DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 03/06/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 03/06/2026 has been entered. Claims 1, 3, 8-15, 17-20 and 23 remain pending in the application. Applicant' s amendments to the claims have overcome each and every 112(b) rejection and objection previously set forth in the Final Office Action mailed 09/08/2025.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 8 line 2 reads “provided -on”, --provided on-- is suggested.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 8-14 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Harada (US 20200016755 A).
Regarding claim 1, Harada discloses an actuator (see Fig. 2) comprising an electric motor (150), the electric motor comprising a first link (11) comprising a first stator (100) and a second link (12) comprising a first rotor (110), wherein the first rotor is placed inside the first stator (see Fig. 2), and the first rotor rotates inside the first stator to move the first link relative to the second link (see Fig. 3; rotation about A2), and wherein the actuator does not comprise a gear (see Fig. 2, wherein no gears are disclosed; see paragraph [0033], wherein the built-in motor 150 does not have a built-in reduction gear and an external reduction gear).
Regarding claim 3, Harada discloses the motor (150) is a radial gap motor (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 8, Harada discloses a second stator (see paragraph [0025], wherein although the two arms (the first arm 11 and the second arm 12) are shown as horizontal link arms in FIG. 1, three or more horizontal link arms may be provided; see Fig. 2; 100) is provided on an opposite side of the second link (left side of 12 in the figure) where the first rotor of the second link is present (right side of 12 in the figure).
Regarding claim 9, Harada discloses a second rotor (see paragraph [0025], wherein although the two arms (the first arm 11 and the second arm 12) are shown as horizontal link arms in FIG. 1, three or more horizontal link arms may be provided; see Fig. 2; 110) is provided on an opposite side of the second link (left side of 12 in the figure) where the first rotor of the second link is present (right side of 12 in the figure).
Regarding claim 10, Harada discloses a second stator (see Fig. 8A; 500) is provided on an opposite side of the first link (see Fig. 1; right side of 11 in the figure) where the first stator of the first link is present (see Fig. 1; left side of 11 in the figure).
Regarding claim 11, Harada discloses a second rotor (see Fig. 8A; 510) is provided on an opposite side of the first link (see Fig. 1; right side of 11 in the figure) where the first stator of the first link is present (see Fig. 1; left side of 11 in the figure).
Regarding claim 12, Harada discloses a third link (see paragraph [0025], wherein although the two arms (the first arm 11 and the second arm 12) are shown as horizontal link arms in FIG. 1, three or more horizontal link arms may be provided) that comprises a second rotor (110) rotated by the second stator (100).
Regarding claim 13, Harada discloses a third link (see paragraph [0025], wherein although the two arms (the first arm 11 and the second arm 12) are shown as horizontal link arms in FIG. 1, three or more horizontal link arms may be provided) that comprises a second stator (100) rotated by the second rotor (110).
Regarding claim 14, Harada discloses the actuator according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 5 above) is connected to another actuator in series (see Fig. 1; wherein the actuator between 11 and 12 is connected to the actuator between 11 and 15 in series).
Regarding claim 23, Harada discloses an actuator (see Fig. 2) consisting essentially of an electric motor (150), the electric motor comprising a first link (11) comprising a first stator (100) and a second link (12) comprising a first rotor (110), wherein the first rotor is placed inside the first stator (see Fig. 2), and the first rotor rotates inside the first stator to move the first link relative to the second link (see Fig. 3; rotation about A2).
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 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harada (US 20200016755 A) in view of Tesar (US 5355743 A).
Regarding claim 15, Harada fails to disclose the actuator is connected to another actuator in parallel. However, Tesar teaches the actuator is connected to another actuator in parallel (see Fig. 19a). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date to modify Harada with a actuators arranged in parallel, as taught by Tesar, to distribute the weight of the end effectors evenly across two arm allowing for heavier loads.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/06/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding Applicant’s argument that Harada discloses a gear, the Examiner respectfully disagrees. As noted in the rejection of claim 1 above, the actuator of Harada is considered be only include the electric motor, the first link, the first stator, the second link and the first rotor. None of the disclosed elements comprise a gear. Second, Applicant relies on paragraph [0112] as proof that Harada discloses a gear, which reads “A mechanism of the rotation suppression unit 300 may be a mechanism different from the mechanism shown in FIG. 7A or 7B. For example, a concavo-convex portion may be provided on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 122, and the rotation of the shaft portion 122 may be suppressed by stopping rotation of a gear engaged with the concavo-convex portion”. Harada explicitly discloses that the rotation suppression unit 300 in Fig. 7A or 7B does not have a gear and may be modified to include a gear. Therefore, it is clear from the disclosure and figures of Harada, that the actuator does not comprise a gear.
Regarding Applicant’s argument that claim 23 is not anticipated by Harada, the Examiner respectfully disagrees. Applicant has provided no evidence of how claim 23 is not anticipated by Harada. As can be seen from the rejection of claim 23 above, Harada anticipates claim 23.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH BROWN whose telephone number is (313)446-6568. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs: 8:00am - 5:00pm EST.
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/JOSEPH BROWN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618