www.uspto.gov
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/077,621
`
`10/22/2020
`
`Kenjiro TADAKUMA
`
`WASHM-63387
`
`8379
`
`pean
`
`ORI
`PEA
`PEARNE & GORDON LLP
`1801 EAST 9TH STREET
`SUITE 1200
`CLEVELAND,OH 44114-3108
`
`VU, STEPHEN A
`
`3651
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`02/14/2022
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`
`patdocket@ pearne.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`17/077,621
`Examiner
`STEPHEN A VU
`
`Applicant(s)
`TADAKUMAetal.
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`3651
`Yes
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 10/22/2020.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-4 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)____is/are objected to.
`Cj) Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)() The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 10/22/2020 is/are: a)[¥) accepted or b)(. objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)¥) All
`1.4) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 10/22/2020.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20220209
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/077,621
`Art Unit: 3651
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
`
`1.
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthefirst
`
`inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Priority
`
`2.
`
`3.
`
`Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on October 22, 2020 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
`
`4.
`
`In the event the determination ofthe 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 for
`
`the rejection will not be considered a new groundofrejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale
`
`supporting the rejection, would be the same undereitherstatus.
`
`5.
`
`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 madein this Office action:
`
`A personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
`(a)(2) the claimed invention wasdescribed 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 waseffectively filed before the effective filing date of the
`claimed invention.
`
`6.
`
`Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ishida et al (US
`
`10,946,532).
`
`7.
`
`Asto claim 1, Ishida et al discloses a suction gripper (3) configured to grasp a workpiece, as
`
`illustrated in Figures 1-9, the suction gripper comprising a fixing member (30) including a hole part
`
`(interior spacing of fixing member30 - see annotated Figure 7 below); a grasping part (10) including a
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/077,621
`Art Unit: 3651
`
`Page 3
`
`plurality of bag parts, the plurality of bag parts being disposed with the hole part interposed between the
`
`plurality of bag parts such that interiors of the plurality of bag parts are coupled together in a central axis
`
`direction of the hole part, the interiors of the plurality of bag parts being filled with particles (15) and
`
`fluid, the plurality of bag parts having flexibility and airtightness; and a hardening unit (40-42) configured
`
`to harden the plurality of bag parts (exhaust port 40 is connected to the interior space of the gripper 10. A
`
`first pipe 41 for depressurizing the interior space of the gripper 10 is connected to the exhaust port 40. A
`
`second pipe 42 for suctioning the air via the pad portion 21 is connected to the other end of the pipe-
`
`shaped member 22 of the suction pad 20 — see col. 2, lines 47-53), wherein the grasping part has a
`
`configuration in which when the workpiece is pushed against any of the plurality of bag parts (see Figure
`
`8C), a contact portion of the any of the plurality of bag parts with the workpiece deform to conform to a
`
`shape of the workpiece while another bag part of the plurality of bag parts expands in accordance with
`
`deformation of the contact portion.
`
`SS Role Past Lphettitinehiheitib
`
`hte,aggtaaspaeROCeaDIAGaD
`
`io
`
`¢
`
`WILLLLLLEETITTLEEULYLTLLUETEEf
`
`Sag Parts
`
`8.
`
`With claim 2, the plurality of bag parts is composed of one bag memberextending through an
`
`interior of the hole part.
`
`9.
`
`With claim 3, the plurality of bag parts is composedof a plurality of bag members whoseinternal
`
`spaces are coupled together through the hole part, the plurality of bag members being fixed to the fixing
`
`member.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/077,621
`Art Unit: 3651
`
`Page 4
`
`10.
`
`With claim 4, the hardening unit depressurizes the plurality of bag parts to harden the plurality of
`
`bag parts.
`
`Conclusion
`
`11.
`
`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
`
`Steltz, Lipson, Jones, Carnevali, and Ragnerare cited as being relevant art, because each prior art showsa
`
`suction gripper comprising a fixing memberand a grasping part.
`
`12.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should
`
`be directed to STEPHEN A VU whosetelephone numberis (571)272-1961. The examiner can normally
`
`be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm EST.
`
`Examinerinterviewsare available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a
`
`USPTOsupplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use
`
`the USPTO AutomatedInterview Request (AIR)at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gene
`
`Crawford can be reached on (571) 272-6911. The fax phone numberfor the organization wherethis
`
`application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from
`
`Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To
`
`file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit
`
`https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and
`
`https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information aboutfiling in DOCX format. For additional
`
`questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like
`
`assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)
`
`or 571-272-1000.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/077,621
`Art Unit: 3651
`
`Page 5
`
`STEPHEN A. VU
`Primary Examiner
`Art Unit 3652
`
`/STEPHEN A VU/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
`
`