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 is objected to because of the following informalities: “A spoon-shaped” should be –a spoon-shaped--. There is no need for capitalization. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1, 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable and obvious over Curhan et al. (US Pub No: 2019/0143538 A1, hereinafter Curhan).
Regarding Claim 1:
Curhan discloses:
A grasping device using a plurality of fluid pressure actuators that are curved during contraction, wherein the fluid pressure actuators are a flexible soft actuator. Paragraph [0059] describes a soft robotic actuator finger 100 that contracts upon a change in fluid pressure. The contraction causes curling in one direction or another.
A spoon-shaped housing portion is provided at a tip portion of each of the fluid pressure actuators. Paragraph [0046] and figure 1A describes accordion extensions 104 that allows the actuator to bend or flex when inflate3d or deflated.
and a partition plate is provided to close an opening surface of the housing portion when the fluid pressure actuator is non-curved or curved. Paragraph [0049] and figures 1A and 1C describe a valve 116 that allows fluid to enter an actuator. The flexible tubing 118 is also attached to an inflator valve 124 to regulate the supply of inflation fluid at the location. As is well known in the art, some valves have plates that can open and close to regulate fluids. Therefore, this meets the claim.
Curhan does not explicitly disclose a partition plate because Curhan instead discloses a valve. However, the partition plate described in the invention is used to regulate the flow of fluid pressure, and likewise, the valve of Curhan accomplishes this same functional outcome, and both structures (partition plate and valve) are well known in the art since many valve systems for fluids also include a plate to regulate flow. Therefore, the Office finds that the valve of Curhan is an equivalent element found in the prior art useful for the same purpose as the claimed partition plate, and one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing, with a reasonable expectation for success, would find it obvious to substitute the valve of Curhan with a partition plate, since their structural equivalency is recognized in the prior art and is not based solely on the application's disclosure. See MPEP 2144.06 (II) for further details ("Art Recognized Equivalence for the Same Purpose")."
Regarding Claim 3:
Curhan discloses:
The grasping device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid pressure actuator is provided on both sides of the partition plate. Paragraph [0049] and figure 1A describes a valve 116 that allows fluid to enter the actuator 100 and can also exit if the valve is opened.
The reason to add a partition plate is for the same reason as described in claim 1.
Regarding Claim 4:
Curhan discloses:
The grasping device according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate forms a plurality of spaces, and the fluid pressure actuators are provided respectively in the plurality of spaces partitioned by the partition plate. Paragraph [0101] and figure 1A describes actuators 100 that are displaced around the gripper allowing it to curl. These are placed between the valve 116 and the inflator valve 124 shown in figure 1C.
The reason to add a partition plate is for the same reason as described in claim 1.
Claim(s) 2 and 5 – 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Curhan in view of Kanesugi (US Pub No: 2021/0395927 A1, hereinafter Kanesugi)
Regarding Claim 2:
Curhan discloses:
The grasping device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid pressure actuators comprise: a tube that is cylindrical, and expands and contracts under fluid pressure. Paragraph [0049] and figure 1A describes a flexible tubing 118 that has a fluidic connection to the actuator which allows the tube to expand/contract.
Curhan does not disclose a sleeve that covers a surface of a tube.
Kanesugi, in an analogous field of endeavor, teaches:
and a sleeve having a stretchable structure in which fiber cords oriented in a predetermined direction are woven and that covers an outer peripheral surface of the tube. Paragraph [0002] describes a sleeve that is a cylindrical structure woven by high tensile strength fiber cords that regulates expansion movements of the tube.
Therefore, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date, with a reasonable expectation for success, to have modified Curhan to incorporate the teachings of Kanesugi to show a sleeve that covers a surface of a tube. One would have been motivated to do so that the fluid tube is protected from sharp objects, dirt, debris and other contaminants.
Regarding Claim 5:
Curhan discloses:
The grasping device according to claim 2, wherein the fluid pressure actuators comprise a restricting member provided inside in the sleeve from one end to another end in the axial direction of the tube. Figure 1A and 1C show a valve 116 and inflator valve 124 that controls the fluid flow through the flexible tubing 118. This is equivalent to the claim because the fluid flow restricts flow in the tube.
Regarding Claim 6:
Curhan discloses:
The grasping device according to claim 2, wherein the fluid pressure actuator is provided on both sides of the partition plate. Paragraph [0049] and figure 1A describes a valve 116 that allows fluid to enter the actuator 100 and can also exit if the valve is opened.
The reason to add a partition plate is for the same reason as described in claim 1.
Regarding Claim 7:
Curhan discloses:
The grasping device according to claim 2, wherein the partition plate forms a plurality of spaces, and the fluid pressure actuators are provided respectively in the plurality of spaces partitioned by the partition plate. Paragraph [0101] and figure 1A describes actuators 100 that are displaced around the gripper allowing it to curl. These are placed between the valve 116 and the inflator valve 124 shown in figure 1C.
The reason to add a partition plate is for the same reason as described in claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Miyoshi (US Pub No: 2025/0153371 A1): When each of the fluid pressure actuators contracts, the fluid pressure actuator of the grasping device is provided so that a tip portion of one of the fluid pressure actuators approaches a tip portion of other fluid pressure actuators, and a soft member is provided in a space on a proximal end portion side of the fluid pressure actuator surrounded by the plurality of the fluid pressure actuators.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY KHANDPUR whose telephone number is (571)272-5090. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 - 6:30.
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/JAY KHANDPUR/Examiner, Art Unit 3658