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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments regarding Kwon have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant pre-emptively argues that the groove 528 does not meet the claim limitation. The Examiner does not agree. In every possible way, this cited groove does the same exact thing as the applicant “gap”, being a place in which the wire passes through in order to be “received”. Further, the Examiner has also included item 538 as an alternate item meeting the claim limitation.
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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwon, US 20220123534.
Regarding claim 1, Kwon discloses: A rotary tool (Fig. 1, AUTOMATIC OPENING AND CLOSING STRIPPING DEVICE) for manipulating a wire tie ([0281] “The sheath stripped in the present invention is discharged into a spiral form, and referring to FIG. 11, the stripped sheath is discharged into the discharge guide hole 770 along the inclined guide plane 781 of the discharge guide member 780 and is simultaneously wound on the winder spring 761.”) on an energized power line, the rotary tool comprising:
a housing (Fig. 1, operator head 400),
a drive source (Fig. 2, driving body 120 and driving unit 110) coupled to the housing; and
a drive system (Fig. 2, driving unit 110) comprising:
a drive gear (Fig. 7, power transmission unit 511, in particular bevel gear 514) ; and
a ring gear (Fig. 7, interlocking gear 520 and/or second power gear 530) meshed with the drive gear, wherein the ring gear is configured to rotate around a conductor (Fig. 21, wire 21) associated with the wire tie responsive to the drive source driving the drive gear of the drive system (see Figs. 22-35); and
wherein the drive source drives the drive gear responsive to one or more instructions from an operator (see Figs. 19 and 27 for description of operation),
wherein the ring gear comprises a gap (Figs. 22-36 power guide groove 528 and/or engagement groove 538 ) therein in which the conductor is received, and wherein the gap rotates with the ring gear.
Regarding claim 2, Kwon further discloses: the housing further comprises a slot (Fig. 5, wire lead in groove 414) for receiving the conductor therein.
Regarding claim 3, Kwon further discloses: the rotary tool further comprises a spring-loaded rod (Fig. 11, sheath collection bar 760 includes a winder spring 761) coupled to the ring gear, wherein the spring-loaded rod is configured to be inserted between the conductor and the wire tie wound around the conductor (see Figs. 25-26).
Regarding claim 4, Kwon further discloses: the ring gear of the drive system is rotated around the conductor, thereby rotating the spring-loaded rod to unwind the wire tie from the conductor (Figs. 22-26 depict the rotation of the spring loaded rod and the ring gear in the unwinding stage) .
Regarding claim 5, Kwon further discloses: the housing comprises a cutter, wherein the cutter cuts the wire tie after the wire tie is unwound from the conductor ([0283] “Thereafter, in separation of the wire (S400a), [0284] the stripped sheath is cut and the wire is separated from the operator head 400 in the state in which stripping of the wire is completed, and thereby, the automatic opening and closing stripping device 1 for indirect live wires having wire stripping and taping functions is removed. [0285] In more detail, the stripped sheath of the wire 21 is cut by the cutting protrusions 725 and 725′ provided on the stripping wire receipt recess 711 and the stripping wire pressing recess 721 of the stripping tool holder 710′ and the wire pressing tool 720′, and the cutting protrusions 725 and 725′ may cut the stripped sheath when a worker applies a designated external force to the handle 140 to twist the operator head 400 at a designated angle.”).
Regarding claim 6, Kwon further discloses: the housing comprises a die, the die formed to bend the wire tie into a coil as the wire tie is fed through the die ([0192] “Here, an inclined guide plane 781 connected to the discharge guide hole 770 so as to allow the sheath to move along the inclined guide plane 781 and thus to stably guide the sheath to the discharge guide hole 770 is provided at the side of the discharge guide member 780 corresponding to the stripping blade 750.”).
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 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Kwon, US 20220123534.
Regarding claim 7, Kwon discloses: A rotary tool for manipulating a wire tie ([0281] “The sheath stripped in the present invention is discharged into a spiral form, and referring to FIG. 11, the stripped sheath is discharged into the discharge guide hole 770 along the inclined guide plane 781 of the discharge guide member 780 and is simultaneously wound on the winder spring 761.”) on an energized power line (Fig. 1, AUTOMATIC OPENING AND CLOSING STRIPPING DEVICE), the rotary tool comprising:
a housing (Fig. 1, operator head 400),
a drive source coupled to the housing (Fig. 2, driving body 120 and driving unit 110);
and a drive system (Fig. 2, driving unit 110) comprising
wherein the gear set (Fig. 7, power transmission unit 511, in particular bevel gear 514) comprises a ring gear (Fig. 7, interlocking gear 520 and/or second power gear 530) that is configured to rotate around a conductor (Fig. 21, wire 21) associated with the wire tie ([0281]) responsive to the drive source driving the drive system, and
wherein the drive source drives the drive system responsive to one or more instructions from an operator (see Figs. 19 and 27 for description of operation),
wherein the ring gear comprises a gap (Figs. 22-36 power guide groove 528 and/or engagement groove 538 ) therein in which the conductor is received, and wherein the gap rotates with the ring gear.
Kwon does not explicitly disclose: a planetary gear set.
It would have been an obvious mater of design choice to utilize a planetary gear system as opposed to the bevel gear system as disclosed by Kwon, as neither gear system provides any specific advantage over another. The modification represents a simple substitution of one energy transfer design to another. The Examiner further notes that the Applicant does not cite to any specific advantage of using a planetary gear system as opposed to the bevel/ring gear system as taught by Kwon.
Regarding claim 8, the modified Kwon further discloses: the housing further comprises a slot (Fig. 5, wire lead in groove 414) for receiving the conductor therein.
Regarding claim 9, the modified Kwon further discloses: the rotary tool further comprises a spring-loaded rod (Fig. 11, sheath collection bar 760 includes a winder spring 761) coupled to the ring gear of the planetary gear set, wherein the spring-loaded rod is configured to be inserted between the conductor and the wire tie wound around the conductor (see Figs. 25-26).
Regarding claim 10, the modified Kwon further discloses: the ring gear of the planetary gear set is rotated around the conductor and drives the planetary gear set, thereby rotating the spring-loaded rod to unwind the wire tie from the conductor (Figs. 22-26 depict the rotation of the spring loaded rod and the ring gear in the unwinding stage).
Regarding claim 11, the modified Kwon further discloses: the housing comprises a cutter, wherein the cutter cuts the wire tie after the wire tie is unwound from the conductor ([0283]).
Regarding claim 12, the modified Kwon further discloses: the housing comprises a die, the die formed to bend the wire tie into a coil as the wire tie is fed through the die ([0192]).
Claims 13-15, 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon in view of Inokuchi, US 20010055525.
Regarding claim 13, Kwon discloses: A system for manipulating a wire tie on an energized power line, the system comprising:
a rotary tool (Fig. 1, AUTOMATIC OPENING AND CLOSING STRIPPING DEVICE) driven by the robot unit, comprising:
a drive system (Fig. 2, driving unit 110), comprising: a drive gear (Fig. 7, power transmission unit 511, in particular bevel gear 514); and
a ring gear (Fig. 7, interlocking gear 520 and/or second power gear 530) meshed with the drive gear, wherein the ring gear is configured to rotate around a conductor (Fig. 21, wire 21) associated with the wire tie responsive to the robot unit driving the drive gear of the drive system (see Figs. 22-35); and
wherein the robot unit drives the drive system responsive to one or more instructions from an operator (see Figs. 19 and 27 for description of operation),
wherein the ring gear comprises a gap (Figs. 22-36 power guide groove 528 and/or engagement groove 538 ) therein in which the conductor is received, and wherein the gap rotates with the ring gear.
Kwon does not explicitly disclose: a robot unit mounted to a boom assembly, comprising:
at least one robotic arm for performing an action.
Inokuchi teaches: a robot unit (Inokuchi, Fig. 1, boom 2) mounted to a boom assembly (Inokuchi, Fig. 1, boom 2), comprising:
at least one robotic arm (Inokuchi, Fig. 1, arms 5, 6 and 10) for performing an action.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to utilize the robotic boom and control as taught by Inokuchi in combination with the wire handling device of Kwon, thereby combining prior art elements to achieve a predictable result. The benefit of the use of Robotics in the place of Manpower is primarily that the robot removes the human operator from the immediate work area, thus increasing worker safety. As these devices are used on high voltage/current power lines, even the slightest mistake can have electrifying consequences. Furthermore, the use of a robotic boom type arrangement can increase the reach of the device manyfold over the human operator, thus extending the reach of the device while further removing a human operator from the danger zone (height off ground and/or electrocution risk) of the power line.
Regarding claim 14, the modified Kwon further discloses: the rotary tool further comprises a housing (Kwon - Fig. 1, operator head 400) coupled to the at least one robotic arm and the drive system, wherein the housing further comprises a slot (Kwon - Fig. 5, wire lead in groove 414) for receiving the conductor therein.
Regarding claim 15, the modified Kwon further discloses: the at least one robotic arm comprises a first robotic arm and a second robotic arm (Inokuchi, Fig. 1, arms 5, 6 and 10), wherein the first robotic arm is coupled to the rotary tool, wherein the second robotic arm comprises a gripper to manipulate the wire tie for inserting a rod between the conductor and the wire tie ([0111] “First, a supplied tool securing portion is gripped by and set in the four-side roller 44 of the third arm 10. The angle of the supplied tools is vertically and horizontally adjusted to put it in a predetermined position. An inserting machine and a gripper are set at the left manipulator 5 and the right manipulator 6, respectively. At this time, a mounting guide and an attachment for transferring a tool shaft are attached to the inserting machine, and a finger for poly pipe is attached to the gripper. The third arm 10 is moved to a supplied tool suspending position.”).
Regarding claim 17, the modified Kwon further discloses: the robot unit further comprises at least one camera for capturing visual information (Inokuchi, Fig. 1, a plurality of cameras 12A, 12B for photographing states of operation).
Regarding claim 18 the modified Kwon further discloses: the at least one camera comprises at least one three-dimensional camera ([0096], “three-dimensional distance measuring device 11 and cameras 12A, 12B”).
Regarding claim 19, the modified Kwon further discloses: the robot unit further comprises at least one sensor for capturing sensory information (Inokuchi, [0096], “three-dimensional distance measuring device 11 and cameras 12A, 12B”), [0217], “sensor 155”, [0230], “sensor 197”).
Regarding claim 20, the modified Kwon further discloses: the at least one sensor comprises an electricity sensor for sensing if electricity is running through the conductor (Inokuchi, Figs. 8-9 measure leakage current).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon in view of Inokuchi, further in view of Murray, (US 2023/0311296). the rod comprises an abrasive material on an exterior thereof for removing corrosion from the conductor.
Regarding claim 16, the modified Kwon discloses the device of claim 15.
The modified Kwon does not explicitly disclose: the rod comprises an abrasive material on an exterior thereof for removing corrosion from the conductor.
Murray teaches: the rod comprises an abrasive material on an exterior thereof for removing corrosion from the conductor ([0004] “Accordingly, there is a need for an electric power transmission structure maintenance apparatus and method of moving along the structures to prep the structures and apply a coating system thereto”; [0027] “The robot carriage 60 includes … The tools 116 include, but are not limited to, a grinding wheel 122 and a coating applicator such as sprayer 124. Other mechanical tools that may be used to prepare surfaces for coating include scrapers, sanders, and wire brush. Further, tools such as lasers for paint removal may be used.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to utilize the surface preparation and coating device as taught by Murray in combination with the Robotic Power Line service device as taught by the modified Kwon, thereby combining prior art elements to achieve a predictable result. The Murray device discusses the benefits of the device in [0002-0005]; in summary, the use of this device on a robotic machine saves time, money, and most importantly lives by removing the human from the dangerous work of performing maintenance on high voltage and high physical height power lines.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 DANIEL JEREMY LEEDS whose telephone number is (571)272-2095. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs, 0730-1730.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at 571-270-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL JEREMY LEEDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731