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 .
Status of Claims
This Office Action is in response to the application filed on 11/20/2024. Claims 1-10 are presently pending and are presented for examination.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) submitted on 01/04/2024 was filed and is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the Information Disclosure Statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Page 10 of the specification reads “turntable forearm 309”, “turntable 309” and “roundabout forearm 309”. The use of multiple names for the same element reduces readability and understanding of the patent application. The Examiner suggests using only a single name for element 309.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 6 reads “and the rotating”, --and a rotating-- is suggested.
Claim 1 lines 8-9 read “connected to the other”, --connected to another-- is suggested.
Claim 1 line 9 reads “the rotating”, --a rotating-- is suggested.
Claim 1 line 14 reads “with the ends”, --with ends-- is suggested.
Claim 9 line 1 reads “wherein the”, --wherein a-- is suggested.
Claim 9 line 2 reads “the rotating plane”, --a rotating plane-- is suggested.
Claim 9 line 3 reads “perpendicular to the”, --perpendicular to a-- is suggested.
Claim 9 line 3 reads “and the rotating”, --an a rotating-- is suggested.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 line 3 recites the limitation “a coaxial and non-interfering bidirectional rotating seat”. First, it is unclear what element the seat is coaxial with respect to. Second, it is unclear what element(s) the seat is non-interfering with. Third, while the seat is disclosed in the specification, it is not labeled in the figures, and therefore it is not clear what is required of this limitation.
Claim 7 lines 5-6 recite the limitation “a shell of the first rotating mechanism is fixed with the output body”. However, claim 5 recites the limitation “the output control body is fixed on a shell of a first rotating part of the triaxial mechanical arm”. It is unclear if these limitations are the same but worded differently, or if multiple shells are required.
Claim 7 line 6 reads “a rotating output shaft thereof”. It is unclear which element “thereof” is referring to.
Claim 10 is directed toward an application of the miniaturized mechanical arm according to claim 5. According to MPEP 2173.05(q), a “use” claim is indefinite when it merely recites a use without any active, positive steps delimiting how this use is actually practiced. Ex parte Erlich, 3 USPQ2d 1011 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1986). Therefor, claim 10 is rejected as being indefinite.
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 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liu (US 20230166396 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a spatial parallelogram connecting rod structure (see Fig. 23), comprising: an installation housing (2), wherein the installation housing is provided with a connecting rod moving notch (notch where 500 is provided); and a coaxial and non-interfering bidirectional rotating seat is fixed inside the housing (see Fig. 20; 21); a first rotating body (see Fig. 3; 8), wherein the first rotating body is rotatably connected to one side of the bidirectional rotating seat, and the rotating output end of the first rotating body is provided with a large arm oscillating bar (see Fig. 23; front 500 in the figure, i.e., closest to the end effector) extending from the moving notch; a second rotating body (see Fig. 3; 9), wherein the second rotating body is rotatably connected to the other side of the bidirectional rotating seat; the rotating output end of the second rotating body is provided with a turntable forearm (see Fig. 3 and 14; arm between 9 and rear 500, i.e., furthest from the end effector), an edge of the turntable forearm is hinged with a forearm oscillating bar (see Fig. 23; rear 500), and the forearm oscillating bar extends from the moving notch; an output control body (see Fig. 23; 2000), wherein the output control body is provided with two hinged points which are in the same direction, not coaxial and staggered; and the two hinged points are hinged with the ends of the large arm oscillating bar and the forearm oscillating bar that extend from the installation housing respectively (see Fig. 23).
Regarding claim 4, Liu discloses the forearm oscillating bar (rear 500) is a bent rod (see Fig. 23).
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 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (US 20230166396 A1) in view of Wikipedia.
Regarding claim 2, Liu discloses the first rotating body (8) and the second rotating body (9) realize input and transmission of rotating power through matching structures of motors and gear sets (see Fig. 16); central shafts of the rotating output ends of the first rotating body (see Fig. 16; 84) and the second rotating body (see Fig. 17; 94) are connected with two encoders (see Fig. 18; 5A, 5B and Fig. 19; 6A, 6B) fixed on both sides in the installation housing respectively. Liu fails to disclose a feedback closed loop. However, Wikipedia teaches a feedback closed loop (see page 4-5, Classic control theory). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date to modify Liu with a feedback closed loop, as taught by Wikipedia, to overcome the limitations of an open-loop controller by providing disturbance rejection, by providing guaranteed performance even with model uncertainties, by stabilizing unstable processes, by reducing sensitivity to parameter variations and providing improved tracking performance (see page 4-5, Classic control theory). As a result of the combination, the following limitations would necessarily result: the two encoders (Liu; 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B) form a feedback closed loop (Wikipedia, closed loop) with the two motors (Liu; 5, 6) corresponding to both sides respectively (Liu; Fig. 16).
Claim 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (US 20230166396 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Liu discloses the installation housing (2) is provided with a limiting groove (see Fig. 15; groove between 600) on internal structures corresponding to the first rotating body (8), and the first rotating body is provided with a limiting column (700) matched with the corresponding limiting grooves (see Fig. 15). Liu fails to disclose the installation housing is provided with a limiting groove on internal structures corresponding to the second rotating body, and the second rotating body is provided with a limiting column matched with the corresponding limiting groove. However, it has been held that a duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). In this instance, providing a limiting groove and limiting column for the second rotating body would produce the old and expected result of limiting the rotational movement of the second rotating body to prevent damage to the structure.
Claim 5-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (US 20230166396 A1) in view of Ananiev (WO 0174548 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Liu discloses a miniaturized mechanical arm (see Fig. 23), comprising a rotating base (1) and the spatial parallelogram connecting rod structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above); wherein the installation housing (2) is fixed on the rotating base (see Fig. 23). Liu fails to disclose a triaxial mechanical arm, and the output control body is fixed on a shell of a first rotating part of the triaxial mechanical arm. However, Ananiev teaches a triaxial mechanical arm (see Fig. 1; 11), and the output control body (10) is fixed on a shell (body of 11) of a first rotating part of the triaxial mechanical arm (13). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art as of the effective filing date to modify Liu with a triaxial mechanical arm, as taught by Ananiev, to increase the number of degrees of freedom which allows for more precise control and positioning of the robot arm and end effector.
Regarding claim 6, Liu discloses the rotating base (1) comprises a fixed part (see Fig. 3; body of 1) and a rotating part (see Fig. 20; 211) which are rotatably connected, and the rotating part is driven by the matching structures of the motors and the gear sets to rotate relative to the fixed part (see Fig. 5); a rotation stroke limiting structure is arranged between the fixed part and the rotating part (see Fig. 9; 20); and the installation housing is fixed on the rotating part (see Fig. 23).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of claim 5 elsewhere above would necessarily result in the following limitations: the triaxial mechanical arm (Ananiev, 11) comprises a first rotating mechanism (Ananiev; Fig. 3; 13), a second rotating mechanism (Ananiev; 14) and a third rotating mechanism (Ananiev; 18) which are connected successively; the first rotating mechanism, the second rotating mechanism and the third rotating mechanism are all motor driven output shaft rotating structures (Ananiev; Fig. 3); a shell of the first rotating mechanism (Ananiev; shell of 13) is fixed with the output control body (Ananiev; 10), and a rotating output shaft thereof is fixedly connected with the second rotating mechanism; a rotating output shaft of the second rotating mechanism (Ananiev; shaft of 14) is fixedly connected with the third rotating mechanism; and a rotating output shaft of the third rotating mechanism (Ananiev; shaft of 18) is a terminal working end (Ananiev; Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of claim 5 elsewhere above would necessarily result in the following limitations: a rotating plane of the first rotating mechanism (Ananiev; vertical rotating plane of 13) is perpendicular to a rotating plane of the second rotating mechanism (Ananiev; horizontal rotating plane of 14), and the rotating plane of the second rotating mechanism is perpendicular to a rotating plane of the third rotating mechanism (Ananiev; vertical rotating plane of 18).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of claim 5 elsewhere above would necessarily result in the following limitations: the rotating plane of the first rotating body (Liu; 8) is parallel to the rotating plane of the second rotating body (Liu; 9), and is perpendicular to the rotating plane of the rotating base (Liu; 1) and the rotating plane of the first rotating mechanism respectively (Ananiev; vertical rotating plane of 13); and the rotating plane of the rotating base (Liu; 1) is perpendicular to the rotating plane of the first rotating mechanism (Ananiev; vertical rotating plane of 13).
Regarding claim 10, Liu in view of Ananiev can inherently be used in an application of the miniaturized mechanical arm according to claim 5, wherein the fixed part of the rotating base is installed on a supporting apparatus of a medical device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
US 5145312 A discloses a spatial parallelogram connecting rod structure.
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/JOSEPH BROWN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618