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 Objections
Claims 3 and 4 are objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 3, the feature reciting "a heat insulation ring or a labyrinth structure is provided between the torque motor and the spindle housing" is not sufficiently shown in the drawings, as applicant's figure 7 does not clearly show the heat insulation ring 10 and labyrinth structure 101 being in between the torque motor and the spindle housing, therefore rendering the claim indefinite.
Claim 4 is also objected to for its dependency upon aforementioned claim 3. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yu et al. (Foreign Patent Document No.: CN 112846256 A).
For claim 1, Yu et al. disclose the claimed invention comprising: a spindle housing (reference numeral 4, figure 1); a mandrel (reference numeral 1) that is rotatably disposed within the spindle housing (reference numeral 4, figure 1); a bearing (reference numerals 6, 7, figure 1); and a torque motor (reference numeral 5, figure 1), wherein the bearing includes a first bearing (reference numeral 6) and a second bearing (reference numeral 7) that provide radial and axial support to the mandrel (reference numeral 1, figure 1), the first bearing (reference numeral 6) and the second bearing (reference numeral 7) are disposed inside the spindle housing (reference numeral 4, figure 1), one end of the mandrel (reference numeral 1) extends outside the spindle housing (reference numeral 4, figure 1), the torque motor (reference numeral 5) and the spindle housing (reference numeral 4) are axially aligned (see figure 1), the torque motor includes a rotor (reference numeral 52) and a stator (reference numeral 51, see figure 1), the end of the mandrel (reference numeral 1) located outside the spindle housing (reference numeral 4) is inserted into and connected to an end of the rotor (reference numeral 52, see figure 1), and the rotor (reference numeral 52) is fixedly connected to the mandrel (reference numeral 1, see figure 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 2 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chen et al. (Foreign Patent Document No.: CN 111482786 A).
For claim 2, Yu et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the rotor being provided with a connecting disc in a radial direction, a connecting bolt being provided on the connecting disc, and when an end face of the mandrel contacts the connecting disc, the connecting bolt connects the mandrel and the connecting disc. Chen et al. disclose a connecting disc (reference numeral 8, figure 1) with a connecting bolt (reference numeral 20) where an end face of the mandrel (reference numeral 2) contacts the connecting disc (i.e. connecting bolt 20 connects the mandrel 2 and the connecting disc 8, see figure 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the connecting disc with the connecting bolt connecting the mandrel with the connecting disc as disclosed by Chen et al. for the mandrel of Yu et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating connection means for components of the device.
For claim 5, Yu et al. disclose the claimed invention except for one end of the rotor away from the mandrel being provided with a brake disc and a plurality of clamps which are arranged in a multipoint symmetric pattern along a circumferential direction of the brake disc. Chen et al. disclose a clamping brake component (reference numeral 6, figure 1), i.e. brake disc with a plurality of clamps, for one end of the rotor (reference numeral 11) away from the mandrel (reference numeral 2, see figure 1), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the brake disc and clamps as disclosed by Chen et al. for the mandrel of Yu et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating precise movement of the components within the device.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Jian et al. (Foreign Patent Document No.: CN 108817421 A).
For claim 3, Yu et al. disclose the claimed invention except for a heat insulation ring or a labyrinth structure being provided between the torque motor and the spindle housing. Jian et al. disclose a ring structure (reference numeral 6, figure 1) which can be considered a heat insulation ring being provided between the torque motor (reference numerals 2, 4) and the spindle housing (reference numerals 36, 38, see figure 1), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the ring structure as disclosed by Jian et al. for the torque motor and the spindle housing of Yu et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating optimal operation of the components in the device.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. in view of Chen et al. as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Hirasawa et al. (US Patent No.: 8852361).
For claim 6, Yu et al. in view of Chen et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the brake disc being made of a special steel and having a thickness of 1 mm, forming a brake disc structure with a certain deformation capability. Having the brake disc made with special thickness for the steel is a known skill as exhibited by Hirasawa et al. (see column 7, lines 40-45), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the steel thickness as disclosed by Hirasawa et al. for the brake disc of Yu et al. in view of Chen et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for optimizing the functional characteristics of the brake device.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Du et al. (Foreign Patent Document No.: CN 109482911 A).
For claim 7, Yu et al. disclose the claimed invention except for a dynamic balance probe being provided at one end of the spindle housing away from the torque motor, the dynamic balance probe can detect an imbalance amount of the mandrel after mounting a workpiece, and an adjustment mechanism which is capable of adjusting a dynamic balance according to a measurement result of the dynamic balance probe is provided at the end of the mandrel. Du et al. disclose a dynamic balance probe (reference numeral 305, figure 1) at one end of the spindle housing (reference numeral 4, figure 1) away from the torque motor (reference numerals 11, 12, figure 1) for detecting imbalance (i.e. sensor 305 for balancing operation, see figure 1), and an adjustment mechanism (reference numeral 101, 201) for adjusting dynamic balance as a result of probe measurement (i.e. signal of sensor 305 combined with adjustment mechanism 101, 201 for performing dynamic balance, see figures 1-3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the dynamic balance probe with the adjustment mechanism as disclosed by Du et al. for the spindle housing of Yu et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating optimal rotation of the components within the device.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. in view of Du et al. as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Yang (Foreign Patent Document No.: CN 103567809 A).
For claim 8, Yu et al. in view of Du et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the adjustment mechanism including a balance disc and a plurality of balance adjustment blocks which are slidingly connected to the balance disc respectively, a set screw being provided between the balance adjustment blocks and the balance disc, and the set screw being threadedly connected to the balance adjustment blocks, and the balance disc being provided with a scale, and the balance adjustment blocks being provided with indicating arrows. Yang et al. disclose a balance disc (reference numeral 1, see figures 1, 2) with balance adjustment blocks (reference numerals 3, 31, 33, see figures 1, 2), a set screw (reference numeral 32) threadedly connected to the adjustment blocks (reference numerals 3, 31, 33) on the balance disc (see figures 1, 2), the balance disc (reference numeral 1) having a scale (reference numerals 11, 111, figures 1, 2) and the adjustment blocks having indicating arrows (i.e. lines being provided on the block component 33 for aligning with scale 111, see figures 1 and 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the balance disc with the balance adjustment blocks as disclosed by Yang for the adjustment mechanism of Yu et al. in view of Du et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating optimal rotation of the components within the device.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of Du et al. and Yang as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Yue (Foreign Patent Document No.: CN 206060487 U).
For claim 9, Yu in view of Du et al. and Yang disclose the claimed invention except for an annular sliding groove being provided on the balance disc, an inner diameter of the sliding groove gradually increasing from an opening end of the sliding groove to a bottom wall of the sliding groove, and the balance adjustment blocks being trapezoidal. Yue discloses an annular sliding groove (reference numerals 22, 23, figures 2, 3) provided on the balance disc (reference numeral 20, see figures 2, 3), an inner diameter of the sliding groove (reference numerals 22, 23) gradually increases from an opening end of the sliding groove to a bottom wall of the sliding groove (i.e. grooves 22, 23 gradually increasing from one end to the other end, see figure 3), and the balance adjustment blocks (reference numerals 30, 40) are trapezoidal (see figure 3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the sliding groove with the trapezoidal shape for the adjustment blocks as disclosed by Yue for the balance disc of Yu et al. in view of Du et al. and Yang for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating optimal rotation of the components within the device.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Murota (US Patent No.: 11052503).
For claim 10, Yu et al. disclose the claimed invention except for a cooling water channel for cooling the first bearing being provided on the spindle housing. Having a cooling channel through a housing for cooling the bearing is a known skill as exhibited by Murota which discloses a cooling channel (reference numerals 26b, 60d, see figure 4) for cooling the bearing (reference numeral 60, see figure 4), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the cooling channel as disclosed by Murota for the spindle housing of Yu et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating optimal cooling within the device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references disclose embodiments of spindle drive configurations: US 10695823 B2 (Skolaude; Andreas), US 7080433 B2 (Geissler; Alfred et al.), US 6913118 B2 (Gilles; Leo), US 5921731 A (Chandrasekar; Kugalur S.), US 4167218 A (Horiuchi; Tatsuya et al.), US 3989305 A (Umeda; Haruhiko et al.), US 2913081 A (RUDISCH WALTER E), CN 107900383 A (ZHOU, Wo-qiang et al.), CN 1487276 A (ZHANG, Ji-sheng et al.).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX W MOK whose telephone number is (571)272-9084. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-4pm.
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/ALEX W MOK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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