DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings were received on June 12, 2026. These drawings are acceptable.
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.
Claims 11 and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maistre et al. (WO2020094962 A1).
Re claims 11 and 17, Maistre et al. disclose a friction assembly for a braking system for railway rolling stock and a method for securing at least one connecting ring mounted on a brake head to a manifold block connected to a suction device, comprising: a brake head (3) comprising a lower face (31), an upper face (32), and at least one secondary channel (see below) having a central axis, the at least one secondary channel connecting connects said lower face and an upper face; at least one plate (2) made of a friction material and comprising a first face (21) which is the friction face, a second face (22) which is adapted to be fixed on said lower face by a fixing mechanism (4, 5), and at least one primary channel (28), wherein the at least one primary channel connects said first face to said second face; at least one connecting ring (8), a respective ring of the at least one connecting ring being arranged in a respective secondary channel of said at least one secondary channel; a manifold block (70) connected to a suction device (pipe 50 connects to suction which is not shown) and being integral with the manifold block at said upper face, said manifold block having a cavity which is connected to the suction device and which comprises at least one hole, the at least one hole connecting said cavity to said upper face, and a respective hole of the at least one hole being aligned with a respective secondary channel of the at least one secondary channel, wherein a respective connecting ring of the at least one ring is configured to slide in a respective hole of the at least one hole; and a securing mechanism (815) for securing said at least one connecting ring to said manifold block when said at least one connecting ring is arranged in said at least one hole and in said at least one secondary channel. (Fig. 7) The cavity is interpreted as the larger portion of element 70 extending beyond surface 32. The hole is interpreted as the portion opening at surface 32.
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Hole)][AltContent: textbox (cavity)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (secondary channel)]
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Re claim 15, Maistre et al. disclose a return mechanism (90) which is adapted to press said connecting ring (8) against said second face.
Re claim 16, Maistre et al. disclose wherein said fixing mechanism (4, 5) comprises a receiving slide (5) which is formed on said lower face, and a dovetail section (5) which is formed on said second face and which is configured to engage with said receiving slide.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-14 and 18-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed June 12, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Maistre et al. do not teach “a manifold block connected to a suction device an integral with the manifold block at the upper face”. It appears that Applicant is attempting to claim a direct contact, however, this is not reflected by the claim language. The assembly can be broadly interpreted as “connected to” each of the elements. Additionally, “integral with” can also be broadly interpreted such that the assembly components are integral when assembled with each of the elements regardless of intervening elements. Therefore, the rejections are maintained.
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 MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-7127. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 7:00AM-3:00PM.
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/MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
MTWAugust 8, 2026
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