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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant's submission filed on 02/24/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-13 remain(s) pending in the application. Applicant's amendments to the Drawings and Claims have overcome each and every objection and 112(b) rejections previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed 08/26/2025, hereinafter NFOA.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 and 8 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HUFENBACH WERNER PROF DR ING et al. DE 4430502 A1, hereinafter Hufenbach, in view of KEES ULRICH et al. DE 102009014813 A1, hereinafter Kees, have been fully considered and are persuasive. Specifically the argument that Hufenbach fails to disclose the limitation: “An actuator assembly comprising: an actuator comprising a ram body… and an actuator control block… the ram body being integral with the actuator control block”, is accurate. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Lindahl; Gary M. et al. US 20200010181 A1.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 10 Ln 2, please amend to --a ram body [[within]] within--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 of this title, 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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HUFENBACH WERNER PROF DR ING et al. DE 4430502 A1, hereinafter Hufenbach, in view of KEES ULRICH et al. DE 102009014813 A1, hereinafter Kees, in further view of Lindahl; Gary M. et al. US 20200010181 A1, hereinafter Lindahl. The references is/are considered analogous art to the claimed invention because the references is/are from the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention (cylinder-end cap assemblies of fluid actuated devices); or the references is/are reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor (construction of the linear motor)). MPEP2141.01(a) I.
Machine translations of Hufenbach and Kees are provided for disclosure reference callouts.
Regarding claim 1, Hufenbach discloses (Fig. 1-2) an actuator assembly (1) comprising:
an actuator comprising
a ram body (4/5) and
a movable rod (2/3) within the ram body and
two or more tie rods (12);
a tailstock (6, depicted bottom); and
a front plate (6, depicted top), the two or more tie rods linking the tailstock, the ram body and the front plate [0016];
wherein the ram body is formed of a first material (Claim 2 states one material for use of the control block sleeve (4) is aluminum and [0014] states another material for the control block pipe (5) is fiber-reinforced plastic); and
wherein the tailstock and the front plate are formed of a second material able to withstand more tensile stress than the first material ([0017] states one material for use of (6, 6) is steel; steel fundamentally has a higher tensile strength than that of aluminum and/or plastic).
Hufenbach fails to explicitly state that the assembly further comprising: an actuator control block for causing movement of the rod, the ram body being integral with the actuator control block and being made of the same material as said control block.
Lindahl discloses (Fig. 10) an actuator assembly (1000) comprising:
an actuator comprising
a ram body (500) and
a movable rod (508) within the ram body and
an actuator control block (630/1002) for causing movement of the rod [0054], the ram body being integral with the actuator control block and being made of the same material as said control block ([0090] “in another example, the cylinder 500 and the manifold 1002 can be made as a single integrated housing”, also depicted as such) , wherein the control block is formed of a first material (as they are disclosed/depicted as a single integrated housing, they are formed of the same material) for the purpose of “improving stiffness of the hydraulic system and improving motion control of the piston” [0090].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Hufenbach, by forming the ram body and actuator control block integrally, as taught by Lindahl, for the purpose of improving stiffness of the hydraulic system and improving motion control of the piston.
Hufenbach further fails to explicitly state that the two or more tie rods, are formed of a second material able to withstand more tensile stress than the first material. Instead, Hufenbach is silent regarding the tie rod material.
Kees discloses (Fig. 1-2) an actuator assembly comprising:
an actuator control block (3), wherein the control block is formed of a first material (Pg 6 Ln 24 states plastic);
two or more tie rods (28);
a tailstock (32); and
a front plate (33);
wherein the two or more tie rods, the tailstock and the front plate are formed of a second material able to withstand more tensile stress than the first material (Pg 5 Ln 32-36 states one material for use of (28, 32 and 33) is steel; steel fundamentally has a higher tensile strength than that of aluminum and/or plastic) for the purpose of providing very high strength.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Hufenbach, by providing the tie rods of steel material, as taught by Kees, for the purpose of providing very high strength.
Regarding claim 2, Hufenbach discloses (Fig. 1-2) further comprising: nuts (14) to tighten the tie rods (28) [0018].
Regarding claim 3, Hufenbach discloses (Fig. 1-2) further comprising: bearings (9, depicted piston surfaces that contact (4)) between the rod (2/3) and the ram body (4/5) within which the rod moves ([0015] states the portion (9) functions as a piston rod (3) bearing, furthermore, the depicted piston surfaces that contact (4) function as bearings upon (4)).
Regarding claim 4, Hufenbach discloses (Fig. 1-2) wherein the first material is aluminum (Claim 2).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the second material is steel (Hufenbach [0017], Kees Pg 5 Ln 32-36).
Regarding claim 6, wherein the second material is steel (Hufenbach [0017], Kees Pg 5 Ln 32-36).
Regarding claim 7, Hufenbach discloses (Fig. 1-2) further comprising: a sleeve (4) between the rod (2/3) and the ram body (5) within which the rod moves [0014].
Regarding claim 8, Hufenbach discloses (Fig. 1-2) a method of making an actuator assembly comprising an actuator comprising a ram body (4/5) and movable rod (2/3) within the ram body, said method comprising:
forming the ram body of a first material (Claim 2 states one material for use of the control block sleeve (4) is aluminum and [0014] states another material for the control block pipe (5) is fiber-reinforced plastic);
integrally forming an actuator control block of a first material, the ram body being integral in the actuator control block and being made of the same material as the control block; and
providing two or more tie rods (28) , a tailstock (6) and a front plate (6);
wherein the tailstock and the front plate are formed of a second material able to withstand more tensile stress than the first material ([0017] states one material for use of (6, 6) is steel; steel fundamentally has a higher tensile strength than that of aluminum and/or plastic), the two or more tie rods linking the tailstock, the ram body and the front plate [0016].
Hufenbach fails to explicitly state that said method further comprising: integrally forming an actuator control block of a first material, the ram body being integral in the actuator control block and being made of the same material as the control block
Lindahl discloses (Fig. 10) a method of making an actuator assembly comprising an actuator comprising a ram body (500) and movable rod (508) within the ram body, said method comprising:
integrally forming an actuator control block (630/1002) of a first material, the ram body being integral in the actuator control block and being made of the same material as the control block ([0090] “in another example, the cylinder 500 and the manifold 1002 can be made as a single integrated housing”, also depicted as such; as (500/1002) are disclosed/depicted as a single integrated housing, they are formed of the same material) for the purpose of “improving stiffness of the hydraulic system and improving motion control of the piston” [0090].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Hufenbach, by forming the ram body and actuator control block integrally, as taught by Lindahl, for the purpose of improving stiffness of the hydraulic system and improving motion control of the piston.
Hufenbach further fails to explicitly state that the two or more tie rods, are formed of a second material able to withstand more tensile stress than the first material. Instead, Hufenbach is silent regarding the tie rod material.
Kees discloses (Fig. 1-2) an actuator assembly comprising:
an actuator control block (3), wherein the control block is formed of a first material (Pg 6 Ln 24 states plastic);
two or more tie rods (28);
a tailstock (32); and
a front plate (33);
wherein the two or more tie rods, the tailstock and the front plate are formed of a second material able to withstand more tensile stress than the first material (Pg 5 Ln 32-36 states one material for use of (28, 32 and 33) is steel; steel fundamentally has a higher tensile strength than that of aluminum and/or plastic) for the purpose of providing very high strength.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Hufenbach, by providing the tie rods of steel material, as taught by Kees, for the purpose of providing very high strength.
Regarding claim 9, Hufenbach discloses (Fig. 1-2) further comprising: tightening the tie rods (28) with a nut assembly (14) [0018].
Regarding claim 10, Hufenbach discloses (Fig. 1-2) further comprising: disposing bearings (9, depicted piston surfaces that contact (4)) between a rod (2/3) and a ram body (4/5) within which the rod moves ([0015] states the portion (9) functions as a piston rod (3) bearing, furthermore, the depicted piston surfaces that contact (4) function as bearings upon (4)).
Regarding claim 11, Hufenbach discloses (Fig. 1-2) wherein the first material is aluminum (Claim 2).
Regarding claim 12, wherein the second material is steel (Hufenbach [0017], Kees Pg 5 Ln 32-36).
Regarding claim 13, wherein the second material is steel (Hufenbach [0017], Kees Pg 5 Ln 32-36).
Relevant Art
The following is a listing of relevant art:
US 4977760 A, US 3158068 A, US 3165981 A discloses an actuator assembly with integral control blocks and ram body.
Contact Information
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 MATTHEW WIBLIN whose telephone number is (571)272-9836. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NATHANIEL WIEHE can be reached on 571-272-86488648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW WIBLIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3745