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 .
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.
Claim 10 is 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 10 recites “or a combination thereof” in line 3. The recitation does not clearly define the metes and bounds of 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.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dentler (US 2216231) in view of Boyd et al. (US 2010/0101903).
Re claim 1, Dentler teaches a vibration damper, comprising: a housing (B, B) defining a cavity and configured to retain a ring (22) within the cavity, wherein the housing comprises: a first portion (19) having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface is configured to engage with a first loaded surface of the viscoelastic ring; a second portion (20) having an additional first surface and an additional second surface, wherein the additional second surface is configured to engage with a second loaded surface of the ring; and a plurality of bracing surfaces (21) extending from a third surface of the first portion, wherein each bracing surface of the plurality of bracing surfaces is configured to engage with a first unloaded surface of the viscoelastic ring during deformation of the viscoelastic ring within the cavity. (Fig. 1-3)
Dentler does not teach wherein the ring is viscoelastic. Boyd et al. teach a damper comprising a viscoelastic ring (128). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to use a viscoelastic material based on the desired stiffness and damping characteristics as taught by Boyd et al. ([0022])
Re claim 2, Dentler as modified teaches wherein the first unloaded surface of the viscoelastic ring (22) is configured to deform radially outward within the cavity, relative to a central axis of the vibration damper, in response to a loading force applied to the first portion of the housing. (Fig. 2)
Re claim 5, Dentler as modified teaches wherein the first portion of the housing (19) is configured to circumferentially surround the viscoelastic ring within the cavity, and wherein the second portion of the housing (20) is configured to maintain a position of the viscoelastic ring within the cavity of the housing.
Re claim 9, Dentler as modified teaches wherein the first surface of the first portion (19) is configured to support electronic equipment, and wherein the additional first surface (17) of the second portion (20) is configured to rest on a foundation.
Re claim 10, Dentler as modified does not teach wherein the housing comprises a rigid material, and the rigid material comprises a steel, a steel alloy, an aluminum alloy, a polymer, a ceramic material, or a combination thereof. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was made to use a rigid material since rigid materials such as steel, steel alloys, aluminum alloys, polymers, ceramics or combinations thereof are well known housing material used for their strength and support for the resilient elements.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3, 4, 6-8, 11-13 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.
Claims 14-17, 19 and 20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not teach a plurality of ball bearings disposed between the third housing portion and the second housing portion to facilitate lateral movement of the second housing portion relative to the third housing portion; a fourth housing portion configured to be disposed within a recess of the first housing portion, wherein the fourth housing portion comprises a first component and a second component; and one or more additional ball bearings disposed between the first component and the second component to facilitate lateral movement of the fourth housing portion relative to the first housing portion or a plurality of bracing surfaces extending radially inward, relative to a central axis of the housing, from a third surface of the first housing portion, wherein each bracing surface of the plurality of bracing surfaces is configured to engage with a viscoelastic ring disposed within the cavity, a first bracing surface of the plurality of bracing surfaces extends from the third surface toward the central axis by a first distance, and a second bracing surface of the plurality of bracing surfaces extends from the third surface toward the central axis by a second distance different from the first distance.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tucker, Danielson, Dath, Quinn et al., and Tagawa et al. teach similar dampers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-7127. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday - Friday 7:00AM-3:00PM.
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/MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
MTWJanuary 9, 2026