DETAILED ACTION
This is the first Office Action on the merits based on the 18/838,424 application filed on 08/14/2024. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims 1-20, as originally filed, are currently pending and considered below.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/14/2024, 06/13/2025, and 08/27/2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities:
On line 3, the limitation “the cable” should be “a cable”
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 16-19 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.
Claims 16 recites the limitation “when viewed in plan” in line 2. The limitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear what the “plan” is being referred to and how it is being viewed. Applicant is advised to remove the limitation. Claims 17-19 are rejected as being dependent off of claim 16.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1-2, 4, 14-16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gregory (US Patent Pub. No. 2021/0236876; DP: 08/05/2021) in view of Nayak (US Patent Pub. No. 2025/0288850; FD: 03/12/2022).
PNG
media_image1.png
317
392
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 1, Gregory discloses a driving device (Load generator 30 of the fitness training apparatus 100; Figure 6) that winds a portion of a cable (Cable 21; Figure 1) and provides the cable with an exercise load (i.e., the cable 21 provides an exercise load to the user based on the reel 22), the driving device comprising: a motor shaft (i.e., the shaft extending from motor 31) and a rotor sprocket (i.e., the sprocket is annotated in Figure 6 above); a bobbin (Sprocket 34; Figure 6) that is rotatable around a bobbin shaft (Shaft 32; Figure 6) and is configured to wind a portion of the cable(Toothed belt 33; Figure 6) that connects the rotor sprocket and the bobbin to transmit a rotation force of the rotor sprocket to the bobbin.
Gregory does not disclose a stator that is disposed outwards of a motor shaft in a circumferential direction; a rotor that is positioned apart from the stator in the circumferential direction to be rotated by the stator, and is coupled to the motor shaft to rotate together with the motor shaft; a rotor sprocket that is provided along an outer surface of the motor shaft and at an end thereof to rotate together with the motor shaft.
PNG
media_image2.png
382
796
media_image2.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image3.png
594
478
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Nayak teaches an analogous fitness training system (See Figure 4B above) comprising a motor (See Figure 12B above) having a stator (Stator 1214; Figure 12B) that is disposed outwards of a motor shaft (Threaded spool 610; Figure 10) in a circumferential direction; a rotor (Rotor 1218; Figure 12B) that is positioned apart from the stator in the circumferential direction to be rotated by the stator (i.e., the rotor 1218 spins based on the energized stator 1214; Para. [0069]-[0071]), and is coupled to the motor shaft to rotate together with the motor shaft. The Office notes that motors with interior stators that rotate a rotor are standard within the art.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the motor of Gregory to have the motor configuration of Nayak in order for it to be easily attached to the chassis or other structure of the motor 1202 chassis for better heat dissipation.
Regarding claim 2, Gregory in view of Nayak teaches the bobbin shaft is disposed parallel to the motor shaft and outwards of the rotor in the circumferential direction (i.e., the bobbin shaft 32 and the motor shaft are in parallel sequence to each other as seen in Figure 4A).
Regarding claim 4, Gregory in view of Nayak teaches an encoder magnet that is coupled to the motor shaft to rotate together with the motor shaft; and an encoder sensor (Encoder 1910; Figure 19; Para. [0091]) that is disposed apart from the motor shaft to detect a rotation of the encoder magnet (i.e., the system provides a motor shaft 1924 with an end that holds the encoder 1910 to determine the rotation of the motor shaft 1924).
Regarding claim 14, Gregory in view of Nayak teaches an exercise equipment (Fitness training apparatus 100; Figure 6) comprising: a body (Base 10; Figure 6) having an accommodation space formed therein (i.e., the space in the fitness training apparatus 100), and an upper surface formed in a plate shape (Plate 19; Figure 6), a first end of the cable being received in the accommodation space (i.e., the cable 21 is received within the accommodation space of the fitness training apparatus 100), and the body including an outlet (i.e., the top outlet of the cable pre-tensioner 28) through which the cable extends such that a second end of the cable is exposed to an outside of the body, an exposed length of the cable varying due to manipulation by a user (i.e., a certain amount of cable 21 is exposed from the top of the pre-tensioner 28 of the fitness training apparatus 100); and the driving device according to claim 1 and which is disposed in the accommodation space.
Regarding claim 15, Gregory in view of Nayak teaches the motor shaft and the bobbin shaft are disposed along a longitudinal direction in the accommodation space (i.e., the shaft of the motor 31 and shaft 32 extend in horizontal longitudinal directions from the motor 31).
Regarding claim 16, Gregory in view of Nayak teaches the body, when viewed in plan is formed to be relatively longer in a first direction (i.e., the width of the body 10 is longer than its length), and the outlet is formed at an end portion of the body in the first direction (i.e., the outlet of the pre-tensioner 28 is at the end of the body 10).
Regarding claim 20, Gregory in view of Nayak teaches the exercise equipment comprises a plurality of the cables (Cables 21 is on both sides of the body 10; Figures 1 and 6), and a plurality of the driving devices (Load generators 30 of the fitness training apparatus 100; Figures 1 and 6) that are disposed in the body, and wherein one of the plurality of driving devices is provided for each of the plurality of cables.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 5-13 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.
Claims 17-19 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art of record Belsham (US Patent Pub. No. 2023/0405404; PD: 12/21/2023), Gregory (US Patent Pub. No. 2021/0236876; DP: 08/05/2021), Nayak (US Patent Pub. No. 2025/0288850; PD: 09/18/2025), Ward (US Patent Pub. No. 2020/0047030; PD: 02/13/2020), Drayer (WO 2022/212737; PD: 06/10/2022), and Jaehoon (KR20240033922; PD: 03/13/2024) fail to teach or render obvious claims 3, 5-13, and 17-19.
PNG
media_image4.png
580
580
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Ward discloses a driving device (See Figure 4B above) that winds a portion of a cable (i.e., the portion of the cable wound around the reel at 404B) and provides the cable with an exercise load (i.e., the load applied at the handle 412B), the motor (Motor 402B; Figure 4B) having a stator and a rotor (i.e., the motor 402B inherently contains a stator and a rotor to apply the load to the handle 412B); a bobbin (i.e., see annotation in Figure 4B above) that is rotatable around a bobbin shaft (i.e., the annotation depicting the shaft at the reel 404B) and is configured to wind a portion of the cable therearound (i.e., the portion of the cable wound around the reel at 404B); and a timing belt (i.e., the annotated timing belt in Figure 4B above) that connects the rotor sprocket and the bobbin to transmit a rotation force of the rotor sprocket to the bobbin (i.e., the timing belt connects the motor 402B to the reel 404B) but does not teach the driving device comprising: a stator that is disposed outwards of a motor shaft in a circumferential direction; a rotor that is positioned apart from the stator in the circumferential direction to be rotated by the stator, and is coupled to the motor shaft to rotate together with the motor shaft; a rotor sprocket that is provided along an outer surface of the motor shaft and at an end thereof to rotate together with the motor shaft.
PNG
media_image5.png
446
832
media_image5.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image6.png
658
422
media_image6.png
Greyscale
Jaehoon discloses a driving device (See Figures 3 and 5 above) that winds a portion of a cable and provides the cable with an exercise load (i.e., the cable is wound on the winding portion 753 and then extends to the grip at the end of the cable), the driving device comprising: a stator (Stator 720; Figure 5) that is disposed outwards of a motor shaft (Stator shaft 710; Figure 5) in a circumferential direction; a rotor (Outer core 740; Figure 5) that is positioned apart from the stator in the circumferential direction to be rotated by the stator, and is coupled to the motor shaft to rotate together with the motor shaft (i.e., the rotor/magnets 740 and stator 710 rotate together around the motor shaft 710) but does not teach a rotor sprocket that is provided along an outer surface of the motor shaft and at an end thereof to rotate together with the motor shaft; a bobbin that is rotatable around a bobbin shaft and is configured to wind a portion of the cable therearound; and a timing belt that connects the rotor sprocket and the bobbin to transmit a rotation force of the rotor sprocket to the bobbin.
PNG
media_image7.png
414
564
media_image7.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image8.png
416
420
media_image8.png
Greyscale
Nayak discloses a driving device (See Figure 4C above) that winds a portion of a cable and provides the cable with an exercise load (i.e., the cable is wound on the rope guide 1420 and then extends to the grip 1110), the driving device comprising: a stator (Stator 1404; Figure 14B) that is disposed outwards of a motor shaft (Motor shaft 1418; Figure 14B) in a circumferential direction; a rotor (Motor magnets 1406; Figure 14B; Para. [0223]) that is positioned apart from the stator in the circumferential direction to be rotated by the stator, and is coupled to the motor shaft to rotate together with the motor shaft (i.e., the rotor/magnets 1406 and stator 1404 rotate together around the motor shaft 1418; Para. [0223] “The motor magnets 1406 fit over and surround the motor stator 1404. The motor magnets 1406 rotate around the motor stator 1404 in response to a force applied to a cable to create an electric current within the motor 1400.”) but does not teach a rotor sprocket that is provided along an outer surface of the motor shaft and at an end thereof to rotate together with the motor shaft; a bobbin that is rotatable around a bobbin shaft and is configured to wind a portion of the cable therearound; and a timing belt that connects the rotor sprocket and the bobbin to transmit a rotation force of the rotor sprocket to the bobbin.
PNG
media_image9.png
252
396
media_image9.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image10.png
240
450
media_image10.png
Greyscale
Belsham discloses a driving device (Resistance exercise device 1a; Figure 1A) that winds a portion of a cable (i.e., the cable is wound on the spool 7) and provides the cable with an exercise load (i.e., the load applied at the handle 4), a bobbin (First pulley 8; Figure 2A) that is rotatable around a bobbin shaft (i.e., the shaft at the center of the bobbin/pulley 8) and is configured to wind a portion of the cable therearound (i.e., a cable portion is being wound on the bobbin 8 as seen in Figure 2A) but does not teach the driving device comprising: a stator that is disposed outwards of a motor shaft in a circumferential direction; a rotor that is positioned apart from the stator in the circumferential direction to be rotated by the stator, and is coupled to the motor shaft to rotate together with the motor shaft; a rotor sprocket that is provided along an outer surface of the motor shaft and at an end thereof to rotate together with the motor shaft; a timing belt that connects the rotor sprocket and the bobbin to transmit a rotation force of the rotor sprocket to the bobbin.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 Notice of References Cited for additional pertinent prior art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW M KOBYLARZ whose telephone number is (571)272-8096. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-5:00.
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, LoAn Jimenez can be reached at (571) 272-4966. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANDREW M KOBYLARZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3784