACTION
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office 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 . 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 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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.84(h) and 37 CFR 1.84(u) because Figure 6 includes multiple views under a single label, and therefore the views are not “clearly separated from one another”. Further, “[t]he different views must be numbered in consecutive Arabic numerals”.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.84(p) and (q) for including floating reference characters in Figures 1, 2, 6 without a corresponding lead line. See, e.g., “1{ 10 20” in Figure 1.
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 lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1-11 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2016/0185467 (Lim) in view of US 4,636,135 (Bancon).
Regarding claims 1 and 2, Lim discloses an aircraft assembly system (1000; see Figures 1-9) comprising:
a jig (50); and
a position adjuster (210) configured to connect to the jig and configured to adjust a position of the jig,
wherein the position adjuster comprises a ball stud (250),
wherein the jig comprises a socket (51) configured to accommodate at least a portion of the ball stud such that the ball stud is rotatably fastened (see Figure 7 and paragraphs [0043]-[0044]), and
wherein the socket comprises:
a clamping unit (provided by the set screw adjacent reference character “51” in Figure 7) configured to clamp the ball stud;
a socket housing (formed at 51) in which at least a portion of the clamping unit is disposed (see Figure 7 and paragraphs [0043]-[0044]).
Lim does not expressly disclose the jig comprises a ball stud, wherein the position adjuster comprises a socket configured to accommodate at least a portion of the ball stud such that the ball stud is rotatably fastened. Instead, Lim discloses the position adjuster comprises a ball stud, and the jig comprises a socket configured to accommodate at least a portion of the ball stud such that the ball stud is rotatably fastened.
Applicant is reminded that it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the aircraft assembly system of Lim such that the jig comprises a ball stud, wherein the position adjuster comprises a socket configured to accommodate at least a portion of the ball stud such that the ball stud is rotatably fastened, as such a modification would entail simple rearranging of the parts of the aircraft assembly system of Lim, which involves only routine skill in the art and would not change the fundamental operation of the aircraft assembly system of Lim.
Lim further does not expressly disclose a nozzle disposed on the socket housing and configured to spray air, wherein the clamping unit comprises a ball configured to clamp the ball stud to the socket by contacting the ball stud or to unclamp the ball stud from the socket by moving away from the ball stud.
Bancon teaches a nozzle (19) disposed on a socket housing (7) and configured to spray air (column 4, line 64, through column 5, line 11), wherein a clamping unit comprises a ball (25) configured to clamp a ball stud (43) to the socket by contacting the ball stud or to unclamp the ball stud from the socket by moving away from the ball stud in order to provide a means of quickly and automatically aligning and connecting a jig (D) comprising a ball stud with a position adjuster (C) comprising a socket (see column 10, lines 35-39, and column 12, lines 22-23). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the aircraft assembly system of Lim such that a nozzle disposed on the socket housing and configured to spray air, wherein the clamping unit (replacing the set screw of Lim) comprises a ball configured to clamp the ball stud to the socket by contacting the ball stud or to unclamp the ball stud from the socket by moving away from the ball stud, as taught in Bancon, in order to provide a means of quickly and automatically aligning and connecting the jig with the position adjuster.
Regarding claim 3, Bancon teaches the clamping unit further comprises a guide (21/22) movably disposed in the socket housing (7) and a ball bracket (10) disposed in the guide so as to movably support the ball (25; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 4, Bancon teaches the ball bracket (10) is fixedly coupled to the socket housing (7; via screws 13),
wherein at least a portion of the guide (21/22) is disposed between the ball bracket (10) and the socket housing, and the guide is movable in a vertical direction with respect to the ball bracket and the socket housing (see Figure 3 vs. Figure 4).
Regarding claim 5, Bancon teaches the ball (25) is configured to contact or move away from the ball stud (43) based on movement of the guide (21/22) in a vertical direction with respect to the ball bracket and the socket housing (7; see Figure 3 vs. Figure 4).
Regarding claim 6, Bancon teaches the guide (21/22) comprises a side wall extending in a vertical direction to surround at least a portion of an external side surface of the ball bracket (10),
wherein the side wall comprises an inclined surface (24) configured to guide movement of the ball (43; see Figure 3 vs. Figure 4).
Regarding claim 7, Bancon teaches the inclined surface (24) is formed on an internal side surface, of the side wall, facing the ball bracket (10), and
has a shape downwardly inclined in an inward direction (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 8, Bancon teaches the ball (25) is configured to move along the inclined surface of the guide (21/22) based on movement of the guide with respect to the ball bracket (10) and the socket housing (7; see Figure 3), and
wherein a predetermined degree of pressing force is applied to the ball stud by the ball when in contact with the ball stud (43; see Figure 3 vs. Figure 4).
Regarding claim 9, Bancon teaches the ball bracket (10) comprises:
a coupling portion (12) coupled to a bottom surface of the socket housing (7; via screws 13), and
an extension portion (15/16) extending from the coupling portion and to which the ball (43) is movably coupled (see Figure 2).
Regarding claim 10, Bancon teaches the guide (21/22) further comprises a bottom portion disposed to face the bottom surface of the socket housing (7),
wherein an opening in which the coupling portion (12) is disposed is formed in the bottom portion (see Figure 2), and
wherein the coupling portion passes through the opening and is coupled to the bottom surface of the socket housing (see Figure 2).
Regarding claim 11, Bancon teaches a protrusion (see, e.g., portion adjacent “18” in Figure 3, or the upper side of “12” in Figure 3) is between the coupling portion (12) and the extension portion (15/16), and
wherein the guide (21/22) is movable in an upward direction within a range in which the bottom portion is in contact with the protrusion (see Figure 3 vs. Figure 4).
Regarding claim 16, Lim teaches the position adjuster (210) comprises:
a base portion (see annotated Figure 1 below);
a first sliding portion movably, in a first axial direction (see annotated Figure 1 below), coupled to the base portion (see Figure 4);
a second sliding portion movably, in a second axial direction (see annotated Figure 1 below) perpendicular to the first axial direction, coupled to the first sliding portion (see Figure 4); and
a third sliding portion movably, in a third axial direction (see annotated Figure 1 below) perpendicular to the first axial direction and to the second axial direction, coupled to the second sliding portion (see Figure 4), and wherein the socket (51) is provided on the third sliding portion (see rejection of claim 1 above regarding rearrangement of parts).
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Figure 1. Annotated Figure 4 of Lim
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Lim and Bancon teaches the guide (21/22 of Bancon) is movable in a direction, parallel to the third axial direction (see Figure 4 of Lim; see Figure 3 of Bancon), with respect to the socket housing (at 51 of Lim; 7 of Bancon).
Regarding claim 18, Lim discloses a ball stud support device (see Figures 1-9) comprising:
a rod (see annotated Figure 2 below) having a predetermined length in a first direction; and
a socket (51) disposed at an end portion of the rod, configured to receive at least a portion of a ball stud, and configured to rotatably fasten the ball stud therein (see Figure 7 and paragraphs [0043]-[0044]),
wherein the socket comprises:
a socket housing (formed in 51) connected to the rod, and
a clamping unit (provided by the set screw adjacent reference character “51” in Figure 7) disposed in the socket housing and configured to clamp or unclamp the ball stud accommodated therein (see Figure 7 and paragraphs [0043]-[0044]).
Lim does not expressly disclose a nozzle disposed on the socket housing and configured to spray air, wherein the clamping unit comprises a ball configured to clamp or unclamp the ball stud to the socket as the ball is in contact with or moves away from the ball stud.
Bancon teaches a nozzle (19) disposed on a socket housing (7) and configured to spray air (column 4, line 64, through column 5, line 11), wherein a clamping unit comprises a ball (25) configured to clamp a ball stud (43) as the ball is in contact with or moves away from the ball stud (see Figure 3 vs. Figure 4) in order to provide a means of quickly and automatically aligning and connecting a rod (41) comprising a ball stud with a socket (7; see column 10, lines 35-39, and column 12, lines 22-23). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the aircraft assembly system of Lim such that a nozzle disposed on the socket housing and configured to spray air, wherein the clamping unit (replacing the set screw of Lim) comprises a ball configured to clamp or unclamp the ball stud to the socket as the ball is in contact with or moves away from the ball stud., as taught in Bancon, in order to provide a means of quickly and automatically aligning and connecting the rod with the socket.
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Figure 2. Annotated Figure 7 of Lim
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Lim and Bancon teaches the clamping unit further comprises:
a guide (21/22 of Bancon) movably disposed in the socket housing (at 51 of Lim; 7 of Bancon) in a longitudinal direction of the rod (see annotated Figure 1 above), and
and a ball bracket (10) disposed in the guide so as to movably support the ball (25; see Figure 3).
wherein the guide is configured to move the ball (25 of Bancon) by moving in the longitudinal direction with respect to the ball bracket (10 of Bancon) and the socket housing (see Figure 3 vs. Figure 4 of Bancon).
Regarding claim 20, Bancon teaches the guide (21/22) comprises an inclined surface configured to guide movement of the ball (25; see Figure 3 vs. Figure 4), and
wherein the ball is configured to move along the inclined surface of the guide based on movement of the guide in the longitudinal direction with respect to the ball bracket (10) and the socket housing (see Figure 3 vs. Figure 4), and
wherein a predetermined degree of pressing force is configured to be applied to the ball stud by the ball when in contact with the ball stud (43).
Claims 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Lim and Bancon, and further in view of CN 108247555 (Li; the citations of which are taken from the attached translation).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Lim and Bancon teaches the aircraft assembly system of claim 3, but does not expressly teach the socket (51 of Lim; 7 of Bancon) further comprises a load sensor disposed on the socket housing and configured to measure a load applied to the socket.
Li teaches it is known in the art to provide a load sensor disposed on the socket housing and configured to measure a load applied to the socket in order to ensure proper functioning of the assembly system (see paragraph [0017]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the aircraft assembly system of the combination of Lim and Bancon such that a load sensor disposed on the socket housing and configured to measure a load applied to the socket in order to ensure proper functioning of the assembly system, as taught in Li, in order to ensure proper functioning of the assembly system.
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Lim and Bancon teaches the aircraft assembly system of claim 3, but does not expressly teach the clamping unit further comprises a clamp confirmation sensor configured to measure a position of the ball (25 of Bancon) and to check, based on the measured position of the ball, whether the clamping unit is clamping the ball stud (250 of Lim; 43 of Bancon) to the socket (51 of Lim; 7 of Bancon).
Li teaches it is known in the art to provide a clamp confirmation sensor configured to measure a position of the ball and to check, based on the measured position of the ball, whether the clamping unit is clamping the ball stud to the socket in order to ensure proper functioning of the assembly system (see paragraph [0017]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the aircraft assembly system of the combination of Lim and Bancon such that a load sensor disposed on the socket housing and configured to measure a load applied to the socket in order to ensure proper functioning of the assembly system, as taught in Li, in order to ensure proper functioning of the assembly system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12 and 13 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.
The combination of Lim and Bancon teaches the aircraft assembly system of claim 3, wherein the ball bracket (10 of Bancon) forms an accommodation space (formed inside 51 of Lim; 70 of Bancon) in which the ball stud (250 of Lim; 43 of Bancon) is accommodated, but fails to teach the nozzle (19 of Bancon) is configured to spray air into the accommodation space.
Bancon instead teaches the nozzle (19) is configured to spray air into a space between the socket housing (7) and the guide (21/22) in order to exert a force on to the guide (see column 4, line 58, through column 5, line 11). The prior art fails to fairly show or suggest a modification to the combination of Lim and Bancon such that the nozzle is configured to spray air into the accommodation space. Further, one of ordinary skill in the art would not have been motivated to make such a modification to the combination of Lim and Bancon, as it would teach away from the intended nozzle structure of Bancon and cause the clamping unit to no longer function. If Bancon were to be modified such that air is sprayed into the accommodation space (70), the force necessary to cause a sliding of the guide (21/22; see Figure 4 vs. Figure 5) would no longer be present.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 7, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant asserts, on page 6, the compressed air connections are not for spraying air (e.g. to remove foreign substances from an accommodation space where a ball stud is received). The Examiner respectfully disagrees and directs Applicant’s attention to column 4, line 64, through column 5, line 11, of Bancon, where it is taught that air is received in (i.e. sprayed through) the nozzle (19) and out the outlet (20; see also Figure 2).
Further, Applicant is reminded that a recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. To that end, the nozzle (19) of Bancon is “configured to spray air” in that compressed air is received in the nozzle (19) through the housing, and out the outlet (20; see Figure 2).
Further still, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., spraying air into an accommodation space where a ball stud is received) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). The Examiner notes this limitation is found in claim 12, which was previously and is currently indicated as containing allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
The prior art set forth in the attached Notice of References Cited (PTO-892) made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure in the field of ball stud support devices.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Josh Skroupa whose telephone number is (571)270-3220. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amber Anderson can be reached on (571)270-5281. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Josh Skroupa/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678
September 24, 2026
