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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “outer housing”, “ brake drive of a motor-controlled brake”, “input shaft” and “a motorized brake” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 12-21, 23, 27-28 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Dietz (US 6488260 B1).
Regarding claim 12, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a linear drive, comprising: a linear unit (linear unit comprises at least ball screw 85 with a helical groove to receive the balls in a ball nut 84) for carrying out a linear movement (linear movement of the ball screw; col. 6, lines 39-54: “moving ball screw 85 longitudinally through output shaft sleeve 80”); a motor (motor 12) for a motorized driving of said linear unit, said motor having a motor shaft (motor shaft comprises the shaft extending from the motor 12 and clutch shaft 29); a drive connection (gears inside gear box housing 50) extending from said motor as far as said linear unit; and a brake system (centrifugal brake 30) having a centrifugal brake rigidly connected to said motor shaft (col. 5, lines 1-2: “A centrifugal brake 30 is mounted on clutch shaft 29 inside the lower portion 21b of housing 21”) and being rotationally coupled to said drive connection (spring holder ring 35 and shoes 32 of the centrifugal brake and gears of the drive connection are rotatable relative to one another) on a backside (left side) of said drive connection opposite from said motor (motor 12 is on the right side of the drive connection).
PNG
media_image1.png
978
806
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
541
448
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 13, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) a gear mechanism (gear train 50') disposed in said drive connection, wherein said centrifugal brake is rigidly coupled to a portion of said drive connection (housings of centrifugal brake and the drive connection are rigidly connected together) disposed between said motor and said gear mechanism.
Regarding claim 14, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) a gearbox housing (housing in which gear train 50’ is located inside), wherein said drive connection is at least partially disposed in said gearbox housing, and said centrifugal brake is arranged on the backside (left side) of said gearbox housing opposite from said motor.
Regarding claim 15, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) said brake system has an outer housing (gear case 50) attached to said gearbox housing; and said centrifugal brake is enclosed by said outer housing.
Regarding claim 16, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) a gearbox housing, wherein said drive connection is at least partially supported by said gearbox housing, and said centrifugal brake is supported by said gearbox housing.
Regarding claim 17, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) said drive connection has an input shaft (15) which is rigidly connected to said motor shaft, said input shaft continuously extending from said motor shaft up to said centrifugal brake.
Regarding claim 18, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) said centrifugal brake is coaxial (L) with said motor shaft.
Regarding claim 19, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) said centrifugal brake has at least one spring (col. 5, lines 1-12: springs 34) and at least two friction elements (shoes 32), which are disposed with respect to each other such that said at least two friction elements are spaced apart from each other in an idle state and are pressed on each other by means of centrifugal forces upon a rotation in a braking manner.
Regarding claim 20, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) said at least two friction elements may assume a release position and are retained in the release position by means of said at least one spring.
Regarding claim 21, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) said brake system has a motorized brake containing friction elements (shoes 32 which are activated by motor 12 rotation), and said friction elements are also friction elements of said centrifugal brake.
Regarding claim 23, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) at least one of said friction elements is radially movable in a release position thereof so that, as a result of centrifugal forces above a threshold value, said at least one friction element is pressed in a braking manner on another one of said friction elements (col. 5, lines 1-12).
Regarding claim 27, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) receiving an external force acting on the linear unit of the linear drive according to claim 12 (col. 6, lines 40-54), the linear unit converting the external force into a rotation (col. 6, lines 40-54) and the rotation is at least partially transmitted to the motor by means of the drive connection (gears transmit the power); and activating, via the rotation, the centrifugal brake which limits the rotation to a predetermined speed range (col. 5, lines 1-23).
Regarding claim 28, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the external force is a linear force (col. 6, lines 55-60).
Regarding claim 25, Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) a linear drive, comprising: a linear unit (linear unit comprises at least ball screw 85 with a helical groove to receive the balls in a ball nut 84) for carrying out a linear movement (linear movement of the ball screw; col. 6, lines 39-54: “moving ball screw 85 longitudinally through output shaft sleeve 80”); a motor (motor 12) for a motorized driving of said linear unit, said motor having a motor shaft (motor shaft comprises the shaft extending from the motor 12 and clutch shaft 29); a drive connection (gears inside gear box housing 50) extending from said motor as far as said linear unit, said drive connection containing an input shaft (15); and a centrifugal brake being rotationally coupled to said input shaft, said input shaft continuously extending from said motor shaft up to said centrifugal brake and coupling said centrifugal brake rigidly with said motor shaft.
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Newport (US 5988328 A).
Regarding claim 25, Newport teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a linear drive (actuator 10), comprising: a linear unit (lead screw 24 and extension tube 25) for carrying out a linear movement; a motor (motor comprises motor 14, motor shaft 28 and gear 16) for a motorized driving of said linear unit, said motor having a motor shaft; a drive connection (gears 18, 20 and 22) extending from said motor as far as said linear unit (par. 3: “Motor 14 is provided to generate power to control the movement of gears 16, 18, 20, and 22, lead screw 24 and extension tube 25”), said drive connection containing an input shaft (left side 28); and a centrifugal brake (spring-set, centrifugally released brake 12) being rotationally coupled to said input shaft (par. 11: “Drive plate 40 may be mounted to shaft 28 for rotation therewith”; see connection of motor shaft 28 to plate 40 of the brake 12), said input shaft continuously extending from said motor shaft up to said centrifugal brake (on the right side) and coupling said centrifugal brake rigidly with said motor shaft.
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 26 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hicks (US 20040069979 A1) in view of Dietz.
Regarding claim 26, Hicks teaches an anti-fall scissor lift device comprising a motor brake; but does not explicitly teach the motor brake being a centrifugal brake.
Dietz teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) a scissor lift, comprising: a linear drive containing a linear unit for carrying out a linear movement; a motor for a motorized driving of said linear unit, said motor having a motor shaft; a drive connection extending from said motor as far as said linear unit; and a centrifugal brake rigidly connected to said motor shaft and being rotationally coupled to said drive connection on a backside of said drive connection opposite from said motor.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate teachings of Dietz in scissor jack of Hicks and provide the Hick’s scissor jack with centrifugal brake to “prevent "back driving" of the actuator when the actuator is at rest under an axial load” (par. 5)).
Claims 12 and 27-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Newport in view of Dietz.
Regarding claim 12, Newport teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a linear drive (actuator 10), comprising: a linear unit (lead screw 24 and extension tube 25) for carrying out a linear movement; a motor (motor comprises motor 14, motor shaft 28 and gear 16) for a motorized driving of said linear unit, said motor having a motor shaft; a drive connection (gears 18, 20 and 22) extending from said motor as far as said linear unit (par. 3: “Motor 14 is provided to generate power to control the movement of gears 16, 18, 20, and 22, lead screw 24 and extension tube 25”); and a brake system having a centrifugal brake (spring-set, centrifugally released brake 12) rigidly connected to said motor shaft (par. 11: “Drive plate 40 may be mounted to shaft 28 for rotation therewith”; see connection of motor shaft 28 to plate 40 of the brake 12) and being rotationally coupled to said drive connection (drive plate 40 of the centrifugal brake and shaft 28 of the motor rotate together; gear 16 is fixedly connected to the shaft 28 of the motor 14 and rotates with it, drive connection (gears 18, 20 and 22) are rotationally connected to gear 16 of the motor and to the plate 40 of the centrifugal brake)on a backside (right side) of said drive connection
PNG
media_image3.png
1049
1082
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Dietz teaches position of the centrifugal brake relative to the drive connection. The motor shaft and the motor as claimed.
PNG
media_image2.png
541
448
media_image2.png
Greyscale
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate teachings of Dietz in device of Newport. Doing so would make a fail-safe system in the event of power failure (col. 7, lines 9-25).
Regarding claim 27, Newport teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) a method for braking a linear drive, which comprises the steps of: receiving an external force acting on the linear unit of the linear drive according to claim 12, the linear unit converting the external force into a rotation and the rotation is at least partially transmitted to the motor by means of the drive connection; and activating, via the rotation, the centrifugal brake which limits the rotation to a predetermined speed range (col. 1, lines 40-43: “An object of the present invention is to provide a brake that is able to hold a predetermined axial load when power is removed from the driving motor of the actuator and the actuator is at rest”; also see col. 3, lines 11-18).
Regarding claim 28, Newport teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. above) the external force is a linear force (linear axial force).
Claim 26 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hicks in view of Newport and Dietz.
Hicks teaches an anti-fall scissor lift device comprising a motor brake; but does not explicitly teach the motor brake being a centrifugal brake.
Newport teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a linear drive (actuator 10), comprising: a linear unit (lead screw 24 and extension tube 25) for carrying out a linear movement; a motor (motor comprises motor 14, motor shaft 28 and gear 16) for a motorized driving of said linear unit, said motor having a motor shaft; a drive connection (gears 18, 20 and 22) extending from said motor as far as said linear unit (par. 3: “Motor 14 is provided to generate power to control the movement of gears 16, 18, 20, and 22, lead screw 24 and extension tube 25”); a centrifugal brake (spring-set, centrifugally released brake 12) rigidly connected to said motor shaft (par. 11: “Drive plate 40 may be mounted to shaft 28 for rotation therewith”; see connection of motor shaft 28 to plate 40 of the brake 12) and being rotationally coupled to said drive connection (drive plate 40 of the centrifugal brake and shaft 28 of the motor rotate together; gear 16 is fixedly connected to the shaft 28 of the motor 14 and rotates with it, drive connection (gears 18, 20 and 22) are rotationally connected to gear 16 of the motor and to the plate 40 of the centrifugal brake)on a backside (right side) of said drive connection
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate teachings of Newport in scissor jack of Hicks and provide the Hick’s scissor jack with centrifugal brake to prevent back driving of the actuator when actuator is at rest under an axial load” (par. 5).
Dietz teaches position of the centrifugal brake relative to the drive connection. The motor shaft and the motor as claimed (see above diagrams).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate teachings of Dietz in device of Newport. Doing so would make a fail-safe system in the event of power failure (col. 7, lines 9-25).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 22 and 24 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bucher (US 20020170786 A1) teaches a centrifugal brake 40 fixed on rotor 12 of motor (rotor 12 and stator 14).
PNG
media_image4.png
769
650
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Motoe Masatada (JPH0826620A) teaches (reproduced and annotated Figs. below) a linear drive (to linearly move car/cage 2) in which plate 9 of a centrifugal brake 7 is rigidly and permanently connected to motor shaft of electric motor 5.(in both the invention and the prior art motor shaft if fixed to inner part of the motor and rotated together relative to outer part (drum 8 in prior art and 42 in the instant invention) of the brake).
PNG
media_image5.png
1181
1043
media_image5.png
Greyscale
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHDI H NEJAD whose telephone number is (571)270-0464. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30am-4pm EST.
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, David Posigian can be reached at (313) 446-6546. 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.
MAHDI H. NEJAD
Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/MAHDI H NEJAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
Prosecution Insights