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 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, 9, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2022/0128046 to Ruzicka et al. (Ruzicka)
In Reference to Claim 1
Ruzicka discloses:
A shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator comprising:
a base configured to be fixed to a carriage 306;
a free end configured to be unfixed from the carriage 306;
and one or more SMA wires 172 that are electrically connected at a first end to the base and at a second end to the free end,
wherein a length of the carriage and the one or more SMA wires is variable and based on a system in which the SMA actuator is configured to be included, see paragraph [0161] the shape memory .
In Reference to Claim 2
Ruzicka discloses:
wherein the SMA actuator comprises two SMA wires, and
wherein the two SMA wires are disposed on an upper surface of the base and the free end that is directed opposite to the carriage, see fig.96 and paragraph [0228].
In Reference to Claim 9
Ruzicka discloses:
wherein one or more openings are formed in the carriage, see paragraph [0174].
In Reference to Claim 10
Ruzicka discloses:
the system comprises any of an optical image stabilization system or an autofocus system, see paragraph [0003].
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 3-8 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, primarily because the prior art of record cannot anticipate Applicant’s claimed invention by a single reference nor render Applicant’s claimed invention obvious by the combination of more than one reference.
Claims 16-20 are allowed primarily because the prior art of record cannot anticipate Applicant’s claimed invention by a single reference nor render Applicant’s claimed invention obvious by the combination of more than one reference.
Furthermore, the prior art of record does not teach “wherein the base includes: a first set of contact pads disposed on a first side of the base and second set of contact pads at a second side of the base, wherein the first and second sets of contact pads are configured to provide an electrical current to any of the at least two SMA wires; and a trench that electrically isolates a first SMA wire from the second SMA wire.” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 3;
The prior art of record does not teach “a set of contact portions comprising a first contact portion configured to connect to a first SMA wire and a second contact portion configured to connect to a second SMA wire; a set of electrical contacts disposed on each of a first side and a second side of the base and configured to provide an electrical current to the SMA wires; and a trench disposed along the base and extending to either of the first side or second side of the base to electrically isolate the set of contact portions and the SMA wires.” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 3; and
The prior art of record does not teach “etching a trench in the base portion to electrically isolate a first connection portion and a second connection portion of the base; and affixing a first end of a first SMA wire to the first connection portion of the base portion and affixing a second end of the first SMA wire to the free end.” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 16.
Therefore, the prior art of record cannot anticipate Applicant’s claimed invention by a single reference nor render Applicant’s claimed invention obvious by the combination of more than one reference.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY AYALA DELGADO whose telephone number is (571)270-3452. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark III Laurenzi can be reached on (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANTHONY AYALA DELGADO/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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