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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, filed 12/19/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-10 under U.S.C. 103, U.S.C. 112(b), and the objections have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections and objections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of applicant’s amendments to the claims raising new U.S.C. 112(b) issues due to not fully incorporating the intervening limitations of claim 2 into claim with the allowable claim 3 limitations.
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.
Claims 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 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 4 recites the limitation "the main cylinder cap end cover" in lines 3-4, etc.. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. This structure was established in claim 2, but claim 4 has been amended to depend from claim 1 which does not depend from claim 2.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the main cylinder rod eye" in lines 3-4, etc.. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. This structure was established in claim 2, but claim 4 has been amended to depend from claim 1 which does not depend from claim 2.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the main cylinder piston rod" in line 6-7, “the main cylinder cap end cover” in line 12, “the main cylinder head end cover” in line 15. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. These structures are established in claim 2, but claim 6 has been amended to depend from claim 1 which does not depend from claim 2.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the main cylinder cap end side port" and "the plunger cylinder cap end side port". There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. These structures are established in claim 6, but claim 9 does not depend from claim 6.
Claim 9 recites "the main cylinder piston rod". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. This structure is established in claim 2, but claim 9 does not depend from claim 2.
Claim 10 recites "the main cylinder piston rod". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. This structure is established in claim 2, but claim 10 does not depend from claim 2.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 7-8 are allowed.
Claims 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not disclose nor render obvious an actuator assembly including the combination of limitations as recited in claim 1.
The dependent claims are allowable because they depend from allowed claim 1.
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 Dustin T Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-0163. The examiner can normally be reached M - F: 8:00am - 4:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel E. Wiehe can be reached at (571) 272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DUSTIN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745 January 12, 2026