DETAILED ACTIONNotice 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.
Claims 1, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Soejima et al. (JPH09105686, hereinafter Soejima). Regarding claim 1, Soejima discloses an apparatus comprising a holder 51 (See Fig. 18) composed of a resin and comprising a cylinder portion 140 with a hollow cavity in a center through which a rotating shaft 1 is inserted, a flexible substrate (See Figs. 17 and 20, tube 170 and supporting bodies 153a, 153b of cylindrical portion) that comprises a detection portion 17a, 17b on which a coil group comprising a combination of a plurality of detection coils aligned in a predetermined direction is formed by a wiring pattern, and a signal line portion on which a plurality of signal lines electrically connecting the coil group to an external device are formed by a wiring pattern; and a magnetic ring 160a with a cylindrical shape comprising a soft magnetic material and being arranged around an outer circumference of the cylinder portion of the holder, wherein the flexible substrate is arranged in such a manner that the detection portion is round or curved and is located between the cylinder portion of the holder and the magnetic ring, and a portion of the signal line portion is led out of the holder, wherein the holder comprises an annular wall 51, 55a, 55b (See Fig. 17) surrounding an outer circumference of one axial end of the magnetic ring, wherein the magnetic ring comprises a retention hole that opens on an outer circumferential surface facing an inner circumferential surface of the annular wall, and wherein the holder and the magnetic ring are fixed by at least one fastener or screw 15a – 15c with a shaft shape that penetrates a portion of the annular wall and is inserted into the retention hole of the magnetic ring (See Pg. 16, Para. 12, Pg. 17, Para. 1, Pg. 26, Paras. 1 – 10, Pg. 27, Paras. 1 – 8 and Pg. 28, Paras. 1 – 7). Regarding claim 6, the detection portion 17a, 17b of the flexible substrate is adhered to the cylinder portion of the holder 51, and a space is formed between the detection portion and the magnetic ring (See Fig. 17).
Regarding claim 7, the at least one fastener 15a – 15c protrudes from an outer circumferential surface of the annular wall, and wherein engagement of the protruding portion of the fastener with an attachment target stops the holder and the magnetic ring from rotating relative to the attachment target (See Figs. 17 and 18).
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 2 – 5 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 primary reasons for indicating allowable subject matter is that the prior art does not anticipate or make obvious the provisions of “the detection portion has a rectangular shape with a long-side direction coincident with an alignment direction of the plurality of detection coils, wherein the signal line portion comprises a protruding portion protruding from the detection portion in a direction perpendicular to the long-side direction, and a linear portion extending from the protruding portion in the long-side direction, and wherein a portion of the linear portion is led out of the holder” (referring to claim 2), “the holder comprises a recessed portion to house the portion of the linear portion, and wherein the linear portion is bent inside the recessed portion and is led out of the holder so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to a circumferential direction of the cylinder portion” (referring to claim 3), “a cover member comprising a raised portion fitted into the recessed portion of the holder, wherein the linear portion is sandwiched and held between an inner surface of the recessed portion and an outer circumferential surface of the raised portion” (referring to claim 4) and “movement of the cover member in a direction in which the raised portion separates away from the recessed portion of the holder is restricted by the magnetic ring” (referring to claim 5) in combination with the other limitations presented in claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
applicant's disclosure.7. Okuyama et al. (2025/0383251) disclose a magnetostrictive torque sensor. Fujimori (2025/0207988) discloses a magnetostrictive torque sensor. Jin et al. (2024/0418586) disclose a magnetostrictive torque sensor and method for manufacturing magnetostrictive torque sensor. Fujimori et al. (2024/0324467) disclose a magnetostrictive torque sensor. Jin et al. (12,030,230) disclose a resin-sealed electronic component and method for manufacturing the same. Nakamura et al. (11,774,305) disclose a magnetostrictive torque sensor and design method of thickness of magnetic ring for magnetostrictive torque sensor. Shimizu et al. (8,701,503) disclose a magnetostrictive torque sensor and electrical power steering device. Miyoshi et al. (8,584,533) disclose a magnetostrictive torque sensor device, manufacturing method thereof, and vehicle steering apparatus. Sezaki (JP2000019032) discloses a torque sensor device. Hoshina et al. (5,526,704) disclose a structure of magnetostrictive torque sensor applicable to sensor for detecting torque applied to a rotatable shaft.8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OCTAVIA HOLLINGTON whose telephone number is (571)272-2176. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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/OCTAVIA HOLLINGTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855 2/20/26