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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 states that “a collective diameter defined by the expansion members in the retracted state is less than a collective diameter defined by the expansion members in the retracted state”. This does not appear to be a possible situation since the diameter in the retracted state should remain constant. Perhaps the claim should be amended as follows: “a collective diameter defined by the expansion members in the retracted state is less than a collective diameter defined by the expansion members in the expanded state”.
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) 1-4, 6-10, and 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by US 3344871 to Goodman.
Regarding claim 1, Goodman discloses a burrowing robot head comprising: a tip 1 having a trailing end defining a perimeter; and a plurality of expansion members 15 arranged about the perimeter, wherein the expansion members are each configured to transition between a retracted state (fig. 5) and an expanded state (figs. 1 and 4).
Regarding claim 2, the burrowing robot head of claim 1, wherein an outer footprint of the head in the expanded state is greater than an outer footprint in the retracted state (compare figures 4 (expanded) and 5 (retracted)).
Regarding claim 3, the burrowing robot head of claim 1, wherein each of the expansion members includes a linkage assembly 30 (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, the burrowing robot head of claim 3, wherein the linkage assembly is a two- dimensional linkage (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, the burrowing robot head of claim 1, wherein the burrowing robot head is configured to perform a 2-step penetration-expansion motion (the 1st step is the head pressed down into the earth, and the 2nd step is rotation to expand the members 15; see col. 3, lines 39-46).
Regarding claim 7, the burrowing robot head of claim 1, wherein the tip has a conical shape (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, the burrowing robot head of claim 7, wherein the expansion members are arranged about a circumference defined at the trailing end (figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 9, as best understood, the burrowing robot of claim 8, wherein the expansion members collectively define an outer diameter, and further wherein a collective diameter defined by the expansion members in the retracted state is less than a collective diameter defined by the expansion members in the expanded state compare figures 4 (expanded) and 5 (retracted)).
Regarding claim 10, the burrowing robot head of claim 1, wherein the tip has a wedge shape (the flutes 2 in fig. 1 give the tip a wedge shape in certain profiles).
Regarding claim 14, Goodman discloses a burrowing robot comprising: a primary burrowing robot apparatus including a robot body 35 and a propulsion system 39 (figs. 1-5); and a head connecting to and extending from a leading end of the robot body, the head including:
a tip 1 having a trailing end defining a perimeter; and a plurality of expansion members 15 arranged about the perimeter, wherein the expansion members are each configured to transition between a retracted state (fig. 5) and an expanded state (figs. 1 and 4).
Regarding claim 15, the burrowing robot of claim 14, wherein each of the expansion members includes a linkage assembly 30 (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 16, the burrowing robot of claim 15, wherein the linkage assembly is a two- dimensional linkage (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 17, the burrowing robot of claim 14, wherein the burrowing robot head is configured to perform a 2-step penetration-expansion motion (the 1st step is the head pressed down into the earth, and the 2nd step is rotation to expand the members 15; see col. 3, lines 39-46).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19-20 are allowed.
Claims 5, 11-13, and 18 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. US 9447648 teaches expandable members 48 with linkage assemblies of particular interest (fig. 3). US 20190032684 teaches a robot 100 for burrowing (figs. 1A-1C). US 5758731 teaches a robot 10 for advancing tethers 24 (figs. 5A-5D).
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/SHANE BOMAR/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3674
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