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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 01/20/2006 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, seepages 4-7, filed 01/27/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-13 under 102 and 103 respectively have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Petersen (US PG Pub 2006/0261690).
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(s) 1, 4-5, 8-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (CN 211940993) in view of Petersen (US PG Pub 2006/0261690).
As to independent claim 1, Zhao teaches an actuator (see figure 1) comprising: a motor (6, 18); a container (5) that contains the motor (6, 18); a detection unit (10) configured to detect operation of the motor (6,18) ; and a fixing unit (the encoder assembly shell is provided with the incremental photoelectric rotary encoder and the absolute photoelectric encoder; the encoder assembly shell is installed on the encoder assembly bracket; the coder component bracket is fixedly connected with the right end of the motor shell through multiple bolts, see paragraph [0008]) that fixes, on an outer side in a radial direction of the detection unit (10), an end surface of the container 5) on an opposite side to an output side of the motor (6, 18) to a housing of a machine (through the speed reducer shell (2), see paragraph [0020]) as shown in figure 1.
However Zhao teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the detection unit is fixed, directly or via a braking unit, to the end surface of the container.
Petersen teaches the detection unit (58, 80) is fixed, directly or via a braking unit, to the end surface of the container (12, 134) as shown in figures 3 and 5, for the advantageous benefit of improving the efficiency of the motor and design flexibility of the motor.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Zhao by using the detection unit is fixed, directly or via a braking unit, to the end surface of the container, as taught by Petersen, to improve the efficiency of the motor and design flexibility of the motor.
As to claim 4/1, Zhao teaches wherein the container (2) is fitted into a cylindrical portion of the housing (through the speed reducer shell (2), see paragraph [0020]) as shown in figure 1 .
As to claim 5/1, Zhao teaches wherein the container (2) is in metallic contact with a cylindrical portion of the housing(through the speed reducer shell (2), see paragraph [0020]) as shown in figure 1 .
As to claim 8/1, Zhao teaches wherein the container (5) is exposed to outside air as shown in figure 1.
As to claim 9/1, Zhao teaches further comprising a fixing unit (see figure 1)that fixes a reducer (19) to an end surface of the container (5) on an output side of the motor as shown in figure 1.
As to claim 10/1, Zhao teaches machine comprising the actuator as shown in figure 1.
As to claim 11/10, Zhao teaches wherein the actuator is fixed to an outer surface of the housing (through the speed reducer shell (2), see paragraph [0020]) as shown in figure 1.
As to claim 12/10, Zhao teaches wherein the actuator is fitted into a cylindrical portion of the housing (through the speed reducer shell (2), see paragraph [0020]) as shown in figure 1.
As to claim 13/1, Zhao teaches wherein the machine includes a robot (see title).
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (CN 211940993) and Petersen (US PG Pub 2006/0261690) as applied in claim 1 above, and further in view of Tanaka (JP10174368).
As to claim 2/1, Zhao in view of Petersen teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the container includes an inner side cylindrical body that contains the motor, an outer side cylindrical body that surrounds the inner side cylindrical body with a cavity interposed between the inner side cylindrical body and the outer side cylindrical body, and a plurality of ribs that connect the inner side cylindrical body and the outer side cylindrical body.
However Tanaka teaches the container (1) includes an inner side cylindrical body (1a) that contains the motor, an outer side cylindrical body (3) that surrounds the inner side cylindrical body (1a) with a cavity interposed between the inner side cylindrical body (1a) and the outer side cylindrical body (3), and a plurality of ribs (4) that connect the inner side cylindrical body (1a) and the outer side cylindrical body (3) as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of improving cooling of electric machine and rigidity of ventilation cover.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Zhao in view of Petersen by using the container includes an inner side cylindrical body that contains the motor, an outer side cylindrical body that surrounds the inner side cylindrical body with a cavity interposed between the inner side cylindrical body and the outer side cylindrical body, and a plurality of ribs that connect the inner side cylindrical body and the outer side cylindrical body, as taught by Tanaka, to improve cooling of electric machine and rigidity of ventilation cover.
As to claim 3/2, Zhao and Petersen in view of Tanaka teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the plurality of ribs form a truss structure in a circumferential direction about an axis of the actuator.
However Tanaka teaches the plurality of ribs (4) form a truss structure in a circumferential direction about an axis of the actuator as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of improving cooling of electric machine and rigidity of ventilation cover.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Zhao in view of Tanaka by using the plurality of ribs form a truss structure in a circumferential direction about an axis of the actuator, as taught by Tanaka, to improve cooling of electric machine and rigidity of ventilation cover.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao (CN 211940993) and Petersen (US PG Pub 2006/0261690) as applied in claim 1 above, and further in view of Qu (CN102810943).
As to claim 6/1, Zhao in view of Petersen teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except further comprising a thermal conductive material with which a gap between the container and cylindrical portion of the housing is filled.
However Qu teaches a thermal conductive material (14) with which a gap between the container (1) and cylindrical portion of the housing (9) is filled as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of improving the performance of the motor.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Zhao in view of Petersen by using a thermal conductive material with which a gap between the container and cylindrical portion of the housing is filled, as taught by Qu, to improve the performance of the motor.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES whose telephone number is (571)270-7850. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:30-2:30 EST.
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/JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 February 25, 2026