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 § 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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Watanabe et al. (US 2019/0331190 A1).
Re claim 1, Watanabe et al. disclose a rotary damper comprising: a cylinder (2) having a partition wall (25); a rotor (3) having a shaft portion (31) opposing the partition wall; a first recess formed on a distal end surface of the partition wall; an elastic body (8a) installed in the first recess (see below) and closely contacting the shaft portion to seal a gap between the partition wall and the shaft portion; and a second recess (see below) formed in a part of an outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion not opposing the distal end surface of the partition wall during operation, and forming a space into which the elastic body can be inserted without being compressed by facing an opening of the second recess to an opening of the first recess during assembly. (See Fig. 2, 4)
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Re claim 2, Watanabe et al. disclose a vane (32) protruding from the shaft portion (31); a first oil passage (36) formed in the partition wall or the vane (32); and a valve (5) that changes a flow rate of oil passing through the first oil passage in one direction according to a load. (Fig. 4, 6)
Re claim 3, Watanabe et al. disclose a second oil passage (36) formed in the partition wall or the vane (32) in which the first oil passage is not formed; and a check valve (5) provided in the second oil passage. (Fig. 4, 6)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not teach forming a space consisting of a combination of the first recess and the second recess by facing an opening of the second recess to an opening of the first recess, and inserting the elastic body into the space without compression.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ozaki et al., Evans Jr. et al., Sakuta and Hotta teach similar rotary dampers.
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/MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
MTW
January 13, 2026