FIRST NON-FINAL REJECTION
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 Objections
Claim 6 recites the limitation "an outer member" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "an inner member" in line 4 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "a double row of rolling elements" in line 8 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "an encoder" in line 10 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "an outer member" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "an inner member" in line 4 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "a double row of rolling elements" in line 8 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "an encoder" in line 10 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takayama et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2018/0003238.
With respect to claim 4, Takayama teaches a sensor holder (sensor holder 46) attached to an end portion, in an axial direction, of an outer member (outer ring 2) that is located on an outer diameter side of an inner member (hub 3 and inner ring 25) supporting an encoder (encoder 13) at an end portion in the axial direction, and rotatably supports the inner member via a double row of rolling elements (rolling elements 7, paragraph 29), the sensor holder comprising: a cap part (bearing cap 33) fitted to the outer member so as to close an opening on one end side in the axial direction of the outer member (paragraph 60, figure 1); a sensor support part (holder support part 50) that protrudes from the cap part toward one side in the axial direction at a location on the cap part facing the encoder and supports a sensor that detects displacement of the encoder (paragraph 65, figure 1); and a nut holding part (nut holding part 51) that protrudes from the cap part toward one side in the axial direction and holds a nut for fixing the sensor to the cap part (paragraph 65, figure 1), wherein the sensor support part and the nut holding part are formed to be separated from each other (the holder support part 50 and nut holding part 51 are separate, figures 3, 4, and 8), and an end surface on one side in the axial direction of the nut held by the nut holding part protrudes toward one side in the axial direction further than an end surface on one side in the axial direction of the sensor support part (paragraph 88, figure 9).
With respect to claim 5, Takayama teaches wherein the nut holding part is located further on an inner diameter side than the sensor support part (figures 3, 4, and 8).
With respect to claims 6 and 7, Takayama teaches a bearing device for vehicle wheel (figure 1) comprising: an outer member (outer ring 2) having a double row of outer raceway surfaces on an inner circumference (outer raceways 23a,23b, figure 1); an inner member including a hub ring (hub 3) having, on an outer circumference, a small-diameter stepped portion extending in an axial direction (interpreted as the indented portion of the hub 3, figure 1), and at least one inner ring (inner ring 25) press-fitted to the small-diameter stepped portion of the hub ring (figure 1), the inner member having a double row of inner raceway surfaces facing the double row of outer raceway surfaces (inner raceways 27a,27b, figure 1); a double row of rolling elements (rolling elements 7) stored between the outer raceway surfaces of the outer member and the inner raceway surfaces of the inner member so as to roll (figure 1); an encoder (encoder 13) supported at one end in the axial direction of the inner member (figure 1); and the sensor holder (sensor holder 46) according to attached to one end in the axial direction of the outer member (figure 1).
Conclusion
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FREDDIE KIRKLAND III
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2855
/Freddie Kirkland III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855 1/24/2026