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 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 1-11 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "a third link connected to longitudinal upper and lower ends of the first link" in page 1, lines 18-19 of the claims. It is unclear whether the applicant is referring to “longitudinal upper and lower ends of the first link" introduced in page 1, lines 15-16 of the claims or if they are referring to a new element of the assembly. If it is the former, the limitation should read "a third link connected to the longitudinal upper and lower ends of the first link" otherwise clarification is need as this would clear up any confusion regarding the placement of the first and second links.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “such that a contact area with the asymmetrical object reaches a maximum” in page 2 lines 3-4 of the claims. It is unclear what is meant by “reaches a maximum”. Clarification is required as to what maximum is reach and whether it is pertinent to the ability to grip an asymmetrical object. Is there a maximum threshold that the gripper is intended to reach? If so, what unit of measurement does this threshold utilize?
Claims 3-11 are also rejected as they depend on claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (US 2022/0379496 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Choi et al. discloses an under-actuation type gripper capable of gripping asymmetrical objects (Fig. 1; ¶¶49-51, gripper 10), the under-actuation type gripper comprising: a frame providing a base surface (Fig. 1; Pg. 3, ¶50, housing 301 having a top surface); at least two or more finger portions provided on the frame in a form of facing each other (Fig. 1; Pg. 3, ¶50, at least two finger units 100) and having a finger tip at an end (Fig. 1; Pg. 3, ¶51, fingertip 200); and a driving portion mounted onto the frame and configured to provide a driving force to the finger portion so as to grip an object to be gripped (Fig. 1; Pg. 3, ¶50, driving unit 300), wherein the finger portion includes: a first link installed between the driving portion and the finger tip, providing a contact surface for the object to be gripped, and having at least one joint portion (Fig. 1; Pg. 3, ¶55, 57, link 114, 120 being joint-coupled and providing a contact surface); a second link connected to longitudinal upper and lower ends of the first link and forming a trapezoidal link mechanism with the first link (Fig. 1; Pg. 3, ¶¶52-53, four-bar link device 110); and a third link connected to longitudinal upper and lower ends of the first link, forming a double parallelogram link mechanism with the first link in a longitudinal direction of the first link, and being unlocked from the second link (Fig. 1, 5; Pg. 3, ¶60, parallelogrammic link device 130).
Regarding claim 2, Choi et al. discloses wherein the object to be gripped is provided as an asymmetrical object, wherein when the asymmetrical object is gripped by the at least two or more finger portions, the first link closely adheres to a surface of the asymmetrical object by the unlocking while adapting to the surface of the asymmetrical object such that a contact area with the asymmetrical object reaches a maximum (Fig. 9-11; Pg. 5, ¶84).
Regarding claim 3, Choi et al. discloses further comprising: a linear motion portion, wherein the linear motion portion is connected to the at least two or more finger portions, and linearly moves the at least two or more finger portions on the frame (Fig. 2-5; Pg. 5, ¶87, worm gear 320 and worm wheel 330 providing linear motion corresponding to a linear motion portion).
Regarding claim 4, Choi et al. discloses wherein the finger portion further includes a variable link, wherein the variable link is installed between the driving portion and the first link, and a position thereof is varied on the frame through a linear motion by the linear motion portion (Fig. 2-5; Pg. 5, ¶87, input link 111).
Regarding claim 5, Choi et al. discloses wherein the linear motion portion performs a linear motion through the variable link in a direction in which the at least two or more finger portions meet each other to form a closed mode, or performs a linear motion in a direction in which the at least two or more finger portions are away from each other to form an open mode (Fig. 2-5; Pg. 5, ¶90).
Regarding claim 6, Choi et al. discloses wherein the linear motion portion includes: a sliding axis (Fig. 2-5; Pg. 5, ¶90, worm gear 320); and a sliding block connected to the variable link and configured to receive a driving force from the driving portion to slide in a longitudinal direction of the sliding axis, thereby varying a position of the variable link (Fig. 2-5; Pg. 5, ¶90, worm gear 330 acting as a sliding block).
Regarding claim 7, Choi et al. discloses wherein the first link includes: a first-1 link having one longitudinal end connected to the variable link (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 3, ¶¶53-55, link 114 being connected to input link 111); and a first-2 link having one longitudinal end joint-coupled with an other longitudinal end of the first-1 link (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 3, ¶¶53-55, link 120 being connected to link 114), and the second link includes: a second-1 link having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, in which an end of the horizontal portion is connected to the variable link (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 3, ¶¶53-55, link 113); and a second-2 link having one longitudinal end joint-coupled with an other longitudinal end of the first-2 link, in which the longitudinal end is joint-coupled with an end of the vertical portion of the second-1 link, wherein the vertical portion of the second-1 link is equal to a length of the first-1 link or longer than the length of the first-1 link (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 3, ¶¶53-55, link 112).
Regarding claim 8, Choi et al. discloses wherein the third link includes: a third-1 link installed between the driving portion and the first-2 link and driven by the driving portion to operate the finger tip (Fig. 3, 5; Pg. 3, ¶¶61-66, fifth link 135); a third-2 link installed between the third-1 link and the first-2 link, in which both longitudinal ends thereof are joint-coupled to the third-1 link and the first-2 link (Fig. 3, 5; Pg. 3, ¶¶61-66, fourth link 135), respectively; a third-3 link having a bent portion rotatably connected to a first joint portion in which the first-1 link and the first-2 link are joint-coupled (Fig. 3, 5; Pg. 3, ¶¶61-66, third link 135); a third-4 link installed between the finger tip and the third-3 link and having one longitudinal end joint-coupled to the third-3 link (Fig. 3, 5; Pg. 3, ¶¶61-66, second link 135); and a third-5 link installed between the finger tip and the third-4 link and having both longitudinal ends joint-coupled to the finger tip and the third-4 link (Fig. 3, 5; Pg. 3, ¶¶61-66, first link 135), respectively.
Regarding claim 9, Choi et al. discloses wherein the first-2 link includes at least one joint portion in a longitudinal direction (Fig. 2, 5; Pg. 4, ¶68, elastic member 150).
Regarding claim 10, Choi et al. discloses wherein the driving portion includes one motor, and the at least two or more finger portions are under-actuated by the one motor (Fig. 1-2; Pg. 5, ¶¶87-89, motor 310).
Regarding claim 11, Choi et al. discloses wherein the object to be gripped includes an object placed on an inclined surface and an asymmetrical object (Fig. 9-17; Pg. 6, ¶95).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art references refer to grippers having at least two finger portions with finger tips. Furthermore, said finger portions comprise linkages which assist in the gripping of asymmetrical and flat and thin objects.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERMIA E MELIKA whose telephone number is (571)270-5162. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST and a flexed schedule on Fridays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST.
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/ERMIA E. MELIKA/ Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/Victoria P Augustine/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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