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) 1-6 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Matsuoka (US 5,372,568).
Regarding claim 1, Matsuoka discloses an unclamping arm (32), rotatably supported (col. 9, lines 3-5) within a spindle head (14) of a machine tool (Fig. 2) which comprises: a spindle (28) on which a tool (40) is to be mounted, a tool gripping mechanism (46) provided inside the spindle (28) and configured to (col. 8, lines 21-54) fix or release the tool (40) to and from the spindle (28), the spindle head (14) that rotatably holds (col. 8, lines 10-12) the spindle (28), and an upright column (12) that movably supports (co. 7, lines 56-57) the spindle head (14), and configured to operate fixing or releasing of the tool (40) by the tool gripping mechanism (46), the unclamping arm (32) comprising: a fulcrum section (FS) rotatably supported within the spindle head (14); a force point section (76), in conjunction with a movement of the spindle head (14), configured to come into contact with a contact section (78) provided on the upright column (12) and receive an external pressure; and an action point section (74) configured to, by the force point section (76) rotating about the fulcrum section (FS) upon receiving the external pressure, press or not press the tool gripping mechanism (46) to operate fixing or releasing of the tool (40) by the gripping mechanism (46), wherein the action point section (74) is located between the fulcrum section (FS) and the force point section (76), the fulcrum section (FS) and the action point section (74) are located on a straight line intersecting an axial direction of the spindle (28), and the force point section (76) is located at a position away from the fulcrum section (FS) toward a side of the upright column (12).
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Regarding claim 2, Matsuoka discloses wherein the axial direction is horizontal. Regarding claims 3 and 4, Matsuoka discloses wherein a roller (77; Fig. 10) is provided at the force point section, and the roller (77) slides on a cam (79) provided on the contact section.
Regarding claims 5 and 6, Matsuoka discloses wherein the fulcrum section (FS) is disposed at a position away from a moving surface (MS) of the upright column (12) on a side where the spindle head (14) moves toward a side of the spindle (14), and the force point section (76) is configured to, in conjunction with the movement of the spindle head (14), come into contact with the contact section (78) provided on the moving surface (MS) of the upright column (12) and receive the external pressure.
Regarding claim 9, Matsuoka discloses a machine tool (not labeled, Fig. 2), comprising: a spindle (28) on which a tool (40) is to be mounted, a tool gripping mechanism (46) provided inside the spindle (28) and configured to fix or release the tool (40) to or from the spindle (28), a spindle head (14) that rotatably holds the spindle (28), an upright column (12) that movably supports the spindle head (14), and an unclamping arm (32) rotatably supported within the spindle head (14) and configured to operate fixing or releasing of the tool (40) by the tool gripping mechanism (46), wherein the unclamping arm (32) comprises: a fulcrum section (FS) rotatably supported within the spindle head (14); a force point section (76), in conjunction with a movement of the spindle head (14), configured to come into contact with a contact section (78) provided on the upright column (12) and receive an external pressure; and an action point section (74) configured to, by the force point section (76) rotating about the fulcrum section (FS) upon receiving the external pressure, press or not press the tool gripping mechanism (46) to operate fixing or releasing of the tool (40) by the gripping mechanism (46), wherein the action point section (74) is located between the fulcrum section (FS) and the force point section (76), the fulcrum section (FS) and the action point section (74) are located on a straight line intersecting an axial direction of the spindle (28), and the force point section (76) is located at a position away from the fulcrum section (FS) toward the side of the upright column (12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The reference listed on the attached PTO-892 is cited to show a machine tool.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERMIE E COZART whose telephone number is (571)272-4528. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30am - 7:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sunil Singh can be reached at 571-272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JERMIE E COZART/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
June 27, 2026
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