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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)&(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yoshihiko (JP 2009185922 (A)).
Yoshihiko discloses:
1. A detection device (e.g. Fig. 12, 28) for detecting a position of a piston (e.g. 3) in a cylinder barrel (e.g. 2) and/or for detecting a strain on the cylinder barrel, the cylinder barrel comprises a strain gauge (e.g. Figs. 1-4: 8, 9, 10), the detection device comprising: a reading interface (e.g. 28, Para. [0041]) configured to read a strain gauge signal from the strain gauge; and an evaluation unit (e.g. 28, Para. [0041]) configured to evaluate the position of the piston and/or the strain on the cylinder barrel using the strain gauge signal.
2. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein: the strain gauge is a first strain gauge (e.g. 8), the strain gauge signal is a first strain gauge signal (e.g. Para. [0031]), the cylinder barrel comprises at least one second strain gauge (e.g. 10) arranged at a different position than the first strain gauge, the reading interface is further configured to read at least one second strain gauge signal (e.g. Para. [0033]) from the at least one second strain gauge, and the evaluation unit is further configured to evaluate the position of the piston and/or the strain of the cylinder barrel further using the at least one second strain gauge signal.
3. The detection device according to claim 2, wherein: the reading interface is further configured to read the first strain gauge signal from the first strain gauge and to read the at least one second strain gauge signal from the at least one second strain gauge, and the first strain gauge and the at least one second strain gauge are in an identical measurement direction (e.g. as shown in Figs. 1-4, Para. [0021]).
4. The detection device according to claim 2, wherein: the cylinder barrel comprises at least one third strain gauge (e.g. 9) arranged at a different position than the first strain gauge and the at least one second strain gauge, the reading interface is further configured to read at least one third strain gauge signal (e.g. Para. [0032]) from the third strain gauge, and the evaluation unit is further configured to evaluate the position of the piston and/or the strain of the cylinder barrel further using the at least one third strain gauge signal.
5. The detection device according to claim 2, wherein: the evaluation unit is configured to determine the position of the piston between the first strain gauge and the at least one second strain gauge when the first strain gauge indicates an elongation represented by the first strain gauge signal that is different from a second elongation of the at least one second strain gauge represented by the at least one second strain gauge signal (e.g. Para. [0021]).
6. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit is further configured to evaluate a circumference and/or a cross-section of the cylinder barrel using the strain gauge signal in order to determine the strain on the cylinder barrel (e.g. Para. [0021]).
7. A cylinder barrel unit (e.g. Figs. 1-4) comprising: a cylinder barrel (e.g. 2); a piston (e.g. 3) located in the cylinder barrel; at least one strain gauge (e.g. 8, 9, 10) operably connected to the cylinder barrel; and a detection device (e.g. Fig. 12, 28, Para. [0041]) operably connected to the at least one strain gauge, the detection device configured to detect a position of the piston in the cylinder barrel and/or to detect a strain on the cylinder barrel, the detection device comprising (i) a reading interface configured to read a strain gauge signal from the at least one strain gauge, and (ii) an evaluation unit configured to evaluate the position of the piston and/or the strain on the cylinder barrel using the strain gauge signal.
8. The cylinder barrel unit according to claim 7, wherein the at least one strain gauge is arranged on an outer wall of the cylinder barrel and/or the at least the one strain gauge is configured to detect and/or to depict an elongation of the outer wall (e.g. Figs. 1-4, Para. [0021]).
9. The cylinder barrel unit according to claim 7, wherein the at least one strain gauge includes a first strain gauge (e.g. 8) at a first position and at least one second strain gauge (e.g. 10) at a second position different from the first position.
10. The cylinder barrel unit according to claim 9, wherein the first strain gauge and the at least one second strain gauge are arranged parallel to each other (e.g. Figs. 1-4).
11. A method for detecting a position of a piston in a cylinder barrel and/or for detecting a strain on the cylinder barrel, the cylinder barrel comprising a strain gauge, the method comprising: reading a strain gauge signal from the strain gauge; and evaluating the position of the piston and/or the strain on the cylinder barrel using the strain gauge signal (e.g. Fig. 12, 28, Para. [0041]).
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a computer program product (e.g. 28) comprises program code configured to perform the method when the computer program product is executed on a device.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the computer program product is stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium (e.g. 28).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Additional references listed on form PTO-892 are cited for their relevance to the disclosed invention and demonstration of the state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL LESLIE whose telephone number is (571)272-4819. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 8 am - 4-30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel Wiehe can be reached at (571)272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL LESLIE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
February 13, 2026
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