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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the range" in Lines 5 and 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2 – 6 are rejected, as they depend on Claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 - 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakata (U.S. Patent # 7066467) in view of Hixson (U.S. Patent # 5476272).
Regarding Claim 1, Sakata discloses a modified bidirectional cassette seal (81, fig 3), said seal comprising a metal ring component (81a) partially embedded in an elastomer (81b);
said seal having an internal diameter (internal diameter of 81) and an outside diameter (outside diameter of 81).
Sakata does not disclose said elastomer being heat resistant up to 300 degrees C;
said elastomer being water, heat and chemical resistant.
However, Hixson teaches said elastomer being heat resistant up to 300 degrees C (Col 3 Lines 47 – 51: fluoroelastomer material of lip 30, fig 1 is being heat resistant up to 300 degrees C);
said elastomer being water, heat and chemical resistant (fluoroelastomer material of lip 30 is water, heat and chemical resistant).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill int eh art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the material of the seal of Sakata with the fluoroelastomer material of Hixson with a reasonable expectation of success so that the seal stands upto heat, pressure and harsh chemicals.
Sakata does not disclose said seal having an internal diameter in the range of 55mm to 170mm and an outside diameter in the range of 80mm to 200mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, to contrive any number of desirable ranges for the internal and outside diameters of the seal dimension limitation disclosed by Applicant, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art, so that the seal provides sealing depending on the gap between the housing and the shaft. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Sakata and Hixson discloses a modified bidirectional cassette seal as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elastomer is a fluoroelastomer (Hixson fluoroelastomer material of lip 30).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Sakata and Hixson discloses a seal conversion sleeve assembly, said assembly comprising:
A) a first metal sleeve (Sakata 41), said metal sleeve being used to increase an outside diameter of a vehicle axle (Sakata 41 configured to increase the outside diameter of a vehicle axle);
B) a modified bidirectional cassette seal ( Sakata 81) that is located in a recess in
C) a second metal sleeve ( Sakata 82b) used to decrease an inside diameter wheel hub of a vehicle wheel (Sakata 82 configured to decrease an inside diameter wheel hub of a vehicle wheel).
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Sakata and Hixson discloses a seal conversion sleeve assembly wherein the metal is steel (Sakata Col 4 Lines 60 -61).
Claims 5 - 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakata (U.S. Patent # 7066467) in view of Hixson (U.S. Patent # 5476272) and in further view of Booms (U.S. Patent # 11448261).
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Sakata and Hixson discloses assembly comprising:
B) a first metal sleeve (Sakata 41);
C) a modified bidirectional cassette seal (Sakata 81) adjacent to said metal sleeve (Sakata 41);
D) a second metal sleeve (Sakata 82b).
The combination of Sakata and Hixson does not disclose
a vehicle axle having contained thereon a dirt cup;
E) a wheel hub adjacent thereto, said back side of wheel hub containing a first tapered bearing;
F) a second tapered bearing inserted in a front side of said wheel hub;
G) a head washer adjacent said second tapered bearing;
H) a tab washer adjacent said head washer;
I) a threaded bolt having a threaded expanded head threaded into a threaded end of said axle;
J) a threaded nut, threaded onto said threaded expanded head;
K) a cup covering said threaded nut;
L) a retainer ring for supporting said cup.
However, Booms teaches
a vehicle axle (24, fig 1) having contained thereon a dirt cup (dirt cup on bearing 54, fig 1);
E) a wheel hub (68, fig 1) adjacent thereto, said back side of wheel hub containing a first tapered bearing (right side of 68 contains right 54, fig 1);
F) a second tapered bearing (54 on the left side, fig 1) inserted in a front side of said wheel hub (left 54 in the left side of 68, fig 1);
G) a head washer (30, fig 1) adjacent said second tapered bearing (left 54, fig 1);
H) a tab washer (44, fig 1) adjacent said head washer (30, fig 1);
I) a threaded bolt (4, fig 1) having a threaded expanded head (head 6, fig 1) threaded into a threaded end of said axle (left end of 24, fig 1);
J) a threaded nut (26, fig 1), threaded onto said threaded expanded head (head 6, fig 1);
K) a cup (cup of 64, fig 1) covering said threaded nut (26, fig 1);
L) a retainer ring for supporting said cup (retainer ring covering the cup of 64, fig 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the seal assembly of Sakata into the wheel assembly of Booms with a reasonable expectation of success so that the seal assembly is locked onto the wheel assembly and provides an extended life of the wheel hub by providing resistance to wear, corrosion and chemical attacks.
The combination of Sakata, Hixson and Booms discloses
a wheel assembly (Booms 8, fig 3)
B) a first metal sleeve, said first metal sleeve being insertable into said dirt cup, said first metal sleeve being used to increase an outside diameter of said axle (Sakata 41 configured to increase an outside diameter of said axle);
C) a modified bidirectional cassette seal as claimed in claim 1 contained in said dirt cup and adjacent to said metal sleeve;
D) a second metal sleeve used to decrease the inside diameter of a vehicle wheel hub, inserted in a portion of said dirt cup and adjacent to said modified bidirectional cassette seal.
E) a wheel hub (68, fig 1) adjacent thereto containing a portion of said outer seal insertable in a back side of said wheel hub, said back side of wheel hub containing a first tapered bearing;
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Sakata and Hixson discloses a seal conversion sleeve assembly wherein the metal is steel (Sakata Col 4 Lines 60 -61).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to L. Susmitha Koneru whose telephone number is 571.270.5333. The examiner can normally be reached from Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine Mills can be reached on 571.272.8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571.273.8300.
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/L. SUSMITHA KONERU/ Examiner, Art Unit 3675