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 1 has been amended.
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.
Claim1 is 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.
the Regarding claim 1, the phrase "optionally" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
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.
Claims 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(1)(a) as being anticipated by Yamada [JP 2008020011].
Regarding claim 1: Yamada shows a gear comprising a first toothed portion provided on an outer circumference thereof, the gear comprising a resin, the resin containing a polyarylene sulfide resin as a constituent component (see translation “…polyarylene sulfide resins (hereinafter abbreviated as PAS resins) typified by polyphenylene sulfide resins (hereinafter abbreviated as PPS) are excellent in heat resistance, electrical properties, and solvent resistance…”), and the polyarylene sulfide resin having a melt viscosity (V6) of 50 to 4,000 Pa-s (See translation “…. The PAS resin used in the present invention has a melt viscosity of usually 10 to 600 Pa · s, preferably 50 to 550 Pa · s, more preferably 70 to 550 Pa · s…”).
the resin optionally containing a synthetic resin selected from a polyester resin, a polyamide resin, a polyimide resin (see translated abstract “..To provide a gear particularly excellent in durability with operating temperature of 80°C or higher and operating torque of 0.5 kgf/cm or more, improving compatibility of a resin composition which is composed of PAI resin and PAS resin, and facilitating composition by melting and kneading…”), a polyether imide resin, a polycarbonate resin, a polyphenylene ether resin, a polysulfone resin, a polyether sulfone resin, a polyether ether ketone resin, a polyether ketone resin, a polyarylene resin, a polyethylene resin, a polypropylene resin, a polytetrafluoroethylene resin, a polydifluoroethylene resin, a polystyrene resin, an ABS resin, a phenolic resin, a urethane resin, or a liquid crystal polymer,wherein the resin consists of the polyarylene sulfide resin and the optionally contained synthetic resin.
Regarding claim 4: Yamada shows a silane coupling agent as the constituent component (see translation “…Preferred fillers are glass fiber, milled fiber, carbon fiber, and potassium titanate fiber, and those treated with a silane coupling agent such as urethane or amino can also be suitably used…”).
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 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada [JP 2008020011] in view of Unohara [US Pat # 9938407]
Regarding claim 2: Yamada shows wherein a dimensional change rate (%) due to a temperature change from
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9
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C to 8
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9
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C is represented by the following formula (I):
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25
37
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9
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8
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(it is inherent that material dimensions changes due to heat expansion ) Yamada does not explicitly show that the Dimensional change rate is 0.7% or less. However it would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have designed and selected the gear material to set the rate of change to 0.7 % or any other suitable rate that will lead to the optimal design.
Claims 3, 5, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada [JP 2008020011] in view of Unohara [US Pat # 9938407]
Regarding claim 3: Yamada does not explicitly disclose a cellulose nanofiber as the constituent component, wherein an amount of the cellulose nanofiber is less than 0.5% by mass based on a total amount of the polyarylene sulfide resin and the cellulose nanofiber. However Unohara shows cellulose nanofiber as the constituent component, (see translation “… polyamide fiber, polyaramid fiber, fluororesin fiber, thermosetting resin fiber, epoxy resin fiber, polyvinylidene chloride fiber, polyvinylidene fluoride fiber, and cellulose fiber; and non-fibrous organic fillers such as ebonite powder…”). Unohara does not explicitly teaches wherein an amount of the cellulose nanofiber is less than 0.5% by mass based on a total amount of the polyarylene sulfide resin and the cellulose nanofiber. However the suitable percentage can be determined by running a routing experiment to determine the percentage of cellulose amount to come up with optimal result.
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling to strengthen the gear structure, reduce wear and increase durability
Regarding claim 5: Yamada show the polyarylene sulfide resin has a melt viscosity (V6) of 50 to 4,000 Pa-s. Yamada does not show the gear serving as a worm wheel, and a worm having a second toothed portion configured to mesh with the first toothed portion of the gear, wherein the worm contains a polyarylene sulfide resin as a constituent component. However Unohara shows the gear serving as a worm wheel, and a worm having a second toothed portion configured to mesh with the first toothed portion of the gear, wherein the worm contains a polyarylene sulfide resin as a constituent component (see translation “…For a polyarylene sulfide resin composition, there is a need to mix the above PAS with a filler. The addition of a filler to a specific PAS leads to significant improvement in mechanical properties and chemical resistance…”).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to add polyarylene to improve the mechanical properties of the worm gear.
Regarding claim 6 and 7: Yamada does not explicitly disclose a gear system for a robot, comprising the worm gear, However having gear system in a robot is intended use.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 03/10/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The added limitations are still taught by Yamada. Translated Yamada abstract states “…To provide a gear particularly excellent in durability with operating temperature of 80°C or higher and operating torque of 0.5 kgf/cm or more, improving compatibility of a resin composition which is composed of PAI resin and PAS resin, and facilitating composition by melting and kneading…”
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAKARIA ELAHMADI whose telephone number is (571)270-5324. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-6 EST.
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/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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