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.
Claim(s) 1 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Nagatsuka (KR 20150074204 A).
Regarding claim 1, Nagatsuka discloses a robotic digit comprising: a digit base frame (1; see Fig. 1); a joint head (see Fig. 1); an articulated digit body coupled to the joint head (see Fig. 1); a first actuator (31; see Fig. 1) mounted to the digit base frame, the first actuator having a first actuator output coupled to the joint head by a first mechanical linkage (see Fig. 2 and Abstract), wherein the first actuator output causes a first relative movement between the joint head and the digit base frame through the first mechanical linkage (see Abstract); and a second actuator (32; see Fig. 1) mounted to the digit base frame, the second actuator having a second actuator output coupled to the joint head by a second mechanical linkage (see Fig. 2 and Abstract), wherein the second actuator output causes a second relative movement between the joint head and the digit base frame that is different from the first relative movement through the second mechanical linkage (see Abstract).
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Regarding claim 17, Nagatsuka discloses the robotic digit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joint head comprises a central opening for passage of line structures (see Fig. 3).
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagatsuka (KR 20150074204 A) in view of Shirai (JP 2002113681 A).
Regarding claim 2, Nagatsuka discloses the robotic digit as claimed in claim 1.
Nagatsuka fails to disclose a third actuator coupled to the articulated digit body, the third actuator having a third actuator output coupled to the joint head, wherein the third actuator output causes a third relative movement between the articulated body and the joint head.
However, Shirai teaches a robotic digit comprising a third actuator (31; see Fig. 5) coupled to the articulated digit body, the third actuator having a third actuator output coupled to the joint head (see Page 6, Para. 3-4), wherein the third actuator output causes a third relative movement between the articulated body and the joint head (see Page 6, Para. 7).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to introduce a third actuator coupled to the articulated digit body, the third actuator having a third actuator output coupled to the joint head, wherein the third actuator output causes a third relative movement between the articulated body and the joint head, on the robotic digit of Nagatsuka, as taught by Shirai, so that the finger and tip can be given a swiveling motion in any direction about the joints (see Page 6, Para. 7).
Claim(s) 8, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagatsuka (KR 20150074204 A) in view of Shirai (JP 2002113681 A), further in view of Shannon (US 20220105645 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Nagatsuka, in view of Shirai, discloses the robotic digit as claimed in claim 2.
Nagatsuka, as modified by Shirai, fails to disclose wherein the first actuator comprises a first hydraulic cylinder, wherein the second actuator comprises a second hydraulic cylinder, and wherein the third actuator comprises a third hydraulic cylinder.
However, Shannon teaches a robotic digit wherein the first actuator comprises a first hydraulic cylinder (see Para. 0004), wherein the second actuator comprises a second hydraulic cylinder (see Para. 0004), and wherein the third actuator comprises a third hydraulic cylinder (see Para. 0004).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to introduce wherein the first actuator comprises a first hydraulic cylinder, wherein the second actuator comprises a second hydraulic cylinder, and wherein the third actuator comprises a third hydraulic cylinder, on the robotic digit of Nagatsuka, as modified by Shirai, as taught by Shannon, to obtain a desired or directed amount of rotation about a curl axis, rotation about a pitch axis and/or rotation about a yaw axis (see Para. 0004).
Regarding claim 10, Shannon further teaches wherein the first hydraulic cylinder, the second hydraulic cylinder, and the third hydraulic cylinders are double-acting hydraulic cylinders (see Fig. 7-8 for double-acting cylinders). See motivation of claim 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 3-7, 9, and 11-16 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.
Claim(s) 18-20 is/are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REHMAN A QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)272-6262. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00am-5:00pm.
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/REHMAN A QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/ROBERT W HODGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654
