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)(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, 4, 7, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Moussette et al. (US 10236760 B2).
Regarding Claim 1, Moussette et al. discloses a linear motor (magnetic circuit 400A) that moves linearly (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A),
the linear motor (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A) comprising:
a movable element (401) including a permanent magnet (hard magnet 404 and second hard magnet 405) (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A);
a stator (fixed bar element 402) including a coil (electrical structure 407) positioned to face the permanent magnet (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A);
and a linear guide (second grooves 416) configured to guide the movable element to move linearly (Moussette et al. c. 11, l. 26 – 29),
wherein a support portion (bearings 413) provided on the linear guide is fitted to a holding portion (first grooves 416) provided on the movable element corresponding to the support portion to attach the movable element to the linear guide (Moussette et al. c. 11, l. 22 – 29),
the coil includes a yoke (bar structure 406) having a plate shape (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A) and a winding wire wound around the yoke (Moussette et al. c. 10, l. 63 – 67),
and the winding wire is continuously wound around the yoke to include a first region (first section 409) where the winding wire is wound around the yoke in a first winding direction and a second region (second section 408) where the winding wire is wound around the yoke in a second winding direction opposite to the first winding direction (Moussette et al. c. 11, l. 1 – 9).
Regarding Claim 4, Moussette et al. discloses the linear motor according to claim 1, wherein the first region and the second region have the same area (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A discloses the first section 409 and the second section 408 have the same area).
Regarding Claim 7, Moussette et al. discloses the linear motor according to claim 1, wherein the linear motor includes a plurality of combinations of the permanent magnet and the coil positioned to face the permanent magnet (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A and 4C discloses a two permanent magnet combination and a four permanent magnet combination, respectively).
Regarding Claim 9, Moussette et al. discloses the linear motor according to claim 1,
wherein the linear guide includes two linear guides provided in parallel with each other to guide the movable element to move linearly (Moussette et al. Fig4A and Fig. 4B disclose there are two second grooves 416 that are on respective ends of the movable bar element 401).
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:
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.
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.
Claims 5 – 6, 8, and 10 – 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moussette et al. in view of Tanaka (JP 2020034839 A).
Regarding Claim 5, Moussette et al. discloses the linear motor according to claim 1.
Moussette et al. does not disclose:
wherein the support portion includes a protruding portion protruding outward toward a movable element side,
and the holding portion includes a recessed portion fitted onto the protruding portion.
Tanaka discloses:
wherein the support portion (180) includes a protruding portion (184) protruding outward toward a movable element (first drive unit 80) side (Tanaka Fig. 11 and 12),
and the holding portion (160) includes a recessed portion (164) fitted onto the protruding portion (Tanaka Fig. 12).
Moussette et al. and Tanaka disclose movable elements therefore, Tanaka constitutes as prior art. Tanaka discloses a medical diagnosis device comprising a linear motor having a support portion with a protrusion and a holding portion with a recess that is fitted with the protrusion. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the support portion includes a protruding portion protruding outward toward a movable element side, and the holding portion includes a recessed portion fitted onto the protruding portion of Tanaka for the purpose of having the linear guide be secured to the movable element.
Regarding Claim 6, Moussette et al. and Tanaka disclose the linear motor according to claim 5.
Moussette et al. does not disclose:
wherein the protruding portion has a cylindrical or spherical shape protruding outward toward the movable element side,
and the recessed portion has a shape configured to fit onto the protruding portion having the cylindrical or spherical shape.
Tanaka discloses:
wherein the protruding portion has a cylindrical or spherical shape protruding outward toward the movable element side (Tanaka Fig. 12 discloses the protruding portion 184 is cylindrical),
and the recessed portion has a shape configured to fit onto the protruding portion having the cylindrical or spherical shape (Tanaka Fig. 12).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the protruding portion has a cylindrical or spherical shape protruding outward toward the movable element side, and the recessed portion has a shape configured to fit onto the protruding portion having the cylindrical or spherical shape for the purpose of securing the linear guide to the moveable element.
Regarding Claim 8, Moussette et al. discloses the linear motor according to claim 1.
Moussette et al. does not disclose:
wherein the movable element includes an elastic member on at least one surface perpendicular to a linear movement direction.
Tanaka discloses:
wherein the movable element includes an elastic member (spring 55a and spring 55b) on at least one surface perpendicular to a linear movement direction (Tanaka Fig. 5 discloses springs 55a and 55b, respectively, abutting one end of lens 81 of the first drive unit 80).
Moussette et al. and Tanaka disclose movable elements therefore, Tanaka constitutes as prior art. Tanaka discloses a medical diagnosis device comprising a linear motor having a movable element including springs. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the movable element includes an elastic member on at least one surface perpendicular to a linear movement direction of Tanaka for the purpose of providing elastic force to the movable element in the linear motor.
Regarding Claim 10, Moussette et al. discloses the linear motor according to claim 1.
Moussette et al. does not disclose:
wherein the movable element has an opening in a linear movement direction and is configured to hold an optical component in the opening.
Tanaka discloses:
wherein the movable element has an opening in a linear movement direction (Tanaka Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 discloses a circular opening of the first drive unit 80) and is configured to hold an optical component (also lens 81) in the opening (Tanaka Fig. 4 and Fig. 5).
Moussette et al. and Tanaka disclose movable elements therefore, Tanaka constitutes as prior art. Tanaka discloses a medical diagnosis device comprising a linear motor having a movable element that includes an opening to hold an optical component. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the movable element has an opening in a linear movement direction and is configured to hold an optical component in the opening of Tanaka for the purpose of securing the optical component to the moveable element.
Regarding Claim 11, Moussette et al. discloses the linear motor according to claim 1.
Moussette et al. does not disclose:
wherein the movable element includes a cutting holding unit configured to hold a cutting tool.
Tanaka discloses:
wherein the movable element includes a cutting holding unit (381) configured to hold a cutting tool (385) (Tanaka Para [0127] whole paragraph).
Moussette et al. and Tanaka disclose movable elements therefore, Tanaka constitutes as prior art. Tanaka discloses a medical diagnosis device comprising a linear motor having a movable element that includes a cutting holding unit. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the movable element includes a cutting holding unit configured to hold a cutting tool of Tanaka for the purpose of suppressing residual vibration from the moveable element.
Claims 12 – 13, and 16 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka in view of Moussette et al.
Regarding Claim 12, Tanaka discloses a medical care apparatus (three-dimensional scanner 100) (Tanaka Fig. 3) comprising:
the linear motor (Tanaka Para [0027] whole paragraph) comprising:
a movable element (also first drive unit 80) (Tanaka Para [0037] line 1);
a stator (52a) including a coil (also 52a) (Tanaka Para [0042] line 2);
and a linear guide (60a and 60b) configured to guide the movable element to move linearly (Tanaka Para [0037] whole paragraph),
and a housing (77) configured to hold the linear motor such that the movable element can move linearly along the linear guide (Tanaka Fig. 2),
wherein a support portion (180) provided on the linear guide is fitted to a holding portion (160) provided on the movable element corresponding to the support portion to attach the movable element to the linear guide (Tanaka Para [0067] whole paragraph),
Tanaka does not disclose:
a movable element including a permanent magnet;
a stator including a coil positioned to face the permanent magnet;
the coil includes a yoke having a plate shape and a winding wire wound around the yoke,
and the winding wire is continuously wound around the yoke to include a first region where the winding wire is wound around the yoke in a first winding direction and a second region where the winding wire is wound around the yoke in a second winding direction opposite to the first winding direction.
Moussette et al. discloses:
a movable element (401) including a permanent magnet (hard magnet 404 and second hard magnet 405) (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A);
a stator (fixed bar element 402) including a coil (407) positioned to face the permanent magnet (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A);
the coil includes a yoke (bar structure 406) having a plate shape (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A) and a winding wire wound around the yoke (Moussette et al. c. 10, l. 63 – 67),
and the winding wire is continuously wound around the yoke to include a first region (first section 409) where the winding wire is wound around the yoke in a first winding direction and a second region (second section 408) where the winding wire is wound around the yoke in a second winding direction opposite to the first winding direction (Moussette et al. c. 11, l. 1 – 9).
Tanaka and Moussette et al. discloses windings therefore, Moussette et al. constitutes as prior art. Moussette et al. discloses a haptic actuator comprising a movable element with a permanent magnet, a fixed element with a bar structure and coil, and the coil wound in a first direction and then in a second direction on the bar structure. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a movable element including a permanent magnet; a stator including a coil positioned to face the permanent magnet; the coil includes a yoke having a plate shape and a winding wire wound around the yoke, and the winding wire is continuously wound around the yoke to include a first region where the winding wire is wound around the yoke in a first winding direction and a second region where the winding wire is wound around the yoke in a second winding direction opposite to the first winding direction of Moussette et al. for the purpose of 1) having a magnet high in efficiency and power density to produce a steady magnetic field, 2) having the permanent magnet and coil interact with each other to produce a linear motion, 3) having improved magnetic flux control and concentration and 4) optimizing performance in the linear motor.
Regarding Claim 13, Tanaka and Moussette et al. discloses the medical care apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the medical care apparatus is a hand-held three-dimensional scanner (Tanaka Para [0011] whole paragraph).
Regarding Claim 16, Tanaka and Moussette et al. discloses the medical care apparatus according to claim 12.
Tanaka does not disclose:
wherein the first region and the second region have the same area.
Moussette et al. discloses:
wherein the first region and the second region have the same area (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A discloses the first section 409 and the second section 408 have the same area).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the first region and the second region have the same area of Moussette et al. for the purpose of improving efficiency of both regions of the winding in the first direction and second direction.
Regarding Claim 17, Tanaka and Moussette et al. discloses the medical care apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the support portion includes a protruding portion (184) protruding outward toward a movable element side (Tanaka Fig. 10 and 12),
and the holding portion includes a recessed portion (164) fitted onto the protruding portion (Tanaka Fig. 12).
Regarding Claim 18, Tanaka and Moussette et al. discloses the medical care apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the protruding portion has a cylindrical or spherical shape protruding outward toward the movable element side (Tanaka Fig. 12 discloses the protruding portion 184 is cylindrical),
and the recessed portion has a shape configured to fit onto the protruding portion having the cylindrical or spherical shape (Tanaka Fig. 12).
Regarding Claim 19, Tanaka and Moussette et al. discloses the medical care apparatus according to claim 12.
Tanaka does not disclose:
wherein the linear motor includes a plurality of combinations of the permanent magnet and the coil positioned to face the permanent magnet.
Moussette et al. discloses:
wherein the linear motor includes a plurality of combinations of the permanent magnet and the coil positioned to face the permanent magnet (Moussette et al. Fig. 4A and 4C discloses a two permanent magnet combination and a four permanent magnet combination, respectively).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the linear motor includes a plurality of combinations of the permanent magnet and the coil positioned to face the permanent magnet for the purpose of optimizing the magnetic field in the linear motor.
Regarding Claim 20, Tanaka and Moussette et al. discloses the medical care apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the movable element includes an elastic member (spring 55a and spring 55b) on at least one surface perpendicular to a linear movement direction (Tanaka Fig. 5).
Claims 2 – 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moussette et al. in view of Wang et al. (CN 108900058 A).
Regarding Claim 2, Moussette et al. discloses the linear motor according to claim 1.
Moussette et al. do not disclose:
wherein a first resin portion located at a winding start of the first region,
a second resin portion located at a winding end of the second region,
and a third resin portion located at a boundary between the first region and the second region are integrally molded onto the yoke by outsert molding.
Moussette et al. and Wang et al. structurally discloses:
wherein a first resin portion (fixing member 23 on left side) (of Wang et al. Fig. 6) located at a winding start of the first region (of Moussette et al. Fig. 4A),
a second resin portion (fixing member 23 on right side) (of Wang et al. Fig. 6) located at a winding end of the second region (of Moussette et al. Fig. 4A),
and a third resin portion (fixing member 23 in the center) (of Wang et al. Fig. 6) located at a boundary between the first region and the second region (of Moussette et al. Fig. 4A) are integrally molded onto the yoke by outsert molding (of Wang et al. Fig. 6 disclose the three fixing members 23 are outsert molded to the outer pipe 21).
Moussette et al. and Wang et al. disclose coils therefore, Wang et al. constitutes as prior art. Wang et al. discloses an electromagnetic actuator comprising three resin portions that are wrapped around a metal outer pipe and in-between two coil sets. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein a first resin portion located at a winding start of the first region, a second resin portion located at a winding end of the second region, and a third resin portion located at a boundary between the first region and the second region are integrally molded onto the yoke by outsert molding of structurally disclosed Moussette et al. and Wang et al. for the purpose of having improved stability between the coil and the yoke via the resin portions.
Regarding Claim 3, Moussette et al. and Wang et al. disclose the linear motor according to claim 2.
Moussette et al. do not disclose:
wherein switching between the first winding direction and the second winding direction is in the third resin portion and the winding wire is continuously wound around the yoke.
Moussette et al. and Wang et al. structurally disclose:
wherein switching between the first winding direction and the second winding direction (of Moussette et al. Fig. 4A) is in the third resin portion (of Wang et al. Fig. 6) and the winding wire is continuously wound around the yoke (of Moussette et al. Fig. 4A).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein switching between the first winding direction and the second winding direction is in the third resin portion and the winding wire is continuously wound around the yoke of structurally disclosed Moussette et al. and Wang et al. for the purpose of have the switching between the first winding direction and the second winding direction be secured to the yoke of the linear motor.
Claims 2 – 3 and 14 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka et al., Moussette et al., and further in view of Wang et al.
Regarding Claim 14, Tanaka and Moussette et al. disclose the medical care apparatus according to claim 12.
Tanaka and Moussette et al. do not disclose:
wherein a first resin portion located at a winding start of the first region,
a second resin portion located at a winding end of the second region,
and a third resin portion located at a boundary between the first region and the second region are integrally molded onto the yoke by outsert molding.
Moussette et al. and Wang et al. structurally discloses:
wherein a first resin portion (fixing member 23 on left side) (of Wang et al. Fig. 6) located at a winding start of the first region (of Moussette et al. Fig. 4A),
a second resin portion (fixing member 23 on right side) (of Wang et al. Fig. 6) located at a winding end of the second region (of Moussette et al. Fig. 4A),
and a third resin portion (fixing member 23 in the center) (of Wang et al. Fig. 6) located at a boundary between the first region and the second region (of Moussette et al. Fig. 4A) are integrally molded onto the yoke by outsert molding (of Wang et al. Fig. 6 disclose the three fixing members 23 are outsert molded to the outer pipe 21).
Tanaka, Moussette et al., and Wang et al. disclose coils therefore, Wang et al. constitutes as prior art. Wang et al. discloses an electromagnetic actuator comprising three resin portions that are wrapped around a metal outer pipe and in-between two coil sets. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein a first resin portion located at a winding start of the first region, a second resin portion located at a winding end of the second region, and a third resin portion located at a boundary between the first region and the second region are integrally molded onto the yoke by outsert molding of structurally disclosed Moussette et al. and Wang et al. for the purpose of having improved stability between the coil and the yoke via the resin portions.
Regarding Claim 15, Tanaka, Moussette et al., and Wang et al. disclose the medical care apparatus according to claim 14.
Tanaka and Moussette et al. do not disclose:
wherein switching between the first winding direction and the second winding direction is in the third resin portion and the winding wire is continuously wound around the yoke.
Moussette et al. and Wang et al. structurally disclose:
wherein switching between the first winding direction and the second winding direction (of Moussette et al. Fig. 4A) is in the third resin portion (of Wang et al. Fig. 6) and the winding wire is continuously wound around the yoke (of Moussette et al. Fig. 4A).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein switching between the first winding direction and the second winding direction is in the third resin portion and the winding wire is continuously wound around the yoke of structurally disclosed Moussette et al. and Wang et al. for the purpose of have the switching between the first winding direction and the second winding direction be secured to the yoke of the linear motor.
Conclusion
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/THEODORE L PERKINS/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TERRANCE L KENERLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834