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 § 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 1, 2, 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gan [CN 113734315] in view Futterer [US Pat # 6,601,467].
Regarding claim 1: Gan shows a small actuator comprising: a housing (1); a motor (5) disposed in the housing (1), the motor (5) including a motor gear (51); a first transmission gear (771+712) including a first gear unit (711) in external contact with the motor gear (51) and a second gear unit (712) formed integrally with the first gear unit (711); a second transmission gear (721+722) including a third gear unit (721) in external contact with the second gear unit (712) and a fourth gear unit (722) formed integrally with the third gear unit (721); a third transmission gear (731+732) including a fifth gear unit (731) in external contact with the fourth gear unit (722) and a sixth gear unit (732) formed integrally with the fifth gear unit (721); a fourth transmission gear (741+742) including a seventh gear unit (741) in external contact with the sixth gear (732) unit and an eighth gear unit (742) formed integrally with the seventh gear unit (741); and an output shaft (3) including an output gear (31) in external contact with the eighth gear unit (742); and a fixing shaft (72) and wherein the third transmission gear (721+722) and the output shaft (3) vertically overlap each other.
Gan does not show that wherein the second transmission gear and the fourth transmission gear are passed through by the fixing shaft and vertically overlap each other. However, Futterer shows wherein the second transmission gear (20) and the fourth transmission gear (21) are passed through by the fixing shaft (9, see fig 2) and vertically overlap each other.
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have modified Gan reference such that the second transmission and the fourth transmission share the same shaft to reduce the overall size of the transmission.
Regarding claim 2: Gan shows wherein the second transmission gear (721+712), the third transmission gear (731+732), the fourth transmission gear (741+742), and the output gear (31) are sequentially arranged in zigzag.
Regarding claim 12: Gan shows wherein the housing includes a first housing (103), a second housing (101) disposed below the first housing, and a third housing (102) connecting the first housing and the second housing, wherein the small actuator further comprises a rotation shaft 0.(71) that is disposed inside the first transmission gear and is formed integrally with the first transmission gear, and wherein the rotation shaft (71) is rotatably coupled to the third housing.
Regarding claim 13: Gan shows wherein an upper portion of the fixing shaft (72) is coupled to the first housing (103), and a lower portion of the fixing shaft is coupled to the third housing (102), and wherein each of the second transmission gear and the fourth transmission gear is rotatably coupled to the fixing shaft (72).
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gan [CN 113734315] in view Futterer [US Pat # 6,601,467] in further view of Gao [CN 107044513]
Regarding claim 3: Gan shows wherein the output gear (31) vertically overlaps the fifth gear unit (731) as a whole. Gan does not show wherein the third gear unit vertically overlaps the seventh gear unit as a whole, However Gao shows gear box with wherein the third gear unit (491) vertically overlaps the seventh gear unit (47) as a whole.
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have rearranged the gears such that the the seventh gear overlap the output gear to create a more compact gear box and reduce the overall size.
Regarding claim 4: Gan shows wherein a diameter of the third gear unit (721) is greater than a diameter of the fourth gear unit (722), wherein a diameter of the seventh gear unit (741) is greater than a diameter of the eighth gear unit (742), and wherein a diameter of the fifth gear unit (731) is greater than a diameter of the sixth gear unit (732).
Claims 5-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gan [CN 113734315] in view Futterer [US Pat # 6,601,467] in further view of Takeuchi [US 2011/0291532].
Regarding claims 5 and 6: Gan does not explicitly disclose wherein the motor is a coreless direct current motor with a low inertia. A magnet disposed on the output shaft and below the third transmission gear; a substrate disposed in the housing; and a magnet sensor disposed on the substrate and facing the magnet. However, Takeuchi shows wherein the motor is a coreless direct current motor (10) with a low inertia (see [0004]). A magnet ([0019]) disposed on the output shaft and below the third transmission gear; a substrate (310) disposed in the housing; and a magnet sensor (see [0004]) disposed on the substrate and facing the magnet.
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective date to have replaced the motor in Gan reference with coreless motor to increase efficiency and rapid acceleration and deceleration. It would have been obvious to add current sensor and magnet sensor to monitor and control the motor and for position sensing.
Regarding claim 7: Gan shows wherein the housing includes a first housing (103), a second housing (101) disposed below the first housing, and a third housing (102) connecting the first housing (103) and the second housing (101), and wherein the output shaft (3) is rotatably coupled to the third housing (102) through a bearing (see fig 3).
Regarding claim 8-10: Gan shows wherein the substrate (1021, see fig 6) includes an inner substrate coupled to the second housing (101) and an outer substrate (12) that is electrically connected to the inner substrate and is disposed outside the housing (through 1011), a motor drive (4) disposed on the substrate and controlling an operation of the motor; and a controller (11) disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the current sensor and the motor drive (4), a motor drive are arranged on the inner substrate (see fig 7), and wherein a controller (11) is disposed on the outer substrate
Gan does not show a current sensor (8, 9) disposed on the substrate (11), wherein the current sensor detects a current flowing into the motor.
wherein the controller (11) predicts a torque of the small actuator through the current flowing into the motor detected by the current sensor, and controls the operation of the motor through the motor drive based on the predicted torque of the small actuator. However, Takeuchi shows a current sensor (1150) disposed on the substrate (310), wherein the current sensor (1150) detects a current flowing into the motor.
wherein the controller (11) predicts a torque of the small actuator through the current flowing into the motor detected by the current sensor, and controls the operation of the motor through the motor drive based on the predicted torque of the small actuator ([0005]).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective date to have replaced the motor in Gan reference with current sensor and controller to monitor and control the torque output of the motor.
Regarding claim 11: Gan shows wherein the third transmission gear is rotatably coupled to the output shaft (3).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-13 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. For example, US Pat # 7,846,054 also shows multi-stage gear box with first, second and third transmission with overlapping gears.
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 ZAKARIA ELAHMADI whose telephone number is (571)270-5324. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-6 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached on 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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