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 .
Status of Claims
This office action is in response to the amendments/remarks filed on 06/04/2026. Claims 9-10 are pending; claims 9-10 have been amended; claims 1-8, 11 are canceled.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Emmons (US 5249649A) in view of Stumpf (US 20110127120)
Claim 9: Emmons discloses a method for surface machining of a brake caliper (11; Fig.1),
the brake caliper (11; Fig.1) comprising:
a first portion (15 and 39) that is arrangeable adjacent to a first side face (inner side) of a brake disc (13) of a vehicle disc brake (Fig.1) and that is configured to receive a brake piston (61);
a second portion (25, 29) that is arrangeable adjacent to a second side face (outer face) of the brake disc (13);
a bridge portion (23) connecting the first portion (15,39) and the second portion (25,29) (as shown in Fig.1);
a gap (as shown in Fig.1 and 4 there is a gap between lower edge of inboard 15 and outboard 25) extending opposite the bridge portion and in between lower edges of the first portion (15,39) and second portion (25,29);
Emmons does not disclose the method comprising: inserting at least part of a tool for machining surfaces of the brake caliper through said gap into the brake caliper; and machining at least one surface of the brake caliper with said tool; and after inserting the at least part of the tool, adjusting a rotation angle of a rotational joint of the tool such that a tool head performing the surface machining is arrangeable within a receiving section of the brake caliper, and extending an elongateable portion of the tool such that the tool head is insertable into the receiving section, wherein the elongateable portion is extended after the tool has been inserted through the gap.
Stumpf teaches the method comprising: inserting at least part of a tool (40) for machining surfaces of the brake caliper through said gap (14) into the brake caliper; and machining at least one surface (22.1, 22.2) of the brake caliper with said tool (14) (see ¶[0011], abstract); and after inserting the at least part of the tool (¶[0026]), adjusting a rotation angle of a rotational joint of the tool such that a tool head performing the surface machining is arrangeable within a receiving section of the brake caliper (¶[0024]-[0036]. This describes the rotation of l-shape tool about an axis to orient the tool head which adjusting a rotation angle of the tool to position its head within the caliper), and extending an elongateable portion (limb of the "L") of the tool (40) such that the tool head is insertable into the receiving section (¶0030]. This confirms that l-shape tool inserted through narrow gap, the portion of the end of L must be extended to reach the support surface), wherein the elongateable portion (limb of the "L") is extended after the tool has been inserted through the gap (14) (¶[0068]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply machining surfaces of the brake caliper through said gap into the brake caliper; and machining at least one surface of the brake caliper with said tool and after inserting the at least part of the tool, adjusting a rotation angle of a rotational joint of the tool such that a tool head performing the surface machining is arrangeable within a receiving section of the brake caliper, and extending an elongateable portion of the tool such that the tool head is insertable into the receiving section, wherein the elongateable portion is extended after the tool has been inserted through the gap as taught by Stumpf in the caliper structure of Emmons for the purpose of easier to access to interior surface, reducing manufacturing complexity and maintaining caliper integrity.
Claim 10: Emmons as modified by Stumpf discloses the method according to claim 9,wherein the elongateable portion (limb of the "L") of the tool (40-stumpf) is extended after a rotation angle of a rotational joint of the tool has been adjusted ([0030]-[0031]-Stumpf).
Response to Arguments/Amendment
The previous claim rejections have been withdrawn in view of canceling claims 1-8.
The previous rejections of claims 2-4, 9-11 under 35 USC 112 (b) have been withdrawn in view of canceling claims 1-8, 11 and amendment to claim 9 and 10.
Applicant' s arguments with respect to claim(s) 9-10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the same combination of referenced applied in the prior rejection. Stumpf (US 20110127120) is applied to teach the newly added limitation (see rejections above).
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Jedele (US 2005/0230197) discloses caliper assembly with a milling cutter 120 is dropped into the opening 50 of the caliper housing 30 machining bridge side 44. The milling tool is moved along the elongated web to finish the inner surface of the second wall 40, and if needed, first wall 38. The milling tool then is removed thus machining bridge side 46.
Flocke (US 10682711 B2) discloses machining interior of brake.
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 Lillian T Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-5404. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.
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, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at (571)270-5565. 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.
/LILLIAN T NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3655a
/ERNESTO A SUAREZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
Prosecution Insights