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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 32 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 32 recites the limitation " a sum of a depth (D) of the groove and an axial thickness (T) of the sensor is smaller than a height (H) of the first protrusion part." in lines 1-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 32 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted structural cooperative relationships are: between the groove and other elements of the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 29-32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang (KR 20190087821 A).
Regarding claim 29, Yang at fig. 1-6 discloses a sensing device comprising: a case including an upper case 10 and a lower case 20; a stator 50 disposed in the case; a rotor 30 disposed inside the stator; a main gear 90 which rotates in conjunction with the stator; a sub-gear 100 which rotates in conjunction with the main gear; a holder [portion of 100 for magnet 42, see fig. 4] disposed on the sub-gear; a magnet 42 disposed in the holder; and a substrate 60 including a sensor 80 disposed to correspond to the magnet [see fig. 4 as an example], wherein an opening is formed at one side the holder [opening as shown for 42], wherein a lower end of the sub-gear is supported by the lower case [20, see fig. 1], and wherein an upper end of the sub-gear is disposed in contact with the substrate [60, see fig. 6].
Regarding claim 30, Yang at fig. 1-6 discloses the sensing device of claim 29, wherein the sub-gear 100 includes: a body 101 having an outer circumferential surface on which gear teeth are formed [teeth at 101 as shown, fig. 7-9]; a first protrusion part 110 formed to protrude from one surface of the body toward the substrate 60 ; and a second protrusion part [another 110, see fig. 7] formed to protrude from the other surface of the body, and wherein an end portion of the first protrusion part is in contact with the substrate [fig. 6 as an example].
Regarding claim 31, Yang at fig. 1-6 discloses the sensing device of claim 29, wherein the sub-gear 100 includes: a body 101 having an outer circumferential surface on which gear teeth are formed; and a first protrusion part 110 formed to protrude from one surface of the body toward the substrate, wherein an end portion of the first protrusion part is in contact with the substrate [fig. 6 as an example], and wherein the magnet 42 is disposed to face the sensor through a hole [hole for 42 in 100 as shown] formed in the body 101.
Regarding claim 32, as best understood by the Examiner, Yang at fig. 1-6 discloses the sensing device of claim 31, wherein a sum of a depth (D) [depth of one of the notch/groove as shown for 60 in fig. 2] of the groove and an axial thickness (T) [thickness of 80 as shown at fig. 2-4] of the sensor 80 is smaller than a height (H) [height of 110 as shown at fig. 4] of the first protrusion part 110.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-28 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: No prior art has been found that meets the limitations of claim 17 calling for a sensing device comprising: a case; a rotor; a stator; a main gear; a sub-gear; a magnet; and a substrate including a sensor disposed to face the magnet, wherein the sub-gear is provided with a first protrusion part protruding toward the substrate, and wherein a groove is formed in the substrate to accommodate an end portion of the first protrusion part, as further defined. Dependent claims 18-28 are also allowed.
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Conclusion
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/PARESH PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
June 11, 2026
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