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 Objections
Claims 1,11, 15, and 29 are objected to because of the following informalities: these claims all include capitalized words within the claim. Each claim should be written as a single sentence. The capitalization that occur in the middle of the sentences all occur at the beginning of a new line of text and appear to be typographical errors due to formatting 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.
Claims 1-10 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oda et al. (US 2014/0306578).
With respect to claim 1, Oda et al. discloses a rotating apparatus (Fig 2) characterized by being equipped with a vibrator (item 1) having a vibrating surface perpendicular to the vibration direction and an opposing element (item 3) having an opposing surface facing the vibrating surface and rotating with the vibration direction of the vibrator as the axis (Fig 2; Paragraph 40); wherein the vibrating surface and the opposing surface each have a parallel region that face each other in parallel (Fig 2) and an impeller region (Paragraph 56) that is three-dimensionally formed in at least one of the parallel regions (Figs 2-4).
With respect to claim 2, Oda et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opposing element has a convex portion formed on the opposing surface along the end portion of the opposing surface (Fig 2).
With respect to claim 3, Oda et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 2, wherein a space is formed by the vibrating surface and the opposing surface (Fig 2).
With respect to claim 4, Oda et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibrating surface and the opposing surface are each circular, and an end portion of the vibrating surface faces an end portion of the opposing surface (Figs 2-4).
With respect to claim 5, Oda et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opposing surface has through-hole No. 1 formed toward the back surface of the opposing element (Figs 2-4, wherein the through hole is formed at the location of the output shaft 6).
With respect to claim 6, Oda et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 5, wherein the through-hole No. 1 is formed in the center of the opposing surface (Figs 2-4).
With respect to claim 7, Oda et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration of the vibrator is a single vibration (Fig 2).
With respect to claim 8. Oda et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibrating surface is provided with through-hole No. 2 formed toward the outside of the vibrator via the inside of the vibrator (Figs 2-4, wherein the through hole is formed at the location of the output shaft 6).
With respect to claim 9, Oda et al. discloses a motor with a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 1 (Fig 3).
With respect to claim 10, Oda et al. discloses a pump with a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 1 (Figs 2-4).
With respect to claim 29, Oda et al. discloses a rotating apparatus (Figs 2-4) characterized by being equipped with a vibrator (item 1) having a vibrating surface perpendicular to the vibration direction (Fig 2), and an opposing element (item 3) having an opposing surface facing the vibrating surface (Fig 2); the opposing element is fixed so that the vibrating surface and the opposing surface are spaced apart and facing each other (Fig 2), the vibrating surface and the opposing surface parallel region that face each other in parallel (Fig 2), and an impeller region (Paragraph 56), which is three-dimensionally formed in at least one of the parallel regions (Figs 2-4).
Claims 15-20, 22-24, and 26-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al. (US 2010/0084946).
With respect to claim 15, Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus (Fig 1) characterized by being equipped with a vibrator (item 24) having a vibrating surface perpendicular to the vibration direction (Fig 1), and an opposing element (item 40) having an opposing surface facing the vibrating surface and rotating with the vibration direction of the vibrator as the axis (Fig 1); wherein the vibrating surface and the opposing surface have parallel regions that face each other in parallel (Fig 1), and the opposing surface has one or a plurality of three-dimensional shapes (items 26) formed to extend toward the end portion of the opposing surface (Fig 2)
With respect to claim 16, Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional shape is formed with one or a plurality of grooves or holes (Fig 2).
With respect to claim 17, Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of three-dimensional shapes comprises a plurality of adjacent three-dimensional shapes that are not symmetrical to each other with respect to the radial direction of the opposing surface (Fig 2).
With respect to claim 18, Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 15, wherein 4 or more three-dimensional shapes are formed on the opposing surface (Fig 3).
With respect to claim 19. Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 15, wherein a hole is formed at the center portion of the opposing surface (Figs 1-2. Wherein the hole is formed at the location of the output shaft).
With respect to claim 20, Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 15, wherein a parallel region is formed at the center portion of the opposing surface (Figs 1-2).
With respect to claim 22, Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 20, wherein the three-dimensional shape is formed as a slit in the opposing surface (Fig 2).
With respect to claim 23, Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 15, wherein the outer peripheral shape of the vibrating surface and the opposing surface are each circular, and the end portion of the vibrating surface faces the end portion of the opposing surface (Figs 1-2).
With respect to claim 24, Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional shape is formed along a plurality of radial curves from the center portion to the end portion of the opposing surface (Fig 2).
With respect to claim 26, Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional shape is formed along a concentric circle that is concentric with the outer circumference circle of the opposing surface of the opposing element (Fig 2).
With respect to claim 27, Park et al. discloses a motor with a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 15 (Figs 1-2).
With respect to claim 28, Park et al. discloses a pump with a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 15 (Figs 1-2, wherein the preamble of the claim does not provide any additional structural features).
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 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al.
With respect to claim 21, Park et al. discloses a rotating apparatus, as claimed in claim 20.
Park et al. does not disclose that the radius of the outer circumference circle of the parallel region formed at the center portion of the opposing surface is between 60% and 80% of the radius of the outer circumference circle of the opposing surface. However, it has been held that a mere change in relative dimensions is obvious (Gardner v TEC Systems Inc., 220 USPQ 777). Therefore, at the time of effective filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the vibrator and opposing element such that the radius of the outer circumference circle of the parallel region formed at the center portion of the opposing surface is between 60% and 80% of the radius of the outer circumference circle of the opposing surface.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-14 and 25 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest “vibrating surface No. 1 and opposing surface No. 1 each have parallel region No. 1 that face each other in parallel and impeller region No. 1 that is three-dimensionally formed in at least one of parallel region No. 1 and impeller region No. 1, and vibrating surface No. 2 and opposing surface No. 2 each have parallel region No. 2 that face each other in parallel, and impeller region No. 2, which is three-dimensionally formed in at least one of parallel region No. 2 and impeller region No. 2” in combination with the remaining elements of claim 11.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest “wherein the three-dimensional shape is formed along a plurality of spiral curves from the center portion to the end portion of the opposing surface” in combination with the remaining elements of claim 25.
Conclusion
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/DEREK J ROSENAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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