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.
Claims 14, 15, and 20-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Maistre et al. (WO-2020094962).
Regarding claim 14, Maistre et al. discloses a friction assembly for a braking system for railway rolling stock (Title and at least figs 8-9), said friction assembly comprising: a brake head (3) comprising a lower face (31), an upper face (32), and at least one secondary channel (38) of central axis (A) which connects said lower face and the upper face (fig 8); at least one friction plate (fig 7, 2) made of friction material (Abstract) comprising a first face (21) which is the friction face, a second face (22) which is configured to be assembled to said lower face by an assembly mechanism (4/5), and at least one primary channel (28) which connects said first face and said second face (figs 7-9); at least one connecting ring (8) which is inserted into said at least one secondary channel (38, fig 8) and which establishes a connection with said at least one primary channel (28) as said at least one primary channel is aligned with said at least one secondary channel (fig 7); and a connector block (70) which is connected to a suction device (figs 7 or 8 at 50) and which is fixed to said brake head at said upper face (32, fig 7 and 8 at least at 72), said connector block having a cavity (at least inside 70) which is connected by a circuit to the suction device (at least at 50), the connector block comprising at least one hole (75) which connects said cavity and said upper face (figs 7-8) and which is aligned with said at least one secondary channel (38), wherein said at least one connecting ring (8/81) is removably mounted on a connecting plate (84), said connecting plate and said at least one connecting ring being removably secured to said brake head (figs 6- 9).
Regarding claim 15, Maistre et al. discloses wherein said connecting plate (84) is housed between said connector block (70) and said brake head (3), and wherein said connector block (70) is removably fixed to said brake head to hold said connecting plate between said connector block and said brake head (fig 8 and at least since 70 is fixed to 32 at 72, it has been interpreted as removably fixed).
Regarding claim 20, Maistre et al. discloses further comprising a return mechanism (90) which is configured to press said at least one connecting ring (8) against said second face (22, fig 7).
Regarding claim 21, Maistre et al. discloses wherein said assembly mechanism comprises a receiving slide (5) which is formed on said lower face (fig 7), and a dovetail section (4) which is formed on said second face (22) and which is configured to engage with said receiving slide (Abstract).
Regarding claim 22, Maistre et al. discloses a method for mounting at least one connecting ring (8) on a brake head (3) with a connector block (70) connected to a suction device (50), said brake head including a lower face (31), an upper face (32), and at least one secondary channel (38) of central axis (A), said brake head and said connecting ring forming part of a friction assembly for a braking system for railway rolling stock (title/Abstract), said friction assembly including a friction plate (2) made of friction material including a first face (21) which is the friction face, a second face (22) which is configured to be assembled to said lower face by an assembly mechanism (4/5), and at least one primary channel (28) which connects said first face and said second face (figs 7-9), said at least one connecting ring (8) being configured to be inserted in said at least one secondary channel and to establish a connection with said at least one primary channel as said at least one primary channel is aligned with one of said at least one secondary channel (figs 6-9), said method comprising : providing said connector block (70) with a cavity (inside 70) which is connected by a circuit to the suction device (at 50), and with at least one hole (75) which connects said cavity and said upper face and which is aligned with said at least one secondary channel (figs 7-9); providing a connecting plate (84), wherein said at least one connecting ring being removably mounted on said connecting plate (figs 7-9); positioning said connecting plate (84) against the upper face (32) of said brake head (fig 8), and simultaneously inserting said at least one connecting ring (8) in said at least one secondary channel (38) by sliding along central axis from said upper face (figs 7-9), then placing said connector block (70) on said connecting plate (84) such that said connecting plate and said at least one connecting ring are together sandwiched between said brake head (3) and said block (70, fig 8); removably securing said connector block to said brake head (figs 6-9); assembling said friction plate (2) to said brake head by said assembly mechanism until said friction plate covers said secondary channels (fig 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-19 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.
Claims 23-26 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: As to claim 16, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious wherein said lower face has a housing, said connecting plate being housed in said housing without protruding from the rest of said lower face as said at least one connecting ring is inserted in said at least one secondary channel, and wherein said friction plate covers said connecting plate as the friction plate is assembled to said brake head by said mechanism assembly.
As to claim 23, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious wherein said lower face is provided with a housing; providing a connecting plate and removably mounting said at least one connecting ring on said connecting plate; housing said connecting plate in said housing such that said connecting plate does not protrude from the lower face, and simultaneously inserting said at least one connecting ring in said at least one secondary channel by sliding along central axis A from said lower face, said connecting plate and said at least one connecting ring being removably secured to said brake head; assembling said friction plate to said brake head by said assembly mechanism until said friction plate covers said secondary channels and said connecting plate.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/29/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding claims 14 and 22 Applicant argues that the prior art of record lacks a connector block and wherein a connecting ring is removably mounted, Examiner respectfully disagrees. Applicant has reproduced figure 2 of Maistre and refers to Maistre including connecting rings 8 and plate 84. It is noted that figure 2 of Maistre has not been relied upon for rejection. As set forth above, Examiner has relied on at least figures 6-9 wherein a connector block (70) which is connected to a suction device (figs 7 or 8, at 50) and which is fixed to said brake head at said upper face (32, fig 7 and 8 at least at 72/32), said connector block having a cavity (at least inside 70) which is connected by a circuit to the suction device (at least at 50), the connector block comprising at least one hole (75) which connects said cavity and said upper face (figs 7-8) and which is aligned with said at least one secondary channel (38), wherein said at least one connecting ring (8/81) is removably mounted on a connecting plate (84), said connecting plate and said at least one connecting ring being removably secured to said brake head (figs 6- 9). The connecting ring 8 has been interpreted as removably secured as it is one part in an assembly of parts secured in place when assembled.
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.
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/J.K.H/Examiner, Art Unit 3616
/Robert A. Siconolfi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3616
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