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 .
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.
Claims 1-3, 7-8, 10-11, 15-16, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Beghini et al. (US-6814496).
Regarding claim 1, Beghini et al. discloses rotary suspension stop (fig 1) comprising: a bearing (fig 2, 14) defining a reference axis and an upward axial direction of the rotary suspension stop (fig 1); a lower support (15/16) forming a bearing surface turned axially opposite the upward axial direction to bear against an upper turn of the helical spring (17, figs 1-2), and an annular shrink-fitting surface (at least the surface axially adjacent to or at 15e) turned radially in a radial reference direction (fig 2); a cover (4) forming, with the lower support, an annular volume for the bearing (fig 2), the cover comprising an annular skirt extending axially (at least 4c), facing and at a distance from the shrink-fitting surface (fig 2); and a seal (13), being shrunk on the shrink-fitting surface of the lower support (fig 2), the seal having a body (13) and at least one annular sealing lip (13f) projecting from the body in the radial reference direction, toward the annular skirt (fig 2, 13f), wherein the seal has at least a first set of one or more first elastic shrink-fit lips (13e) projecting from the body toward the shrink-fitting surface and shrinking on the shrink-fitting surface (fig 2 at least the cylindrical portion of 15e, and col. 4, lines 16-18). Examiner has interpreted elements 13e as the shrink-fit lips similar to as defined in Applicant’s specification paragraph [0013]. In at least lines 16-18 of column 4, Beghini et al. discloses wherein “rib 15e also extends slightly radially inward in order to achieve said diametral interference with the rib 13e.” Examiner has interpreted said diametral interference fit as a “shrink-fit”. It is also noted that the limitations “being shrunk”, “shrink-fit”, and “shrink-fitted appear to be product-by-process limitations with regards to the seal and support surface wherein determination of patentability is based on the product itself, not on its method of production/assembly.
Regarding claim 2, Beghini et al. discloses wherein the one or more first shrink-fit lips (13e) protrude from a junction zone (fig 2, axial middle portion) with the body, located axially at a distance from a junction zone of the sealing lip (13f) with the body (fig 2, axial bottom portion of 13).
Regarding claim 3, Beghini et al. discloses wherein the one or more first shrink-fit lips (13e) protrude from the body radially in a radial direction opposite the reference radial direction (fig 2 to the right) and axially in the upward direction (fig 2 at least wherein the bottom portion of 13e is angled upward).
Regarding claim 7, Beghini et al. discloses wherein the body (13) has two opposite axial end faces, wherein the two opposite axial end faces are annular and radially overlap with each other (fig 2, at or near 13f and 13h).
Regarding claim 8, Beghini et al. discloses wherein a sealing lip (13e) of the first set of one or more first shrink-fit lips is located axially entirely between the two opposite axial ends of the body (fig 2, at or near 13f and 13h).
Regarding claim 10, Beghini et al. discloses wherein the shrink-fitting surface has a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical envelope (at least the surface axially adjacent to or at 15e).
Regarding claim 11, Beghini et al. discloses wherein the first set of one or more first shrink-fit lips consists of a first annular elastic shrink-fit lip (13e, col. 4, lines 16-18).
Regarding claim 15, Beghini et al. discloses wherein the lower support (15/16) comprises an annular transition face (at least 15e) extending radially from the shrink-fitting surface in the radial reference direction and axially turned in the upward direction (fig 2).
Regarding claim 16, Beghini et al. discloses wherein the sealing lip (13f) is in sliding contact with the annular skirt (fig 2).
Regarding claim 18, Beghini et al. discloses wherein the radial reference direction is turned radially inward (figs 1 and 2), the skirt being positioned radially inside the bearing (fig 2).
Regarding claim 19, Beghini et al. discloses wherein the one or more first shrink-fit lips protrude from the junction zone with the body (fig 2), in an axial direction opposite the upward axial direction (fig 2 at least wherein the upper portion of 13e is angled downward).
Regarding claim 20, Beghini et al. discloses wherein the seal (13) includes a heel (13e) bearing against the transition face (fig 2, at or near the cylindrical portion of 15e, col. 4, lines 15-16, bearig radially).
Claims 1-12, 15-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Applicant’s admitted art, Bonnaudet et al. (EP-3626486).
Regarding claim 1, Bonnaudet et al. discloses rotary suspension stop (fig 1) comprising: a bearing (i.e. rolling bodies) defining a reference axis and an upward axial direction of the rotary suspension stop (figs 1-3 at or near 22, translation p. 2, at least rolling bodies); a lower support (2) forming a bearing surface (3) turned axially opposite the upward axial direction to bear against an upper turn of the helical spring (figs 1-3, at or near 3), and an annular shrink-fitting surface (2a/11) turned radially in a radial reference direction (figs 2-3); a cover (4) forming, with the lower support, an annular volume for the bearing (figs 2-3), the cover comprising an annular skirt extending axially (7), facing and at a distance from the shrink-fitting surface (figs 2-3); and a seal (8/9), being shrunk on the shrink-fitting surface of the lower support (figs 2-3), the seal having a body (8/9) and at least one annular sealing lip (16b and/or 12b) projecting from the body in the radial reference direction, toward the annular skirt (figs 2-3), wherein the seal has at least a first set of one or more first elastic shrink-fit lips (10a/10b/ and/or 12a) projecting from the body toward the shrink-fitting surface (2a/11a) and shrink-fitted on the shrink-fitting surface (figs 2-3).
Regarding claim 2, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the one or more first shrink-fit lips (10a/10b/ and/or 12a) protrude from a junction zone (fig 2-3, axial middle portion) with the body, located axially at a distance from a junction zone of the sealing lip (16b and/or 12b) with the body (fig 2, axial top or bottom portion).
Regarding claim 3, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the one or more first shrink-fit lips (10a/10b/ and/or 12a) protrude from the body radially in a radial direction opposite the reference radial direction (fig 2-3) and axially in the upward direction (fig 2-3).
Regarding claim 4, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the one or more first shrink-fit lips (10a/10b/ and/or 12a) have a free end forming, in axial section, a vertex with a sharp angle greater than 200 and less than 90 (figs 2-3 at least the angled portions between 10a, 10b, and 12a).
Regarding claim 5, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the cover (4) comprises at least one retaining stop (24) projecting from the annular skirt in a radial direction opposite the reference radial direction (figs 2-3), the sealing lip (16b) being partly in radial overlap with the retaining stop (figs 2-3), away from the retaining stop (24) in the upward axial direction (figs 2-3).
Regarding claim 6, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the sealing lip (12b) has a V-shaped axial section, with a vertex of the V pointing in the upward axial direction (fig 2, at least a V shape cross-section vertex between 11b and 9a).
Regarding claim 7, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the body (9/8) has two opposite axial end faces, annular and radially overlap with each other (figs 1-3).
Regarding claim 8, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein a sealing lip (10a/10b/ and/or 12a) of the first set of one or more first shrink-fit lips is located axially entirely between the two opposite axial ends of the body (figs 2-3).
Regarding claim 9, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the lower support (2) is a single piece of light metallic material (sheet metal, translation p. 3).
Regarding claim 10, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the shrink-fitting surface (2a/11) has a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical envelope (figs 2-3).
Regarding claim 11, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the first set of one or more first shrink-fit lips consists of a first annular elastic shrink-fit lip (10a/10b/ and/or 12a) or of a row of N first lips having a symmetry of revolution of order N about the reference axis, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2 (figs 2-3, at least three, 10a/10b/ and/or 12a).
Regarding claim 12, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the seal (8/9) comprises at least one second set of one or more second shrink-fit lips (10a/10b/ and/or 12a), located axially at a distance from the one or more first shrink-fit lips of the first set (figs 2-3).
Regarding claim 15, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the lower support (2) comprises an annular transition face (at least at or near 11b) extending radially from the shrink-fitting surface in the radial reference direction and axially turned in the upward direction (fig 2-3).
Regarding claim 16, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the sealing lip (16b) is in sliding contact with the annular skirt (translation p. 2, at least rotationally).
Regarding claim 17, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the radial reference direction is turned radially outward, the skirt (7) being positioned radially outside the bearing (figs 2-3).
Regarding claim 19, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the one or more first shrink-fit lips ( at least 12a) protrude from the junction zone with the body (fig 2-3), in an axial direction opposite the upward axial direction (fig 2-3 at least wherein a portion of 12a is angled downward).
Regarding claim 20, Bonnaudet et al. discloses wherein the seal (8/9) is in sealed annular bearing against the transition face (fig 2-3 at least at 11a).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-14 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/20/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding claim 1 and pertaining to Beghini, Applicant argues that the prior art of record lacks wherein the seal is shrink-fitted on the shrink-fitting surface because 13e and 15e are not in contact and only assure axial retention, Examiner respectfully disagrees. While Beghini discloses wherein 15e and 13e assure axial retention in the axial direction (col. 4, line 14-15), Beghini also discloses wherein 15e also extends slightly radially inward in order to achieve the diametral interference with 13e. it has been interpreted that 13e interfaces with 15e at least at the cylindrical portion of 15e. It has also been interpreted that 13e functions to retain or seal relative to 15e and such function requires a radial contact/interference.
Regarding claim 1 and pertaining to Bonnaudet et al, Applicant argues that the fitting surface is in the upper cup 1 or 4 and not in the lower cup, Examiner respectfully disagrees. As set forth above, the fitting surface has been interpreted as elements 2a/11 wherein seal 8/9 is mounted thereon (at least fig 2).
It is also noted that the limitations “being shrunk”, “shrink-fit”, and “shrink-fitted appear to be product-by-process limitations with regards to the seal and support surface wherein determination of patentability is based on the product itself, not on its method of production/assembly. It appears that the claim is directed to a structural apparatus and the “shrunk/shrink-fit” language describes how the seal is mounted rather than reciting a distinct structural characteristic resulting from the process.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/J.K.H/Examiner, Art Unit 3616
/Robert A. Siconolfi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3616
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