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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is a Non-final Office Action for application number 18/666,899 JOINT DEVICE filed on 5/17/2024. Claims 1-13 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 5/17/2024 and 5/5/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
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 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent Publication No. 2011/0040408 to De La Rosa Tames et al.
With regards to claim 1, the publication discloses a joint device having a first end portion (114, 128); a second intermediate portion (116, 130); and a third end portion (150, 132), wherein the first end portion is pivotably connected to a proximate end of the second intermediate portion by a hinge limited to having one axis (X2, Y2) of movement only, and the third end portion is pivotably connected to a distal end of the intermediate portion by a joint having two axes (Y1, Y3 and X3, X4) of movement.
With regards to claim 2, De La Rosa Tames et al. teaches wherein one of the two axes (Y1, Y3 and X3, X4) of movement of the joint is parallel to the one axis of movement of the hinge (X2, Y2), and the other axis (X3, X4) may be of movement of the joint is perpendicular.
With regards to claim 3, De La Rosa Tames et al. teaches wherein the hinge connection between the first and second portions includes a first yoke and a pivot pin. (See Figure 1C)
With regards to claim 4, De La Rosa Tames et al. teaches wherein the pivotal connection between the second and third portions includes two inter-engaging yokes and a cross member to provide the two axes of movement. (See Figure 2)
With regards to claim 5, De La Rosa Tames et al. teaches a first frame (20); a second frame (10); and at least two joint devices of at least two joint devices of wherein each joint device is coupled at one end to a linear actuator (550A, 550B) extending from the second frame toward the first frame and coupled at the other end to the first frame, and wherein extension of a linear actuator is able to cause movement, through a joint device, of the first frame relative to the second frame.
With regards to claim 6, De La Rosa Tames et al. teaches wherein the mounting apparatus is configured for yaw, pitch, and z-direction adjustment of the first frame by extension of one or more of the linear actuators. (See Figure 2)
With regards to claim 7, De La Rosa Tames et al. teaches at least three joint devices spaced about the first frame, wherein two opposite joint devices (fingers) have a same pivoting orientation of the hinge, and a third joint device (thumb), located between the two opposite joint devices, has a perpendicular pivoting orientation of the hinge.
With regards to claim 8, De La Rosa Tames et al. teaches wherein the adjustment is through an antenna pivot point of a sensor (530) when mounted with the first frame.
With regards to claim 9, De La Rosa Tames et al. teaches a translational movement device for displacing the second frame in x and/or y directions. (See Figure 2)
With regards to claim 10, De La Rosa Tames et al. teaches a roll movement device (144) for rotating the second frame about a roll axis.
With regards to claim 13, De La Rosa Tames et al. teaches wherein the linear actuators and/or other position adjustment functions are motorized (505).
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 of this title, 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 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 2011/0040408 to De La Rosa Tames et al. and in view of United States Patent Publication No. 2012/0109379 to Abdallah et al.
With regards to claim 11, De La Rosa Tames et al. does not specifically teach a robotic arm supporting the second frame and any intermediate devices. Abdallah et al. teaches a robotic arm (See Figure 1) attached to a robotic hand (14) and it would be obvious to use a robotic hand attached to a robotic arm in order for the robot to articulate its appendage.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is 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.
With regards to claim 12, the prior art does not teach a vehicle part mount for mounting a vehicle part over a field of view of a sensor mounted with the first frame.
Cited References
PN 9,669,551 to Salsbury et al. shoes a robotic hand
PN 2024/0383152 to Hange shows an articulating device
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Amy J. Sterling at telephone number 571-272-6823 or to Supervisor Jonathan Liu at 571-272-8227 if the examiner cannot be reached. The examiner can normally be reached (Mon-Fri 8am-5:00pm). The fax machine number for the Technology center is 571-273-8300 (formal amendments), informal amendments or communications 571-273-6823. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be directed to the Technology Center receptionist at 571-272-3600.
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/AMY J. STERLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631 6/30/26
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