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 .
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 8/29/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
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 1-10 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.
Claim 1 recites “wherein the contact zones are remote from each other and are in contact with said braking surface” and “wherein the contact zones are close to each other and are not in contact with said braking surface” which is unclear and renders the claims indefinite. Specifically, there is no claim language linking statements to a condition or state of the transmission mechanism, and it is unclear what is required by the claims.
Claim 2 recites “which spring” which is unclear and renders the claims indefinite. Specifically, it is unclear if the recitation is referring to the previously claimed “at least one spring” or defining an additional spring, and the number of springs required by the claims cannot be determined.
Claim 3 recites “which unlocking and locking plate is provided…” which is unclear for the same reasons given for claim 2 above.
Claim 4 recites “the input pin” which lacks antecedent basis in the claims.
Claim 5 recites “the articulation fulcrum” which lacks antecedent basis in the claims.
Claim 9 recites “having coaxial input and output” which is unclear and renders the claims indefinite. Specifically, it is unclear what structure the “coaxial input and output” are defining or referring to.
Claim 9 recites “which transmission mechanism” which is unclear for the reasons given for claim 2 above.
Claim 10 recites “which harmonic gearbox” which is unclear for the reasons given for claim 2 above.
Claim 10 recites “the mechanism” multiple times, which lacks antecedent basis in the claims.
Claim 10 recites “which braking surface is placed within said flex spline” which is unclear and renders the claims indefinite. In addition to being unclear from “which braking surface”, the component that is associated with the braking surface cannot be determined, as claim 1 defines it as being part of the fixed casing, and claim 10 appears to associate it with the flex spline.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
Claims 2-10 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAKE COOK whose telephone number is (571)272-5968. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:00 PM.
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, Minnah Seoh can be reached at (571) 270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JAKE COOK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3618
/Jake Cook/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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