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 17 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 17 Line 3: The recitation “a drive member” should be amended to --the drive member--, since this is a subsequent recitation of the drive member (previously recited in claim 1).
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 11 and 13 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 11 Lines 2-3: The recitation “the second toggle block is spaced apart from or is in contact with an end wall surface of the second toggle slot” is indefinite. It is unclear how the recitation is meant to further limit the claim, as “spaced apart” or “in contact” must always occur.
Claim 13 Lines 2-3: The recitation “the first toggle block is spaced apart from or is in contact with an end wall surface of the first toggle slot” is indefinite. It is unclear how the recitation is meant to further limit the claim, as “spaced apart” or “in contact” must always occur.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-3, 10-14, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Storch (US 2023/0119123).
Regarding Claim 1, Storch discloses a transmission device (1) with a reverse braking function, comprising:
A housing seat (2) having a seat hole (see Fig. 1).
A driven shaft (12) rotatably coupled with the housing seat and at least partially supported in the seat hole (see Figs. 2-3).
A brake block (11) arranged on the driven shaft and rotatable together with the driven shaft (see Fig. 1), the brake block being movable relative to the driven shaft between a braking position where the brake block abuts against the housing seat (see [0050]-[0053], disclosing that the friction surface 5 of the brake block can be radially moved relative to the driven shaft such that the friction surfaces of the brake block and housing seat are in contact with one another) and a release position where the brake block is separated from the housing seat (see Fig. 2).
An elastic member (9) coupled to the driven shaft and the brake block (see Fig. 1), the elastic member configured to press the brake block towards the braking position (see [0050]-[0053]).
A drive member (6) coupled to the driven shaft (see Figs. 1 and 2, showing coupling through pints 7).
Wherein, when the drive member rotates, the brake block moves to the release position relative to the driven shaft so that the drive member drives the driven shaft and the brake block to rotate together (see Fig. 2; see also [0055]).
When the drive member stops rotating, the elastic member pushes the brake block to the braking position to prevent the driven shaft and the brake block from rotating together (see [0053]).
Storch teaches that the driven shaft is the input (i.e. is driving the mechanism) and that the drive member is the output. One having ordinary skill in the art would have readily appreciated that applying a sufficient torque using an electric motor to the drive member would cause the no-back style clutch to operate in the same manner, driving the pins (7) into the notches (8), causing the brake block to move radially towards the driven shaft, thereby causing the two friction surfaces to break contact with each other.
According it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify transmission device disclosed in Storch such that the input and output sides are flipped with drive member (6) becoming the input, and the driven shaft (12) becoming the output.1
Regarding Claim 2, Storch further discloses the transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the driven shaft is provided with a toggle slot (8), and the drive member is provided with a toggle block (7), and wherein the toggle block is fitted in the toggle slot and is movable along a circumferential direction of the driven shaft (see Fig. 2).
Wherein, when the drive member rotates, the toggle block overcomes an elastic force of the elastic member and pushes the brake block to the release position to drive the driven shaft to rotate together with the brake block (see [0055]).
Regarding Claim 3, Storch further discloses the transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the driven shaft is provided with a toggle slot (8), and the drive member is provided with a toggle block (7), and wherein the toggle block is fitted in the toggle slot and is movable along a circumferential direction of the driven shaft (see Fig. 2).
Wherein, when the drive member rotates, the toggle block drives the driven shaft to rotate to make the brake block overcome an elastic force of the elastic member and move to the release position (see [0055]), so that the toggle block drives the driven shaft to rotate together with the brake block (see Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 10, Storch discloses the transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the driven shaft is provided with a first toggle slot (9) and a second toggle slot (9) (see Fig. 1).
Wherein the drive member is provided with a first toggle block (7) and a second toggle block (7) (see Fig. 1).
Wherein the first toggle block is fitted in the first toggle slot and is movable along a circumferential direction of the driven shaft (see Fig. 2), and the second toggle block is fitted in the second toggle slot and is movable along the circumferential direction of the driven shaft (see Fig. 2).
Wherein the brake block corresponds to the first toggle slot, and when the drive member rotates along a first direction, the first toggle block overcomes an elastic force of the elastic member and pushes the brake block to the release position (see Fig. 2; see also [0050]-[0053]).
Regarding Claim 11, Storch further discloses the transmission device according to claim 10, wherein, when the brake block moves to the release position, the second toggle block is spaced apart from or is in contact with an end wall surface of the second toggle slot (see Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 12, Storch (Embodiment of Figs. 1-3) does not disclose that rotation in the second direction for the transmission device according to claim 10 causes the brake block to release.
However, Storch (Embodiment Fig. 4) discloses this function. A remapping of Claims 1 and 10 to the Fig. 4 Embodiment, would naturally flow from the mapping of the Figs. 1-3 Embodiment, and will be readily apparent when viewing Fig. 4. The mapping difference (in Claim 10) is that the first slot and second slots are on the same element 11 (e.g. the top left one as the figure is oriented), but on different radial sides. Wherein, when the drive member rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the second toggle block drives the driven shaft to rotate in the second direction, and the brake block overcomes the elastic force of the elastic member and moves to the release position (see Fig. 4, showing that as with the Figs. 1-3 embodiment, entering the slot causes the brake to release, and since the slots are on my radial ends of the brake block, rotation in the second direction will cause a release similar to the release when rotating in the first direction).
Regarding Claim 13, Storch (Embodiment Fig. 4) further discloses the transmission device according to claim 12, wherein, when the brake block moves to the release position, the first toggle block is spaced apart from or is in contact with an end wall surface of the first toggle slot (Note this condition is always true, and accordingly is met; see Fig. 4, showing release when in contact).
Regarding Claim 14, Storch further discloses the transmission device according to claim 10, wherein there is one first toggle slot, one second toggle slot, one first toggle block, one second toggle block, one brake block, and one elastic member (see Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 19, Storch discloses a transmission device (1), comprising:
A driven member (12).
A brake member (11) arranged on the driven member and rotatable together with the driven member (see Fig. 1), the brake member being movable relative to the driven member between a braking position that prevents the driven member from rotating together with the brake member and a release position that allows the driven member to rotate together with the brake member (see [0050]-[0053], disclosing that the friction surface 5 of the brake block can be radially moved relative to the driven shaft such that the friction surfaces of the brake block and housing seat are in contact with one another).
An elastic member (9) configured to press the brake member towards the braking position (see [0050]-[0053]).
A drive member (6) configured to drive the driven member to rotate, wherein, when the drive member rotates, the brake member overcomes an elastic force of the elastic member and moves relative to the driven member from the braking position to the release position, so that the drive member drives the driven member to rotate together with the brake member (see Fig. 2; see also [0055]).
When the drive member stops rotating, the elastic member pushes the brake member from the release position to the braking position (see [0053]).
Storch teaches that the driven member is the input (i.e. is driving the mechanism) and that the drive member is the output. One having ordinary skill in the art would have readily appreciated that applying a sufficient torque using an electric motor to the drive member would cause the no-back style clutch to operate in the same manner, driving the pins (7) into the notches (8), causing the brake block to move radially towards the driven shaft, thereby causing the two friction surfaces to break contact with each other.
According it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify transmission device disclosed in Storch such that the input and output sides are flipped with drive member (6) becoming the input, and the driven member (12) becoming the output.2
Regarding Claim 20, Storch discloses a transmission device (1), comprising:
A rotatable driven member (12).
A brake member (11) arranged on the driven member (see Fig. 1), the brake member being movable relative to the driven member between a braking position that prevents the driven member from rotating and a release position that allows the driven member to rotate (see [0050]-[0053]), wherein in a radial direction of the driven member, the brake member when in the braking position is further away from a rotation center of the driven member than when in the release position (see [0050]-[0053], disclosing the radial movement of the brake member relative to the rotatable driven member when moving from break to release positions) or when the brake member moves from the release position towards the braking position, the brake member moves along a circumferential direction of the driven member and moves outwards along the radial direction of the driven member at the same time; or when the brake member moves from the release position towards the braking position, a motion trajectory of the brake member is a spiral or a cam contour gradually expanding radially outwards along the circumferential direction of the driven member (Note: since the first condition of the “or” statement is met the second condition does not need to be met).
A spring (9), having a first end coupled to the brake member and a second end coupled to the driven member (see Fig. 1), and configured to press the brake member towards the braking position (see [0050]-[0053]).
A rotatable drive member (6), wherein when the drive member rotates (see Fig. 1), the drive member causes the brake member to move from the braking position to the release position against an elastic force of the spring (see Fig. 2; see also [0050]-[0053]), to drive the driven member to rotate together with the brake member (see [0050]-[0053]), and when the drive member stops rotating, the spring pushes the brake member from the release position to the braking position to prevent the driven member from rotating together with the brake member (see [0050]-[0053]).
Storch teaches that the driven shaft is the input (i.e. is driving the mechanism) and that the drive member is the output. One having ordinary skill in the art would have readily appreciated that applying a sufficient torque using an electric motor to the drive member would cause the no-back style clutch to operate in the same manner, driving the pins (7) into the notches (8), causing the brake block to move radially towards the driven shaft, thereby causing the two friction surfaces to break contact with each other.
According it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify transmission device disclosed in Storch such that the input and output sides are flipped with drive member (6) becoming the input, and the driven shaft (12) becoming the output.3
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Storch (US 2023/0119123) in view of Kassow (10,919,159).
Regarding Claim 17, Storch further discloses a joint module (see Fig. 1, showing a rotatory joint), comprising: the transmission device according to claim 1; and a drive and actuator (see [0060]), but not specifically a motor and motor shaft. However, Kassow teaches in a similar rotary joint (see Fig. 3), having a motor (140), a motor shaft (3) of the motor being coupled to a drive member (7) of the transmission device to drive the drive member to rotate.
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 joint module disclosed in Storch with a motor and motor shaft as taught in Kassow to provide a well-known and tested powered means for driving the joint.
Regarding Claim 18, Storch does not disclose the joint module accordingly to claim 17 being used in a robotic arm.
However, Kassow teaches a similar rotary joint being used in a robotic arm (see Fig. 1).
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 rotary joint as taught in Storch in a robotic arm as taught in Kassow to provide increased utility to the joint by allowing for its use in different applications, resulting in increased sales of the joint, further this would result in a lower cost for producing the robotic arm, as an existing joint could be used, reducing the manufacturing and engineering costs.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9 and 15-16 are 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY WEBER whose telephone number is (571)272-3307. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM - 5PM M-F.
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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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/GREGORY ROBERT WEBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
1 See MPEP 2144.04 (VI)(A) Reversal of Parts
2 See MPEP 2144.04 (VI)(A) Reversal of Parts
3 See MPEP 2144.04 (VI)(A) Reversal of Parts