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 Objections
Claims 1, 10 are objected to because of the following informalities: the use of the terms “collet sleeve” and “collet”, while understood to both refer to the same element, should be limited to the use of only one of these terms. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 8-10 are objected to because of the following informalities: the use of the terms “kingpin” and “king pin”, while understood to both refer to the same element, should be limited to the use of only one of these terms. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: an article is missing between the words “wherein” and “receiver housing” in line 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION. - The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "kingpin shoulder" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Varela et al. – US 7,093,843, hereinafter referred to as Varela.
Regarding Claim 1, Varela teaches a kingpin assembly comprising;
a receiver housing (Fig. 1, 22 – “lower king pin mount”);
a collet sleeve (28 – “tapered roller bearing”, understood to represent a collet due to shape and functionality, absent a contrary Applicant-provided definition of “collet sleeve”) in the receiver housing;
a kingpin (24) in the collet;
a spring (30 – “spring cap”) on the kingpin;
a retainer cap (20 – “upper kingpin mount”) on the end of the spring, and
a plurality of connectors (38 – “adjustment nut”, 32 – “corresponding threads”) connecting the receiver housing to the retainer cap (both threaded to 11 – “knuckle”, which connects the upper and lower mounts).
Regarding Claim 2, Varela teaches the kingpin assembly of Claim 1, wherein the spring is a Belleville spring (cap 30 is round with cross-section of typical Belleville spring).
Regarding Claim 3, Varela teaches the kingpin assembly of Claim 1, wherein the plurality of connectors (32 and 38) are a plurality of threaded members (32 – “corresponding threads” and Col. 2, lines 67-68, Col. 3, lines 1-4 – “An adjustment nut 38 is threaded into the lower cavity 18 which includes corresponding threads 40.”).
Regarding Claim 4, Varela teaches the kingpin assembly of Claim 1, wherein the receiver housing (22) has an inside surface (Fig. 1, surface of 22 abutting 28) that varies from a top of the receiver housing to a bottom of the receiver housing (change in diameter from top to bottom of Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 5, Varela teaches the kingpin assembly of Claim 4, wherein the inside surface (surface of 22 abutting 28) varies linearly (the change in diameter results in a linear cross-section change from top to bottom of Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 6, Varela teaches the kingpin assembly of Claim 1, wherein an outside surface of the collet sleeve (28) exerts a pressure against an inside surface of the receiver housing (Fig. 1 abutting against 22, additionally Col. 1, line 49 – “A spring cap preloads the tapered roller bearing…”)
Regarding Claim 7, Varela teaches the kingpin assembly of Claim 6, wherein an inside surface of the collet sleeve (28) exerts a pressure against an outside surface of the kingpin (24) to inhibit lateral motion of the kingpin (Col. 1, lines 49-50 – “A spring cap preloads the tapered roller bearing which greatly reduces end play that reduces seal life.”).
Regarding Claim 8, Varela teaches the kingpin assembly of Claim 1, wherein the retainer cap (20) exerts pressure against the spring (30) which in turn exerts pressure to a top of the kingpin (24) and collet (28) towards a bottom of the receiver housing (Fig. 1, cooperative dynamic relationship, from top of figure to bottom, between 20, 30, top of 24, to 28).
Regarding Claim 9, Varela teaches the kingpin assembly of Claim 8, wherein the kingpin shoulder (Diagram 1 below, annotated shoulder element of the kingpin A1) exerts a pressure against a top of the collet sleeve (Diagram 1, A2 – interface between A1 and 28) to bias the collet sleeve towards a bottom of the receiver housing (22) and wherein the collet sleeve (28) has an inside surface (inner surface of 28, orthogonal to direction of A1 arrow) that applies a pressure to the kingpin such that as the pressure applied against the top of the collet sleeve by the kingpin shoulder (A2) increases the pressure exerted by the inside surface of the collet sleeve against the king pin increases (Col. 2, lines 50-53 – “The spring cap 30 preload P is preferably tailored to produce a controlled amount of Coulomb friction to dampen vibration conditions typical roller bearing and king pin interfaces.”).
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245
424
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Diagram 1 - Annotated inset of Varela, Fig. 1
Regarding Claim 10, Varela teaches the kingpin assembly of Claim 9, wherein the pressure exerted by the retainer cap to the spring, kingpin, and collet is controlled by the plurality of connectors (Col. 2, lines 67-68, Col. 3, lines 1-4 – “An adjustment nut 38 is threaded into the lower cavity 18 which includes corresponding threads 40.”).
Regarding Claim 11, Varela above already teaches a kit comprising:
a receiver housing (22);
a collet sleeve (28);
a spring (30)
a retainer cap (20); and
a plurality of connectors (32, 38), wherein a collet sleeve is configured to insert in the receiver housing (bottom of Fig. 1, spatial relation of 28 and 22, or Diagram 1 for detail), the collet sleeve is configured to receive a kingpin (24, spatial relation of 28 and 24), the spring is configured to fit between the kingpin and the retainer cap (top of Fig. 1, spatial relation 20, 30, and 24 from top to bottom), and the plurality of connectors are configured to connect the receiver housing to the retainer cap (22 tightly abuts against 40, which is threaded to 11, correspondingly threaded to 30 and tightly abutted to 20, forming a rigidly connected assembly).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2,831,699 – Truck Wheel Assembly, Holmes
Discloses a kingpin as part of a wheel suspension element; the spring surrounds the kingpin and is helical rather than disk-shaped. The connectors are not threaded.
US 2014/0339790 – Fifth Wheel Hitch Kingpin Assembly, Terpsma
Discloses a kingpin assembly utilizing a collet, but does not include a spring element.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mitchell James Price whose telephone number is (571)272-3729. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thurs 8:00 - 5:00 Eastern, Fri 8:00 - 12:00 Eastern.
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/Mitchell James Price/Examiner, Art Unit 3611 /VALENTIN NEACSU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611