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
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 5-6 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by GB 2 060 096.
GB ‘096 disclose all the limitations of the instant claim including; a brake disc for a railway vehicle, comprising: a disc body 7 that has a front surface 19 and a back surface, the disc body being an annular disc; and a plurality of fins (all or some of fins 30) that are radially disposed on the back surface, at least one of the fins having a bolt hole 21 at a central portion of the fin in a radial direction of the disc body, wherein the disc body includes an inner circumferential portion that is positioned inward from the bolt hole in the radial direction and decreases in thickness as the inner circumferential portion extends inward in the radial direction, and the fins each include: a top surface that extends in the radial direction; and a convex portion that, as viewed in a section of the brake disc cut in the radial direction, protrudes inward in the radial direction from an imaginary plane passing an end portion of the top surface and an inner circumferential edge of the back surface, the end portion being one of both end portions of the top surface, whichever is positioned inward in the radial direction. Note the annotated figure below.
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Regarding claim 5, a length of the fin having the bolt hole in the radial direction is denoted by L0, and a length of the inner circumferential portion in the radial direction is denoted by L1, and L1/L0 is ¼ or less. Note the inner circumferential portion is significantly less the 1/4 the fin length.
Regarding claims 6 and 13, the disc body further includes a plurality of projections (others of fins 30, or projections 34) on the back surface.
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 3-4, 8-9, and 11-12 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GB 2 060 096.
Regarding claims 3-4, GB ‘096 further discloses that the inner circumferential portion has a tapered and curved surface that constitutes a part of the back surface and decreases in diameter as the surface extends toward the front side, and as viewed in a section of the brake disc cut in the radial direction, but lack an angle formed by the tapered surface with the front surface is 25° or more to 45° or less (claim 14) or an angle formed by a tangential line of the curved surface with the front surface is 25° or more to 45° or less, the tangential line having a largest gradient with respect to the front surface of tangential lines of the curved surface (claim 15). The angles of GB ‘096 appear to be very close to 45 degrees, however, specific angles are not disclosed. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to determine the optimum angle of the inner circumferential portion of GB ‘096 through routine design and/or experimentation to provide optimum air flow while ensuring adequate strength. Also note MPEP 2144.05(II)(A).
Regarding claims 8-9, a length of the fin having the bolt hole in the radial direction is denoted by L0, and a length of the inner circumferential portion in the radial direction is denoted by L1, and L1/L0 is ¼ or less. Note the inner circumferential portion is significantly less the 1/4 the fin length.
Regarding claims 11-12, the disc body further includes a plurality of projections (others of fins 30, or projections 34) on the back surface.
Claims 2, 7, 10, and 14-19 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GB 2 060 096 in view of Nogami et al (US# 2015/0247541).
Regarding claim 2, GB ‘096 discloses all the limitations of the instant claim with exception to the fins having the bolt hole including grooves that are disposed outward and inward from the bolt hole in the radial direction and traverse the fin. Nogami et al disclose a similar brake disc and further teach grooves 5a/5b that are disposed outward and inward from a bolt hole 4 in the radial direction and traverse the fin. Figures 4a-c. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include grooves such as taught by Nogami et al, in the fins of GB ‘096 to improve cooling performance and durability of the brake disc. [0046][0047] of Nogami et al.
Regarding claim 7, a length of the fin having the bolt hole in the radial direction is denoted by L0, and a length of the inner circumferential portion in the radial direction is denoted by L1, and L1/L0 is ¼ or less. Note the inner circumferential portion is significantly less the 1/4 the fin length.
Regarding claim 10, the disc body further includes a plurality of projections (others of fins 30, or projections 34) on the back surface.
Regarding claims 14-15, GB ‘096 further discloses that the inner circumferential portion has a tapered and curved surface that constitutes a part of the back surface and decreases in diameter as the surface extends toward the front side, and as viewed in a section of the brake disc cut in the radial direction, but lack an angle formed by the tapered surface with the front surface is 25° or more to 45° or less (claim 14) or an angle formed by a tangential line of the curved surface with the front surface is 25° or more to 45° or less, the tangential line having a largest gradient with respect to the front surface of tangential lines of the curved surface (claim 15). The angles of GB ‘096 appear to be very close to 45 degrees, however, specific angles are not disclosed. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to determine the optimum angle of the inner circumferential portion of GB ‘096 through routine design and/or experimentation to provide optimum air flow while ensuring adequate strength. Also note MPEP 2144.05(II)(A).
Regarding claims 16-17, a length of the fin having the bolt hole in the radial direction is denoted by L0, and a length of the inner circumferential portion in the radial direction is denoted by L1, and L1/L0 is ¼ or less. Note the inner circumferential portion is significantly less the 1/4 the fin length.
Regarding claims 18-19, the disc body further includes a plurality of projections (others of fins 30, or projections 34) on the back surface.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/18/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that “amended claim 1 describes that the disk body of the present invention is a one-piece (undivided) annular disk” and that the brake discs of GB ‘096 are formed by two half rings. It is noted that the specific claim language is “the disc body being an annular disc” which is broader than “a one-piece (undivided) annular disk”. GP ‘096 specifically discloses “an annular brake disc (6,7) formed by two half rings” (Abstract). It is maintained that the annular brake disc 6/7 of GB ‘096 is readable on the recited “disc body being an annular disc” and that the claim language does not preclude the annular disc from being formed by two half rings.
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 BRADLEY T KING whose telephone number is (571)272-7117. The examiner can normally be reached 10:30-5:00 PM.
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/BRADLEY T KING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
BTK
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