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.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Konda et al (WO 2019066046).
Konda et al discloses an actuator, comprising; an actuator case (110) made of a resin; and an actuator mechanism (130) housed in the actuator case (110), wherein an output member (142) of the actuator mechanism (130) is disposed so as to pass through an output hole of the actuator case (110), wherein a boot (151) for covering an outer portion (see Fig 5), which protrudes to an outside of the output hole (see Fig 5), of the output member is mounted to the actuator case (110), wherein a plurality of first protruding walls (114a), each protruding radially inward from an inner peripheral surface of the output hole (see Fig 5), are formed on an outer end side of the output hole so as to alternate with first gaps in a circumferential direction of the output hole (see Fig 5), wherein a plurality of second protruding walls (114b), each protruding radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the output hole (see Fig 5), are formed on an inner end side of the output hole so as to alternate with second gaps in the circumferential direction of the output hole (see Fig 5), wherein the first protruding walls (114a) and the second protruding walls (114b) are arranged so as to avoid overlapping with each other when the output hole is seen in plan view, and wherein a fitting groove into which a mounting portion of the boot (151) is to be mounted is defined on the inner peripheral surface of the output hole by the first protruding walls (114a) and the second protruding walls (114b).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 7 are allowed.
Claims 2-5 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICKY A JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7106. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John R Olszewski can be reached at 571-272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VICKY A JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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