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
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.
(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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tatsuda (US20110023655A1).
Claim 1
Tatsuda teaches a rotary table (5) which rotates a workpiece mounted on a table or pallet by rotating the table or pallet (¶0012), the rotary table comprising: a housing (2) including a cylindrical holding part (28) extending along a first axis direction (Figure 1 shows an axis through the centerline of the device denoted by a hidden/dashed line.), a rotary member comprising a flange part (Figures 4-5, Item 43), which is formed along an outer periphery thereof (Figures 4-5), and which rotates about the first axis with respect to the holding part together with the table or the pallet arranged on the front side in the first axis direction (¶0018 teaches that the sliding disc (43) rotates with the rotating body (65).), a roller bearing (3) which is arranged in the housing and which rotatably supports the rotary member (See Figure 4 and ¶0109), a motor (6, 9, ¶0114) which drives the rotation of the rotary member (¶0109), and a support member (Figure 5, Item 45) which is arranged in the housing on the rear side of the flange part in the first axis direction (See Figure 5), which has a sliding surface at a front end thereof in the first axis direction (Figure 5, Item 60), and which is configured to be movable forward and rearward along the first axis direction (Figure 5 shows a piston rod (50) that moves the support member (return disc, 45).), wherein the sliding surface contacts the flange part when the support member is advanced and separates from the flange part when it is retracted. (Figure 5 shows the point in the operation of the table where the sliding surface (60) is contacting the flange part (43) via a hidden/dashed line, and the point in the operation where there is no contact (separation) in solid lines. See also ¶0147.)
Claim 2
Tatsuda teaches the rotary table according to claim 1, wherein the flange part is configured so as to be detachable from the rotary member (Figure 5 and ¶0138 teach a bolt (37) that mounts the flange part (43) to the table (5).), and to be offset in the front-rear direction in the first axis direction by arranging a spacer member (46) between the rotary member and the flange part.
Claim 3
Tatsuda teaches the rotary table according to claim 1, further comprising: a thin disk member (Item 46 is a member that is wider than it is tall, making it applicable to a “disk”. The claim does not specify what thickness constitutes “thin”.) which is formed along the outer periphery of the rotary member (Figure 4 shows this member (46) is located at an outer periphery of the rotary part of the device.) on the front side of the flange part (Figure 4 shows the member (46) is located above (which is the front direction) the flange part (43).) in the first axis direction and which is affixed to the rotary member (¶0138 teaches the member (46) is connected to the rotating portion of the device using a bolt (47).), and a pressing member (53) which is arranged in the housing (Figure 5 shows that item 53 is located within the housing (28, 29).) on the front side of the disk member in the first axis direction (The head of the bolt (53) is located above (front side) portions of the member (46).), which has a contact surface at a rear end thereof in the first axis direction (Figure 5 shows the bolt (53) has a surface at the rear “end”.), and which is configured to be movable forward and rearward along the first axis direction (The insertion and retraction of the bolt into the hole of the member (46) is done in the forward and rearward direction.), wherein the contact surface contacts the disk member when retracted (When the bolt (53) is removed from the bore, a surface on the rear (lower) portion of the bolt contacts the disk member.) and separates from the disk member when advanced. (When the bolt (53) is fully inserted, the rear (lower) portion is away from the member (46).)
Claim 4
Tatsuda teaches the rotary table according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper member (14) which is formed in the housing along a circumferential direction of the rotary member (The stopper (14) has a length in the circumferential direction of the rotary portion of the device.), wherein an inner peripheral side thereof extends along the radial direction to the front side of the support member in the first axis direction. (Figure 5 shows the stopper (14) has an inner side (48) that extends radially on the front side of the support member (45).)
Claim 5
Tatsuda teaches the rotary table according to claim 1, further comprising a controller (¶0149 “controlling device of the machine tool”.) for controlling the rotary table, wherein the controller is configured so as to be switchable between: a rotation mode in which the support member is operated to retract, whereby the support member is separated from the flange part and the rotary member is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed (¶0147 teaches that the piston is moved via pressure to move from a starting position (where it is separated) to a pressing position. The separated position is where the support member (45) is not contacting the flange part (43).), and an indexing mode in which the support member is operated to advance, whereby the flange part is supported by the support member and the rotary member is positioned at a predetermined rotation angle. (¶0021 teaches the clamp device (62) maintains a set rotation angle of the rotating body (65).)
Claim 6
Tatsuda teaches a machine tool comprising the rotary table according to claim 1. (¶0012 teaches the invention is for a machine tool.)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found on the PTO-892 Notice of References Cited Form. Some references of note are in the following table:
Document
Date
Description of Relevant Subject Matter
US20090308285A1
2007-07-04
Rotary table [3]
Housing [2]
Cylindrical holding part [Figure 1]
Rotary member [Figure 1 shows the table [3] has a portion that extends along the axis [D]]
Flange [Portion of the table [3] that extends downward and contacts the raceway [8]]
Roller bearing [12]
Motor [19, 20 and 21]
Support member
Spacer
Thin disk
Pressing member
Stopper
Controller [24]
US20100123278A1
2009-11-05
Rotary table [5]
Housing [28 and 29]
Cylindrical holding part [11]
Rotary member [4a]
Flange [4b]
Roller bearing [3]
Motor [9]
Support member
Spacer
Thin disk
Pressing member
Stopper
Controller [¶0040]
US20110023655A1
2009-03-30
Rotary table [1]
Housing [2]
Cylindrical holding part [28]
Rotary member [4]
Flange [43]
Roller bearing [3]
Motor [9]
Support member [45]
Spacer [46]
Thin disk [46]
Pressing member [53]
Stopper [14]
Controller [¶0014; ¶0123]
JP3713190B2
2005-11-02
Rotary table [7]
Housing [1]
Cylindrical holding part [1]
Rotary member [5]
Flange [15]
Roller bearing [2]
Motor [0012, “electrically driven”]
Support member [21]
Spacer [16]
Thin disk [16]
Pressing member [27]
Stopper [20]
Controller
US20170326702A1
2017-02-27
Rotary table [40]
Housing [11, 13]
Cylindrical holding part [11]
Rotary member [20]
Flange [61]
Roller bearing [30]
Motor [50]
Support member [62]
Spacer [Figure 1]
Thin disk
Pressing member
Stopper [12]
Controller [¶0029]
US20120217691A1
2012-05-01
Rotary table [5]
Housing [2]
Cylindrical holding part [28a]
Rotary member [4a/4b]
Flange [43]
Roller bearing [3]
Motor [9]
Support member [44a, ¶0061]
Spacer [19]
Thin disk
Pressing member
Stopper [11]
Controller [¶0063]
US20160243660A1
2016-02-22
Rotary table [top of 1]
Housing [2, 3]
Cylindrical holding part [2]
Rotary member [1]
Flange [9]
Roller bearing [4a, 4b]
Motor [5a, 5b]
Support member [10, ¶0029]
Spacer [20]
Thin disk [19]
Pressing member[20]
Stopper [19]
Controller [¶0029]
US20170239770A1
2017-01-31
Rotary table [1]
Housing [2, 3]
Cylindrical holding part [3]
Rotary member [5]
Flange [7]
Roller bearing [4]
Motor [6]
Support member [12, ¶0029]
Spacer [Figure 2]
Thin disk [14]
Pressing member[16a/b]
Stopper [9]
Controller [¶0032]
US20100175505A1
2007-07-09
Rotary table [1]
Housing [3, 25]
Cylindrical holding part [3]
Rotary member [5]
Flange [11]
Roller bearing [17]
Motor [20, 21]
Support member [14, ¶0059]
Spacer [20]
Thin disk
Pressing member
Stopper [25]
Controller
US20100019427A1
2009-10-06
Rotary table [1]
Housing [5]
Cylindrical holding part [5]
Rotary member [2a/2b]
Flange [21]
Roller bearing [12]
Motor [3]
Support member [43, ¶0047]
Spacer [25]
Thin disk [31]
Pressing member [42]
Stopper [5b]
Controller
JP5078526B2
2009-04-23
Rotary table [16]
Housing [3, 22]
Cylindrical holding part [3]
Rotary member [5]
Flange [8]
Roller bearing [17]
Motor [20, 21]
Support member [10]
Spacer [thick part of item 8]
Thin disk
Pressing member
Stopper [9]
Controller
US20180056467A1
2017-08-08
Rotary table [40]
Housing [10, 12]
Cylindrical holding part [10]
Rotary member [20]
Flange [61]
Roller bearing [30]
Motor [52, 53]
Support member [62]
Spacer [bolt connecting item 61 to item 52]
Thin disk
Pressing member
Stopper [10]
Controller [70]
JP2009061582A
2013-06-19
Rotary table [3]
Housing [1]
Cylindrical holding part [1]
Rotary member [4]
Flange [7]
Roller bearing [Figure 1]
Motor [5, 6]
Support member [14]
Spacer [Figure 1]
Thin disk [7]
Pressing member [11]
Stopper [part of 1]
Controller
US20160207156A1
2016-01-15
Rotary table [Figure 2]
Housing [1, 8]
Cylindrical holding part [1]
Rotary member [2]
Flange [6a]
Roller bearing [3a]
Motor [4a, 4b]
Support member [7a]
Spacer [Figure 2, part of Item 2 between the main shaft and 6a]
Thin disk [6b]
Pressing member [7b]
Stopper [part of 9a]
Controller
WO2021032364A1
2020-07-14
Figure 4 shows pressing members [28] can be placed above or below the disk [26, 100] in a disk brake design for a rotational worktable.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael W Hotchkiss whose telephone number is (571)272-3854. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 0800-1600.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sunil K Singh can be reached at 571-272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL W HOTCHKISS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726