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 § 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, 4, 7, and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 206972467 (herein Teng) in view of Thomas et al (US Patent No. 6,431,845) in view of CN 207145162 (herein Yang).
A machine translation of Teng and Yang was provided with a previous office action and is relied upon herein.
Teng teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a four-cylinder compressor (FIG. 2-5), comprising: a base (19); a motor body (20-21); a first and second cam mechanism (5); a first cylinder group (the two left-hand cylinders 12 of FIG. 4); and a second cylinder group (the two right-hand cylinders 12 of FIG. 4); wherein the base is hollow, and is placed horizontally (FIG. 4 for example); the motor body is fixedly arranged in the base (FIG. 4; and from the disclosure ”Preferably, the electric motor drive assembly 25 includes a stator 20, a rotor 21, a motor 19, a stator 20 arranged in the motor barrel 19, rotor 21 on the stator 20”); the cam mechanism (5) is in transmission connection with output shafts at both ends of the motor body (the shaft extending from rotor 21 as seen in both FIG. 3 and FIG. 4; see also from the disclosure “Preferably, the linkage assembly 22 comprises an eccentric block 5, a large bearing 6, connecting rod 7, oil-free piston 10, piston 9, ring 11, eccentric block 5 sleeved on the rotating shaft of the rotor 21…”); the first cylinder group is arranged on a first side of the base (left-hand side as per FIG. 4), and the second cylinder group is arranged on a second side of the base opposite to the first side of the base (right-hand side as per FIG. 4); the first cylinder group and the second cylinder group are both in transmission connection with the cam mechanism (via piston 9 and rod 7 as seen in both FIG. 3 and FIG. 4; see also from the disclosure “Preferably, the linkage assembly 22 comprises an eccentric block 5, a large bearing 6, connecting rod 7, oil-free piston 10, piston 9, ring 11, eccentric block 5 sleeved on the rotating shaft of the rotor 21…”); and each of the first cylinder group and the second cylinder group comprises a first cylinder (12) and a second cylinder (12); the first cylinder and the second cylinder are fixed on the base opposite to each other along a vertical direction (FIG. 4);
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further wherein the base comprises a motor housing (19), a first end housing (8; see FIG. 3) and a second end housing (8); the first end housing is arranged at a first side of the motor housing (left-hand side in FIG. 4), and the second end housing is arranged at a second side of the motor housing (right-hand side in FIG. 4); the motor body (20-21) is fixedly provided in the motor housing (FIG. 4; and from the disclosure ”Preferably, the electric motor drive assembly 25 includes a stator 20, a rotor 21, a motor 19, a stator 20 arranged in the motor barrel 19, rotor 21 on the stator 20”); the first and second cam mechanisms (5) are arranged in the first end housing and the second end housing respectively (see FIG. 4; from the disclosure ”an eccentric block 5 mounted in the connecting rod 7, the connecting rod assembly 22, and the link rod assembly 22 mounted in the case 8, an air cylinder 12, valve plate, O-shaped ring 13, a valve plate 17, a cylinder cover O-shaped ring 14, a cylinder cover 15 are respectively mounted on the box body 8…”); the first cylinder and the second cylinder of the first cylinder group are arranged opposite to each other at upper and lower sides of the first end housing, respectively (FIG. 4; see annotated version of the figure above); and the first cylinder and the second cylinder of the second cylinder group are arranged opposite to each other at upper and lower sides of the second end housing, respectively (FIG. 4; see annotated version of the figure above); wherein each of the first and second cam mechanisms (5) comprises a cam fixed on the output shafts of the motor body (FIG. 3-4), a first connecting rod (7), a second connecting rod (7), a first piston (10) and a second piston (10); the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are sleeved on the cam (FIG. 4); the first piston is provided on the first connecting rod; the second piston is provided on the second connecting rod (from the disclosure: “eccentric block 5 sleeved on the rotating shaft of the rotor 21, a large bearing 6 sleeved on the eccentric block 5, a connecting rod (7) is sleeved on the big bearing 6 connecting rod 7 through a piston 9 connected with the oil-free piston 10…”); the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are perpendicular to the output shafts (see FIG. 4); the second connecting rod is arranged near the motor body; the first piston is in transmission connection with the first cylinder; and the second piston is in transmission connection with the second cylinder (FIG. 4);
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further wherein the first cylinder and the second cylinder each comprise a cylinder liner (see annotated FIG. 4 below), a valve plate (17) and a cylinder cover (15); the cylinder liner of the first cylinder and the cylinder liner of the second cylinder are arranged opposite to each other at the base along a vertical direction (see FIG. 4, in which the liners on the left-hand side cylinders are opposed with respect to the shaft); the first piston is arranged in the cylinder liner of the first cylinder, and the second piston is arranged in the cylinder liner of the second cylinder (FIG. 3-4); the valve plate arranged on the cylinder liner (see FIG. 4); the cylinder cover provided on the valve plate (FIG. 4); the cylinder cover having an air cavity (the space between cover 15 and plate 17, i.e. in FIG. 4), and a portion of the valve plate provided with a cylinder hole (this is a common feature of valve plates to connect the pressure chamber of the cylinder and the air chamber of the cover; see FIG. 6-7 in which air is suctioned and discharged through passages via valves of the plate);
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Teng teaches an air inlet/outlet assembly (23) and a valve plate (17), but does not explicitly teach an air flow pattern, such as communication between the first cylinders and second cylinders of the respective groups via passages through a side wall of the valve plate;
Thomas teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a pump (20) including: first and second cylinder assemblies (24), a base (~10), and first/second cylinders (12); and wherein the first cylinder comprises a first valve plate (30) and a first cylinder cover (24), and the second cylinder comprises a second valve plate (30) and a second cylinder cover (24; see FIG. 2); a portion of the first valve plate located within a first air cavity is provided with a first cylinder air hole (80; FIG. 5) and a first gas delivery passage (between 80 and discharge 58), and a portion of the second valve plate located within the second air cavity is provided with a second cylinder air hole (80) and a second gas delivery passage (between 80 and discharge 58); the first cylinder air hole is connected with an interior of the first cylinder liner and the first air cavity, and the second cylinder air hole is connected with an interior of the second cylinder liner and the second air cavity (C. 4 Lines 34-57); one end of the first gas delivery passage is connected with the first air cavity, and the other end of the first gas delivery passage is connected with outside of the first valve plate (via ports 56, 58, and passages 66 and 70); and one end of the second gas delivery passage is connected with the second air cavity, and the other end of the second gas delivery passage is connected with outside of the second valve plate (via ports 56, 58, and passages 66 and 70; C. 4 Lines 8-26); outer side walls of the first valve plate are respectively provided with a first air inlet and a first air outlet of the first gas delivery passage (56, 58; FIG. 2); and outer side walls of the second valve plate are respectively provided with a second air inlet and a second air outlet of the second gas delivery passage (56, 58; FIG. 2); and the first and second cylinder assemblies communicate with one another (via the pipes of center portion 28, 128; C. 4 Lines 8-26 and C. 5 Lines 19-27); further comprising: a first and second cylinder connecting pipe (28, 128); wherein the first valve plate (30) is provided with a first connection port (64) at the gas delivery passage, and the first connection port is located between the air inlet (56) and the air outlet (58) of the gas delivery passage (FIG. 2); one end of the cylinder connecting pipe is connected with the connection port of the valve plate in a first cylinder group (right-hand side in FIG. 2), and the other end of the cylinder connecting pipe is connected with the connection port of the valve plate in a second cylinder group (FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7-8); and the second valve plate (30) is provided with a second connection port (64) at the second gas delivery passage, and the second connection port is located between the second air inlet (56) and the second air outlet (58); and one end of the second cylinder connecting pipe (28, 128) is connected with the second connection port corresponding to the first cylinder group, and the other end of the second cylinder connecting pipe is connected with the second connection port corresponding to the second cylinder group (FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7-8; C. 4 Lines 8-26 and C. 5 Lines 19-27);
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of compressors at the time the invention was filed to provide gas passages within the body of the valve plate of Teng, as taught by Thomas, in order to guide the gas between the cylinders in parallel or series to increase an output pressure/flow, as well as to allow output from both/either cylinder assembly (C. 4 Lines 20-26 of Thomas); further it has been held that the rearrangement of parts requires only routine skill in the art when the prior art otherwise teaches the claimed structure (see MPEP 2144.04 Section VI. C).
Teng further teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a first end cover (~1) is fixedly provided at a first end of the base (FIG. 4), and a second end cover (~1) is fixedly provided at a second end of the base (FIG. 4); each of the first end cover and the second end cover is provided with a shaft sleeve (about bearing 3; FIG. 3); and the first and second shaft sleeves are coaxially fixed on the output shafts of the motor body, respectively (FIG. 3-4; from the disclosure: “a fan cover 1 set on the outer side of the blade 2 and fixedly connected with the box body 8, blade 2 is sleeved on the small bearing 3, the small bearing 3 is sleeved on the bearing sleeve (4), bearing sleeve (4) is set on the rotating shaft of the rotor 21); and
Teng teaches a support assembly at either side of the motor (20-21) including a bearing (see FIG. 3-4 in which an unlabeled bearing similar to “small bearing 3” is located at a side of the motor), but does not disclose how the bearing is mounted such as with the use of a plate;
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Yang teaches a compressor (FIG. 2) including a motor (1) driving piston-cylinder assemblies (31-32) at opposite ends; and wherein a supporting assembly at either end of the motor incudes a bearing (see FIG. 2) supported by a plate member of a compressor housing (see annotated FIG. 2 below);
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of compressors at the time the invention was filed to mount the bearings of Teng using known mounting techniques, such as a fixed housing plate as taught by Yang, as a matter of design choice in order to position and secure the bearing relative to the compressor shaft.
Teng further teaches:
limitations from claim 4, wherein a side of the base is horizontally and fixedly provided with a mounting base (see annotated FIG. 2 below);
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limitations from claim 12, wherein the number of the air cavity on the end cover is two; the number of the cylinder air hole on the valve plate is two, and two cylinder air holes are in one-to-one correspondence with two air cavities; each of the two cylinder air holes is provided with a suction plate which is resettable and adjustable (Teng shows (in FIG. 6-7) the use of two air holes and two valve plates (see annotated FIG. 6 below)); the suction plate is configured to move to attach to or detach from the two cylinder air holes, so as to make two ends of each of the two cylinder air holes isolated or connected (FIG. 6-7 show the flow of air through holes controlled via valves, the function of valves is well known and includes blocking and unblocking passages);
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limitations from claim 13, wherein the cam mechanism comprises a first bearing (6) and a second bearing (6); and the cam (5) is connected with the first connecting rod (7) through the first bearing, and the cam is connected with the second connecting rod through the second bearing (see FIG. 3-4; from the disclosure: “Preferably, the linkage assembly 22 comprises an eccentric block 5, a large bearing 6, connecting rod 7… a large bearing 6 sleeved on the eccentric block 5, a connecting rod (7) is sleeved on the big bearing 6…);
limitations from claim 14, further comprising: a fan (2); wherein the fan is fixedly connected with the output shafts at the two ends of the motor body (FIG. 3-4; from the disclosure: “blade 2 is sleeved on the small bearing 3, the small bearing 3 is sleeved on the bearing sleeve (4), bearing sleeve (4) is set on the rotating shaft of the rotor 21…”);
limitations from claim 7, wherein the first end housing and the second end housing are each provided with an accommodating cavity to accommodate the output shafts and the cam mechanism (see FIG. 4); and a side wall (1) of the accommodating cavity is provided with a function hole (see FIG. 5 for example; from the disclosure: “the radiating device comprises stationary intake ducts 1…”);
Claim(s) 1, 5, and 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Leu (US Patent No. 6,832,900) in view of Thomas et al (US Patent No. 6,431,845) in view of CN 206972467 (herein Teng).
Leu teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a four-cylinder compressor (C. 9 Lines 54-55), comprising: a base (36); a motor body (32); a cam mechanism (108-109); a first cylinder group (40-41; FIG. 1-2); and a second cylinder group (see C. 9 Lines 54-55 in which a 4-cylinder compressor is taught, for use with a dual shaft motor); wherein the base is hollow (FIG. 7), and is placed horizontally (the compressor in FIG. 7 can be interpreted to be horizontally placed, from left to right; the claim provides no relativity to the term horizontal); the motor body (32) is fixedly arranged in the base (FIG. 7; C. 5 Lines 12-14); the cam mechanism (104-105) is in transmission connection with output shafts (114) at both ends of the motor body (C. 6 Lines 61-63; see C. 9 Lines 54-55 teaching dual shaft motors, the examiner maintains that extra cylinder assemblies would have the same drive configuration as those otherwise disclosed, see cams 104-105); the first cylinder group is arranged on a first side of the base (see FIG. 7-8, left-hand side of 36); the first cylinder group and the second cylinder group are both in transmission connection with the cam mechanism (C. 6 Lines 61-63; see C. 9 Lines 54-55 teaching dual shaft motors, the examiner maintains that extra cylinder assemblies would have the same drive configuration as those otherwise disclosed, see cams 104-105); and each of the first cylinder group and the second cylinder group comprises a first cylinder (40) and a second cylinder (41); the first cylinder of the first cylinder group is communicated with the first cylinder of the second cylinder group; and the second cylinder of the first cylinder group is communicated with the second cylinder of the second cylinder group (see C. 9 Lines 56-64; Leu discloses that the cylinder assemblies of multi-cylinder embodiments may be connected in parallel or series using crankcase passages or tubes between valve heads); wherein the cam mechanism comprises a cam (108-109) fixed on the output shafts of the motor body (FIG. 7), a first connecting rod (98), a second connecting rod (99), a first piston (90) and a second piston (91); the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are sleeved on the cam (via bearing 102-103; FIG. 7; C. 6 Lines 20-29); the first piston is provided on the first connecting rod; the second piston is provided on the second connecting rod; the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are perpendicular to the output shafts; the second connecting rod is arranged near the motor body; the first piston is in transmission connection with the first cylinder; and the second piston is in transmission connection with the second cylinder (see annotated FIG. 7 below);
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Leu teaches inlet/outlets (200, 202, 204; FIG. 22) at an outer surface of the cylinder head, and teaches that the valve heads can include transfer tubes connecting directly to the different heads in series/parallel (C. 9 Lines 46-63); Leu does not teach the claimed valve plate ports and associated fluid passage arrangement;
Thomas teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a pump (20) including: first and second cylinder assemblies (24), a base (~10), and first/second cylinders (12); and wherein the first cylinder comprises a first valve plate (30) and a first cylinder cover (24), and the second cylinder comprises a second valve plate (30) and a second cylinder cover (24; see FIG. 2); a portion of the first valve plate located within a first air cavity is provided with a first cylinder air hole (80; FIG. 5) and a first gas delivery passage (between 80 and discharge 58), and a portion of the second valve plate located within the second air cavity is provided with a second cylinder air hole (80) and a second gas delivery passage (between 80 and discharge 58); the first cylinder air hole is connected with an interior of the first cylinder liner and the first air cavity, and the second cylinder air hole is connected with an interior of the second cylinder liner and the second air cavity (C. 4 Lines 34-57); one end of the first gas delivery passage is connected with the first air cavity, and the other end of the first gas delivery passage is connected with outside of the first valve plate (via ports 56, 58, and passages 66 and 70); and one end of the second gas delivery passage is connected with the second air cavity, and the other end of the second gas delivery passage is connected with outside of the second valve plate (via ports 56, 58, and passages 66 and 70; C. 4 Lines 8-26); outer side walls of the first valve plate are respectively provided with a first air inlet and a first air outlet of the first gas delivery passage (56, 58; FIG. 2); and outer side walls of the second valve plate are respectively provided with a second air inlet and a second air outlet of the second gas delivery passage (56, 58; FIG. 2); and the first and second cylinder assemblies communicate with one another (via the pipes of center portion 28, 128; C. 4 Lines 8-26 and C. 5 Lines 19-27); wherein the first valve plate (30) is provided with a first connection port (64) at the gas delivery passage, and the first connection port is located between the air inlet (56) and the air outlet (58) of the gas delivery passage (FIG. 2); one end of the cylinder connecting pipe is connected with the connection port of the valve plate in a first cylinder group (right-hand side in FIG. 2), and the other end of the cylinder connecting pipe is connected with the connection port of the valve plate in a second cylinder group (FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7-8); and the second valve plate (30) is provided with a second connection port (64) at the second gas delivery passage, and the second connection port is located between the second air inlet (56) and the second air outlet (58); and one end of the second cylinder connecting pipe (28, 128) is connected with the second connection port corresponding to the first cylinder group, and the other end of the second cylinder connecting pipe is connected with the second connection port corresponding to the second cylinder group (FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7-8; C. 4 Lines 8-26 and C. 5 Lines 19-27);
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of compressors at the time the invention was filed to provide gas passages within the body of the valve plate of Leu, as taught by Thomas, in order to guide the gas between the cylinders in parallel or series to increase an output pressure/flow, as well as to allow output from both/either cylinder assembly (C. 4 Lines 20-26 of Thomas); further it has been held that the rearrangement of parts requires only routine skill in the art when the prior art otherwise teaches the claimed structure (see MPEP 2144.04 Section VI. C).
While Leu teaches dual-shaft motors driving 4-cylinder pumps, Leu does not explicitly teach the spatial arrangement of the cylinder groups about the motor/base;
Teng teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a four-cylinder compressor (FIG. 2-5), comprising: a base (19); a motor body (20-21); a cam mechanism (5); a first cylinder group (the two left-hand cylinders 12 of FIG. 4); and a second cylinder group (the two right-hand cylinders 12 of FIG. 4); wherein the base is hollow, and is placed horizontally (FIG. 4 for example); the first cylinder group is arranged on a first side of the base (left-hand side as per FIG. 4), and the second cylinder group is arranged on a second side of the base opposite to the first side of the base (right-hand side as per FIG. 4); and each of the first cylinder group and the second cylinder group comprises a first cylinder (12) and a second cylinder (12); the first cylinder and the second cylinder are fixed on the base opposite to each other along a vertical direction (FIG. 4);
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further wherein the base comprises a motor housing (19), a first end housing (8; see FIG. 3) and a second end housing (8); the first end housing is arranged at a first side of the motor housing (left-hand side in FIG. 4), and the second end housing is arranged at a second side of the motor housing (right-hand side in FIG. 4); the motor body (20-21) is fixedly provided in the motor housing (FIG. 4; and from the disclosure ”Preferably, the electric motor drive assembly 25 includes a stator 20, a rotor 21, a motor 19, a stator 20 arranged in the motor barrel 19, rotor 21 on the stator 20”); the cam mechanism (5) is arranged in the first end housing and the second end housing (see FIG. 4; from the disclosure ”an eccentric block 5 mounted in the connecting rod 7, the connecting rod assembly 22, and the link rod assembly 22 mounted in the case 8, an air cylinder 12, valve plate, O-shaped ring 13, a valve plate 17, a cylinder cover O-shaped ring 14, a cylinder cover 15 are respectively mounted on the box body 8…”); the first cylinder and the second cylinder of the first cylinder group are arranged opposite to each other at upper and lower sides of the first end housing, respectively (FIG. 4; see annotated version of the figure above); and the first cylinder and the second cylinder of the second cylinder group are arranged opposite to each other at upper and lower sides of the second end housing, respectively (FIG. 4; see annotated version of the figure above);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of compressors at the time the invention was filed to arrange the cylinders of a 4-cylinder compressor such as is disclosed by Leu, in the manner taught by Teng such that cylinder assemblies are on opposite sides of a common motor and housing, as a matter of design choice. In this case, using a single motor in a common housing reduces the need for additional shafts, housings, etc…while creating a balanced compressor unit. See from the disclosure of Teng: ‘As shown in FIG. 6-7, the connecting rod assembly 22 on inlet and exhaust of the cylinder assembly in a reciprocating piston motion, the symmetrical connecting rod 7 in the case of stress analysis, the suction process centrifugal force direction in the vertical direction F1 opposite to F2. distribution of traction F3 and F4 more traction rotor power; vertical direction of the exhaust process centrifugal force direction F5 opposite to F6, traction distribution and the suction process of the F7 and F8 are the same, therefore, compressor internal force balanced. does not need to add balancing block and reduce the load of the compressor so as to reduce the vibration and noise, reduces energy consumption, energy saving and environment.”.
Leu further teaches:
limitations from claim 1, further comprising: a first support assembly (about bearing 116; FIG. 7); wherein the first support assembly is arranged at a first side of the motor body (FIG. 7), the first support assembly is located between the motor body (32) and the cam mechanism (108-109); the first support assembly comprises a fixed plate (holding bearing 116; FIG. 7) and a support bearing (116); the fixed plate is fixed on the base (36); the support bearing is arranged on the fixed plate (FIG. 7); and the support bearing is sleeved on the output shaft (114) of the motor body; and a first end cover (48) is fixedly provided at a first end of the base; the first end cover is provided with a shaft sleeve (64);
Regarding the second assembly, per the combination with Teng and the portion of Leu disclosing that multiple cylinder units may be used (C. 9 Lines 56-64), the examiner maintains that a second assembly opposite the first assembly and containing similar components would have been an obvious modification to increase output in a balance manner;
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Leu further teaches:
limitations from claim 6, wherein the first end housing and the second end housing (via the combination with Teng) are each provided with an accommodating cavity (within opening 72; FIG. 2) to accommodate the output shaft (114) and the cam mechanism (108-109); and the accommodating cavity has a sealed structure (cover/seal assembly 48) whose inside and outside are separated (FIG. 7; C. 5 Lines 40-46 for example);
limitations from claim 7, wherein the first end housing and the second end housing (via the combination with Teng) are each provided with an accommodating cavity to accommodate the output shaft (114) and the cam mechanism (108-109); and a side wall of the accommodating cavity is provided with a function hole (78-79);
limitations from claim 8, wherein the base comprises a sealing plug (76-77); and the sealing plug is removably arranged in the function hole (C. 5 Line 55-60);
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/19/2016 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant has amended claim 1 to include limitations from previous dependent claim 5, the limitations pertain to a bearing support assembly including plates fixed on a base.
Regarding Teng in view of Yang, in particular Yang, applicant argues the plate supporting the bearing is not connected to the base as claimed (Page 9 of the response). Applicant provides an annotated version of YANG FIG. 2, and argues that the boxed portion representing the plate is “…not in connection with any other components such as the motor or the housing…”. Initially, the examiner disagrees with the applicant’s interpretation of the bearing supporting plate (within the boxed area); the examiner has provided an annotated version of FIG. 2 below that more clearly indicates what the examiner considers to be the bearing support. The examiner maintains that the entire similarly hashed portion about the bearing is the same component and supports the bearing as a whole. Functionally this makes sense, as having a “support” about a bearing that is not connected to any other component would not only provide no support, but would also not provide any static component in which the bearing inner race would turn, rendering the bearing inoperable.
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Regarding Leu, applicant argues that a gap between components 32 and 36 indicates no connection between the motor and the crankcase, particularly a fixed connection. Initially, the examiner disagrees that no connection between the motor and the crankcase exists, at least in part because the motor cannot exist without some level of support in the chamber of the casing (the motor cannot float, and would not function to turn the shafts if left loose therein). Further, FIG. 7 as annotated below, shows the plate/casing in contact with the motor 32.
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Applicant further argues “Under this premise, if the compressor is modified per Leu’s disclosure, Leu’s crankcase 36 and bearing 116 would, as a whole, be combined with compressors of other cited references in the specific configuration shown in Figs 7-10…”. However, in the current Office Action, Leu is not relied upon as a modifying reference, and therefore this argument is not found persuasive.
The applicant further argues that the prior art does not teach the benefits of such a configuration as recognized by the applicant (see Page 10-11 or the response). However, providing stability via the use of bearings on a shaft is commonly known in the art of rotary machines, including pumps/compressors. Further, it has been held that, the fact that the inventor has recognized another advantage which would flow naturally from following the suggestion of the prior art cannot be the basis for patentability when the differences would otherwise be obvious. See Ex parte Obiaya, 227 USPQ 58, 60 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1985).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER S BOBISH whose telephone number is (571)270-5289. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-5.
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, Essama Omgba can be reached at 469-295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER S BOBISH/Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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