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 § 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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, 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.
Regarding independent claim 1, the phrase “[a] bicycle hub kit comprising: . . . a sprocket connected to the outer end of the driver, wherein the sprocket is selected from the group consisting of a braking sprocket and a one-way sprocket” is indefinite because it is unclear whether the kit is required to include both configurations of the sprocket, or rather, that the kit only includes one of the two configurations of the sprocket which are recited in the alternative to each other. Furthermore, the term “the group” lacks antecedent basis.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2004/0124060) in view of JP S62-88601 (machine translation attached) (hereinafter “JP ‘601”).
Regarding independent claim 1, Chen discloses a bicycle hub kit (see FIG. 1; ¶¶ 0004, 0005) comprising: a shaft (1); a hub body (4) surrounding the shaft and having a first end and a second end (see FIG. 1); a driver (2) surrounding the shaft (see FIG. 1), disposed at the first end of the hub body and having an outer end (201) extending out of the hub body (see FIG. 1) and an inner end (202) extending into the hub body (see FIG. 1); a connecting arm (302) disposed at the second end of the hub body (see FIG. 1); a clutch sleeve (6) surrounding the shaft (see FIG. 1), being moveable along the shaft (see ¶ 0005), disposed inside the hub body (see FIG. 1), and having a disengagement segment (see FIG. 1, cylindrical portion of (6) that surrounds spring (5)) extending away from the driver (see FIG. 1) and a braking segment (602, 603) adjacent to the driver (see FIG. 1), surrounding and connected with the inner end of the driver via a threaded engagement (401/601), and having an outer diameter being larger than an outer diameter of the disengagement segment (see FIG. 1); a braking base (3) fixed to and surrounding the shaft (see FIG. 1), extending into the second end of the hub body (see FIG. 1), and located between the connecting arm and the clutch sleeve (see FIG. 1); a spring set (5) disposed between the braking base and the clutch sleeve (see FIG. 1); at least one brake pad (7) disposed between an internal peripheral surface of the hub body, an outer periphery of the clutch sleeve, and an outer periphery of the braking base (see FIG. 1); and a sprocket connected to the outer end of the driver (see ¶ 0004, “a coupling segment 201 on which a sprocket wheel (not shown) is mounted”), wherein the sprocket is a braking sprocket (see ¶¶ 0004, 0005), wherein when the outer end of the driver is connected to the braking sprocket, the braking sprocket is configured to drive the driver to rotate forwardly and reversely (see ¶¶ 0004, 0005), the clutch sleeve is driven to move toward the braking base by a reverse rotation of the driver for pushing the at least one brake pad toward the internal peripheral surface of the hub body (see ¶ 0005).
Chen does not disclose that the sprocket is selected from the group consisting of a braking sprocket and a one-way sprocket; and when the outer end of the driver is connected to the one-way sprocket, the one-way sprocket is configured to drive the driver to rotate forwardly.
JP ‘601 teaches a bicycle hub kit (see FIGS. 1, 2; machine translation, “Function” and “Effect” sections) comprising a sprocket (see FIG. 1, element (13); FIG. 6, element (8)) selected from the group consisting of a braking sprocket (see FIG. 6, element (8)) and a one-way sprocket (see FIG. 1, element (13)); and when the outer end of the driver is connected to the one-way sprocket, the one-way sprocket is configured to drive the driver to rotate forwardly (see machine translation, “function” section).
It would have been obvious to combine the braking sprocket and the one-way sprocket in a kit, to provide known alternative constructions that can be substituted for each other for different operating conditions.
Regarding claim 2, Chen discloses an inner diameter of the disengagement segment of the clutch sleeve is larger than an inner diameter of the braking segment of the clutch sleeve (see FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Chen discloses that a bearing is disposed between the internal peripheral surface of the hub body and the outer periphery of the braking base (see FIG. 1, ball located between hub (4) and braking base (3)); a bearing is disposed between the internal peripheral surface of the hub body and an outer periphery of the driver (see FIG. 1, ball located between hub (4) and driver (2)); and a bearing is disposed within the outer end of the driver (see FIG. 1, ball located between driver (2) and shaft (1)).
Regarding claim 5, Chen discloses that the braking base has a positioning groove (212) formed in an end of the braking base facing the clutch sleeve (see FIG. 4); the spring set includes a spring (40) and a positioning holder (41) (see e.g. FIGS. 1, 4); the spring extends into the disengagement segment of the clutch sleeve (see FIGS. 1, 4); the positioning holder is mounted to an end of the spring facing away from the clutch sleeve and extends into the positioning groove of the braking base (see FIGS. 1, 4).
Claims 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2004/0124060) in view of JP S62-88601 (machine translation attached) (hereinafter “JP ‘601”), as applied to claims 1-3, above, and further in view of Hood (US 2,552,484).
Regarding claim 4, Chen discloses that the outer periphery of the braking base has a tapered surface (3011) facing the clutch sleeve (see FIG. 1); each of the at least one brake pad is curved and has a convex surface (see e.g. FIG. 4); and the at least one brake pad abuts the tapered surface of the outer periphery of the braking base (see FIG. 1; ¶ 0004).
Chen does not disclose that the at least one brake pad has multiple grooves recessed in the convex surface at spaced intervals.
Hood teaches a bicycle hub kit (see FIGS. 1-10) comprising at least one brake pad (14, 15) having multiple grooves recessed in a convex surface at spaced intervals (see FIG. 2).
It would have been obvious to configure the at least one brake pad of Chen to have multiple grooves, as taught by Hood, to increase the frictional force that can be generated and/or to provide channels for a cooling air flow and/or to provide channels for removing brake dust from the surface between the brake pad and the hub.
Conclusion
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
December 20, 2025