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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Crippa et al. (US-20190323569).
Regarding claim 1, Crippa et al. discloses a brake caliper housing (fig 1, 101) comprising a main body (1) having a cylinder (12) in which a piston ([0038], unnumbered thrust means/cylindrical piston assembly) is accommodated (fig 2); a bridge (6) extending from the main body in a lateral direction (at least figs 1-3); and a finger portion (at least 3 or 9) extending downward from an end portion of the bridge (fig 3), wherein a concave portion (at least 18/19/20) recessed inward to form a path through which air flows is formed in a surface of the finger portion in contact with an outer pad assembly (at least [0042] wherein “a channel which extends along a predetermined longitudinal path which, at least for a portion of its longitudinal path, not entirely surrounded by caliper body walls 1 and is adapted to face directly, by means of a least one longitudinal groove window, the back 29 of the support plate 31 of said at least one pad 14 or 16 which can be associated with the caliper body 1” ).
Regarding claims, 2 Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with a path (18/19/20/23/25) elongated in one direction and formed in the surface (fig 2), and at least one end portion of the path extends to an edge of the surface (fig 2, at least first groove mouth 23 and opposite groove mouth 25).
Regarding claim 3, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with a path elongated in the lateral direction and formed in the surface (fig 2, wherein at least a portion of 18/19/20 has been interpreted as elongated in a lateral direction).
Regarding claim 4, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with two or more paths (18/19/20) separated from each other and formed in the surface (fig 2, at least on each side of 26).
Regarding claim 5, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with the two or more paths (18/19/20) having shapes recessed in parallel (fig 2 at least wherein the corresponding right or left side of the triangular groove sides 19 of each path are parallel to each other).
Regarding claim 6, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with the two or more paths (18/19/20) having shapes recessed to have a predetermined angle therebetween (at least fig 2, triangular shaped).
Regarding claim 7, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with the two or more paths (18/19/20, each side of 26) having shapes recessed to have different widths and depths (at least wherein the path 18/19/20/23/25 has been interpreted to have different widths and/or depths at different portions of the paths, for example the width and depth at the mouth is different from the path or corner junctions of the path).
Regarding claim 8, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the surface of the concave portion is provided with a lateral path (figs 2 and 7-8, 18/19/20 at or near 23) having a shape recessed to elongate in the lateral direction and a downward path (18/19/20 at or near 12) having a shape recessed to elongate in a downward direction from the lateral path (at least figs 2 and 7-8).
Regarding claim 9, Crippa et al. discloses wherein: the finger portion is provided as a pair of finger portions disposed in parallel (figs 7-8, wherein the right and left side have been interpreted as the pair); and the concave portion is provided with paths each formed in one of the pair of the finger portions (figs 2, 7, and 8 and at least two paths, one in each of the right and left sides).
Regarding claim 10, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with paths (18/19/20) having linearly symmetrical shapes and formed in the pair of the finger portions (figs 7-8).
Regarding claim 11, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with paths (18/19/20) having different shapes and formed in the pair of the finger portions (figs 2, 7, and 8 8 wherein different portions of the paths have been interpreted as different shaped).
Regarding claim 12, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with separated paths of different numbers formed in the pair of the finger portions (figs 2, 4, and 7-8 and at least wherein paths 18/19/20 have been interpreted to have at least portions of the separated paths, the portions formed of different numbers).
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 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Crippa et al. (US-20190323569) in view of Schoenauer (US-9476468).
Regarding claims 13 and 14, Crippa et al. discloses a brake caliper housing (fig 1, 101) comprising a main body (1) having a cylinder (12) in which a piston ([0038], unnumbered thrust means/cylindrical piston assembly) is accommodated (fig 2); a bridge (6) extending from the main body in a lateral direction (at least figs 1-3); and a finger portion (at least 3 or 9) extending downward from an end portion of the bridge (fig 3), wherein a concave portion (at least 18/19/20) recessed inward to form a path through which air flows is formed in a surface of the finger portion in contact with an outer pad assembly (at least [0042] wherein “a channel which extends along a predetermined longitudinal path which, at least for a portion of its longitudinal path, not entirely surrounded by caliper body walls 1 and is adapted to face directly, by means of a least one longitudinal groove window, the back 29 of the support plate 31 of said at least one pad 14 or 16 which can be associated with the caliper body 1” ).
Crippa et al. discloses a fixed caliper and lacks a carrier in which the caliper housing is installed to be moved forward and backward. Schoenauer teaches a brake caliper which takes the form of a sliding caliper and straddles a brake disc (Abstract) comprising a main body (1) having a carrier (unnumbered figs 1-2) with an inner pad assembly (5) and an outer pad assembly (4) in which the caliper housing is installed to be moved forward and backward (figs 1-2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention combine the cooling grooves of Crippa et al. with a floating caliper as taught by Schoenauer at least in order to provide increased cooling at regions known to experience higher temperatures and therefore prolonging service life.
Regarding claims, 15 Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with a path (18/19/20/23/25) elongated in one direction (from 23 to 25) and formed in the surface (fig 2), and at least one end portion of the path extends to an edge of the surface (fig 2, at least first groove mouth 23 and opposite groove mouth 25).
Regarding claim 16, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with a path elongated in the lateral direction and formed in the surface (fig 2, wherein at least a portion of 18/19/20 has been interpreted as elongated in a lateral direction).
Regarding claim 17, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with two or more paths (18/19/20) separated from each other and formed in the surface (fig 2, at least on each side of 26).
Regarding claim 18, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the concave portion is provided with the two or more paths (18/19/20, each side of 26) having shapes recessed to have different widths and depths (at least wherein the path 18/19/20/23/25 has been interpreted to have different widths and/or depths at different portions of the paths, for example the width and depth at the mouth is different from the path or corner junctions of the path).
Regarding claim 19, Crippa et al. discloses wherein the surface of the concave portion is provided with a lateral path (figs 2 and 7-8, 18/19/20 at or near 23) having a shape recessed to elongate in the lateral direction and a downward path (18/19/20 at or near 12) having a shape recessed to elongate in a downward direction from the lateral path (at least figs 2 and 7-8).
Regarding claim 20, Crippa et al. discloses wherein: the finger portion is provided as a pair of finger portions disposed in parallel (figs 7-8, wherein the right and left side have been interpreted as the pair); and the concave portion is provided with paths each formed in one of the pair of the finger portions (figs 2, 7, and 8 and at least two paths, one in each of the right and left sides).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Regarding claims 1 and 13, Smith et al. (US-10738851) discloses a brake caliper housing (figs 1-6) comprising a main body having a cylinder (8/9) in which a piston (associated pistons of 8/9) is accommodated; a bridge (11/13) extending from the main body in a lateral direction (fig 1); and a finger portion (2/4) extending downward from an end portion of the bridge (figs 1-6), and a carrier in which the caliper housing is installed to be moved forward and backward (figs 1-6), wherein a concave portion recessed inward to form a path (at least 50/58 and/or 568) through which air flows is formed on surfaces of the bridge, finger, and/or body portion in of the pad assembly (figs 1-6).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES K HSIAO whose telephone number is (571)272-6259. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5, Monday-Friday.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Siconolfi can be reached at 571-272-7124. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JAMES K HSIAO/Examiner, Art Unit 3616
Prosecution Insights