DETAILED ACTION
This application is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-105206 to Oshiro, which discloses:
Claim 1: A throttle grip device comprising:
a throttle grip G configured to be rotated by a driver;
an interlocking member 2 including an engaged portion 2a being able to be engaged with an engaging portion Ga of the throttle grip G, wherein the interlocking member 2 is configured to rotate in conjunction with the throttle grip G;
a case 1 including an opening side end portion (right side of 1 shown in FIG. 5), a bottom side end portion (left side of 1 shown in FIG. 5), and a cylindrical portion 1b extending to the bottom side end portion of the case 1, wherein the interlocking member 2 is rotatably held by the case 1;
a cover member 9 covering the opening side end portion of the case 1, wherein the cover member 9 includes an opening portion allowing a surface end portion including the engaged portion 2a of the interlocking member 2 to face the throttle grip G; and
a rotation angle detector 7 configured to detect a rotation angle of the throttle grip G by detecting a rotation angle of the interlocking member 2, wherein a drive source of a vehicle is configured to be controlled according to the rotation angle of the throttle grip G detected by the rotation angle detector 7.
Claim 2: The throttle grip device of claim 1 further comprising:
an urging mechanism 4 configured to urge the interlocking member 2 toward an initial position during rotation of the throttle grip G,
wherein the urging mechanism 4 is housed in a gap between the case 1 and the cylindrical portion of the interlocking member 2.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-105206 to Oshiro, as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0071450 A1 to Tanaka et al.
Claim 3: Oshiro discloses the throttle grip device of claim 1, but does not disclose or suggest the first and second seal members recited in Claim 3.
The Office turns to Tanaka, which teaches a similar throttle grip device in which a first seal member 42 [seals] a gap between an interlocking member 57 and an opening portion of a cover member 37; and
a second seal member 41 sealing a gap between a cylindrical portion of the interlocking member 57 and a bottom side end portion of a case 36.
In view of the Tanaka teaching, the Office finds that it would have been obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of filing to modify, with a reasonable expectation of success, the throttle grip device disclosed by Oshiro, so as to further comprise:
a first seal member sealing a gap between the interlocking member 2 and the opening portion of the cover member 9; and
a second seal member sealing a gap between the cylindrical portion of the interlocking member 2 and the bottom side end portion of the case 1, in order to limit movement of dust therebetween, as taught by Tanaka.
Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-105206 to Oshiro, in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0071450 A1 to Tanaka et al., as applied to Claim 3 above, and further in view of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-89535 A to Oshiro (hereinafter Oshiro_2).
Claim 4: The combination of Oshiro and Tanaka does not disclose or suggest a seal member sealing a gap between a peripheral portion of an opening side end portion of a case and a peripheral portion of a cover member.
Oshiro_2 teaches a throttle device in which a seal member 9 is provided to seal a gap between a peripheral portion of an opening side end portion of a case 1 and a cover member 3.
In view of the Oshiro_2 teaching, the Office finds that it would have been obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of filing to modify, with a reasonable expectation of success, the throttle grip device disclosed by Oshiro, as modified by Tanaka in the rejection of Claim 3 above (to include first and second seal members), so as to further comprise a third seal member sealing a gap between a peripheral portion of the opening side end portion of the case 1 and a peripheral portion of the cover member 9, in order to further seal the throttle grip device against dust.
Claim 5: Oshiro discloses a rotation member 6 configured to rotate in conjunction with the interlocking member 2, wherein:
the rotation angle detector 7 is configured to detect a rotation angle of the throttle grip G by detecting a rotation angle of the rotation member 6, and
the cover member 9 covers a part of the case 1 where the rotation member 6 is disposed.
As described above, the Office introduced Tanaka to teach a first seal member and Oshiro_2 to teach a third seal member. The cover member 9 of Oshiro, as modified by Tanaka and Oshiro_2, hermetically seals the part using the first seal member (taught by Tanaka) and the third seal member (taught by Oshiro_2).
Claim 6: Oshiro discloses wherein the rotation member 6 rotates around a shaft member L, and
the cover member 9 includes a recess supporting one end of the shaft member L.
Thus, the throttle grip device recited by Claim 6 is rendered obvious over the combination of Oshiro, Tanaka, and Oshiro_2.
Claims 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-105206 to Oshiro, in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0071450 A1 to Tanaka et al.
Claim 7: Oshiro discloses a throttle grip device comprising:
a throttle grip G configured to be rotated by a driver;
an interlocking member 2 including an engaged portion 2a configured to be engaged with an engaging portion of the throttle grip G, wherein the interlocking member 2 is configured to rotate in conjunction with the throttle grip G;
a case 1 including an opening side end portion (right side of 1 shown in FIG. 5) and a bottom side end portion (left side of 1 shown in FIG. 5), wherein the interlocking member 2 is rotatably held by the case 1;
a rotation angle detector 7 configured to detect a rotation angle of the throttle grip G by detecting a rotation angle of the interlocking member 2, wherein a drive source of a vehicle is configured to be controlled according to the rotation angle of the throttle grip G detected by the rotation angle detector 7; and
an urging mechanism 4 configured to urge the interlocking member 2 toward an initial position during rotation of the throttle grip G,
wherein a resistance force application mechanism 3 configured to generate a sliding resistance during rotation of the interlocking member 2 [is] selectively attachable, and
wherein the urging mechanism 4 and the resistance force application mechanism 3 are configured to generate a predetermined operating torque during rotation of the interlocking member 2.
Oshiro does not disclose the plurality of seals recited in Claim 7.
The Office turns to Tanaka, which teaches a similar throttle grip device in which a plurality of seals seal gaps between an interlocking member 57 and a case 36 at predetermined positions, the seals being selectively attachable. In particular, Tanaka teaches a first seal member 42 which seals a gap between an interlocking member 57 and an opening portion of a cover member 37 and a second seal member 41 which seals a gap between a cylindrical portion of the interlocking member 57 and a bottom side end portion of a case 36.
In view of the Tanaka teaching, the Office finds that it would have been obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of filing to modify, with a reasonable expectation of success, the throttle grip device disclosed by Oshiro, such that it further comprises a plurality of seals which seal gaps between the interlocking member 2 and the case 1 at predetermined positions, the seals being selectively attachable, in order to limit movement of dust between elements, as taught by Tanaka.
Claim 8: Oshiro, as modified by Tanaka in the rejection of Claim 7 above, includes a seal member which may seal a gap between interlocking member 2 and an opening portion of cover member 9 and a seal member which may seal a gap between a cylindrical portion of interlocking member 2 and a bottom side end portion of case 1. These sealing areas are disposed at different radial positions. Thus, the throttle grip device of Oshioro, as modified by Tanaka, is characterized by a plurality of seals which are formed by seal members having different diameters.
Claim 9: Oshiro discloses a resistance force application mechanism 3 which is formed by a friction material assembled in a state of being in contact with a sliding surface of the interlocking member. Thus, the throttle grip device of Claim 9 is rendered obvious over the combination of Oshiro and Tanaka, as presented above in the rejection of Claim 7.
Claim 10: The throttle grip device disclosed by Oshiro further comprises:
a cover member 9 covering the opening side end portion of the case 1,
wherein the cover member 9 includes an opening portion allowing the engaged portion 2a of the interlocking member 2 to be engaged with the engaging portion.
As described above in the rejection of Claim 7, Tanaka teaches a first seal member 42 which seals a gap between an interlocking member 57 and an opening portion of a cover member 37.
Thus, the Office submits that the throttle grip device of Claim 10 is rendered obvious over the combination of Oshiro and Tanaka, as presented above in the rejection of Claim 7, in order to limit movement of dust between elements, as taught by Tanaka.
Claim 11: As described above in the rejection of Claim 7, Tanaka teaches a second seal member 41 which seals a gap between a cylindrical portion of the interlocking member 57 and a bottom side end portion of a case 36.
Thus, the Office submits that the throttle grip device of Claim 11 is rendered obvious over the combination of Oshiro and Tanaka, as presented above in the rejection of Claim 7, in order to limit movement of dust between elements, as taught by Tanaka.
Claim 12: The throttle grip device disclosed by Oshiro further comprises:
a cover member 9 covering the opening side end portion of the case 1,
wherein the cover member 9 includes an opening portion allowing the engaged portion 2a of the interlocking member 2 to be engaged with the engaging portion, and
wherein the interlocking member 2 is configured to include a cylindrical portion extending to the bottom side end portion of the case 1.
As described above in the rejection of Claim 7, Tanaka teaches a plurality of seals seal gaps between an interlocking member 57 and a case 36 at predetermined positions, the seals being selectively attachable. In particular, Tanaka teaches a first seal member 42 which seals a gap between an interlocking member 57 and an opening portion of a cover member 37 and a second seal member 41 which seals a gap between a cylindrical portion of the interlocking member 57 and a bottom side end portion of a case 36.
Thus, the Office submits that the throttle grip device of Claim 12 is rendered obvious over the combination of Oshiro and Tanaka, as presented above in the rejection of Claim 7, in order to limit movement of dust between elements, as taught by Tanaka.
Conclusion
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/RANDELL J KRUG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618