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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy of the Japanese parent Application No. JP2022-125877 (filed on 08/05/2022) was received with the present application.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 8, and 10-12 are objected to because of the following informalities that require appropriate corrections:
In claim 1, line 8-9, the limitations “a contact surface to contact an article and movable in in-plane directions” should read -- a contact surface that contact an article and that is movable in in-plane directions --.
In claim 8, line 4-5, the limitations “a driving source that moves the mover, moves the mover by the driving source to thereby” should read -- a driving source that moves the mover; wherein the driving source moves the mover to thereby --.
In claim 10, line 3, the limitations “the first direction” should read -- the first directions --.
In claim 11, line 2-3, the limitations “the first direction” should read -- the first directions --.
In claim 12, line 3, the limitations “the first direction” should read -- the first directions --.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Furukawa (Japanese Patent Application/Publication JP2017-030834A).
Regarding claim 1, Furukawa teach (Figures 1-7) a hand (article gripping device 30) comprising: a hand body (combined structure of the base body 2a, the base body 2b, the movable body 18, and the fixed body 19); a first finger (gripping piece 1a) disposed to the hand body (combined structure of the base body 2a, the base body 2b, the movable body 18, and the fixed body 19); a second finger (gripping piece 1b) disposed to the hand body (combined structure of the base body 2a, the base body 2b, the movable body 18, and the fixed body 19); and an advance/retract actuator (drive means/air cylinder 10 with the piston rod 10a) that advances and retracts (via displacing the moving block 9a along the slide groove 11) the first finger (gripping piece 1a) in predetermined first directions (front-rear/forward-rearward moving direction of the gripping piece 1a relative to the base body 2a) relative to the hand body (combined structure of the base body 2a, the base body 2b, the movable body 18, and the fixed body 19) independently of the second finger (gripping piece 1b); wherein the first finger gripping piece 1a) includes a belt (belt 13) defining a contact surface (lower surface side 13x of the belt 13) that is configured to contact an article (sandwich ‘S’) and that is movable along in in-plane directions (circulating/moving direction of the belt 13) of the contact surface (lower surface side 13x of the belt 13) (see also paragraphs 0015-0037 in the translated JP2017-030834A provided with the IDS filed by the applicant on 01/31/2025).
Regarding claim 2, Furukawa teach all intervening claim limitations as shown above. Furukawa further teach (Figures 1-7), the advance/retract actuator (drive means/air cylinder 10 with the piston rod 10a) drives the belt (belt 13) such that said belt (belt 13) moves along in the in-plane directions (circulating/moving direction of the belt 13) of the contact surface (lower surface side 13x of the belt 13) (paragraphs 0020-0021 disclose, the belt 13 being circulated when the slide plate 12a of the gripping piece 1a is moved in a front-rear/forward-rearward direction by the drive means/air cylinder 10 with the piston rod 10a; where the circulation of the belt 13 displaces the lower surface side 13x of the belt 13).
Regarding claim 3, Furukawa teach all intervening claim limitations as shown above. Furukawa further teach (Figures 1-7), the hand (article gripping device 30) comprising a lock (air supply/actuation means of the drive means/air cylinder 10) that switches the first finger (gripping piece 1a) between a locked state (when the drive means/air cylinder 10 is not actuated or not supplied with air, such that the piston rod 10a cannot be extend/reattracted to displace the gripping piece 1a relative to the base body 2a in the front-rear/forward-rearward moving direction) where said first finger (gripping piece 1a) is immovable in the first directions (front-rear/forward-rearward moving direction of the gripping piece 1a relative to the base body 2a), and an unlocked state (when the drive means/air cylinder 10 is actuated or supplied with air, such that the piston rod 10a can be extend/reattracted to displace the gripping piece 1a relative to the base body 2a in the front-rear/forward-rearward moving direction) where said first finger (gripping piece 1a) is movable in the first directions (front-rear/forward-rearward moving direction of the gripping piece 1a relative to the base body 2a).
Claim 1 is additionally rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chawla et al. (U.S. PGPUB 2023/0311340 A1 hereinafter referred to as “Chawla”).
Regarding claim 1, Chawla teach (Figures 1-24) a hand (rolling grasp end effector illustrated in figures 1-24) comprising: a hand body (gripper base 1 with the guide rods 4); a first finger (finger 6) disposed to the hand body (gripper base 1 with the guide rods 4); a second finger (finger 7) disposed to the hand body (gripper base 1 with the guide rods 4); and an advance/retract actuator (main motor 2 with the lead screw 5) that advances and retracts the first finger (finger 6) in a predetermined first direction (axial direction defined along the guide rods 4/lead screw 5) relative to the hand body (gripper base 1 with the guide rods 4) independently of the second finger (finger 7); wherein the first finger (finger 6) includes a belt (belt 14 of the finger 6) defining a contact surface (outer surface of the belt 14) that is configured to contact an article (plate 17, the bowl 18, the chopsticks 19, the fork 20, or the mug 21) and that is movable along in an in-plane direction (moving/circulating direction of the belt 14) of the contact surface (outer surface of the belt 14) (see also paragraphs 0034-0064).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-14 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, for the following reasons:
Regarding claim 4, Furukawa teach all intervening claim limitations as shown above. Furukawa further teach (Figures 1-7), the advance/retract actuator (drive means/air cylinder 10 with the piston rod 10a) moving the article (sandwich ‘S’) in the in-plane directions (circulating/moving direction of the belt 13) of the contact surface (lower surface side 13x of the belt 13) by driving the belt (belt 13) with the lock (air supply/actuation means of the drive means/air cylinder 10) in the locked state (when the drive means/air cylinder 10 is not actuated or not supplied with air, such that the piston rod 10a cannot be extend/reattracted to displace the gripping piece 1a relative to the base body 2a in the front-rear/forward-rearward moving direction) and the belt (belt 13) in contact with said article (sandwich ‘S). Yet, Furukawa does not reveal, the advance/retract actuator (drive means/air cylinder 10 with the piston rod 10a) being configured to advance/retract the first finger (gripping piece 1a) in the first directions (front-rear/forward-rearward moving direction of the gripping piece 1a relative to the base body 2a) by driving the belt (belt 13) with the lock (air supply/actuation means of the drive means/air cylinder 10) in the unlocked state (when the drive means/air cylinder 10 is actuated or supplied with air, such that the piston rod 10a can be extend/reattracted to displace the gripping piece 1a relative to the base body 2a in the front-rear/forward-rearward moving direction) and said belt (belt 13) in contact with another object/second finger (gripping piece 1b). Instead, the advance/retract actuator of Furukawa’s hand is an air cylinder/piston drive means which is specifically configured to advance and retract the first finger said hand without needing to drive/circulate the belt of the first finger, while said belt is in contact with another object or the second finger of said hand. Furthermore, Chawla and all other prior art of record, either individually or in combination, additionally fail to disclose or render obvious, an advance/retract actuator and a lock in a hand according to parent claims 1-3, also having the precise collective structural arrangement and the operative functionality recited by claim 4. Therefore, claim 4 limitations appears to be allowable over the cited prior art references: specially when said limitations are viewed in light of applicant’s specification, and when they are considered together with the superseding limitations in parent claims 1-3.
Claims 5 and 13-14 depends from claim 4. Subsequently, claims 5 and 13-14 includes the above noted allowable subject matter in parent claim 4.
Regarding claim 6, Furukawa teach all intervening claim limitations as shown above. Furukawa further teach (Figures 1-7), the hand (article gripping device 30) comprising an opening/closing actuator (drive motor ‘M’) that moves (via the screw shaft-side pulley 24, the transmission belt 25, and the motor-side pulley 27) the second finger (gripping piece 1b) in predetermined second directions (axial direction along the guide bars 22/screw shaft 22) relative to the hand body (combined structure of the base body 2a, the base body 2b, the movable body 18, and the fixed body 19), such that the second finger (gripping piece 1b) moves toward or away from the first finger (gripping piece 1a). Yet, Furukawa does not propose, the lock (air supply/actuation means of the drive means/air cylinder 10) including a stopper movable between a first position at which the stopper locks the first finger (gripping piece 1a) and a second position at which the stopper unlocks the first finger (gripping piece 1a), and a first elastic structure that biases such a stopper from a second position toward a first position; or the opening/closing actuator (drive motor ‘M’) being configured to move a stopper in the lock (air supply/actuation means of the drive means/air cylinder 10) from a first position to a second position against an elastic force of a first elastic structure in the lock (air supply/actuation means of the drive means/air cylinder 10), so as to set the lock (air supply/actuation means of the drive means/air cylinder 10) in the unlocked state. Furthermore, Chawla and all other prior art of record, either individually or in combination, additionally fails to disclose or render obvious, an advance/retract actuator, a lock, and an opening/closing actuator in a hand according to parent claims 1-3, also having the specific collective features, relative structural arrangement, and/or the precise operative functionality recited by claim 6. Consequently, claim 6 limitations appears to be allowable over the cited prior art references: specially when said limitations are viewed in light of applicant’s specification, and when they are considered together with the superseding limitations in parent claims 1-3.
Claims 7-9 depends from claim 6. Subsequently, claims 7-9 include the above noted allowable subject matter in parent claim 6.
Regarding claim 10, Furukawa teach all intervening claim limitations as shown above. Furukawa further teach (Figures 1-7), the hand (article gripping device 30) comprising a buffer (moving block 9a) that supports the first finger (gripping piece 1a) such that said first finger (gripping piece 1a) is movable in the first direction (front-rear/forward-rearward moving direction of the gripping piece 1a relative to the base body 2a) relative to the hand body (combined structure of the base body 2a, the base body 2b, the movable body 18, and the fixed body 19). Yet, the buffer (moving block 9a) in Furukawa’s hand (article gripping device 30) being configured to elastically support the first finger (gripping piece 1a). Furthermore, Chawla and all other prior art of record, either individually or in combination, additionally fail to disclose or render obvious, a hand according to parent claim 1, also being provided with a buffer that is specifically configured to elastically support the first finger in said hand, as recited by claim 10. Thus, claim 10 limitations appears to be allowable over the cited prior art references: specially when said limitations are viewed in light of applicant’s specification, and when they are considered together with the superseding limitations in parent claim 1.
Claims 11-12 depends from claim 10. Subsequently, claims 11-12 include the above noted allowable subject matter in parent claim 10.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: See the attached PTO-892 for complete list of pertinent prior art references made of record by the examiner.
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/R.J.D./Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/Victoria P Augustine/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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