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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5/11/2026 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: it appears there is a typographical error in line 16 and “coopering” should read “cooperating”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 3 and 12 are 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 3 recites the limitation "the loading arm" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the path of the belt" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5, 10-12, and 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al., US20190078667 in view of Guclu et al., US20200362945.
Regarding independent claim 1, Liu et al. discloses a two-arm tensioner for an accessory drive of an internal combustion engine (Paragraph [0004], lines 1-5), comprising: a first arm (portion of 2 which extends toward 7, Fig. 10) and a second arm (portion of 2 which extends toward 6, Fig. 10) rigidly connected to each other and rotatable about a common fixed rotation axis (C, Fig. 2), a first pulley linked to the first arm and rotatable about a first axis (7, linked to 2 and rotatable about center of 7, Fig. 10) , a second pulley linked to the second arm and rotatable about a second axis (6, linked to 2 and rotatable about center of 6, Fig. 10), a working arm hingedly connected to the first arm about a third axis (3, hingedly connected to 2 about axis central to 5, Fig. 10) distinct from the first axis (axis of 5 is distinct from axis of 7, Fig. 10), the first pulley being carried by the working arm (7 is carried by 3, Fig. 10); and an elastic element having a first end connected to the first arm and a second end connected to the working arm (5 has first end connected to 2, and second end connected to 3, Fig. 10), wherein the elastic element biases the working arm so as to bring the first pulley closer to the second pulley and into a tensioning engagement with a belt of the internal combustion engine (3 biased by 5 to bring 7 closer to 6 and tension belt B, Fig. 9), the working arm being rotatable in use about the third axis (arm 3 is rotatable about axis central to 5, Fig. 10, 9); wherein a load on the first pulley or the second pulley cooperating with the taut span of the belt is transferred to the other of the first pulley and the second pulley acting on a slack span of the belt solely through the rigidly connected first and second arms (Paragraph [0052]).
Liu et al. does not disclose the third axis being located within an outline of the first pulley.
Guclu et al. teaches a tensioner pulley having a third axis, the third axis (A, Fig. 2) being located within an outline of the first pulley (60, Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Liu et al. and Guclu et al. to have the third axis of the first pulley be located inside the outline of the first pulley as taught by Guclu et al. in order to accommodate space constraints. One would have been motivated to make such a modification to optimize the range of motion of the pulley with respect to the belt for a specific arrangement of auxiliary components connected to the Motor Generator Unit via the belt, and work within space constraints near the Motor Generator Unit to which the two-arm tensioner is attached.
Regarding claim 2, modified Liu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the working arm includes an eccentric (3 is an eccentric, about axis of C, Fig. 10).
Regarding independent claim 4, Liu et al. discloses a two-arm tensioner for an accessory drive of an internal combustion engine (Paragraph [0004], lines 1-5), comprising: a first arm (portion of 2 which extends toward 7, Fig. 10) and a second arm (portion of 2 which extends toward 6, Fig. 10) rigidly connected to each other and rotatable about a common fixed rotation axis (C, Fig. 2), wherein the second arm has a slot (2 has slot coaxial with 61, Fig. 11), a first pulley linked to the first arm and rotatable about a first axis (7, linked to 2 and rotatable about center of 7, Fig. 10), a second pulley linked to the second arm and rotatable about a second axis (6, linked to 2 and rotatable about center of 6, Fig. 10), a working arm having a hinged connection to the first arm about a third axis (3, hingedly connected to 2 about axis central to 5, Fig. 10), distinct from the first axis (axis of 5 is distinct from axis of 7, Fig. 10), the first pulley being carried by the working arm (7 is carried by 3, Fig. 10); a loading arm linked to the second arm (62, linked to second portion of 2 near pulley 6, Fig. 10), defines a hole aligned with the slot (hole in 62 coaxial with fastener 61 and slot in 2, Fig. 10, 11); a fastener is seated int eh slot and the hole to selectively connect the loading arm to the second arm (Paragraph [0053], lines 2-12); wherein the loading arm is rotatable with respect to said second arm about a fourth axis (61, Fig. 10, 11) distinct from the second axis (axis of pulley 6, C2, Fig. 10), the fourth axis (61, Fig. 10) being inside the outline of the second pulley (6, Fig. 10); and an elastic element having a first end connected to the loading arm (5 connected to 62 via 2, Fig. 10) and a second end connected to the working arm (5 has a second end connected to 3, Fig. 10), wherein the elastic element biases the working arm so as to bring the first pulley closer to the second pulley and into a tensioning engagement with a belt of the internal combustion engine (3 biased by 5 to bring 7 closer to 6 and tension belt B, Fig. 9).
Liu et al. does not disclose the third axis being located within an outline of the first pulley.
Guclu et al. teaches a tensioner pulley having a third axis, the third axis (A, Fig. 2) being located within an outline of the first pulley (60, Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Liu et al. and Guclu et al. to have the third axis of the first pulley be located inside the outline of the first pulley as taught by Guclu et al. in order to accommodate space constraints. One would have been motivated to make such a modification to optimize the range of motion of the pulley with respect to the belt for a specific arrangement of auxiliary components connected to the Motor Generator Unit via the belt, and work within space constraints near the Motor Generator Unit to which the two-arm tensioner is attached.
Regarding claim 5, modified Liu teaches the limitations of claim 4, and wherein the loading arm (62, Fig. 10) includes an eccentric (62 is eccentric, Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 10, modified Liu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the first and second arms form a V-shaped structure (arms from C to 6 and 3 are V-shaped structure, Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 11, modified Liu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and an accessory drive for an internal combustion engine (Paragraph [0002], lines 1-6) comprising: a tensioner (Paragraph [0004], lines 1-5); a third pulley connected to a drive shaft of an internal combustion engine (CRK, Fig. 9); a fourth pulley connected to a shaft of an electric machine (P, MGU, Fig. 9); and a belt cooperating with the third pulley and the fourth pulley (B, B1, B2, Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 12, modified Liu discloses the limitations of claim 11, and wherein said common rotation axis (C, Fig. 9) of the arms is internal to the path of the belt (C is internal to path of belt B, Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 14, modified Liu discloses the limitations of claim 11, wherein the electric machine is a reversible electric machine configured to operate in a generator mode (Paragraph [0050]) and as a regenerative brake or as an additional motor (Paragraph [0051]).
Regarding claim 15, modified Liu discloses the limitations of claim 1, and wherein the second arm further comprises a second loading arm rotationally connected thereto (62 rotationally connected via 61, Fig. 10, 11).
Regarding claim 16, modified Liu discloses the limitations of claim 15, and wherein the second loading arm (62, Fig. 10) includes an eccentric (62, Fig. 10) having an eccentric axial hole (61, Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 17, modified Liu discloses the limitations of claim 16, and further comprising a locking fastener (61, Fig. 10) seated in the eccentric axial hole (61 in eccentric axial hole, Fig. 10) and selectively locking the second loading arm to the second arm at a preselected tension during installation (Paragraph [0053], lines 5-12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 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:
Regarding claim 3, modified Liu discloses the majority of the features of claim 3, however Liu and Guclu et al. fail to teach, suggest, or render obvious, the combination of an eccentric axial hole having an axis coincident with said third axis, said axial hole being engaged by a loading arm linked to the first arm. One would not have been motivated to make such a modification as such a structure would be more complex and costly to manufacture and maintain.
Claims 6-9 and 18 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:
Regarding claim 6, Liu and Guclu teach the loading arm is carried by the second arm, but fail to teach a loading arm carried by the first arm. One would NOT have been motivated to combine the prior art to add a loading arm to the first arm, as such a structure would be more complex and costly to manufacture and maintain.
Regarding claim 7, Liu and Guclu teach a loading arm, but fail to teach the loading arm is carried by the first arm. One would not have been motivated to make such a modification in combination with the features required by claim 4, namely the working arm is also carried on the first arm, as such a structure would be more complex and costly to manufacture and maintain.
Claims 8-9 would be allowable because they depend from claim 7 and are further limiting.
Regarding claim 18, Liu and Guclu teach a loading arm, but fail to teach the loading arm is carried by the first arm and defines the working arm’s hinged connection to the first arm. One would NOT have been motivated to make such a modification in combination with the features required by claim 4, as such a structure would be more complex and costly to manufacture and maintain.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-12 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/K.R.B./ Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/Victoria P Augustine/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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