DETAILED ACTION
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 13 is 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.
In claim 13, it is not clear what "elastically deforming when pressed by the first drive member that leaves the second drive member along the first direction" encompasses.
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 –
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, 6, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being disclosed by Saegesser et al. (2017/0173711).
Saegesser et al. discloses the invention including: a motor 48; a drive mechanism (see Fig. 4), connected to the motor and operating a tip tool (see para. 0005); and a case 76, accommodating the drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to comprise: a first drive member 54, rotationally driven by the motor about an axis extending in a first direction 30; a second drive member 56, reciprocally driven by the first drive member and capable of holding the tip tool; and a support member (32 and 74), at least partially positioned between the first drive member and the second drive member in the first direction in the case (see Fig. 2), restricting movement of the first drive member in the first direction, and supporting the second drive member so that the second drive member is reciprocally drivable; wherein the second drive member extends in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction (see Fig. 2), and the second drive member reciprocates 36 in the second direction in response to operation of the drive mechanism; and the tip tool is connected to one end 46 of the second drive member, and the other end of the second drive member is movably guided in the second direction by the second receiving part; wherein the support member is configured as a single component (see Fig. 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 14 is allowed.
Claims 3-5, 7-10, and 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OMAR FLORES SANCHEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-4507. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Thursday8:00-4:00 pm.
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/OMAR FLORES SANCHEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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