Detailed Action
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-10 of U.S. Application 18/715,159 filed on May 31,2024 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/31/2024 and 12/23/2025 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.
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 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.
Claims 1, 2, and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being unpatentable over Madden et al (US Pat No. 6880408).
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Prior Art: Madden
Regarding claim 1, Madden discloses a displacement detection device (figs 1-7) for detecting displacement of a second member (120) relative to a first member (110) in a predetermined direction (such as axial direction), the displacement detection device comprising: a first plate member (130) configured to extend in the predetermined direction; a second plate member (140) configured to extend in the predetermined direction; and a sensor (150) configured to detect displacement (col 4 lines 47-55 discloses being a displacement sensor), wherein both end portions of the first plate member and both end portions of the second plate member are connected to each other (shown in fig 1 as being connected), each of the first plate member and the second plate member includes, as both the end portions, a first end portion (ends of 1 and 4) attached to the first member and a second end portion (ends of 3 and 6) attached to the second member, and further includes an intermediate portion (portions of 2 and 5) interposed between both the end portions, a gap (shown in figs 1-3 having gap) is formed between the intermediate portion of the first plate member and the intermediate portion of the second plate member, the sensor detects a change in the gap (figs 1-3 and col 4 lines 47- 64 discloses detecting change in the gap), and when the second member is displaced in the predetermined direction (col 6 lines 20-32 discloses displacement in the axial direction), an amount of the change in the gap is larger than an amount of displacement of the second member (col 4 lines 47-col 5 lines 30 discloses the change in the gap is larger than the displacement).
Regarding claim 2, Madden discloses wherein each of the intermediate portion of the first plate member and the intermediate portion of the second plate member includes: a holding portion configured to hold the sensor (shown in fig 1 as at 2 and 5); a first inclined portion (1 and 4) located between the holding portion and the first end portion and inclined with respect to the predetermined direction; and a second inclined portion (3 and 6) located between the holding portion and the second end portion and inclined with respect to the predetermined direction (shown in fig 1 as between the immediate portion).
Regarding claim 5, Madden discloses a fixing portion configured to fix the first end portion of the first plate member and the first end portion of the second plate member to each other (shown in figs 1-3 as the end portions are integrated together. Therefore, there are integrated holding portions).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 6, and 8-10 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.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest a displacement detection device for detecting displacement of a second member relative to a first member in a predetermined direction, the displacement detection device comprising: wherein each of the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion has one or more holes in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest a displacement detection device for detecting displacement of a second member relative to a first member in a predetermined direction, the displacement detection device comprising: each of the intermediate portion of the first plate member and the intermediate portion of the second plate member includes :a holding portion configured to hold the sensor; and one or more holes formed in a portion other than the holding portion in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest a displacement detection device for detecting displacement of a second member relative to a first member in a predetermined direction, the displacement detection device comprising: the fixing portion includes a first fixing member and a second fixing member that are configured to sandwich and press the two first end portions against each other, and the second fixing member positions the first fixing member by being brought into contact with the first fixing member in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest a displacement detection device for detecting displacement of a second member relative to a first member in a predetermined direction, the displacement detection device comprising: each of the intermediate portion of the first plate member and the intermediate portion of the second plate member includes: a holding portion configured to hold the sensor; a first inclined portion located between the holding portion and the first end portion and inclined with respect to the predetermined direction; and a second inclined portion located between the holding portion and the second end portion and inclined with respect to the predetermined direction, and wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor whose capacitance value changes in accordance with a change in distance between a pair of opposing electrodes, and
a length of each of the opposing electrodes in a width direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction is longer than a length of the first inclined portion and a length of the second inclined portion in the width direction in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest a displacement detection device for detecting displacement of a second member relative to a first member in a predetermined direction, the displacement detection device comprising: each of the intermediate portion of the first plate member and the intermediate portion of the second plate member includes a holding portion configured to hold the sensor, the sensor is a capacitive sensor whose capacitance value changes in accordance with a change in distance between a pair of opposing electrodes, and the holding portion is reinforced by a reinforcing plate in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claims 9 and 10 are also objected to as they depend on claim 8.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fan et al (US Pat No.9719826): discloses flow sensor with displacement.
Yoshiya et al (USPGPub 20180017369): discloses displacement sensor with soft magnetic material.
Conclusion
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/DOMINIC E HAWKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858