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 § 102
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 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Meier (DE 24 36 541).
Regarding independent claim 1, Meier discloses a positioning assembly (see machine translation, ¶ 0001, FIG.) for positioning a brake piston (6), the positioning assembly comprising: a support member (8) extending along an axis (see FIG.), a first compression-loaded member (17), and a second compression-loaded member (12), wherein the first compression-loaded member and the second compression-loaded member are axially supported on or configured to be axially supported on the support member (see FIG.), wherein said second compression-loaded member includes a conical portion that tapers along an axial length of the second compression-loaded member (see FIG., second compression-loaded member (12) comprises conical ends that taper along an axial length).
Regarding claim 2, Meier discloses that the first compression-loaded member (17) is compression-loaded or compressible along the axis (see FIG., spring (17) is compressible along the axis) and the second compression-loaded member is compression-loaded or compressible perpendicular to the axis (see e.g. clamping sleeve (12) creates friction with support (6), thereby implying compression to create friction).
Regarding claim 3, Meier discloses that the first compression- loaded member comprises a compression spring (see FIG.).
Regarding claim 7, Meier discloses that the support member (8), the first compression-loaded member (17) and the second compression-loaded member (12) are arranged concentrically with respect to the axis (see FIG.).
Claims 1-4 and 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dotto (US 3,064,768).
Regarding independent claim 1, Dotto discloses a positioning assembly (see col. 1, lines 9-23; FIG. 1) for positioning a brake piston (32), the positioning assembly comprising: a support member (40) extending along an axis (see FIG. 1), a first compression-loaded member (62), and a second compression-loaded member (67), wherein the first compression-loaded member and the second compression-loaded member are axially supported on or configured to be axially supported on the support member (see FIG. 1), wherein said second compression-loaded member includes a conical portion (66) that tapers along an axial length of the second compression-loaded member (see FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Dotto discloses that the first compression-loaded member (62) is compression-loaded or compressible along the axis (see FIG. 1) and the second compression-loaded member is compression-loaded or compressible perpendicular to the axis (see FIG. 1; col. 2, lines 65-67).
Regarding claim 3, Dotto discloses that the first compression- loaded member comprises a compression spring (see FIG. 1; col. 2, lines 49-53).
Regarding claim 4, Dotto discloses that the second compression-loaded member includes one or more notches that at least partially extend along the conical portion (see col. 2, lines 61-65).
Regarding claim 6, Dotto discloses that the second compression- loaded member is configured to slide on the support member along the axis (see col. 2, lines 59-69).
Regarding claim 7, Dotto discloses that the support member, the first compression-loaded member and the second compression-loaded member are arranged concentrically with respect to the axis (see FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Dotto discloses that the support member comprises a first support portion (53) for axially supporting the first compression-loaded member (see FIG. 1) and a second support portion (66) for axially supporting the second compression-loaded member (see FIG. 1), wherein a maximum diameter of the first support portion perpendicular to the axis differs from a maximum diameter of the second support portion perpendicular to the axis (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Dotto discloses that the first support portion and the second support portion are axially distanced from one another (see FIG. 1).
Claims 1, 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Frayer et al. (US 2,900,052).
Regarding independent claim 1, Frayer discloses a positioning assembly for positioning a brake piston (see col. 1, lines 15-17), the positioning assembly comprising: a support member (20, 21) extending along an axis (see FIG. 1), a first compression-loaded member (22), and a second compression-loaded member (28), wherein the first compression-loaded member and the second compression-loaded member are axially supported on or configured to be axially supported on the support member (see FIG. 1), wherein the second compression-loaded member includes a conical portion that tapers along an axial length of the second compression-loaded member (see col. 2, line 43, “Belleville ring”).
Regarding claim 8, Frayer discloses that the support member comprises a first support portion (see FIG. 1, outer diameter of (21)) for axially supporting the first compression-loaded member (see FIG. 1) and a second support portion (see FIG. 1, inner diameter of (21)) for axially supporting the second compression- loaded member (see FIG. 1), wherein a maximum diameter of the first support portion perpendicular to the axis differs from a maximum diameter of the second support portion perpendicular to the axis (see FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Frayer discloses that the maximum diameter of the first support portion is greater than the maximum diameter of the second support portion (see FIG. 1).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02-Dec-2025 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection noted above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 11 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.
Claims 12-20 are allowed.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS J LANE whose telephone number is (571)270-5988. 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, 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.
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/NICHOLAS J LANE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
February 19, 2026