DETAILED ACTION
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugimoto et al. (US 4,396,344), in view of Yamazaki (US 2020/0101627),
Regarding the claims, Sugimoto discloses the following:
1. (Currently Amended) A robot comprising:a base (24, 35); a robot arm (including 19) rotating relative to the base; a reducer (50a) coupling the base and the robot arm; a motor (50) coupled to the reducer (50a); wherein the base (24, 35) includes a first housing (24) and a second housing (35), the first housing (24) has an opening portion that is closed by the second housing (35), the reducer (50a) and the motor (50) are attached to the second housing (35), the reducer (50a) and the motor (50) are inserted into the first housing (24) through the opening portion (fig. 14).
Further, Sugimoto discloses that the invention enables control of the motors (i.e., computerized control) and permits control of the posture and position of the mechanism (i.e., power to the motors), but does not detail the means of control and power, so therefore does not meet the limitations regarding the control board and power supply board, as claimed.
Yamazaki teaches a control board (51) controlling driving of the motor; and a power supply board (52) supplying electric power to the control board, wherein the control board (51) and the power supply board (52) are attached to the first housing (20). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the time of effective filing to place the control and power supply boards of Yamazaki into the first housing of Sugimoto, for the expected benefit of providing a simple, efficient, and/or known means of supplying control and/or power signals, thereby reducing engineering costs.
5. (Currently Amended) The robot according to claim 1, wherein the second housing (35) is fixed to the first housing (24) in a state of being mounted on the first housing (fig. 14).
Claims 3 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugimoto et al. (US 4,396,344) and Yamazaki (US 2020/0101627), in view of Nakashima et al. (US 4,540,332).
The prior art does not disclose belt drives, and therefore cannot be said to read on the limitations of claims 3 and 13. However, the use of belt-drives was old and well-known in the robotic arts, and provided the known benefit of reduced backlash.
Nakashima teaches the use of a belt drive including a belt (38), and a first (either of 36 or 40) and second (other of 36 or 40) pulley. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to replace the directly-driven drive of the prior art with the pulley-driven drive of Nakashima, for the expected advantage of reduced backlash.
The limitations of claims 3 and 13 flow naturally from the combination suggested by the prior art, as motivated above.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugimoto et al. (US 4,396,344) and Yamazaki (US 2020/0101627), in view of (CN 108105799).
Regarding claim 12, the prior art does not disclose a hollow reducer.
CN teaches the use of a hollow speed reducer provided with a wire passing protective sleeve 32, which provides the benefit of convenience and/or protecting the wire from damage. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the time of effective filing to use the hollow reducer and wiring structure as taught by CN in combination with the device disclosed by the prior art, for the expected benefit of convenience and/or protecting the wires from damage.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims 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.
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 T. S. FIX whose telephone number is (571)272-8535. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 10a-3p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached at 5712707778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/T. SCOTT FIX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
