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 02/13/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under U.S.C. 102 and 112 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of applicant’s amendment to the claims raise new U.S.C. 112(b) issues.
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 1 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 1 recites “at the other” in the last line and “is the other” in the 11th from the last line. It is unclear whether “the other” is the same structure in both of these recitations, and is unclear what structure is specifically being referred to with these recitations. The explicit structure should be recited to avoid any ambiguity.
As best understood, in the limitation including the 11th form the last line,
“the rotation portion is one of either a screw shaft or a nut that are components of a feed screw mechanism as the linear motion conversion mechanism, and the linear motion portion is the other”
should read
--the rotation portion is one of either a screw shaft or a nut that are components of a feed screw mechanism that forms the linear motion conversion mechanism, and the linear motion portion is the other of the screw shaft or the nut of the feed screw mechanism--
Claim 1, line 34 recites “a rotation transmission mechanism that reduces the rotation of the electric motor and transmits it to the rotation portion”.
It is unclear what “it” refers to as it could mean “the rotation” or something else. As best understood, this limitation should be amended as follows:
--a rotation transmission mechanism that reduces and transmits the rotation of the electric motor
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not appear to disclose nor render obvious an electric cylinder comprising the combination of limitations as recited in 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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/DUSTIN T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745 April 9, 2026