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 .
This is in response to Applicant’s communication filed on 8/9/24, wherein:
Claims 1-16 are currently pending; Claims 1-16 have been amended.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 14, 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being by RIEGGER ET AL (US 2020/0262056). Herein after RIEGGER
As for claim 1, RIEGGER discloses a robot (1) which includes:
a base 3, which is rotatable about a first robot axis 3’ {see at least figure 1, pars. 0049-0050};
a first drive {see at least figure 1, a first drive unit 6, par. 0050};
a pivot arm pivotally connected to the base about a second robot axis {see at least figure 1, par. 0049-0050 discloses a pivot arm 4 pivotally connected to the base 3 about a second robot axis 7a};
an end effector H, configured to be moved by pivoting the pivot arm 4 {see at least figure 1, handling unit H, and par. 0050};
an end effector orientation determining linkage kinematically arranged between the base (3) and the end effector H, wherein the end effector H orientation determining linkage is configured for determining an orientation of the end effector (H) when the pivot arm 4 is pivoted {see at least figure 1, pars. 0049-0050};
a first drive linkage for pivoting the pivot arm {figure 1, 3, par. 0050 first linkage 8}, wherein the first drive linkage 8 comprises a first crank 8a pivotally connected to the base 3 about a first pivot axis 6a {see at least figures 1-2, 0024, 0050, 0052 discloses first linkage 8, and first link 8a is provided as a crank}; a first link connecting to the first crank and the pivot arm {see at least figures 1, pars. 0052-0053 discloses link 8b, 9b is connected to the crank 8a};
wherein the first drive 6 is configured for pivoting the first crank 8a {see at least figure 1, 2 and pars. 0050, 0052};
wherein the robot further comprises: a support arm {see at least figure 1, par. 0049 shows support arm 5}; second drive linkage {see figure 1, second linkage 9, par. 0050}; a second drive {see figure 1, second drive unit 7, par. 0050};
wherein the second drive linkage comprises: a third crank 10a pivotally connected to the base 3 about a second pivot axis 7a, wherein the second pivot axis is coaxial with the second robot axis 7a {see at least figures 1, 2, par. 0056-0057}; and a second link {see figure 1, links 10b, 15b, 16b, at least pars. 0056-0058} connecting to crank 10a and the support arm 5};
wherein the second drive 7 is configured for pivoting the third crank 10a {see at least figure 1, pars. 0056-0057};
wherein the support arm 5 is pivotally connect to the pivot arm 4 around a third robot axis 14 {figure 1, par. 0050}
wherein the end effector H is pivotally connected to the support arm 5 around fourth robot axis {see at least figure 1, pars. 0049-0050}
wherein the end effector orientation determining linkage is configured to orient the end effector about the fourth robot axis {see at least figure 1, pars. 0049-0050}
As for claim 2, RIEGGER discloses wherein the first drive linkage further comprises a first rocker {see figure 1, rocker 8c}; wherein the first rocker 8c is pivotally connected to the base 3 {see figure 1, par. 0055}; wherein the first link comprises a first link element 8b and a second link element 9b {figures 1-2, par. 0055}; wherein the first link element 8b is pivotally connected to the first crank 8c {see figure 1}; wherein the second link element 9b is pivotally connected to the pivot arm 4; wherein the first link element 8b and the second link element 9b are pivotally connected via a first hinge {see figure 1, joint of 8b, 8b, 9b} and wherein the first rocker 8c is pivotally connected to this first hinge {figure 1}.
As for claim 3, RIEGGER discloses, wherein the pivot arm 4 comprises a rocker section 9c and an arm section 4b, wherein the rocker section 9c and the arm section 4b extend in different directions with respect to the second robot axis 7a (wherein the second link element 9b is pivotally connected to the rocker section 9c {see figure 1, items 9c, 4b, 7a}.
As for claim 4, RIEGGER discloses wherein the end effector orientation determining linkage comprises a first end effector orientation determining four-bar linkage {see at least figures 1, 3, 4 which discloses four bar-linkage 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, par. 0050}.
As for claim 5, RIEGGER discloses wherein the first end effector H orientation determining four-bar linkage and the first drive linkage 8 are configured to be at least partially and at least temporarily arranged on one transversal side of the pivot arm 4 {see at least figures 1, 3-4}.
As for claim 6, RIEGGER discloses wherein the first end effector orientation determining four-bar linkage and the first drive linkage 8 are arranged on opposite transversal sides of the pivot arm 4 {see at least figures 1, 3-4}.
As for claim 14, RIEGGER discloses wherein the first end effector orientation determining four-bar linkage is a first parallelogram linkage and the orientation determining links are parallelogram links {see at least figures 1, 3-4}.
As for claim 16, the limitation of this claim has been noted in the rejection above, it is therefore rejected for the same reason sets forth above.
Claims 7-13, 15 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tanaka et al (US 2009/0003983): An articulated robot having a low lowest posture, a long up-down stroke, and such rigidity that the predetermined positional accuracy can be secured is provided.
Resh et al (US 2023/0020773): A robotic arm system comprising a deployment system or a base, a first joint, and a manipulator coupled to the deployment system or base at the first joint and movable relative to the deployment link or base about the first joint.
Fussl et al (US 2021/0245363): A joint bearing for a robot 1 which comprises a shaft and at least one link element mounted to be rotatable on shaft 21 between two axial bearings, where a resiliently compressible preloading element is provided which applies an axial preloading force to the axial bearings.
Hofmeister (US 2014/0137690): A substrate transport arm including a plurality of links rotatably connected to each other in series; and a system for maintaining radial orientation of a third one of the links regardless of a rotational angle of first and second ones of the links relative to each other.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kira Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-1614. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday 9:00-5:00 ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khoi Tran can be reached on 571-272-6919. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIRA NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3656