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 Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 1, line 3, the following should be deleted: “a soft actuator” and in its place the following should be inserted: “soft actuators”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 4 objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 4, the following should be deleted: “an tip” and in its place the following should be inserted: “a tip”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-9 are 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 1, what is the relationship between the “a plurality of fluid pressure actuators” (introduced in claim 1, line 1), the “the fluid pressure actuator” (introduced in claim 1, line 4), and the “other fluid pressure actuator” (introduced in claim 1, line 5)? Do the plurarity of fluid pressure actuators consist of 1) a fluid pressure actuator and 2) and other fluid pressure actuator? The wording here and manner in which each component is introduced needs to be more clear.
What is the relationship between the “a bottom view of the grasping device” introduced in claim 3, line 2 and claim 4, line 2, and the “a bottom view of the grasping device” introduced in claim 1, line 4?
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) 1-3, 5, and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Shin, JP 2008194788.
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Regarding claim 1, Shin discloses a grasping device (1) using a plurality of fluid pressure actuators (2,3) that are curved during contraction (see [0054], fig 8) , wherein the fluid pressure actuators (2,3) are a soft actuator (11, see [0048]), in a bottom view (shown from above in fig 9b) of the grasping device (1), a tip portion (adjacent 8) of the fluid pressure actuator (3) overlaps with a tip portion (as described above) of a other fluid pressure actuator (2) when each of the fluid pressure actuators contracts (see fig 9b).
Regarding claim 2, Shin discloses the grasping device (1) according to claim 1, the fluid pressure actuators (2,3) comprise: a tube (11) that is cylindrical (cylindrical tube) and expands and contracts under fluid pressure (see [0037]); and a sleeve (12) having a stretchable structures (mesh-like braded member – see fig 2-4) in which fiber cords oriented in a predetermined direction are woven and that covers an outer peripheral surface (see fig 6, [0038]) of the tube (11).
Regarding claim 3, Shin discloses the grasping device according to claim 1, wherein each of the fluid pressure actuators (2,3) is provided such that, in a bottom view of the grasping device (as described above), a straight line along an axial direction (vertically along axis of 3 in fig 9a) of the fluid pressure actuator (3) avoids intersection with a straight line along an axial direction (vertically along axis of 2) of the other fluid pressure actuator (2).
Regarding claims 5, 7-8, Shin discloses the grasping device according to claims 1-3,wherein the number of the fluid pressure actuators (2,3) is two or more and four or less (3 in fig 9a-b).
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) 4 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin in view of Li et al., US PGPub 2019/0001508.
Regarding claim 4, Shin discloses the grasping device according to claim 1 but does not specify the circumferential orientation of the fluid actuators.
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Li teaches a similar fluid actuator based gripper (1), wherein an proximal end portion (end adjacent 13, 23, 33 and 43) of each of the fluid pressure actuators (10, 20, 30, 40) is provided a circumference in a bottom view of the grasping device (see fig 3), and an tip portion (end of 13, 23, 33, and 43) each of the fluid pressure actuators (10,20,30,40) is directed to a position offset (see fig 1d) from a center of an arc forming the circumference when the fluid pressure actuator (10,20,30, 40) contracts. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to orient the fluid pressure actuators in the specified manner in order to improve the stability for gripping irregularly shaped objects.
Regarding claim 9, Shin discloses the grasping device according to claim 4,wherein the number of the fluid pressure actuators (2,3) is two or more and four or less (3 in fig 9a-b).
Claim(s) 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin in view of Ono, JP2021-88999.
Regarding claim 6, Shin discloses the grasping device according to claim 2 but does not specify the restricting member.
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Ono teaches a similar fluid pressure actuator (see fig 1), wherein the fluid pressure actuator (10) comprises a restricting member (150) provided inside in the sleeve (120) from one end to another end in the axial direction of the tube (see fig 1,4). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the restricting member described by Ono to the system disclosed by Shin in order to resist contraction in the axial direction and strengthen and stabilize the gripping member during motion.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A RIEGELMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7956. The examiner can normally be reached 8-6 EST Monday - Friday.
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MICHAEL A. RIEGELMAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/MICHAEL A RIEGELMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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