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 January 21, 2026 in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). 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, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 13-14, 16-17, 19-21 & 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Whisler, US 1,294,583. Whisler shows a constant-velocity ball joint, comprising:
a joint outer part (1) with an axis of rotation and with outer ball tracks (8) and with outer center lines;
a joint inner part (3) with inner ball tracks (7) and inner center lines, and
a plurality of torque-transmitting balls (10) which are respectively guided in mutually associated outer ball tracks and inner ball tracks;
wherein, in a straight arrangement of the constant-velocity ball joint, the outer center lines run at a constant spacing from the axis of rotation (see Fig. 2);
wherein the joint inner part and the inner center lines extend along the axis of rotation between a first front side and a second front side, and at least one of the inner center lines extends between a first end present at the first front side and a second end present at the second front side and runs at a varying second spacing from the axis of rotation (see Fig. 2);
wherein a maximum value of the second spacing is arranged at (9) a distance from the first end and the second end, and
wherein the constant-velocity ball joint is a plunging joint with the joint inner part being displaceable along the axis of rotation and relative to the joint outer part (page 1, lines 88-90),
wherein Fig. 2 shows the at least one inner center line is curved,
wherein Fig. 2 shows the second spacing at each end is smaller than the maximum value,
wherein Fig. 2 shows the one inner center line runs between the maximum value and the respective end in a monotonically decreasing fashion,
wherein Fig. 2 shows the maximum value is arranged at a first distance from the first end and at a second distance from the second end, wherein the distances are the same or differ from each other.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15, 18 & 22 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.
Conclusion
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/Greg Binda/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679