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 of Species 1a, the first embodiment of Figs. 2-4, in the reply filed on 11/04/2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)). As indicated by Applicant, claims 1-4 read on the elected embodiment. Claims 1-14 are presently pending in the application, with claims 5-14 withdrawn from consideration. Claims 1-4 are examined below.
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 and 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Krauter et al. (US 5,496,260).
Regarding claim 1, Krauter discloses an endoscope (10; Fig. 1) including: an insertion part (11; Fig. 1) to be inserted into a body of an observation target; an angle knob (16; Fig. 1) that changes a direction of a distal end of the insertion part in accordance with rotational operation (col. 3, ll. 5-17) and an angle knob attaching shaft (19; Figs. 2-5; col. 3, l. 35) that is inserted into a rotation center of the angle knob (16) and that pivotally supports the angle knob (16) rotatably, the angle knob (16) being detached from the angle knob attaching shaft (19) at a stage before use (before assembly) and being attached to the angle knob attaching shaft (19) at the time of use (after assembly), the endoscope (10) comprising: an angle knob locking member (24; Fig. 5; col. 3, ll. 45-47 and col. 4, ll. 9-11) that is attachably and detachably provided at a distal end (upper end) portion of the angle knob attaching shaft (19) and that regulates movement of the angle knob (16) attached to the angle knob attaching shaft (19) to a distal end (upper end) side of the angle knob attaching shaft (19) to prevent the angle knob (16) from falling off (capable of this intended use), wherein the endoscope (10) further comprises: a shaft part (Fig. 5 – upper portion of 19 that includes 34) that is provided at one of the angle knob locking member and the angle knob attaching shaft (19); and an opening (Fig. 5 – interior of 24) that is provided in the other of the angle knob locking member (24) and the angle knob attaching shaft and into which the shaft part (Fig. 5 – upper portion of 19 that includes 34) is inserted, the shaft part has a distal end (upper end) provided with a flange (thread of 34; Fig. 5; col. 4, ll. 9-11) whose cross section perpendicular to the shaft part is formed in a non-circular shape (Fig. 5; col. 4, ll. 9-11), the opening (Fig. 5 – interior of 24) is formed in the same shape as the flange (for coupling; col. 4, ll. 9-11), and the angle knob locking member (24) is attached to the angle knob (16) attaching shaft by rotation around the shaft part (Fig. 5 – upper portion of 19 that includes 34) after the flange (thread of 34) penetrates the opening (Fig. 5 – interior of 24).
Regarding claim 3, Krauter discloses the endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising: a pressing member (23) arranged closer to the distal end (upper end) side of the angle knob attaching shaft (19) than to the angle knob (16; Fig. 3), wherein the angle knob locking member (24) regulates movement of the angle knob (16) toward the distal end (upper) side of the angle knob attaching shaft (16) via the pressing member (23; Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 4, Krauter discloses the endoscope according to claim 3, wherein the pressing member (23) is integrated with the angle knob (16; when assembled).
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lang et al. (US 2015/0359415 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lang discloses an endoscope (302; Fig. 3) including: an insertion part (306; Fig. 3; par. [0078]) to be inserted into a body of an observation target; an angle knob (4030; Fig. 4A; par. [0078] and [0082]) that changes a direction of a distal end of the insertion part in accordance with rotational operation (par. [0078] and [0082]); and an angle knob attaching shaft (4020/5020; Figs. 4A-5B; par. [0082] and [0093]) that is inserted into a rotation center of the angle knob (4030) and that pivotally supports the angle knob (4030) rotatably (par. [0082] and [0093]), the angle knob (4030) being detached from the angle knob attaching shaft (4020/5020) at a stage before use (before assembly) and being attached to the angle knob attaching shaft (4020/5020) at the time of use (after assembly), the endoscope (302) comprising: an angle knob locking member (4005; Figs. 4B and 5A-5B; par. [0084] and [0093]) that is attachably and detachably provided at a distal end portion of the angle knob attaching shaft (4020/5020) and that regulates movement of the angle knob (4030; par. [0084]) attached to the angle knob attaching shaft (4020/5020) to a distal end side of the angle knob attaching shaft (4020/5020) to prevent the angle knob (4030) from falling off (capable of this intended use), wherein the endoscope (302) further comprises: a shaft part (4110a/5110; Figs. 4B and 5A-5B; par. [0088], [0090] and [0093]) that is provided at one of the angle knob locking member (4005) and the angle knob attaching shaft; and an opening (of 4020/5020/5114; see par. [0088] and [0093]; Figs. 5A-5B) that is provided in the other of the angle knob locking member and the angle knob attaching shaft (4020/5020) and into which the shaft part (4110a/5110) is inserted, the shaft part (4110a/5110) has a distal end provided with a flange (5113; par. [0093]; Figs. 5A-5B) whose cross section perpendicular to the shaft part is formed in a non-circular shape (cross section of 5113 along the x-axis is non-circular; Figs. 5A-5B), the opening (of 4020/5020) is formed in the same shape as the flange (Figs. 5A-5B), and the angle knob locking member (4005) is attached to the angle knob attaching shaft (4020/5020) by rotation around the shaft part after the flange penetrates the opening (par. [0093]; Figs. 5A-5B).
Regarding claim 2, Lang discloses the endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising: a support groove (5114/5115; par. [0093]; Figs. 5A-5B) that is provided in the other of the angle knob locking member and the angle knob attaching shaft (4020/5020) and that supports the flange (5113) having penetrated the opening (of 4020/5020) in a rotatable manner around the shaft part (4110a/5110), wherein as an amount of rotation of the flange (5113) is increased from a state where the flange has penetrated the opening (of 4020/5020), a width of the support groove is narrowed (transition from 5115 to 5114; par. [0093]; Figs. 5A-5B) and a force required for the rotation of the flange is increased (to disengage 5113 from 5115 and travel in 5114 to the upper end of the angle knob attaching shaft).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20140058323 Hoshino Bending Operation Apparatus for Endoscope
US 20090287188 Golden et al. Steering System with Locking Mechanism
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/RYNAE E BOLER/Examiner, Art Unit 3795
/ANH TUAN T NGUYEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3795
11/19/25