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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-8 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2018/0298963 A1 to Demorais et al.
Re-claim 1, Demorais et al. disclose a brake device comprising: a brake pad 7 with first and second side surfaces and a plurality of protrusions (see figure 3); a pad pusher 92 is connected to the brake pad and linearly moves the brake pad; a caliper body 6 has a cylinder space (see figures 16 and 17, the cylinder space is interpreted as up to recess 53), the pad pusher is seated in the cylinder space; a pad carrier is connected to the caliper body (see figure 20b) and guides the plurality of protrusions, the pad pusher includes: a bolt screw 27 rotates with respect to an axis within the cylinder space; a movable nut 28 is connected to the bolt screw; a piston (elements 5 and 18) is connected to an end of the movable nut, the movable nut 28 is configured to move in a moving direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the cylinder space when the bolt screw rotates, the piston has a cylindrical shape (part 18) and includes a front surface, a rear surface having an opening, and a piston cover 5 covering the front surface (see at least figure 10a).
Re-claim 2, the movable nut 28 has a rotation-preventing protrusion (see figure 10b and anti-rotation features 41/42, see also paragraph 67 which describes various types of anti-rotation features that can be used) is disposed at the end of the movable nut and extends in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the movable nut (this can be one of splines, recesses, protrusions as disclosed), the piston includes a rotation-preventing groove disposed corresponding to the rotation-preventing protrusion, and the rotation-preventing protrusion is located within the rotation-preventing groove. The piston portion 5 will have corresponding anti-rotation features to fit the features of the nut.
Re-claim 3, the brake pad 7 includes a pad connection protrusion (such as 75) extending perpendicular to a surface of a back plate 11, the piston includes a pad connection groove 76 disposed corresponding to the pad connection protrusion, and the pad connection protrusion is located within the pad connection groove.
Re-claim 4, the rotation-preventing protrusion includes a plurality of rotation-preventing protrusions disposed outside the cylinder space at a regular spacing in a circumferential direction of the movable nut, and the rotation-preventing groove includes a plurality of rotation-preventing grooves corresponding respectively to the plurality of rotation-preventing protrusions. As shown in figure 17, the distal end of element 5 is outside the cylinder space, which is defined as stopping at recess 53. The anti-rotation features present between the nut 28 and the distal end of 5 will be outside the cylinder space.
Re-claim 5, the pad connection groove includes a plurality of connection grooves 76 disposed at a regular spacing in a circumferential direction of the piston, and the pad connection protrusion includes a plurality of pad connection protrusions 75 respectively disposed corresponding to the plurality of pad connection grooves (see paragraph 45, note the plurality of protrusions that can be present).
Re-claim 6, the movable nut includes a first groove extending on an outer surface of the end of the movable nut in the circumferential direction of the movable unit, the piston includes a second groove extending on an inner surface of the piston in a circumferential direction of the piston, and a seal is disposed at a space defined by the first groove and the second groove.
Re-claim 7, the cylinder space includes a third groove 53 extending along an edge of an entrance of the cylinder space, the piston includes a fourth groove 54 extending along a circumference of an outer circumferential surface of the piston, and the pad pusher further includes a boot 52 having a first end located within the third groove and a second end located within the fourth groove.
Re-claim 8, the piston cover 5 is adhered to the back plate 11 of the brake pad 7 (see also figure 4 and note connections 25).
Re-claim 10, Demorais et al. disclose a brake device comprising: a brake pad 7 having first and second side surfaces and a plurality of protrusions extending from the first and second side surfaces (see figure 3); a pad pusher is connected to the brake pad and moves the brake pad; a caliper body 6 has a cylinder space, the pad pusher is seated at the cylinder space; a pad carrier (see figure 20b) is connected to the caliper body and configured to linearly guide the plurality of protrusions, the pad pusher includes: a bolt screw 27 rotates with respect to an axis within the cylinder space; a movable nut 28 is connected to the bolt screw; a piston 5/18 is connected to an end of the movable nut, the movable nut 28 is configured to move in a longitudinal direction of the cylinder space by rotation of the bolt screw, and wherein the piston is configured to prevent the rotation of the movable nut. The piston is non-rotationally connected to the brake pad, which is non-rotationally connected to the brake caliper by protrusions. The combination of features will restrain the piston from rotating, and as such the nut.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Demorais et al. in view of US 2022/0316539 A1 to Smith et al.
Demorais et al. fail to teach the piston cover 5 (or footing) having a heat-insulating material.
Smith et al. teach a piston structure having a cover 5 (i.e. footing) made from a plastic material (see paragraph 32). Plastics have heat-insulating properties, and would have reduced the overall weight of the piston. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used for the material of the piston cover in Demorais et al. a plastic material as taught by Smith et al., thus reducing the overall weight of the piston as well as prevent the transmission of heat to the brake fluid.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Mitchell and Danne each teach a piston having a piston cover element. Michels teaches an anti-rotation feature outside a cylinder space. Akita, Qian, Ohtani, Satoh, Smith, Leiter and Jedele each teach a brake device having anti-rotation features.
Any inquiries concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thomas Williams whose telephone number is 571-272-7128. The examiner can normally be reached on Tuesday-Friday from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
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.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-6584.
TJW
/THOMAS J WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
January 30, 2026