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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 3 (figs.4-6) in the reply filed on 2/3/2026 is acknowledged.
Contrary to applicant’s assertion, claims 6, 8, 9, 11-17 are not directed to the elected species since they recited elements present only in non-elected species 1 (fig.1) and non-elected species 2 (figs.2-3). For instance note the following:
Claim 6 recites “first and second mounting elements (11', 11")… comprise through holes (14, 14') at their ends suitable for the passage of attachment devices configured to attach said mounting element (11) on said automatic operating device (100).” Which is present only in non-elected species 2.
Claim 8 recites “a threaded hole and said attachment protrusion (12a) is threaded and is configured to be screwed into said anchoring element (13)”, which is present only in non-elected species 1.
Claim 9 recites “a threaded hole and said attachment protrusion (12a) comprises a through aperture (12b) for the passage of a threaded attachment device (15)” which is present only in non-elected species 2.
Claim 11 recites “at least one internal electrical contact (16a) is formed on said anchoring element (13) and at least one external electrical contact (16b) is formed on said mounting element (11) such as to be exposed on the outside of said mounting element (11), wherein said internal and external electrical contacts (16a, 16b) are electrically connected to each other and wherein said internal electrical contact (16a) is configured to come into contact with an electrical contact of said at least one maneuvering element (12) formed on a portion of the maneuvering element (12) in contact with said anchoring element (13) when said at least one maneuvering element (12) is mounted on the mounting element (11), and wherein said external electrical contact (16b) is configured to come into contact with an electrical contact of said automatic operating device (100) when said mounting element (11) is mounted on said automatic operating device (100).”, which is present only in non-elected species 1 and non-elected species 2.
Claims 12-17 depend from claim 11 and thus also include features present only in non-elected species.
Claims 6, 8, 9 and 11-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
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.
Claims 5, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The claim 5 limitation “said through holes” lacks proper antecedent basis.
Claim 19 is unclear as to whether it is to require the entirety of the claim 1 “Maneuvering member” or only the “Automatic operating device” portion of claim 1. See also the 35 USC 112 (d) rejection below.
Claim 20 recites “the objects to be worked” lacks proper antecedent basis.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(d)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) as being of improper dependent form for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Claim 19 refers to claim 1 but only incorporates by reference the “Automatic operating device” portion of claim 1 without any reference to the entirety of the claim 1 “Maneuvering member”. The dependent claim may be canceled, amended to be in proper dependent form, rewritten to be in independent form, or applicant may present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim complies with the statutory requirements.
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.
(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.
The prior art structures bolded below are presumed to be inherently capable of meeting the claimed functions/properties italicized below in accordance with MPEP §2112.01(I) and MPEP §2114, which state that where the prior art structure is substantially identical to the claimed structure, the PTO may presume claimed functions/properties to be inherently capable thereto, thus presenting a prima facie case and properly shifting the burden to applicant to obtain/test the prior art and provide evidence to the contrary.
Claims 1-5, 7, 10 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Inoue US2024/0009858.
Claim 1. Removable maneuvering member (6) comprising at least one mounting element (6) configured (configuration of opening in 6) to be removably mounted on an automatic operating device (e.g., any device fitting within 6) in such a way as to at least partly surround an external surface of said device, characterized in that at least one maneuvering element (3, 4) is configured to be removably mounted on the mounting element and is sized (size of 3, 4) and configured (configuration of 3, 4) to be handled by an operator.
Claim 2. Maneuvering member as in claim 1, characterized in that said mounting element comprises: - an internal surface (internal surface of 6) in contact with said external surface when the maneuvering member is mounted on said device; - an external surface (external surface of 6) opposite the internal surface; - at least one anchoring element (18) formed on said external surface and configured to allow said at least one maneuvering element to be mounted on said mounting element.
Claim 3. Maneuvering member as in claim 1, characterized in that said mounting element is configured (configuration of 6) to be pressure-mounted on said device (in that it has structure that can be mounted thereon using pressure).
Claim 4. Maneuvering member as in claim 1, characterized in that said mounting element comprises through holes (holes through 6 receiving 14 as seen in fig. 7) at its ends (7, 8), configured to allow the passage of attachment devices (e.g., 14).
Claim 5. Maneuvering member as in claim 1, characterized in that said mounting element comprises a mounting extension (5, 9) which protrudes radially from free ends (7, 8) of said mounting element, wherein said through holes (see 35 USC 112 rejection, holes through 6 receiving 14 as seen in fig. 7) are formed on said mounting extension.
Claim 7. Maneuvering member as in claim 2, characterized in that said at least one maneuvering element comprises an attachment protrusion (15, 14) configured to be coupled with the anchoring element.
Claim 10. Maneuvering member as in claim 7, characterized in that said attachment protrusion is configured to be inserted into said anchoring element and to allow the attachment of said at least one maneuvering element and said mounting element by means of pressure.
Claim 18. Automatic operating device (100, 1, 6) comprising the removable maneuvering member as in claim 1, wherein said member is mounted on one of the ends of said device (see fig.1).
Claim 19. Automatic operating device (100, 1, 6) as in claim 1, characterized in that said automatic operating device is an anthropomorphic robot (100) with six axes and six degrees of freedom (see joints/axes/DOF in fig.1).
Claim 20. Collaborative work cell (area defined by “floor surface” and 173 inside which 100 is located, see fig.1), comprising a support frame (“floor surface” and 173) inside which at least one work plane (P) is made on which the objects (see written description of “workpieces”) to be worked are positioned, and [the] at least one automatic operating device as in claim 18.
Claims 1-5, 7, 10 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by Eliot US2018/0283429.
Claim 1. Removable maneuvering member (20) comprising at least one mounting element (20) configured (configuration 28 in 20) to be removably mounted on an automatic operating device (e.g., any device fitting within 28) in such a way as to at least partly surround an external surface of said device, characterized in that at least one maneuvering element (36) is configured to be removably mounted on the mounting element and is sized (size of 36) and configured (configuration of 36) to be handled by an operator.
Claim 2. Maneuvering member as in claim 1, characterized in that said mounting element comprises: - an internal surface (28) in contact with said external surface when the maneuvering member is mounted on said device; - an external surface (external surface of 20) opposite the internal surface; - at least one anchoring element (30) formed on said external surface and configured to allow said at least one maneuvering element to be mounted on said mounting element.
Claim 3. Maneuvering member as in claim 1, characterized in that said mounting element is configured (configuration of 20) to be pressure-mounted on said device (in that it has structure that can be mounted thereon using pressure).
Claim 4. Maneuvering member as in claim 1, characterized in that said mounting element comprises through holes (holes through 120 and 124 as seen in figs.25-26) at its ends (ends of 120 and 124), configured to allow the passage of attachment devices.
Claim 5. Maneuvering member as in claim 1, characterized in that said mounting element comprises a mounting extension (124, 120) which protrudes radially from free ends (two free ends of 20 from which 124/120 extend as seen in fig.26) of said mounting element, wherein said through holes are formed on said mounting extension.
Claim 7. Maneuvering member as in claim 2, characterized in that said at least one maneuvering element comprises an attachment protrusion (38) configured to be coupled with the anchoring element.
Claim 10. Maneuvering member as in claim 7, characterized in that said attachment protrusion is configured to be inserted into said anchoring element and to allow the attachment of said at least one maneuvering element and said mounting element by means of pressure.
Claim 18. Automatic operating device (146) comprising the removable maneuvering member as in claim 1, wherein said member is mounted on one of the ends of said device (see fig.28 and written description thereof).
Claim 19. Automatic operating device (146) as in claim 1, characterized in that said automatic operating device is an anthropomorphic robot (146) with six axes (six axes of 146) and six degrees of freedom (in that 146 is moveable in any of six degrees of freedom). Note that the term “anthropomorphic robot” is considered to be a mere label since no robot structural elements are claimed, and where there is physical identity between the subject matter of the claim and the prior art, the label given to the claimed subject matter does not distinguish the invention over the prior art. In re Pearson, 494 F. 2d 1399, 1403, 181 USPQ 641, 644 (CCPA 1974); In re Lemin, 326 F. 2d 437, 140 USPQ 273 (CCPA 1964).
Claim 20. Collaborative work cell (142), comprising a support frame (142) inside which at least one work plane (144) is made on which the objects (threads of 146) to be worked are positioned, and [the] at least one automatic operating device (100) as in claim 18.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record on the attached PTO-892 and not relied upon above is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure due general structural similarity thereto.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTOR L MACARTHUR whose telephone number is (571)272-7085.
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/VICTOR L MACARTHUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618