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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Olenick (4551061) in view of Immega (5317952).
Olenick discloses an actuator curved inner length measurement apparatus (e.g. Col. 3, Ln. 61 - Col. 4, Ln. 29), and method for measuring an actuator curved inner length, for a fluid pressure actuator (e.g. Figs. 1 & 6-7) that includes a tubular main body portion (e.g. 57) having a tube wall of which one side is shortened in a tube axis direction and curved (e.g. Figs. 1-2 & 7) due to an increase in internal pressure in a tube (e.g. 31, 33, 35), and that has a proximal end side (e.g. adjacent to 17) along a tube axis which is fixed to a base body (e.g. 17) and has a distal end (e.g. adjacent to 13) which moves relative to the base body, the actuator curved inner length measurement apparatus comprising: a wire member (e.g. 61, 63, 65) having one end side attached to the base body (e.g. Figs. 3 & 6-7 at 45) and a middle portion disposed at a curved side of the main body portion to conform to curved deformation (e.g. Figs. 3 & 6-7 at 43); a wire holding member (e.g. 43) that holds the wire member at a position along the main body portion; and a measurement unit (e.g. 71, 73, 75, Col. 3, Ln. 61 - Col. 4, Ln. 29) measures a length change amount of the wire member. Wherein another end side of the wire member is fixed further to a distal end side (e.g. Figs. 3 & 6-7 at 41) of the fluid pressure actuator than the main body portion. Wherein the wire holding member is made of a flexible tube (e.g. Figs. 3-4 & 6-7 constituted by the plurality of respective apertures 62, 64, 66 disposed in rings 41, 43, 45) that is disposed along a curved side of the main body portion and in the tube axis direction and into which the wire member is inserted; and one end (e.g. Fig. 3, aperture 62, 64, 66 of ring 45) of the flexible tube is fixed to the base body, and another end (e.g. Fig. 3, aperture 62, 64, 66 of ring 41) is fixed further to a distal end side of the fluid pressure actuator than the main body portion.
Olenick does not explicitly teach that the measurement unit applies tension to the wire member.
Immega discloses an actuator curved inner length measurement apparatus, and method for measuring an actuator curved inner length, for a fluid pressure actuator wherein a measurement unit that applies tension to the wire member and measures a length change amount of the wire member (e.g. Figs. 7 & 7B, 127, 121, 147, 145, Col. 9, Ln. 15-33), for measuring a curve inner length of the actuator.
Olenick and Immega both seek to ascertain an actuator curved inner length measurement for a fluid pressure actuator, thus it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the system of Olenick such that the measurement unit applies tension to the wire member, as taught by Immega, for the purpose of measuring a curve inner length of the actuator.
Further regarding Claim 5, Olenick, as modified, further teaches the measurement unit detects a winding length while the wire member is wound (e.g. Col. 9, Ln. 15-33, 145, 147), but does not explicitly teach that the measurement unit includes a rotary encoder.
Applicant has not disclosed that having the measurement unit includes a rotary encoder solves any stated problem and it appears that system of Olenick, as modified, would perform equally well with the measurement unit being a rotary encoder as claimed by applicant, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to modify the measurement unit of Olenick, as modified, by having the measurement unit includes a rotary encoder as claimed for the purpose of measuring a curve inner length of the actuator.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Additional references listed on form PTO-892 are cited for their relevance to the disclosed invention and demonstration of the state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL LESLIE whose telephone number is (571)272-4819. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 8 am - 4-30pm.
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/MICHAEL LESLIE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
February 27, 2026
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