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 § 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.
Claims 1, 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hiroshi (JP 2-281102 A) in view of Yasuto (JP 2000-161901).
Regarding claim 1, Hiroshi discloses:
A displacement detection device (see FIG 2), comprising:
a stylus (tip 74 and rod connected to tip);
a rotating member 72 that supports the stylus and rotates with a fulcrum as a base point when the stylus contacts a measurement target;
a shaft 76 on which a scale 79 is provided;
an actuation conversion mechanism 71, 71a, 75 and 77 that converts the rotation of the rotating member upon contact of the stylus with the measurement target into axial motion of the shaft; and
a sensor 78 that detects displacement of the scale.
However, Hiroshi does not disclose a detachable stylus as claimed. Yasuto discloses a detachable stylus 8 that may be replaced in accordance with what is being measured (see [0012] of translation provided by the Applicant). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use a replaceable stylus as taught by Yasuto in combination with the device of Hiroshi for the purpose of customizing the combined device for different applications.
Regarding claims 5 and 6, these features are also disclosed in FIG 2 of Hiroshi.
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hiroshi and Yasuto as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hideji (JP 2021-71376).
Hiroshi and Yasuto disclose the invention substantially as claimed. However, neither Hiroshi nor Yasuto disclose the scale with a pattern as claimed or the arch-shaped support portion as claimed. Hideji discloses a scale 320 with a pattern for the purpose of detecting the displacement of a stylus. Hideji further discloses an arch-shaped support 200, 210 for the purpose of supporting a stylus. Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use the features taught by Hideji in conjunction with the devices of Hiroshi and Yasuto for the purpose of customizing the combined device based on manufacturer and/or end-user preferences.
Conclusion
Claims 7-10 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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to G. BRADLEY BENNETT whose telephone number is 571.272.2237. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH, 8:00-6:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter Macchiarolo can be reached at 571.272.2375. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571.273.8300.
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/GEORGE B BENNETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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22 JUL 2026
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