DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on 02/27/2024, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/30/2026 has been entered.
Claims 1-8 are pending and have been considered below.
Priority
The application claims foreign priority to DE 102023/107866, filed on 03/28/2023. The priority is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 02/27/2024 and 01/29/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's amendments and arguments filed 09/23/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Hayashi discloses the newly amended features of claim 1. Applicant argues that Hayashi does not disclose a press-fit connection, but instead discloses a form-fitting connection. Examiner respectfully disagrees, because Hayashi recites, “ the inner diameters of the upper and lower cylindrical members 54, 56 are made slightly smaller than that of the outer diameter of the elastic body 16 of the integrally vulcanized product 24, over their entire axial length. In this arrangement, the integrally vulcanized product 24 forcedly pressed into the outer sleeve member 14 is held in pressing contact with the inner circumferential surface of the outer sleeve member 14, and is accordingly firmly fitted onto the inner circumferential surface of the outer sleeve member 14 without bonding therebetween, whereby a radial compressive pre-load is applied to the elastic body 16” [0047]. Thus it is clear that the connection is a press-fit by definition because the inner diameter of 14 (54+56) is “slightly smaller than that of the outer diameter of the elastic body 16”, whereas if this was a form-fit connection the diameters would be equal, or 14 (54+56) would have a slightly larger inner diameter. Therefore, claims 1-8 remain rejected under Hayashi.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-2, and 4-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hayashi (US 2001/0026057), as cited by Applicant.
Regarding claim 1, Hayashi discloses a bearing {10 (24)} for a device to be mounted is a support bearing and a spring strut head bearing {“An upper support for a suspension system, which is interposed between a body of a vehicle and a shock absorber of the vehicle for elastically supporting the shock absorber with respect to the body independently of a suspension spring of the suspension system” [0011]}, comprising:
a base body {26+28 (Figs. 1, 3)} which extends along and around a central axis {O, vertical y-axis extending through the center of bore 22 in Figs. 1, 3 (i.e. the z-axis extending through the center point of bore 22 in Figs. 2, 4-5)};
a disk {12 (18)}, for attaching the bearing {10 (24)} to the device {“shock absorber (not shown)” [0037]} to be mounted {“The inner member 12 constructed as described above is secured to the shock absorber (not shown) such that the upper end portion of the piston rod of the shock absorber is inserted through a bore 22 of the fixing plate 18” [0037]}, wherein said disk {12 (18)} extends around and substantially perpendicular to the central axis {vertical axis that runs through the center of bore 22 (Figs. 1-4)};
a radial spring arrangement {16+50+52 (Figs. 1, 3): “In the provision of the upper and lower groove 50, 52, the elastic body 16 is substantially separated from the upper and lower elastic protrusions 26, 28” [0043]} provided on the outer circumference of the base body {26+28 (Figs. 1, 3-5): “The elastic body 16 is integrally bonded at an axially intermediate portion of the inner circumferential surface thereof to the outer circumferential surfaces of the upper and lower elastic protrusions 26, 28, and the outer circumferential surface of the inner member 12” [0043]}, the radial spring arrangement {16+50+52} comprising a stay {50+52} which extends outwards from the base body {26+28} at an angle up to perpendicular to the central axis {vertical axis that runs through the center of bore 22 (Figs. 1, 3)}, wherein on the side of the stay {50+52} facing away from the base body {26+28}, the radial spring arrangement {16+50+52} comprises a contact body {16 (Figs. 1, 3): “elastic body 16 has a generally cylindrical or annular block shape with a large diameter” [0038]} which has an outwardly facing and free contact surface {outer surface of 16 configured for contact with 14 (Fig. 1)}, and wherein the base body {26+28}, the stay {50+52} and the contact body {16} are an integral component {Fig. 1}, and wherein the contact body {16} is configured to be pressed during installation and to be held in an installation environment {14} assigned to the bearing {10} in a rolling deformable manner {because the contact body is elastic, it is held in a rolling deformable manner; i.e. when the vehicle rolls, the elastic contact body 16 deforms}; and
wherein the contact body {16} is press-fitted into the installation environment {14} so that the contact surface {outer surface of 16 configured for contact with 14 (Fig. 1)} is held in contact to the installation environment {14} by friction force in a stationary manner {“the inner diameters of the upper and lower cylindrical members 54, 56 are made slightly smaller than that of the outer diameter of the elastic body 16 of the integrally vulcanized product 24, over their entire axial length. In this arrangement, the integrally vulcanized product 24 forcedly pressed into the outer sleeve member 14 is held in pressing contact with the inner circumferential surface of the outer sleeve member 14, and is accordingly firmly fitted onto the inner circumferential surface of the outer sleeve member 14 without bonding therebetween, whereby a radial compressive pre-load is applied to the elastic body 16” [0047]}.
Regarding claim 2, Hayashi discloses the radial spring arrangement {16+50+52 (Figs. 1, 3)} is provided over all of the circumference of the base body {26+28 (Figs. 4-5)}.
Regarding claim 4, Hayashi discloses the contact body {16} is larger than the stay {50+52} in the direction of the central axis {vertical axis that runs through the center of bore 22 (Figs. 1, 3)}, wherein the stay {50+52} is cross-sectionally constricted in some regions {Figs. 1, 3}.
Regarding claim 5, Hayashi discloses the disk {12 (18)} is provided centrally in the base body {26+28 (Figs. 1, 3)}.
Regarding claim 6, Hayashi discloses the stay {50+52} and the contact body {16} extend outwards as a continuation of the disk {12 (18)}, starting from the base body {26+28 (Figs. 1, 3): “The elastic body 16 is integrally bonded at an axially intermediate portion of the inner circumferential surface thereof to the outer circumferential surfaces of the upper and lower elastic protrusions 26, 28, and the outer circumferential surface of the inner member 12” [0043]}.
Regarding claim 7, Hayashi discloses the installation environment {14} comprises an outer tube or flange {14 (54+56+58): “The outer sleeve member 14, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, has a split structure consisting of a large-diameter upper cylindrical member 54 and a large-diameter lower cylindrical member 56, which are both made of metal. The upper cylindrical member 54 has an annular disk-shaped outward flange 58” [0044]} is provided which surrounds the bearing {10 (24)} and which the contact surface {outer surface of 16 in contact with 14 (Fig. 1)} of the contact body {16} abuts {Fig. 1}.
Regarding claim 8, Hayashi discloses the bearing {10 (24)} comprises a support bearing {“upper support 10” [0063]} or a spring strut head bearing {“An upper support for a suspension system, which is interposed between a body of a vehicle and a shock absorber of the vehicle for elastically supporting the shock absorber with respect to the body independently of a suspension spring of the suspension system” [0011]}.
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hayashi in view of Kurimura (US 2003/0091249).
Regarding claim 3, Hayashi discloses all the aspects of claim 1. However, Hayashi does not explicitly disclose the radial spring arrangement is provided at uniform intervals on the outer circumference of the base body.
Kurimura teaches a radial spring arrangement {3a3 (Fig. 9): “a plurality of dynamic pressure generating grooves 3a3 formed axially may be provided as dynamic pressure generating means” [0109]} is provided at uniform intervals {six uniform intervals (Fig. 9)} on the outer circumference of the base body {R1+R2 (portion between 3 and 4 in Fig. 9): “a first radial bearing portion R1 and a second dynamic pressure bearing portion R2 are provided in an axially spaced-apart relation between the inner peripheral surface 3a of the bearing member 3 and the outer peripheral surface 4a of the axial member 4” [0082]}.
In light of these teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the bearing, as disclosed by Hayashi, such that the radial spring arrangement is provided at uniform intervals on the outer circumference of the base body, as taught by Kurimura, in order to provide “dynamic pressure generating means” [0109].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daniel M Keck whose telephone number is (571)272-5947. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:00-4:00.
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/Daniel M. Keck/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614
/JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614