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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-8, in the reply filed on 12 August 2026 is acknowledged.
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 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Peterson (US 9,151,326), with Newman (US 2015/0259790) cited as evidence of inherent properties:
Regarding claim 1, Peterson discloses an agitator device having at least one intermediate bearing which is configured for supporting an agitation shaft within an agitation tank and which has a first bearing element (320b) and a second bearing element (120b) which, in an operation state, is rotatable relative to the first bearing element around a bearing axis and is in contact with the first bearing element, wherein at least one of the bearing elements has polycrystalline diamond (see col. 6, lines 22-27).
Regarding claim 2, both bearing elements have polycrystalline diamond (see col. 2, lines 22-29).
Regarding claim 3, the intermediate bearing is designed for dry running (see col. 13, lines 25-39).
Regarding claim 4, both bearing elements are disclosed to be diamond (see col. 2, lines 22-29). Newman at [0076] is cited as to the friction coefficient of diamond being at most 0.08
Regarding claim 5, both bearing elements are disclosed to be diamond (see col. 2, lines 22-29) and diamond has a compressive strength of greater than 5 GPa.
Regarding claim 6, both bearing elements are disclosed to be diamond (see col. 2, lines 22-29) and diamond inherently has a thermal conductivity of at least 400 W/mK. See [0076] of Newman for as evidence of such inherency.
Regarding claim 7, both bearing elements are disclosed to be diamond (see col. 2, lines 22-29) and being temperature resistant to at least 250 degrees C is an inherent property of diamond. See [0075] of Newman for as evidence of such inherency.
Regarding claim 8, the intermediate bearing is designed as a radial bearing, wherein the first bearing element is designed as a stationary outer ring and the second bearing element is designed as a movable inner ring (see Figs. 7A and 7B).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID L SORKIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1148. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-3:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire X Wang can be reached at (571) 270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DAVID L. SORKIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1774
/DAVID L SORKIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774
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