DETAILED ACTION Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s preliminary amendment filed 9/1/23.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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1 - 19 and 21 in the reply filed on 2/3/26 is acknowledged.3. Claims 20 and 22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/3/26.
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. 5. 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.
6. Claims 1 – 3 and 8 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rossberger et al. (WO2014/147583, hereinafter Rossberger – See IDS dated 10/26/23) in view of Zhang et al. (“Accuracy Measuring for the RV Reducer Cycloid Gear and Manufacturing Error Analysis”, hereinafter Zhang - See IDS dated 4/25/24).
Regarding claim 1, Rossberger discloses an apparatus comprising a first gear (inner ring) 7 with a first toothing 5 (See Fig. 1), a second gear (outer ring) 8 with a second toothing 6, a pin ring 3 (103 in Figs. 15 and 19) with round engagement regions 1 and a revolving transmitter 104 for drawing the engagement regions of the pin ring in the first toothing of the first gear and in the second toothing of the second gear; wherein the first gear, the transmitter, and the second gear are arranged concentrically with each other and the transmitter is arranged radially inside the pin ring (See Figs. 15 and 19), the pin ring is disposed between the first gear and the second gear, wherein the transmitter comprises a transmitter disk disposed eccentrically to a transmission central axis (See Pg. 14, Paras. 5 – 8, Pg. 15, Paras. 1 – 4, and Pg. 23, Paras. 3 - 5). Rossberger fails to disclose that the first toothing of the first gear and the second toothing of the second gear are shaped according to an epicyclic construction, wherein locations on a respective tooth surface of the first toothing and the second toothing are each determined by a radial distance from the transmission central axis as a function of a cycle angle; the radial distance is in turn determined by an equidistant to a gear trajectory; locations on the gear trajectory are respectively determined by a vector sum of a cycle vector and an epicycle vector; a tail of the cycle vector lies on the transmission central axis and a tail of the epicyclic vector lies in a tip of the cycle vector; an epicycle angle of the epicycle vector is n times as large as that cycle angle and a length of the cycle angle is greater than a length of the epicycle angle; and n is a number of the round engagement regions of the harmonic pin ring transmission which is at least three. However, Zhang discloses an apparatus comprising using epicyclic shaping and formulation to form a teeth profile having two circles or gears, wherein the epicyclic formula includes determining locations on a respective tooth surface of the first toothing and the second toothing by a radial distance from a transmission central axis as a function of a cycle angle, determining the radial distance by an equidistant to a gear trajectory; determining locations on the gear trajectory including vectors, a tail of the cycle vector lies on the transmission central axis and a tail of the epicyclic vector lies in a tip of the cycle vector; and determining an epicycle angle of the epicycle vector including a number of teeth (See Fig. 1, See Equation 1, See Pgs. 521 and 522, “Tooth profile of cycloid gear”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Rossberger according to the teachings of Zhang for the purpose of, advantageously providing an improved device since this type of device obtains valid data by determining and utilizing an optimization process through error analysis (See Zhang, Pg. 526, “Summary”).
Regarding claim 2, in Rossberger, the first gear 7 is an inner gear with an external toothing and the second gear 8 is an outer gear with an internal toothing (See Fig. 1). Rossberger fails to disclose that for the external toothing of the inner gear, the epicycle angle is measured in the same direction as the cycle angle and the equidistant is an inner equidistant; and for the internal toothing of the outer gear, the epicycle angle is measured in the opposite direction to the cycle angle and the equidistant is an outer equidistant. However, in Zhang, for the external toothing of the inner gear, the epicycle angle is measured in the same direction as the cycle angle and the equidistant is an inner equidistant; and for the internal toothing of the outer gear, the epicycle angle is measured in the opposite direction to the cycle angle and the equidistant is an outer equidistant (See Equation 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Rossberger according to the teachings of Zhang for the purpose of, advantageously providing an improved device since this type of device obtains valid data by determining and utilizing an optimization process through error analysis (See Zhang, Pg. 526, “Summary”).
Regarding claim 3, Rossberger fails to disclose that the first gear and the second gear are each an outer gear with an internal toothing; and for the internal toothing of the two outer gears, the epicycle angle is measured in the opposite direction to the cycle angle and the equidistant is an outer equidistant. However, in Zhang, the two circles or gears include teeth, the epicycle angle is measured in opposite directions and the equidistant is an outer equidistant (See Fig. 1, See Equation 1, See Pgs. 521 and 522, “Tooth profile of cycloid gear”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Rossberger according to the teachings of Zhang for the purpose of, advantageously providing an improved device since this type of device obtains valid data by determining and utilizing an optimization process through error analysis (See Zhang, Pg. 526, “Summary”).
Regarding claim 8, in Rossberger, a drive shaft 118 is connected to the transmitter 104 (See Fig. 26, Pg. 23, Para. 5).
Regarding claim 9, in Rossberger, an output shaft is connected to one of the first gear, the second gear, or the pin ring (See Pg. 14, Para. 9 and Pg. 15, Para. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Rossberger discloses an inner gear 7 for a harmonic pin ring transmission comprising an external toothing 5 (See Fig. 1). Rossberger fails to disclose that a tooth surface of the external toothing is determined by a radial distance from a central axis of the inner gear as a function of a cycle angle; the radial distance from the central axis is in turn determined by an inner equidistant to a gear trajectory; a location on the gear trajectory is determined by a vector sum of a cycle vector, a first epicycle vector and a second epicycle vector; a tail of the cycle vector lies on the central axis, a tail of the first epicycle vector lies in a tip of the cycle vector, and a tail of the second epicycle vector lies in a tip of the first epicycle vector; an epicycle angle of the first epicycle vector is n - 1 times as large as the cycle angle and an epicycle angle of the second epicycle vector is n - 3 times as large as the cycle angle; n is a number of pins of the harmonic pin ring transmission which is at least four; the epicycle angle of the first epicycle vector is measured in the same direction as the cycle angle and the epicycle angle of the second epicycle vector is measured in an opposite direction to the cycle angle; a length of the cycle vector is greater than a sum of the lengths of the first epicycle vector and the second epicycle vector; and a length of the first epicycle vector is greater than a length of the second epicycle vector. However, Zhang discloses an apparatus comprising using epicyclic shaping and formulation to form a teeth profile having two circles or gears, wherein the epicyclic formula includes determining locations on a respective tooth surface of the first toothing and the second toothing by a radial distance from a transmission central axis as a function of a cycle angle, determining the radial distance by an equidistant to a gear trajectory; determining locations on the gear trajectory including vectors, a tail of the cycle vector lies on the transmission central axis and a tail of the epicyclic vector lies in a tip of the cycle vector; and determining an epicycle angle of the epicycle vector including a number of teeth (See Fig. 1, See Equation 1, See Pgs. 521 and 522, “Tooth profile of cycloid gear”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Rossberger according to the teachings of Zhang for the purpose of, advantageously providing an improved device since this type of device obtains valid data by determining and utilizing an optimization process through error analysis (See Zhang, Pg. 526, “Summary”).
Regarding claim 11, Rossberger discloses an internal toothing (See Fig. 1). Rossberger fails to disclose that locations on a tooth surface of the internal toothing are each determined by a radial distance from a central axis of the outer gear as a function of a cycle angle; the radial distance is in turn defined by an outer equidistant to a gear trajectory; locations on the gear trajectory are each determined by a vector sum of a cycle vector, a first epicycle vector and a second epicycle vector; a tail of the cycle vector lies on the central axis, a tail of the first epicycle vector lies in a tip of the cycle vector, and a tail of the second epicycle vector lies in a tip of the first epicycle vector; an epicycle angle of the first epicycle vector is n + 1 times as large as the cycle angle and an epicycle angle of the second epicycle vector is n + 3 times as large as the cycle angle; n is a number of pins of the harmonic pin ring transmission which is at least four; the epicycle angle of the first epicycle vector is measured in an opposite direction to the cycle angle and the epicycle angle of the second epicycle vector is measured in the same direction as the cycle angle; a length of the cycle vector is greater than a sum of the lengths of the first epicycle vector and the second epicycle vector; and a length of the first epicycle vector is greater than a length of the second epicycle vector. However, Zhang discloses an apparatus comprising using epicyclic shaping and formulation to form a teeth profile having two circles or gears, wherein the epicyclic formula includes determining locations on a respective tooth surface of the first toothing and the second toothing by a radial distance from a transmission central axis as a function of a cycle angle, determining the radial distance by an equidistant to a gear trajectory; determining locations on the gear trajectory including vectors, a tail of the cycle vector lies on the transmission central axis and a tail of the epicyclic vector lies in a tip of the cycle vector; and determining an epicycle angle of the epicycle vector including a number of teeth (See Fig. 1, See Equation 1, See Pgs. 521 and 522, “Tooth profile of cycloid gear”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Rossberger according to the teachings of Zhang for the purpose of, advantageously providing an improved device since this type of device obtains valid data by determining and utilizing an optimization process through error analysis (See Zhang, Pg. 526, “Summary”).
Regarding claim 12, Rossberger discloses an apparatus comprising an inner gear 7 and an outer gear 8; a pin ring 3 (103, 103’) with round engagement regions 1, the inner gear having an external toothing 5; the harmonic pin ring transmission further comprises a revolving transmitter 104 for drawing the engagement regions of the pin ring in the internal toothing of the outer gear and in the external toothing of the inner gear, and wherein the inner gear, the transmitter and the outer gear are arranged concentrically with each other, the transmitter is arranged radially inside the pin ring (See Figs. 15 and 19) and the pin ring is disposed between the inner gear and the outer gear. Rossberger fails to disclose that a tooth surface of the external toothing is determined by a radial distance from a central axis of the inner gear as a function of a cycle angle; the radial distance from the central axis is in turn determined by an inner equidistant to a gear trajectory; a location on the gear trajectory is determined by a vector sum of a cycle vector, a first epicycle vector, and a second epicycle vector; a tail of the cycle vector lies on the central axis, a tail of the first epicycle vector lies in a tip of the cycle vector, and a tail of the second epicycle vector lies in a tip of the first epicycle vector; an epicycle angle of the first epicycle vector is n - 1 times as large as the cycle angle and an epicycle angle of the second epicycle vector is n - 3 times as large as the cycle angle; n is a number of pins of the harmonic pin ring transmission which is at least four; the first epicycle angle is measured in the same direction as the cycle angle and the second epicycle angle is measured in an opposite direction to the cycle angle; a length of the cycle vector is greater than a sum of the lengths of the first epicycle vector and the second epicycle vector; a length of the first epicycle vector is greater than a length of the second epicycle vector; and an outer gear having internal toothing and locations on a tooth surface of the internal toothing are each determined by a radial distance from a central axis of the outer gear as a function of a cycle angle; the radial distance is in turn defined by an outer equidistant to a gear trajectory; locations on the gear trajectory are each determined by the vector sum of a cycle vector, a first epicycle vector and a second epicycle vector; a tail of the cycle vector lies on the central axis; a tail of the first epicycle vector lies in a tip of the cycle vector, and a tail of the second epicycle vector lies in a tip of the first epicycle vector; an epicycle angle of the first epicycle vector is n + 1 times as large as the cycle angle and an epicycle angle of the second epicycle vector is n + 3 times as large as the cycle angle; n is a number of pins of the harmonic pin ring transmission which is at least four; the first epicycle angle is measured in an opposite direction to the cycle angle and the second epicycle angle is measured in the same direction as the cycle angle; a length of the cycle vector is greater than a sum of the lengths of the first epicy- cle vector and the second epicycle vector; and a length of the first epicycle vector is greater than a length of the second epicycle vector. However, Zhang discloses an apparatus comprising using epicyclic shaping and formulation to form a teeth profile having two circles or gears, wherein the epicyclic formula includes determining locations on a respective tooth surface of the first toothing and the second toothing by a radial distance from a transmission central axis as a function of a cycle angle, determining the radial distance by an equidistant to a gear trajectory; determining locations on the gear trajectory including vectors, a tail of the cycle vector lies on the transmission central axis and a tail of the epicyclic vector lies in a tip of the cycle vector; and determining an epicycle angle of the epicycle vector including a number of teeth (See Fig. 1, See Equation 1, See Pgs. 521 and 522, “Tooth profile of cycloid gear”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Rossberger according to the teachings of Zhang for the purpose of, advantageously providing an improved device since this type of device obtains valid data by determining and utilizing an optimization process through error analysis (See Zhang, Pg. 526, “Summary”). Regarding claim 13, in Rossberger, a drive shaft 118 is connected to the transmitter 104 (See Fig. 26, Pg. 23, Para. 5).
Regarding claim 14, in Rossberger, an output shaft is connected to one of the first gear, the second gear, or the pin ring (See Pg. 14, Para. 9 and Pg. 15, Para. 1).
Regarding claim 15, in Rossberger, a drive shaft 118 is connected to the transmitter 104 (See Fig. 26, Pg. 23, Para. 5) and an output shaft is connected to one of the first gear, the second gear, or the pin ring (See Pg. 14, Para. 9 and Pg. 15, Para. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 – 7, 16 – 19 and 21 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.8. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The primary reasons for indicating allowable subject matter is that the prior art does not anticipate or make obvious the provisions of “the respective equidistant is an equidistant at a distance of a sum of a radius of the round engagement regions and a correction value, and wherein the correction value depends on a back lash” (referring to claim 4), “the harmonic pin ring transmission comprises a rolling bearing which rests on the transmitter disk, and wherein a cycle radius is equal to half a diameter of the rolling bearing” (referring to claim 5), “a cycle radius is equal to half a diameter of the transmitter disk” (referring to claim 6), “an epicycle radius is equal to a half an eccentric offset by which the transmitter disk is offset from the transmission central axis” (referring to claim 7) in combination with the other limitations presented in claim 1, “the respective equidistant is an equidistant at a distance of a sum of a radius of the round engagement regions and a correction value, wherein the correction value is determined by a back lash” (referring to claim 16), “the transmitter comprises an oval shaped cam disk and a flexible rolling bearing resting on the oval shaped cam disk; and a cycle radius is equal to a sum of half a diameter of the flexible rolling bearing and a correction value” (referring to claim 17), “the transmitter comprises a first circular disk arranged eccentrically to a transmission central axis and a second circular disk arranged eccentrically to the transmission central axis; and a cycle radius is equal to a sum of a mean radius of an envelope of the two eccentrically arranged first and second circular disks and a correction value” (referring to claim 18), “a first epicycle radius is less than or equal to a sum of half a pin ring stroke and a second correction value, the second correction value is less than or equal to zero, and the length of the second epicycle vector is one third of the length of the first epicycle vector” (referring to claim 19) and “the step of providing teeth is performed by milling” (referring to claim 21) in combination with the other limitations presented in claim 12.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
applicant's disclosure.10. Altamura et al. (2017/0175872) disclose an assembling process for mounting a rolling bearing on a gear shaft, and gear assembly obtainable by such a process. Altamura (CN105276094) discloses a turnover device. Bisby (WO2010004449) disclose mechanical transmission systems. Girotto (EP2128494) discloses a continuously variable transmission. Sladek et al. (4,542,664) disclose a gear transmission. Bursa et al. (4,537,094) disclose a gear transmission. Louton et al. (3,052,138) disclose a speed reducing gearing.11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OCTAVIA HOLLINGTON whose telephone number is (571)272-2176. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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/OCTAVIA HOLLINGTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855 3/6/26