DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the communication filed May 4, 2026 for the above identified patent application.
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 3, 6, 7, 8 and 10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on May 4, 2026. Note, claim 8 has been withdrawn by the examiner because the limitation “different types of power transmission paths” is shown in non-elected Figures 6-7 as described in section [0069] of the specification.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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, 2, 4, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Behar et. al. (WO 2008/112363).
Referring to Figure 4, Behar teaches an oscillation device comprising: a plurality of expansion and contraction devices (412A,414A,412B,414B) disposed between a first member (12, Fig. 1) and a second member (wing, Fig. 1) disposed to face each other, wherein the expansion and contraction device includes a first expansion and contraction portion (414A) that is capable of expanding and contracting between the first member and the second member, a second expansion and contraction portion (414B) that is capable of expanding and contracting between the first member and the second member, and a common driving source (300A) that supplies power to the first expansion and contraction portion and the second expansion and contraction portion.
Claim 2: Behar teaches 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 4: Behar teaches the first expansion and contraction portion has a first screw shaft (412A) and a first moving body (414A) 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 (412B) and a second moving body (414B) 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 (400A,410A) that transmits power of the driving source (300A) 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 (400B,410B) that transmits power of the driving source (300A) to the second screw shaft to rotate the second screw shaft is provided between the driving source and the second screw shaft.
Claim 9: Behar teaches an operation abnormality detection unit (802) that detects an operation abnormality of the first expansion and contraction portion and the 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Japanese reference 4-23284 (JP ‘284).
JP ‘284 teaches an oscillation device comprising: a plurality of expansion and contraction devices (22 left, 22 right) disposed between a first member (35 left) and a second member (35 right) disposed to face each other (Figs. 1-2), wherein the expansion and contraction device includes a first expansion and contraction portion (20 left) that is capable of expanding and contracting between the first member and the second member, a second expansion and contraction portion (20 right) that is capable of expanding and contracting between the first member and the second member, and a common driving source (30) that supplies power to the first expansion and contraction portion and the second expansion and contraction portion.
Claim 2: JP ‘284 teaches 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 4: JP ‘284 teaches the first expansion and contraction portion has a first screw shaft (22 left) and a first moving body (20 left) 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 right) and a second moving body (20 right) 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 (23 left) 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 (23 right) 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not teach the actuator arrangement of claim 1, including a common guide shaft disposed in the first screw shaft and the second screw shaft.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Note the cited references having two screw arrangements driven by a common drive source.
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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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