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 .
Examiner’s Comments
This office action is in response to the application filed on 12/15/2025.
Claims 1-14 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR
1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/15/2025 is in
compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to
AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 5-6 and 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
anticipated by TSUBAKIMOTO et al. (US 20160075004) hereinafter (TSUBAKIMOTO).
With regard to claim 1, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10) comprising: a motor (20); a spindle (31) configured to rotate due to a rotational force transmitted from the motor (30); a planetary gear mechanism (23, 24) configured to transmit the rotational force of the motor (30) to the spindle (31); and a housing (14) containing at least a part of the planetary gear mechanism (23, 24), wherein a rotational axis of the motor and a rotational axis of the spindle (31) are disposed on a same straight line, and wherein the planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear (24 and carrier combination) to which the rotational force from the motor is input, a plurality of planetary gears (23) disposed on a radially outer side around a rotational axis of the sun gear (24 and carrier combination), a carrier (24) provided non-rotatably relative to the housing and configured to support the plurality of planetary gears (23) rotatably on their own axes, and an internal gear (interior of # 24) rotatably disposed on the radially outer side of the plurality of planetary gears (23) and configured to transmit the rotational force to the spindle.
With regard to claim 2, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), further comprising a carrier fixation member (14) configured to non-rotatably fix the carrier (24 and combination carrier) to the housing (12).
With regard to claim 5, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), wherein the internal gear (24) and the spindle (31) are configured as separate individual members.
With regard to claim 6, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), wherein the internal gear (24) and the spindle (31) are connected relatively movably in an axial direction of a rotational axis of the internal gear and the spindle.
With regard to claim 8, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), further comprising: a hammer (41) disposed around the spindle (31) and provided rotatably in the same direction as the spindle due to a rotational force of the spindle; and an anvil (61) at least partially disposed on a front side with respect to the spindle and configured to be impacted in a rotational direction by the hammer.
With regard to claim 9, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), wherein the motor (30) and the spindle (31) rotate in opposite directions from each other.
With regard to claim 10, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), wherein the motor (30) and the spindle (31) rotate in opposite directions from each other.
With regard to claim 11, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), comprising: a motor (30); and a spindle (31) configured to rotate due to a rotational force transmitted from the motor, wherein a rotational axis of the motor and a rotational axis of the spindle (31) are disposed in parallel with each other or on a same straight line, and wherein the motor (30) and the spindle (31) rotate in opposite directions from each other.
With regard to claim 12, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), further comprising a planetary gear mechanism (23, 24) configured to transmit the rotational force of the motor (30) to the spindle (31), wherein the planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear (23), a planetary gear (24), a carrier (24 and combination of gear) supporting the planetary gear rotatably on its own axis, and an internal gear (ring gear in #24), wherein the rotational force of the motor is input to the sun gear (23 fig.2), wherein the carrier (24) is non-rotatably fixed, wherein the internal gear (ring gear in #24) is rotatable, and wherein a rotational force of the internal gear (ring gear #24 is output to the spindle (31).
With regard to claim 13, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), further comprising: a hammer (41) disposed around the spindle (31) and provided rotatably in the same direction as the spindle due to a rotational force of the spindle; and an anvil (61) at least partially disposed on a front side with respect to the spindle and configured to be impacted in a rotational direction by the hammer.
With regard to claim 14, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), further comprising: a hammer (41) disposed around the spindle (31) and provided rotatably in the same direction as the spindle due to a rotational force of the spindle; and an anvil (61) at least partially disposed on a front side with respect to the spindle and configured to be impacted in a rotational direction by the hammer.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to
AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
With regard to claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being
unpatentable over Tsubakimoto in view of Obviousness.
With regard to claim 4, Tsubakimoto discloses an electric tool (10), wherein the carrier (24) is considered a metal member (Par 0020), and except for wherein the carrier fixation member is a resin member. However, Tsubakimoto teaches resin (Par 0020), which is within the purview of the skilled artisan to provide carrier fixation member made of resin. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skilled in the art at the time of filling to modify Tsubakimoto carrier fixation member to be of resin for advantages of resin such as vibration damping and also making the tool lighter.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 7 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With respect to claim 3, the prior art of record does not disclose or teach in combination, wherein the carrier fixation member includes a gear-shaped first engagement portion on which a plurality of teeth is formed circumferentially around the rotational axis of the sun gear, and wherein the housing includes a second engagement portion fittable to the first engagement portion.
With regard to claim 7, the prior art of record does not disclose or teach in combination, wherein the internal gear and the spindle are connected via a spline extending in the axial direction of the rotational axis of the internal gear and the spindle.
Conclusion
Refer to attachment for notice of references cited and recommended for
consideration based on their disclosure of limitations of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANIEL C. CHUKWURAH whose telephone number is (571)272-4457. The examiner can normally be reached M-F & T-F 7-4:30 IFP.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at 571-260-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHANIEL C CHUKWURAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731
7/30/2026
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