DETAILED ACTION
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 § 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.
Claims 1-20 are 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.
Regarding claim 1 line 12, it is unclear as to which element(s) that the phrase “them” is referencing.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the pivot spindle" in line 19. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the cylinder face" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 15 line 12, it is unclear as to which element(s) that the phrase “them” is referencing.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the pivot spindle" in line 22. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-17 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2,598,986 to Fegley.
Re-claims 1 and 15, Fegley discloses a sliding bearing and carriage for the slide bearing arrangement, comprising: a rail 20 (and/or 22); a carriage 19; the rail comprises a rail body that extends in a longitudinal direction, two cylindrical portions (i.e. upper and lower surface portions, see figure 5) extend in the longitudinal direction and are spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction (i.e. vertical), the guide portions are connected to each other by a connection region (i.e. internal region), the carriage 19 comprises a carriage body 19 that extends in the transverse direction (see figure 5), carriage body bearing elements (such as 38/46 and 40/48) are each associated with a first and a second of the guide portions (i.e. upper and lower surface portions), the bearing elements each comprise a cylindrical lead-through (i.e. curved inner surfaces, as in the instant invention) that correspond to the guide portions, a longitudinal gap (i.e. spacing) allows the connection region to pass through, sliding elements (41/42 and 43/44) are arranged in the lead-throughs and form a sliding contact face that lie against the guide portions, a first one of the bearing elements (such as 38/46) is associated with the first guide portion, the carriage 19 comprises a holding portion 32 provided with a bearing 51 that supports a pivot spindle 50 of a pivot lever 62, the pivot lever 62 is pivotable out of a first position into a second position with a pivoting movement through at least 45 degrees about the pivot spindle, the pivot lever 62 comprises at one side of the pivot spindle 50 a short portion (such as 59) formed as a pressure application portion and at another side of the pivot spindle a long portion formed as an actuating portion (this is the extended handle), the pressure application portion 59 is arranged offset in the longitudinal direction relative to the first bearing element 38/46 and, by the pivoting movement, is movable beside (or adjacent thereof), with regard to the longitudinal direction, the first bearing element 38/46 and in the first position presses with a pressure application side (i.e. surface of sliding element) on a surface of the first guide portion and inhibits the displacement of the carriage, and in the second position is detached from the surface of the first guide portion.
Re-claim 2, a second bearing element 40/48 is spaced longitudinally from the first bearing portion, the pressure application portion 59 is moveable between the two bearing elements along the longitudinal direction.
Re-claim 3, the first guide portion (i.e. upper surface of 20/22) is a longitudinal side, arranged in the transverse direction, the first guide portion points away from the second guide portion (i.e. lower surface of 20/22).
Re-claims 4 and 16, the pivot spindle is arranged in the transverse direction outside the rail and lead-through of the bearing elements (see figure 4).
Re-claim 5, the pivot lever when in the first position is oriented perpendicular to the first guide and in the second position is oriented parallel to the first guide portion. The lever is capable of being moved to a parallel position when lug 64 impacts surface 66, during this movement the lever will assume a perpendicular position.
Re-claims 7 and 19, the sliding elements 40-44 are hollow cylinders (in the same manner as the instant invention), the semi-cylinders are interrupted by a slot (as in the instant invention).
Re-claim 8, in the transverse direction between the pressure application portion 59 of the pivot lever 62 and the surface of the guide portion an elastic element is provided (see spring elements 45/47), and is fastened at least to the carriage body 19 (see screws 49) and to the first bearing element and extends from the latter in the longitudinal direction beyond the pressure application portion.
Re-claim 9, the elastic element comprises a foil (i.e. thin material) made of an elastomer. The spring steel is interpreted as an elastomer, or flexible material.
Re-claim 10, the bearing elements are detachable from the carriage.
Re-claim 11, the guide portions are formed in one piece with the rail body.
Re-claim 12, the rail is made from a metal (as per the indication in the figures, see figure 5).
Re-claim 13, the actuating portion of the pivot lever is a handle.
Re-claim 14, the pressure application side of the pressure application portion 59 of the pivot lever is provided with fluting adapted to a cylinder face of the first guide portion. It is not clear what the applicant is intending to convey, as the specification fails to detail this limitation. As best understood, either a surface of the bearings matches a surface of the guide portion, or the application portion 59 has a surface aligned with the guide portion.
Re-claim 17, the surface of the first guide portion (upper surface) is a longitudinal side (extends longitudinally), pointing in the transverse direction (i.e. a transverse direction away from the surface), of the first guide portion, which longitudinal side points away from the second guide portion (lower surface), wherein in the first position the pressure application side presses against the surface in the transverse direction.
Re-claim 18, the leather sliding elements function as tribological materials, in that the elements are intended to minimized friction and wear between the relatively moving surfaces.
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.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fegley in view of US 6,953,282 to Okabe et al.
Re-claim 6, Fegley fail to teach the use of either a low-friction plastics material, but rather use leather insert elements.
Okabe et al. teach the use of low-friction plastic materials 8 between guide surfaces and bearing elements, as well as the known use of PTFE (see column 2 lines 49-61). This feature reduces friction and wear between the relatively moving surfaces, much in the same manner as the leather inserts of Fegley. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have replaced the leather inserts of Fegley with more modern elements such as low-friction plastics as taught by Okabe et all., as the low-friction plastics would have yielded the same expectant results as the leather inserts.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Randall and Pipon each teach a slide bearing arrangement.
Any inquiries concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thomas Williams whose telephone number is 571-272-7128. The examiner can normally be reached on Tuesday-Friday from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
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.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-6584.
TJW
/THOMAS J WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
January 20, 2026