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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(2) as being anticipated by Kaji et al. (US 2015/0165575).
Claim 1:
Kaji teaches a clamp device (figures 1 and 5), comprising: a piston (12) inserted into a cylinder hole (10) formed in a housing (2, 3, 4) so as to be capable of moving in an axial direction (figures 1 and 2); an output member (55, 15) protruding from the piston toward a tip side in the axial direction; an engagement member (20) that engages with a wedge portion (32) formed on the output member, the engagement member is configured to move in a direction intersecting the axial direction by a movement of the output member in the axial direction (figures 1 and 2), the engagement member further being configured to be externally fitted within a hole (18) of an object (17) to be clamped and capable of engaging an inner peripheral surface of the hole (figure 2); a first flow path (71 flowing toward base) for pressure fluid for detection being formed in the housing; a first detection valve (lower part of 78 which includes 79 and 80; figure 5) provided in a middle of the first flow path, blocking or opening the first flow path by locating the piston or the output member at a predetermined position on a base end side in the axial direction; a second flow path (71 flowing toward tip) for pressure fluid for detection being formed in the housing; and a second detection valve (upper part of 78 including 99, 81, 104) provided in a middle of the second flow path, blocking or opening the second flow path by locating the piston or the output member at a predetermined position on the tip side in the axial direction (figure 5), said first detection valve comprising: a cylindrical valve member inserted between an outer peripheral surface of the output member and an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder hole so as to be capable of moving in the axial direction in a tight manner, the cylindrical valve member facing the piston or the output member at a predetermined interval in the axial direction so as to be capable of being contacted (figure 5); a manipulation portion (engaging 89) protruding from an outer peripheral wall of the output member in a direction intersecting with respect to the axial direction, the manipulation portion facing the valve member at a predetermined interval in the axial direction so as to be capable of engaging the valve member (figure 5); a first valve seat (83) formed in the cylinder hole; and a first valve surface (84) formed on the valve member and capable of engaging with the first valve seat (figure 5), said second detection valve comprising :a second valve seat (99) formed in the cylinder hole; and a second valve surface (89) formed on the manipulation portion and capable of engaging with the second valve seat (figure 5).
Claim 2:
Kaji teaches that the piston (12) is extrapolated onto a piston rod (55) of the output member (55, 15) and capable of sliding in the axial direction within a predetermined range with respect to the piston rod (55), and wherein the first detection valve and the second detection valve are each closed by independent operations of the piston and the piston rod (figure 5).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER whose telephone number is (571)272-3560. The examiner can normally be reached Mon.-Fri. 8:00-4:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Wellington can be reached at 571-272-4483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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