DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (CN 104249233). Liu discloses a roller support (1,8) extending longitudinally along a longitudinal axis (left to right; Fig. 1) to a distal end comprising an endwall (horizontal end of head cover 1; Fig. 1), including a port comprising a v-shaped hole in the horizontal end of head cover (1; Fig. 1) to trap a spherical roller (2) and leave a portion of the spherical roller exposed ([0057], lines 2-3). Liu discloses an internal cavity comprising an interior of roller support (1,8) which is a space to contain the spherical roller (2), a spherical bearing element (bearings, 4), a bushing (5) and a spring element (9). The horizontal endwall (1) forms the distal end of the roller support (1,8) and the port (v-shaped through hole) extends from the internal cavity through the horizontal endwall (Fig. 1). The spherical roller (2) is disposed in the port (Fig. 1) and contacts the endwall with an exposed portion of the spherical roller projecting out of the roller support (1,8) from the port ([0057], lines 2-3), wherein the exposed portion of the spherical roller (2) is configured to contact a surface of a component ([0006], lines 3-4) during a mechanical surface treatment operation on the component ([0006], lines 5-8). The spherical bearing element (4) is disposed in the internal cavity between a bushing (5) and the spherical roller (2), the bushing (5) contacts the spherical bearing element (4; [0057], lines 4-6) with the spherical bearing element (4) longitudinally between the spherical roller (2) and the bushing (5; Fig. 1). The spring element (9) is disposed in the internal cavity (Fig. 1) and is biased longitudinally against the bearing (4) by a pressure regulating mechanism (7; [0063], lines 3-5), the spring element (9) is configured to bias the spherical roller (2) against the endwall through the spherical bearing element (4) and the bushing (5; [0074]).
Claim(s) 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (CN 104249233). Liu discloses a rolling method comprising arranging a tool (Fig. 1) with a component ([0006], lines 3-4) and performing a rolling operation on the component surface, the tool includes a spherical roller (2), a spherical bearing element (bearings, 4), a bushing (5) and a spring element (9), the spring element (9) biasing the spherical bearing element (4) against the spherical roller (2) through the bushing (5; [0074]).
Regarding claim 20, a static pressure load is applied against the component [0074] and the roller (2) is rolled on the surface of the component ([0006], lines 5-8) by manipulating a tool holder handle (13).
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) 1-11 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (CN 104249233) in view of Gubala et al. (EP 2759373). Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a roller support (1,8) extending longitudinally along a longitudinal axis (left to right; Fig. 1) to a distal end comprising an endwall (head cover 1; Fig. 1), the endwall including a port comprising a v-shaped hole in the distal end of the head cover (1; Fig. 1) to nest a spherical roller (2) and leave a portion of the spherical roller exposed ([0057], lines 2-3). Liu discloses an internal cavity comprising an interior of roller support (1,8) which is a space to contain the spherical roller (2), a spherical bearing element (bearings, 4), a bushing (5) and a spring element (9). The endwall (1) forms the distal end of the roller support (1,8) and the port (v-shaped through hole) extends from the internal cavity through the endwall (Fig. 1). The spherical roller (2) is disposed in the port (Fig. 1) and contacts the endwall with an exposed portion of the spherical roller projecting out of the roller support (1,8) from the port ([0057], lines 2-3), wherein the exposed portion of the spherical roller (2) is configured to contact a surface of a component ([0006], lines 3-4) during a mechanical surface treatment operation on the component ([0006], lines 5-8). The spherical bearing element (4) is disposed in the internal cavity between a bushing (5) and the spherical roller (2), the bushing (5) contacts the spherical bearing element (4; [0057], lines 4-6) with the spherical bearing element (4) longitudinally between the spherical roller (2) and the bushing (5; Fig. 1). The spring element (9) is disposed in the internal cavity (Fig. 1) and is biased longitudinally against the bearing (4) by a pressure regulating mechanism (7; [0063], lines 3-5), the spring element (9) is configured to bias the spherical roller (2) against the endwall through the spherical bearing element (4) and the bushing (5; [0074]). Liu discloses that a static pressure load is applied against the component [0074] and the roller (2) is rolled on the surface of the component ([0006], lines 5-8) by manipulating a tool holder handle (13). Regarding claim 5, Liu discloses that the spring (9) biases the bushing (5) against the bearing element (4) and the spherical roller (2). Regarding claims 9-11, Liu discloses that the spherical bearing element (4) is disposed in the internal cavity between a bushing (5) and the spherical roller (2), the bushing (5) contacts the spherical bearing element (4; [0057], lines 4-6) with the spherical bearing element (4) longitudinally between the spherical roller (2) and the bushing (5; Fig. 1). The spring element (9) is disposed in the internal cavity (Fig. 1) and is biased longitudinally against the bearing (4) by a pressure regulating mechanism (7; [0063], lines 3-5), the spring element (9) is configured to bias the spherical roller (2) against the endwall through the spherical bearing element (4) and the bushing (5; [0074]). Regarding claim 15, Liu discloses that the roller support (1,8) is a housing (1) and endwall adaptor (1) which are tubular (Fig. 1) and that are connected with a threaded connection ([0059], lines 3-5), the internal cavity extends through the housing (8) and endwall (1).
Liu does not disclose that the tool holder handle is operatively coupled to a tool manipulator to move the tool. Gubala teaches that a tool body (1) is operatively connected to a CNC machine tool spindle (13). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to connect the tool handle of Liu to a spindle of a CNC machine as taught by Gubala in order to move the surface treatment tool with a machining center.
Regarding claims 2 and 3, Gubala teaches an interior cavity within an endwall (8) comprising a bearing surface ([0013], lines 1-3) for a spherical bearing element (16, Fig. 2) configured to contact a spherical roller (6) to roll along a workpiece surface (14). The endwall interior cavity is configured in a ring shape to be spherical at diameter (dkp; Fig. 2) to contain the bearing element (16, Fig. 2) above the spherical roller tool (6). The endwall interior cavity ends at a longitudinal distal end in a truncated port (diameter dkn; Fig. 2) which contains the spherical roller tool (6) so that a working surface of the spherical roller tool is exposed from the port to contact a workpiece surface (14; Fig. 2). Regarding claims 4 and 6-9, the endwall bearing surface has a spherical part (dkp; Fig. 2) to match the bearing element (16) and a bore segment ([0007], lines 36-37) to contain one (Fig. 2) or a plurality of rollers (Fig. 3) in a port with a larger diameter spherical element (16) contacting a smaller diameter roller tool (6). Regarding claim 8, larger and smaller spherical rollers (6,16,19) are shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and it is an obvious design choice to select a same diameter tool roller and bearing roller. It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the shape of the endwall of Liu to have a spherical bearing surface to contain the bearing element and spherical tool in an endwall bore that is shaped to match the spherical geometry of the bearing element and spherical roller tool.
Claim(s) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (CN 104249233) in view of Gubala et al. (EP 2759373) and further in view of Prevey (6,622,570). Liu does not disclose a pneumatic drive for the roller tool. Prevey teaches (col. 10, lines 15-20 and col. 11, lines 33-37) that a hydraulic or pneumatic (gas) circuit (132,134,136) is used to provide pressure against a spherical roller tool (106) through a bore (fig. 11) in a roller support (102) using a piston or diaphragm. It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to provide pneumatic pressure in the roller tool of Liu as taught by Prevey in order to drive the tool with a pneumatic control as is known in the roller tool art.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (CN 104249233) in view of Gubala et al. (EP 2759373) and further in view of Prevey et al. (8,601,659). Liu does not disclose Belleville spring. Prevey teaches a Belleville spring (col. 10, lines 58-59) contacting and biasing a bushing (148) of a spherical rolling tool (104). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to substitute the Belleville spring washers of Hawkes for the coil spring of Liu in order to provide a desired level of resilience from a stacked Belleville spring.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (CN 104249233) in view of Gubala et al. (EP 2759373) and further in view of Gast et al. (4,887,450). Liu does not disclose a jam nut for the roller support. Gast teaches that a jam nut (32) is used to lock a tubular sleeve (34) and a tubular mandrel (40) in a tool support. It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to lock the roller tool support of Liu with a jam nut as taught by Gast in order to provide a threaded lock for the roller support.
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (CN 104249233) in view of Prevey (6,622,570). Liu does not disclose an air bearing for the roller tool. Prevey teaches (col. 10, lines 15-20 and col. 11, lines 33-37) that a hydraulic or pneumatic (gas) circuit (132,134,136) is used to provide bearing pressure against a spherical roller tool (106) through a bore (fig. 11) in a roller support (102) using a piston or diaphragm. It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to provide pneumatic pressure in the roller tool of Liu as taught by Prevey in order to drive the tool with a pneumatic control as is known in the roller tool art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zhang et al. (CN 106346192) teaches that a spherical roller tool (33; Fig. 4) is rolled along a surface (Fig. 6a) and teaches (page 7, paragraph 4) that a bore segment comprises a sleeve (114) which is angled at 15-24 degrees (Fig. 5) to nest and hold a spherical roller tool (331).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWARD THOMAS TOLAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4525. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5.
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/EDWARD T TOLAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3725