DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to the Applicant filing on 5.12.26. Claims 1-2,6-10 are pending and have been examined, claims 3-5, 11-14 remain withdrawn.
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5.12.26 has been entered.
Response to Arguments and Amendments
The Applicant has made amendments to the independent claim 1, dependent 2 which will be examined below.
Previous 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection of claim 2 is withdrawn in light of amendments to claim 2 and claim 1.
With respect to 35 U.S.C 102 and 103 rejections, the Applicant provides arguments to which the
Examiner will respond accordingly:
Applicant Argument 1: Bellows thus fails to overcome the deficiencies of Cen for several reasons as
discussed during the interview. Bellows fails to disclose the drive shaft of a motor that is radially inside of the friction ring as recited in claim 1 because Bellows's central shaft 14 that is located radially inside does not move and the extension arm 16 that rotates is actually located radially outside of the brake clamp assembly 18. As a result, the inner circumferential surface of Bellows's brake clamp assembly 18 thus also does not have an inner circumferential surface that creates an entire circumferential contraction of the friction ring on the drive shaft when the drive shaft rotates along the first direction, as recited in claim 1.
Examiner Response 1: Applicant has amended claim 1 with new limitations “drive shaft is radially inside of the friction ring” and further “the inner circumferential surface creates an entire circumferential contraction of the friction ring on the drive shaft when the drive shaft rotates along the first direction” which will be examined in below sections.
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 1-2,6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cen in view of Colletti (US6112863A).
Regarding Claim 1, Cen discloses (Figs 1-4) a self-locking arrangement [Abstract] for a motor (1), the self-locking arrangement [Abstract discloses actuator], comprising:
an end cap (4) mounted on the motor (Fig 1); and
a friction ring (2) sleeved over a drive shaft (1) of the motor such that the drive shaft is radially inside (Fig 2) of the friction ring , wherein:
a notch (No) is provided on the friction ring, at least one limiting portion (Lt) is provided at an outer periphery (Fig 3, 8p) of the friction ring, and the end cap is fitted (Fig 2, 3g) with the limiting portion, so that the friction ring clasps the drive shaft in a case where the drive shaft rotates along a first direction [Para 0031 discloses “when the friction ring 2 is subjected to a force along the tangential direction of the motor shaft 1, the friction plate 5 can move together with the motor shaft 1 through the deformation of the connecting rib and undergo a slight displacement or a tendency to slightly displace relative to the original position, so that the friction force between the friction plate 5 and the motor shaft 1 along the tangential direction of the motor shaft 1 can be increased”]. Cen does not explicitly disclose the friction ring forms a C-shaped structure that has two ends, the notch is formed between the two ends of the C-shaped structure, and an inner circumferential surface of the friction ring that extends circumferentially from one end to the other end of the two ends is a continuous and complete arcuate friction surface such that the inner circumferential surface creates an entire circumferential contraction of the friction ring on the drive shaft when the drive shaft rotates along the first direction.
Colletti discloses (Figs 2-3) the friction ring (24) forms a C-shaped structure (Fig 2) that has two ends (66,68) , the notch (between 104,106) is formed between the two ends of the C-shaped structure, and an inner circumferential surface (232,234) of the friction ring that extends circumferentially from one end to the other end of the two ends is a continuous and complete arcuate friction surface (Fig 2) such that the inner circumferential surface creates an entire circumferential contraction (24 is a brake band) of the friction ring on the drive shaft (20) when the drive shaft rotates along the first direction [Col 8, 1-3].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed self-locking arrangement of Cen modified by C shaped friction ring of Colletti in order to have a simple structure to uniformly apply circumferential frictional force with sufficient contact surface area thereby reducing cost and complexity and improving braking force reliability by reducing braking stress concentration.
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Regarding Claim 2, Cen in view of Colletti discloses the self-locking arrangement for a motor according to claim 1. Cen in view of Colletti does not disclose wherein at least two of the limiting portions are provided, the limiting portions being disposed on two sides of the notch, so that the friction ring clasps the drive shaft in a case where the drive shaft rotates along a second direction opposite the first direction.
Colletti further discloses(Fig 2) wherein at least two of the limiting portions (120,120) are provided, the limiting portions being disposed on two sides (fig 2) of the notch (between 104,106), so that the friction ring (24) clasps the drive shaft (20) in a case where the drive shaft rotates along a second direction (due to lug 120, friction is applied whether 20 rotates clockwise or anti-clockwise) opposite the first direction.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed self-locking arrangement of Cen in view of Colletti modified by two limiting portions as further taught by Colletti in order to have a simple structure to apply uniform and gradually increasing frictional force irrespective of rotational direction thereby reducing cost and complexity and improving reliability.
Regarding Claim 6, Cen in view of Colletti discloses the self-locking arrangement for a motor according to claim 1. Cen in view of Colletti does not explicitly disclose wherein a connecting element connecting two ends of the friction ring is provided at the notch .
Colletti further discloses (Fig 2) wherein a connecting element (114) connecting two ends (66,68) of the friction ring (24) is provided at the notch (104-106) .
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed self-locking arrangement of Cen in view of Colletti modified by connecting element as further taught by Colletti in order to have a simple structure that can be part of overall spring based structure that can apply required frictional force on shaft.
Regarding Claim 7, Cen in view of Colletti discloses the self-locking arrangement for a motor according to claim 6. Cen in view of Colletti does not explicitly disclose wherein the connecting element is a spring ; or, the connecting element is an elastic strip made of an elastic material; or, the connecting element is a rigid element passing through two ends of the friction ring; or, the connecting element and the friction ring are one-piece formed, a thickness of the connecting element being smaller than the thickness of the friction ring.
Colletti further discloses wherein the connecting element (114) is a spring (Fig 2) ; or, the connecting element is an elastic strip made of an elastic material; or, the connecting element is a rigid element passing through two ends of the friction ring ; or, the connecting element and the friction ring are one-piece formed, a thickness of the connecting element being smaller than the thickness of the friction ring.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed self-locking arrangement of Cen in view of Bellows and Wang modified by rigid connecting element of Wang in order to have a simple structure that can apply required frictional force on shaft.
Regarding Claim 8, Cen in view of Colletti discloses the self-locking arrangement for a motor according to claim 1. Cen in view of Colletti further discloses wherein the limiting portion (Cen, Lt) is a raised portion (Fig 3) protruding from the outer periphery (8p) of the friction ring (2), and a catch portion (3g) fitted with the raised portion being provided on the end cap (4).
Regarding Claim 9, Cen in view of Colletti discloses the self-locking arrangement for a motor according to claim 8. Cen in view of Colletti further discloses wherein the raised portion (Cen,Lt) is a stop lever (Lt) and the catch portion is a snap groove (3g), the stop lever being snapped into the snap groove (Fig 2)[0034 discloses “The friction ring 2 is axially and circumferentially positioned relative to the shell 4 by engaging the positioning protrusion 3 with the positioning groove”].
Regarding Claim 10, Cen in view of Colletti discloses the self-locking arrangement for a motor according to claim 8. Cen in view of Colletti further discloses wherein a limiting sleeve (Cen,Fig 2, 4s) is provided in the end cap (4), the catch portion (3g) is provided on the limiting sleeve, and the friction ring (2, Lt) is snapped in the limiting sleeve (4s); or, a catch sleeve is sleeved outside the limiting portion, the catch sleeve being fitted with the catch portion.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VISWANATHAN SUBRAMANIAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4814. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at 5712723560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VISWANATHAN SUBRAMANIAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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