DETAILED ACTION
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) 1-3, 5, 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Johnson et al 12453999.
Johnson et al disclose the claimed invention as recited in the claims as shown below:
1. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device for driving interchangeable pulling and pressing tools, with
- a drive unit [[(4) ]]comprising a battery 62 operated electric motor 26 [[(3) ]]and
- a screw drive [[(5) ]]with a threaded spindle 186 [[(7) ]]connected to the electric motor 26 [[(3)]] and mounted rotatably on a housing body 166 [[(6) ]]and a threaded nut 182 [[(9)]] mounted rotatably on the threaded spindle [[(7) ]]and non-rotatably on the housing body [[(6) ]]via a bearing unit 1000 [[ (8)]],
characterized bywherein
- a coupling unit 50 [[(11)] Ilis connected to a tool holder[[ (10)]], which is connected to the threaded nut [[(9) ]]in such a way that tensile and compressive forces resulting from the direction of rotation of the threaded spindle [[(7) ]]are transmitted to the coupling unit[[ (11)]].
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2. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to claim 1, characterized in thatwherein the screw drive [[(5) ]]is designed as a ball screw drive 186 or planetary screw drive.
3. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to claim 1[[ or 2]], characterized in thatwherein an adapter unit 54 [[(12) ]]for transmitting tensile and compressive forces from the threaded nut [[(9) ]]to the coupling unit[[ (11)]], having a first and a second connecting element (15,16)which are operatively connected to a first end face [[(13) ]]of the threaded nut [[(9) ]]and to a second end face [[(14) ]]of the threaded nut [[(9) ]]and the coupling unit [[(11) ]]and which are connected to one another.
5. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to one or more of the preceding claimsclaim 1, characterized in thatwherein the coupling unit [[(11) ]]is designed for detachable connection to the tool holder[[ (10)]]. See elements 50 and 54 which are detachable
13. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to one or more of the preceding claimsclaim 1, characterized in thatwherein the drive unit [[(4) ]]has a gear 74 &78 [[(22)]] connecting the electric motor [[(3) ]]and the threaded spindle[[ (7)]].
14. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to one or more of the preceding claimsclaim 1, characterized in thatwherein the drive unit [[(4) ]]is connected to a control unit which is designed for
- controlling of the pulling and pressing operations and/or
- archiving of the pulling and pressing operations. (6) The present invention provides, in yet another aspect, a power tool including an output shaft configured to actuate along a drive axis, an input device configured to adjust an operating mode of the power tool, and a motor coupled to the output shaft.
See the controller mentioned below: The motor includes a stator and a rotor that rotates about a motor axis. The tool further includes a current sensor configured to detect a current of the motor and a controller coupled to the input device. The motor, the current sensor, and the controller are configured to receive, from the input device, an input indicative of the operating mode of the power tool, determine the power tool is operating in a force-based operating mode, operate the motor to actuate the output shaft, determine a derivative of the current of the motor, compare the derivative of the current of the motor to a current threshold, and stop, in response to the derivative of the current of the motor being greater than or equal to the current threshold, operation of the motor.
15. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to one or more of the preceding claimsclaim 1, characterized in thatwherein the control unit is connected to a sensor unit for monitoring the pulling and compression operations.
See Sensor below: (5) The present invention provides, in another aspect, a blind rivet nut-setting tool including an output shaft configured to actuate along a drive axis, an input device configured to adjust an operating mode of the power tool, a distance-setting device configured to set an amount of actuation of the output shaft, and a motor coupled to the output shaft. The motor has a stator and a rotor that rotates about a motor axis. The tool further includes a position sensor configured to detect a position of the rotor; and a controller coupled to the input device. The distance-setting device, the motor, the position sensor, and the controller are configured to receive, from the input device, an input indicative of the operating mode of the power tool, determine the power tool is operating in a distance-based operating mode, determine a value of the distance-setting device, determine a distance to pull a rivet nut coupled to the output shaft based on the value of the distance-setting device, operate the motor to actuate the output shaft, determine, based on the position of the rotor, a number of rotations of the rotor, compare the number of rotations of the rotor to a rotation threshold that corresponds to the distance to pull the rivet nut, and stop, in response to the number of rotations of the rotor being greater than or equal to the rotation threshold, operation of the motor.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5, 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Mori 2020/0238489 A1.
Mori discloses the claimed invention as recited in the claims as shown below:
1. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device for driving interchangeable pulling and pressing tools, with
- a drive unit [[(4) ]]comprising a battery Par.0051 operated electric motor 9 and 12 [[(3) ]]and
- a screw drive [[(5) ]]with a threaded spindle 36 [[(7) ]]connected to the electric motor [[(3)]] and mounted rotatably on a housing body See Fig.1 [[(6) ]]and a threaded nut 44 [[(9)]] mounted rotatably on the threaded spindle [[(7) ]]and non-rotatably on the housing body [[(6) ]]via a bearing unit 2000 [[ (8)]],
characterized bywherein
- a coupling unit 4000 [[(11)] Ilis connected to a tool holder[[ (10)]], which is connected to the threaded nut [[(9) ]]in such a way that tensile and compressive forces resulting from the direction of rotation of the threaded spindle [[(7) ]]are transmitted to the coupling unit[[ (11)]].
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2. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to claim 1, characterized in thatwherein the screw drive [[(5) ]]is designed as a ball screw drive 36 or planetary screw drive.
3. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to claim 1[[ or 2]], characterized in thatwherein an adapter unit 5000 [[(12) ]]for transmitting tensile and compressive forces from the threaded nut [[(9) ]]to the coupling unit[[ (11)]], having a first and a second connecting element (15,16)which are operatively connected to a first end face [[(13) ]]of the threaded nut [[(9) ]]and to a second end face [[(14) ]]of the threaded nut [[(9) ]]and the coupling unit [[(11) ]]and which are connected to one another.
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5. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to one or more of the preceding claimsclaim 1, characterized in thatwherein the coupling unit [[(11) ]]is designed for detachable connection to the tool holder[[ (10)]]. See elements 50 and 54 which are detachable
13. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to one or more of the preceding claimsclaim 1, characterized in thatwherein the drive unit [[(4) ]]has a gear 15 and 19 [[(22)]] connecting the electric motor [[(3) ]]and the threaded spindle[[ (7)]].
14. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to one or more of the preceding claimsclaim 1, characterized in thatwherein the drive unit [[(4) ]]is connected to a control unit Par. 0043 which is designed for
15. (Currently Amended) Hand-held pulling and compression device according to one or more of the preceding claimsclaim 1, characterized in thatwherein the control unit is connected to a sensor unit for monitoring the pulling and compression operations.
See Sensor below: (5) The present invention provides, in another aspect, a blind rivet nut-setting tool including an output shaft configured to actuate along a drive axis, an input device configured to adjust an operating mode of the power tool, a distance-setting device configured to set an amount of actuation of the output shaft, and a motor coupled to the output shaft. The motor has a stator and a rotor that rotates about a motor axis. The tool further includes a position sensor configured to detect a position of the rotor; and a controller coupled to the input device. The distance-setting device, the motor, the position sensor, and the controller are configured to receive, from the input device, an input indicative of the operating mode of the power tool, determine the power tool is operating in a distance-based operating mode, determine a value of the distance-setting device, determine a distance to pull a rivet nut coupled to the output shaft based on the value of the distance-setting device, operate the motor to actuate the output shaft, determine, based on the position of the rotor, a number of rotations of the rotor, compare the number of rotations of the rotor to a rotation threshold that corresponds to the distance to pull the rivet nut, and stop, in response to the number of rotations of the rotor being greater than or equal to the rotation threshold, operation of the motor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-17 are allowed.
Claims 6-12 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/20/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The claims are in condition for allowance because the device does not compress.
The Applicant states that the device is allowable because it compresses: however, the claim does not recite any structure that compress that would be different for the tensile forces.
There is not recited structure that performs compressing. Therefore the prior art meets having a coupling unit.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 LEE D WILSON whose telephone number is (571)272-4499. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 6;30-4;30.
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LEE D. WILSON
Examiner
Art Unit 3723
Ldw
/LEE D WILSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723 August 16, 2025
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