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 .
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 12/06/2024 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 2 recites “an output frame 261 attached to the output-side bearing and has a space”. This should read ““an output frame 261 attached to the output-side bearing and having a space” or similar. 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 2-5 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 2 recites the limitation “relative to” in line 2. This limitation renders the claim indefinite as it is not clear in what manner the claimed space is ‘relative to’ the claimed outer peripheral surface; does the space define an exterior of the surface, lie parallel to the surface, merely enclose the surface, or some other relationship?
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the space a size larger than at least a cumulative tolerance" in line 2. This limitation renders the claim indefinite as it is not clear either what dimension, direction, or part of the space the claimed size refers, nor what dimension, direction, or part of the frame and bearing are being measured for tolerance.
Claims 4-5 depend from rejected claims 2-3.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by PARK (US 20130257230).
Regarding claim 1, PARK discloses a power control actuator 80 comprising:
an output-side bearing 271 provided on a side on which a torque is to be outputted;
a speed reducer 220 including an output shaft 237; and
a torque sensor 230 that detects a torque associated with rotation of the output shaft 237, wherein
an outer peripheral surface of the torque sensor 230 and an inner peripheral surface of the output- side bearing 271 constitute a spigot joint structure, an inner peripheral surface of the torque sensor 230 and an outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 237 of the speed reducer 220 constitute a spigot joint structure (see annotated Fig. 7, below), and
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the output-side bearing 271, the output shaft 237 of the speed reducer 220, and the torque sensor 230 have a coaxial structure (Fig. 7).
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Regarding claim 2, PARK discloses the power control actuator according to claim 1, further comprising:
an output frame 261 attached to the output-side bearing 271 and has a space relative to an outer peripheral surface of the output-side bearing 271 (see annotated Fig. 7, below).
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Regarding claim 3, PARK discloses the power control actuator according to claim 2, wherein
the space has a size larger than at least a cumulative tolerance of the output frame 261 and the output-side bearing 271 (see annotated Fig. 7, above).
Regarding claim 4, PARK discloses the power control actuator according to claim 2, wherein
the output frame 261 has a fastening hole through which a fastening member penetrates (see annotated Fig. 7, below), and
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the output frame 261 and the output-side bearing 271 are fastened by the fastening member through the fastening hole and the space.
Regarding claim 5, PARK discloses the power control actuator according to claim 2, wherein
the output-side bearing 271 includes a cross roller bearing including an inner ring and an outer ring (para [0091]), and
the space is provided between an outer peripheral surface, in an axial direction of the output- side cross roller bearing 271, of the outer ring and an inner peripheral surface of the output frame 261 and between an outer peripheral surface, in a radial direction of the output-side cross roller bearing 271, of the outer ring and an inner peripheral surface of the output frame 261.
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Regarding claim 8, PARK discloses the power control actuator according to claim 1, further comprising:
a correction unit that corrects a sensor value of the torque sensor 230 after attachment to a target of attachment, on a basis of a difference between a sensor value of the torque sensor 230 before the attachment to the target of attachment and a sensor value of the torque sensor 230 after the attachment to the target of attachment (the apparatus of PARK performs this function as broadly claimed, see para [0106]).
Regarding claim 9, PARK discloses the power control actuator according to claim 1, wherein
the speed reducer 220 includes a strain wave gearing including a flexspline (122/222), and
the flexspline (122/222) constitutes the output shaft 237 of the speed reducer 220 (para [0066]).
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.
Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PARK in view of MIYAZAWA (US 20190064018).
Regarding claim 6, PARK discloses the power control actuator according to claim 1, wherein
the torque sensor 230 includes:
a first rotating body 231;
a second rotating body 232 provided on an outer side of the first rotating body 231;
a first bar section 233 including a front surface and a rear surface each including a plurality of strain gauges 234, the first bar section 233 coupling the first rotating body 231 and the second rotating body 232 to each other; and
a second bar section 233 including a front surface and a rear surface each including a plurality of strain gauges 234, the second bar section 233 coupling the first rotating body 231 and the second rotating body 232 to each other, the second bar section 233 being opposed to the first bar section 233 with the first rotating body 231 being interposed between the second bar section 233 and the first bar section 233, and
However, PARK does not disclose the plurality of strain gauges provided in the first bar section and the plurality of strain gauges provided in the second bar section constitute a Wheatstone bridge.
MIYAZAWA discloses a power control actuator with a torque sensor 100 of similar construction with eight strain gauges constituting a Wheatstone bridge (para [0066]).
It 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 to provide the power control actuator of PARK with a torque sensor having the strain gauges constituting a Wheatstone bridge, similar to MIYAZAWA.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to enable two-line torque outputs to be detected with one strain generation part, and allow a noise component to be removed by the resultant force, and improve detection accuracy, as taught by MIYAZAWA (para [0070] and [0082]).
Regarding claim 7, PARK discloses the power control actuator according to claim 1, wherein the torque sensor 230 includes:
a first rotating body 231;
a second rotating body 232 provided on an outer side of the first rotating body 231;
first and second bar sections 233 each including a plurality of strain gauges 234, the first and the second bar sections 233 coupling the first rotating body 231 and the second rotating body 232 to each other to allow the first and the second bar sections 233 to be opposed to each other with the first rotating body 231 being interposed between the first and the second bar sections 233; and
a third bar section 233 including a plurality of strain gauges 234,
the plurality of strain gauges 234 provided in the first bar section 233 and the plurality of strain gauges 234 provided in the second bar section 233 constitute a first sensor.
However, PARK does not disclose a fourth bar section including a plurality of strain gauges, the third and fourth bar sections coupling the first rotating body and the second rotating body to each other to allow the third and fourth bar sections to be opposed to each other with the first rotating body being interposed between the third and fourth bar sections in a direction differing from the first and the second bar sections,
the plurality of strain gauges provided in the third bar section and the plurality of strain gauges provided in the fourth bar section constitute a second sensor, and
a sum of a first sensor value by the first sensor and a second sensor value by the second sensor is outputted as a sensor value of the torque sensor.
MIYAZAWA discloses a power control actuator with a torque sensor 100 of similar construction with a fourth bar section 121d including a plurality of strain gauges G4,G8, third and fourth bar sections coupling a first rotating body 112 and a second rotating body 114 to each other to allow the third and fourth bar sections to be opposed to each other with the first rotating body being interposed between the third and fourth bar sections in a direction differing from the first and the second bar sections (Fig. 5),
the plurality of strain gauges provided in the third bar section and the plurality of strain gauges provided in the fourth bar section constitute a second sensor, and
a sum of a first sensor value by the first sensor and a second sensor value by the second sensor is outputted as a sensor value of the torque sensor (Para [0071]).
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It 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 to provide the power control actuator of PARK with a torque sensor having a fourth bar section including a plurality of strain gauges, the third and fourth bar sections coupling the first rotating body and the second rotating body to each other to allow the third and fourth bar sections to be opposed to each other with the first rotating body being interposed between the third and fourth bar sections in a direction differing from the first and the second bar sections, the plurality of strain gauges provided in the third bar section and the plurality of strain gauges provided in the fourth bar section constitute a second sensor, and a sum of a first sensor value by the first sensor and a second sensor value by the second sensor is outputted as a sensor value of the torque sensor, similar to MIYAZAWA.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to enable two-line torque outputs to be detected with one strain generation part, and allow a noise component to be removed by the resultant force, and improve detection accuracy, as taught by MIYAZAWA (para [0070] and [0082]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-20150100159-A1 PARK discloses a cross-roller bearing, harmonic decelerator, and four-bar torque sensor; US-20200003256-A1 KOROYASU discloses a cross-roller bearing, wave gear mechanism, and torque sensor; US-20240083041-A1 ZHAO discloses a cross-roller bearing, wave gear mechanism, and four-bar torque sensor; US-20240255054-A1 MORITANI discloses a cross-roller bearing, wave gear mechanism, and eight-bar torque sensor; WO-2021219200-A BACHMAIER discloses a cross-roller bearing, stress wave transmission, and torque sensor.
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/JUSTIN STEFANON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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