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 § 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.
Claims 1-3, 6-8 and 10-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herrmann WO 87-04502 in view of Adane WO 2010-066293.
Re clm 1, Herrmann discloses a cage (Fig. 3) for a bearing comprising: a first pocket (10) configured to accommodate a first rolling element (2) of the bearing, the first pocket arranged to completely enclose the first rolling element where a pitch circle of the cage is located (shown in Fig. 3), the first pocket having a first side wall (at 10, Fig. 3): a radially outer first claw (for example, right side 11s; [0005]) and a radially inner first claw (left side 11s) for holding the first rolling element of the bearing after the first rolling element is assembled in the first pocket, the radially outer first claw extending from the first side wall of the first pocket toward the radially outer side of the cage, the radially inner first claw extending from the first side wall of the first pocket toward the radially inner side of the cage: a second pocket (adjacent pockets 10) next to the first pocket, the second pocket configured to accommodate a second rolling element (an adjacent 2) of the bearing, the second pocket arranged to completely enclose the second rolling element where the pitch circle of the cage is located, the second pocket having a second side wall (at 10): a radially outer second claw (for example, right side 11s; [0005]) and a radially inner second claw (left 11s) for holding the second rolling element of the bearing after the second rolling element is assembled in the second pocket, the radially outer second claw extending from the second side wall of the second pocket toward the radially outer side of the cage, the radially inner second claw extending from the second side wall of the second pocket toward the radially inner side of the cage, the radially outer first claw and the radially outer second claw being next to one another, the radially inner first claw and the radially inner second claw being next to one another; a radially outer gap (gap between adjacent 11s on right side) between the radially outer first claw and the radially outer second claw and a radially inner gap (gap between adjacent 11s on left side) between the radially inner first claw and the radially inner second claw, the radially outer gap and the radially inner gap being radially aligned relative to one another (Fig. 1 and 3).
Herrmann does not disclose the first pocket having a roughly ellipsoidal shape, the ellipsoidal shape of the first pocket having a major axis L1 and a minor axis L2, the major axis L1 and the minor axis L2 satisfying the following relationship: L2 <L11.07L2, the second pocket having a roughly ellipsoidal shape, the ellipsoidal shape of the second pocket having a major axis L1 and a minor axis L2, the major axis L1 and the minor axis L2 of the second pocket satisfying the following relationship: L2 < L1 < 1.07L2.
Adane teaches a bearing cage comprising the pockets having a roughly ellipsoidal shape (page 4: lines 19-24), the ellipsoidal shape of the pocket having a major axis L1 (in circumferential direction; Fig. 2 and 3) and a minor axis L2 (axial direction), the major axis L1 and the minor axis L2 satisfying the following relationship: L2 < L1 ≤ 1.07L2 (page 6: lines 1-5) for the purpose of preventing the balls from impacting back and forth inside the pockets but rather allowing them to slide such that their motions are smoother (page 6: lines 6-14).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention tom modify Herrmann and provide the first pocket having a roughly ellipsoidal shape, the ellipsoidal shape of the first pocket having a major axis L1 and a minor axis L2, the major axis L1 and the minor axis L2 satisfying the following relationship: L2 <L11.07L2, the second pocket having a roughly ellipsoidal shape, the ellipsoidal shape of the second pocket having a major axis L1 and a minor axis L2, the major axis L1 and the minor axis L2 of the second pocket satisfying the following relationship: L2 < L1 < 1.07L2 for the purpose of preventing the balls from impacting back and forth inside the pockets but rather allowing them to slide such that their motions are smoother.
Re clm 2, the improvement of Adane further discloses the major axis L1 of each first and second pocket is arranged along a circumferential direction, and the minor axis L2 of each first and second pocket is arranged along an axial direction (Fig. 2 and 3).
Re clm 3, the improvement of Adane further discloses the major axis L1 of each first and second pocket and the minor axis L2 of each first and second pocket satisfy the following relationship: L2 < L1 ≤ 1.05L2 (page 6: lines 6-14).
Re clm 6, Herrmann further discloses a radially outer third claw extending from the first side wall of the first pocket toward the radially outer side of the cage and opposing the radially outer first claw along a circumferential direction (Fig. 1 and 3).
Re clm 7, Herrmann further discloses a radially inner third claw extending from the first side wall of the first pocket toward the radially inner side of the cage and opposing the radially inner first claw along a circumferential direction (Fig. 1 and 3).
Re clm 8, Herrmann in view of Adane further discloses an inner side of each of the radially outer and inner first claws and the first side wall of the first pocket are part of the ellipsoid shape of the first pocket (Herrmann discloses the claw being the same shape as the pocket; Adan teaches ellipsoid pockets); and an inner side of each of the radially outer and inner second claws and the second side wall of the second pocket are part of the ellipsoid shape of the second pocket (Herrmann discloses the claw being the same shape as the pocket; Adan teaches ellipsoid pockets).
Re clm 10, Herrmann further discloses a bearing comprising the cage of claim 1 (ring bearings; [0005]).
Re clm 11, Herrmann further discloses the radially outer first claw borders a first side of the radially outer gap and the radially inner first claw borders a first side of the radially inner gap, the first sides of the radially outer and inner gaps being radially aligned relative to one another (Fig. 1 and 3).
Re clm 12, Herrmann further discloses the radially outer second claw borders a second side of the radially outer gap and the radially inner second claw borders a second side of the radially inner gap, the second sides of the radially outer and inner gaps being radially aligned relative to one another (Fig. 1 and 3).
Re clm 13¸Herrmann further discloses an arc-shaped segment (Fig. 3; [0005]), the arc-shaped segment having a circumferential length, the arc-shaped segment includes a plurality of pockets (Fig. 1 and 3), the plurality of pockets including the first and second pockets, the plurality of pockets being uniformly spaced apart along the circumferential length, the arc-shaped segment including the radially outer first and second claws, the radially inner first and second claws, and the radially outer and inner gaps (Fig. 1 and 3).
Re clm 14, Herrmann further discloses the radially outer first claw and the radially inner first claw are mirror images of one another (Fig. 1 and 3).
Re clm 15, Herrmann further discloses the first side wall and at least one of the radially outer first claw or the radially inner first claw each have an inner surface (at 10, Fig. 3), wherein a transition between the inner surface of the first wall and the inner surface of the at least one of the radially outer first claw or the radially inner first claw is smooth (surface of 11 is continuous with 10).
Re clm 16, Herrmann further discloses the transition is curved (shown in Fig. 3).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herrmann WO 87-04502 in view of Adane WO 2010-066293 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tsuji U.S. 2017/0314619.
Herrmann in view of Adane discloses all the claimed subject matter as described above.
Re clm 4, both Herrmann and Adane further disclose the cage is a window-type cage.
Hermann does not disclose the shortest distance between a side wall of the pocket and an axial end face of the cage is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm.
Tsuji discloses that the thickness of the cage at deepest points of the pocket are result effective variables ([0018]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Adane and provide the shortest distance between a side wall of the pocket and an axial end face of the cage is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). See MPEP 2144.05(II)(A).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herrmann WO 87-04502 in view of Adane WO 2010-066293 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sekimoto U.S. 2006/0008192.
Herrmann in view of Adane disclose all the claimed subject matter as described above.
Re clm 9, Herrmann discloses a segment (Fig. 3), however Herrmann does not disclose a plurality of arc-shaped segments, and each of the arc-shaped segments comprises a plurality of pockets, the plurality of pockets including the first and second pockets; and the plurality of arc-shaped segments abut on or connect with each other after being assembled in the bearing, to form a complete cage.
Sekimoto teaches a segmented cage (Fig. 1) comprising a plurality of arc-shaped segments (10s), and each of the arc-shaped segments comprises a plurality of pockets (11s), the plurality of pockets including the first and second pockets; and the plurality of arc-shaped segments abut on or connect with each other after being assembled in the bearing, to form a complete cage.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Herrmann and provide a plurality of arc-shaped segments, and each of the arc-shaped segments comprises a plurality of pockets, the plurality of pockets including the first and second pockets; and the plurality of arc-shaped segments abut on or connect with each other after being assembled in the bearing, to form a complete cage for the purpose of providing a cage which is easier to assembly in larger bearings as well as to provide a cage which can be used for a variety of different bearing diameters.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Specifically, Herrmann has been provided to teach the majority of the claim limitations. Adane and Sekimoto have been used to cure any deficiencies of Herrmann. None of Applicant’s arguments apply to the new combination of references.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/ALAN B WAITS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617