DETAILED ACTION
for
SEAL STRUCTURE FOR TORQUE SENSOR AND ROBOT
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/30/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Oath/Declaration
The Oath/Declaration submitted on 12/30/2024 is noted by the Examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they fail to show (seal shape member, as claimed in claim 6) as described in the specification. Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are made.
The following title is suggested: SEAL STRUCTURE FOR TORQUE SENSOR AND ROBOT HAS CONTACT PORTION ON STRAIN GENERATING STRUCTURE.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The “seal shape member, as claimed in claim 6” does not have a reference number in the specification and is not described regarding the embodiment descriptions.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-4 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.
Since the claim is absent of a transitional phrase, it is unclear if the claim language is "open" or "closed". Furthermore, it is unclear where the preamble ends the body (structure) of the claim begins.
The claims are replete with indefinite language. The structure which goes to make up the device must be clearly and positively specified. The structure must be organized and correlated in such a manner as to present a complete operating device. The transitional phrases "comprising", "consisting essentially of" and "consisting of" define the scope of a claim with respect to what unrecited additional components or steps, if any, are excluded from the scope of the claim.
Claims 1-6 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.
Re claims 1-6: The phrase "seal member” lacks antecedent basis. The subtraction from the phrase "annular shape seal member" has not been previously associated with the term "seal member”.
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)(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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Suzuki et al. [herein after Suzuki] (US 2019/0250051).
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Regarding claim 1, Suzuki discloses a seal structure for a torque sensor, the seal structure (32) being fixed to a position between a first member (14) and a fixed portion (33) of a reducer (30), which includes the fixed portion (33) and a movable portion (13) rotatably supported by the fixed portion (33) around a predetermined axis line (Fig. 7a), wherein the torque sensor detects a torque around the axis line (¶0040), the seal structure (32) having an annular shape seal member surrounding an outer periphery of the torque sensor (Fig. 6), and the seal member (32) being compressed by the fixed portion (33) and the first member (14) in a direction along the axis line (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 2, Suzuki further discloses torque sensor (10) being formed in a disk shape, the first member (14) being provided with a recess (Fig. 6) having an inner circumference surface arranged at a radially outside position of an outer circumference surface of the torque sensor (10), and the seal member (32) being compressed at an opening edge portion of the recess (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 3, Suzuki discloses a seal structure (32) for a torque sensor (10), the seal structure (32) being fixed to a position between a first member (14) and a fixed portion (33) of a reducer (30), which includes the fixed portion (14) and a movable portion (13) rotatably supported by the fixed portion around a predetermined axis line (Fig. 7a), the torque sensor (10) being fixed to the first member (14) using an adapter (15) and detects a torque around the axis line (¶0040), the seal structure (32) comprises an annular shape seal member surrounding an outer periphery of the torque sensor (Fig. 6), and the seal member (32) being compressed by the fixed portion (33) and the adapter (15) in a direction along the axis line (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 4, Suzuki further discloses the torque sensor (10) being formed in a disk shape (Fig. 1), the fixed portion (14) being provided with a recess having an inner circumference surface arranged at a radially outside position of an outer circumference surface of the torque sensor (Fig. 6), and the seal member (32) being compressed at an opening edge portion of the recess (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 5, Suzuki further discloses the torque sensor (10) having an annular shape second seal member (11), the second seal member (11) being compressed by the first member (14) and the adapter (15) in the direction along the axis line (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 6, Suzuki discloses a robot having a first member (14); a second member; a reducer (30) that supports the second member so as to be rotatable around a predetermine axis line with respect to the first member (14); a torque sensor (10) fixed to a position between the reducer (30) and the first member (14), the torque sensor (10) detecting a torque around the axis line (Fig. 6); and an annular shape seal member (11) surrounding an outer periphery of the torque sensor (Fig. 1), the reducer (30) includes a fixed portion (33) to which the torque sensor (30) is fixed and a movable portion (13) being rotatably supported by the fixed portion (33) around the axis line (Fig. 3), and the seal member (32) being compressed by the fixed portion (33) and the first member (14) in the direction along the axis line (Fig. 6).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDI N HOPKINS whose telephone number is (571)270-7042. The examiner can normally be reached M & F 9-5 and T-TH, 6-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Deherrera can be reached at (303) 297-4237. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRANDI N HOPKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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