DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species B in the reply filed on September 22, 2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 6-7 and 13-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on September 22, 2025.
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.
Claims 1, 8, 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Theuer (DE 102010043703 A1) in view of Edelman (DD 25628683 A).
Re claim 1, Theuer teaches a fiber-composite wave spring comprising: a plurality of wave-spring elements (1) arranged in an array, wherein each wave-spring element consists essentially of aligned fibers in a thermoplastic resin matrix, and wherein the wave-spring elements are: (i) annular wave-spring elements wherein: A) when the plurality of wave-spring elements are annular wave-spring elements:(i) the wave spring includes an alignment feature (2) that aligns the annular wave- spring elements to one another; and (ii) the annular wave-spring elements:(a) are stacked one above another,(b) interact with the alignment feature. (Fig. 2, Abstract, Re “aligned fibers”, see Translation – Page 4: “wherein the fibers 5 in this case substantially corresponding to the principal stresses in the radial direction”)
Theuer does not teach wherein the annular wave-spring elements are not rigidly coupled to one another, and interact with the alignment feature.
Edelman teaches annular wave-spring elements (1) that are not rigidly coupled to one another, and interact with the alignment feature (4, 5). (Fig. 1-4) It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide annular wave-spring elements which are not rigidly coupled to one another, and interact with the alignment feature to eliminate fasteners and allow for use in tight installation spaces as taught by Edelman.
Re claim 8, Theuer teaches fiber-composite wave spring comprising: a plurality of annular wave-spring elements (1) arranged in an array, wherein each of the annular wave-spring elements consist essentially of aligned fibers in a thermoplastic resin matrix, and wherein the annular wave-spring elements are stacked one above another; and an alignment feature that aligns the wave-spring elements to one another. (Fig. 2, Abstract, Translation – Page 4: “wherein the fibers 5 in this case substantially corresponding to the principal stresses in the radial direction”)
Theuer does not teach wherein the annular wave-spring elements are not rigidly coupled to one another.
Edelman teaches annular wave-spring elements (1) that are not rigidly coupled to one another. (Fig. 1-4) It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide annular wave-spring elements which are not rigidly coupled to one another to eliminate fasteners and allow for use in tight installation spaces as taught by Edelman.
Re claims 2 and 9, Theuer teaches wherein one or more attributes of the annular wave-spring elements are selected to provide a desired stiffness behavior, wherein the attributes are selected from the group consisting of wave height, thickness of the annular wave-spring element, variability of thickness of the annular wave-spring element, shape of inner perimeter of the annular wave-spring element, shape of an outer perimeter of the annular wave-spring element, wave frequency, a distance between the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter of the annular wave-spring element, variability of a distance between the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter of the annular wave-spring element, resin composition, fiber composition, and fiber volume fraction.
For claimed dimension attributes see: Translation page 2 wherein Theuer recites - “The geometries and component dimensions of a comparable coil spring can be achieved.”
For claimed fiber composition see translation page 3 wherein Theuer recites – “Fiber semi-finished products include fabrics, UD-layers, fiber mats with sewn-on fiber rovings or a combination of these elements. Particularly suitable are textile fiber preforms in which the entire laminate structure is sewn dry.”
6. Claims 3 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Theuer (DE 102010043703 A1) in view of Edelman (DD 25628683 A) and further in view of Price (US 7210181)
Re claims 3 and 10, Theuer as modified does not teach wherein a value of one or more attributes of some of the annular wave-spring elements of the plurality differ from a value of the one or more attributes of other of the annular wave-spring elements of the plurality. Price teaches wherein a value of one or more attributes of some of the annular wave-spring elements of a plurality (10, 10’, 10’’) differ from a value of the one or more attributes of other of the annular wave-spring elements of the plurality. (Fig. 3, Column 3, lines 15-32) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide a value of one or more attributes of some of the annular wave-spring elements of the plurality differ from a value of the one or more attributes of other of the annular wave-spring elements of the plurality based on the desired deflection properties.
5. Claims 4 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Theuer (DE 102010043703 A1) in view of Edelman (DD 25628683 A) and further in view of Baldoni et al. (CN 113227596 A).
Re claims 4 and 11, Theuer as modified does not teach wherein when the plurality of wave-spring elements are annular wave-spring elements, the alignment feature includes at least one rod to which the plurality of annular wave-spring elements couple. Baldoni et al. teach a plurality annular spring elements, an alignment feature including at least one rod (4, 5) to which the plurality of annular wave-spring elements couple. (Fig. 7a, 7b) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the alignment feature including a rod as an alternative means for coupling spring components.
Claims 5 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Theuer (DE 102010043703 A1) in view of Edelman (DD 25628683 A) and further in view of Sohnel (DE 102019215955 B3).
Re claim 5, Theuer as modified does not teach wherein one or more of the annular wave-spring elements (38, 42) is configured to exhibit progressive spring behavior by first deforming in torsion until compressed beyond a design level of displacement, and then deforming in bending. (Translation – Page 2, 1st Par.) Sohnel teaches wherein one or more of the annular wave-spring elements (38, 42) is configured to exhibit progressive spring behavior by first deforming in torsion until compressed beyond a design level of displacement, and then deforming in bending. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide progressive spring behavior as taught by Sohnel in order to provide controlled deflection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Edelmann ‘772, Edelmann ‘373, Maser et al., and JP ‘829 teach similar wave springs.
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/MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
MTWNovember 19, 2025