DETAILED ACTION
This is the First Office Action in response to the above identified patent
application filed on August 3, 2026.
Allowable Subject Matter
The indicated allowability of claim 5 (as originally filed) is withdrawn in view of the newly discovered reference(s) to Erokmaki (USP 7,616,255). Rejections based on the newly cited reference(s) follow.
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 § 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 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Erokmaki (USP 7,616,255).
Erokmaki teaches an oscillation device (10) comprising: a plurality of expansion and contraction devices disposed between a first member (top portion of 28 in Frig. 2) and a second member (lower portion of 28 in Fig. 2) disposed to face each other, wherein the expansion and contraction device includes a first expansion and contraction portion (18) that is capable of expanding and contracting (move up or down in Fig. 2) between the first member and the second member, a second expansion and contraction portion (24) that is capable of expanding and contracting (move up or down in Fig. 2) between the first member and the second member, and a common driving source (12 that supplies power to the first expansion and contraction portion and the second expansion and contraction portion, wherein the first expansion and contraction portion has a first screw shaft (16) and a first moving body (18) that is screwed to a screw portion of the first screw shaft and is movable in an axial direction of the first screw shaft, the second expansion and contraction portion has a second screw shaft (22) and a second moving body that is screwed to a screw portion of the second screw shaft and is movable in an axial direction of the second screw shaft, a first power transmission system (upper portion of clutch member 20a which engages the first screw shaft 16 in Figs 2-3) that transmits power of the driving source to the first screw shaft to rotate the first screw shaft is provided between the driving source and the first screw shaft, and a second power transmission system (lower portion of clutch member 20a which engages the first screw shaft 18 in Figs 2-3) that transmits power of the driving source to the second screw shaft to rotate the second screw shaft is provided between the driving source and the second screw shaft, and the first screw shaft and the second screw shaft are disposed in a straight line (along axis 31), and a common guide shaft (30) is disposed in the first screw shaft and the second screw shaft.
Claim 2: Erokmaki illustrates the first expansion and contraction portion and the second expansion and contraction portion are disposed in series between the first member and the second member.
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) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Erokmaki (USP 7,616,255), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Behar et al. (WO 2008/112363).
Erokmaki does not teach an operation abnormality detection unit or a control unit that controls the driving source based on a detection result of the operation abnormality detection unit. Behar teaches a similar oscillation device (as described in the claim rejection of 6/15/26) having an operation abnormality detection unit (802) that detects an operation abnormality of a first expansion and contraction portion and a second expansion and contraction portion (such as measuring motor current, motor speed, actuator position, and actuator speed); and a control unit (100) that controls the driving source (by controlling the position of clutch member 812A) based on a detection result of the operation abnormality detection unit, wherein when the operation abnormality detection unit detects the operation abnormality of any one of the first expansion and contraction portion and the second expansion and contraction portion (such as jamming), the control unit controls an amount of expansion and contraction of the other of the first expansion and contraction portion and the second expansion and contraction portion by the driving source. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed device to provide the oscillating device of Erokmaki with an operation abnormality detection, as taught by Behar et al., motivation being to better control and monitor the operation of the oscillating device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM C JOYCE whose telephone number is (571)272-7107. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached at 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM C JOYCE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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