CTNF 18/691,948 CTNF 96899 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/14/2024 and 5/21/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner. Claim Objections 07-29-01 AIA Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: “which step is” should be rewritten as “the at least one step is”, and “region of the step” should be rewritten as “region of the at least one step” . Appropriate correction is required. 07-29-01 AIA Claim s 13 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities: “the step” should be rewritten as “the at least one step” . Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15-03-aia AIA Claim s 10-11, 13, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sakota (JP2012228909A), henceforth referred to as Sakota . Regarding claim 10, Sakota discloses a wheel suspension for a vehicle, comprising: a wheel carrier with a flange (Figure 1: knuckle 16 comprises a flange to receive bolt 15), a wheel bearing fastened to the wheel carrier and having a wheel bearing outer ring (Figure 1: wheel bearing outer ring 1A fastened to knuckle 16), wherein the flange of the wheel carrier lies flat on the wheel bearing outer ring of the wheel bearing (Figure 1: wheel bearing outer ring 1A lies flat against the flange of knuckle 16), wherein the wheel bearing is clamped against the wheel carrier via a plurality of screws distributed over a circumference of the wheel bearing outer ring (Figures 1 and 2: bolts 15 are inserted in holes 7A and corresponding holes 17 formed in knuckle 16, distributed over a circumference of outer ring 1A), and wherein, as viewed in a rotational axis direction of the wheel bearing, a surface of the wheel bearing outer ring that faces the flange comprises at least one step, which step is configured such that, in a screwed state of the wheel bearing outer ring to the wheel carrier flange, a gap between the wheel bearing outer ring and the wheel carrier flange is formed in a region of the step (Figure 1: outer ring 1A comprises groove 20, which forms a gap between outer ring 1A and knuckle 16). Regarding claim 11, Sakota discloses the wheel bearing outer ring surface that faces the flange comprises screwing surfaces for arranging a respective screw and also web surfaces connecting the screwing surfaces (Figure 2: outer ring 1A comprises screw holes 7A, and small diameter portions 19 for connecting holes 7a), and the at least one step is arranged in at least one web surface (Figure 3A: groove 20 is formed in small diameter portion 19). Regarding claim 13, Sakota discloses the step extends over at least approximately an entire circumference of the web surface (Paragraph [0024]: "The groove 20 is formed in a continuous state over the entire circumference"). Regarding claim 17, Sakota discloses the wheel carrier is a forged or cast wheel carrier (Paragraph [0006]: "the knuckle 16 to which the fixed side flange 6 is attached may be finished with high precision by machining after being formed by forging or casting"). Regarding claim 18, Sakota discloses a vehicle comprising at least one wheel suspension according to claim 10 (Paragraph [0001]: "The present invention relates to an improvement of a wheel support hub unit that is used to rotatably support a wheel of a vehicle such as an automobile with respect to a suspension device") . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakota in view of Asberg (US-4564243-A), henceforth referred to as Asberg . Regarding claim 12, Sakota does not teach the screwing surfaces being differently spaced apart from one another. Asberg discloses at least three screwing surfaces are provided, and in each case, a screwing surface is spaced differently far apart from an adjoining one of the screwing surfaces (Figure 2: outer ring 5 comprises four lugs 8, which are spaced differently from adjacent lugs). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the screwing surface spacing of Sakota with the differing distances of Asberg such that “The space between the lugs 8 on the flange 6 can be used for attachment of brake parts etc.” (Column 2 lines 41-42) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 10 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukushima (US-20220176739-A1) in view of Sakota . Regarding claim 10, Fukushima discloses a wheel suspension for a vehicle, comprising: a wheel carrier with a flange (Figure 8: knuckle 10 comprises a flange portion), a wheel bearing fastened to the wheel carrier and having a wheel bearing outer ring (Figures 1 and 8: outer ring 2 comprises flange portion 2D, which is fastened to knuckle 10), wherein the flange of the wheel carrier lies flat on the wheel bearing outer ring of the wheel bearing (Figure 8: flange 2D lies flat against knuckle 10), and wherein, as viewed in a rotational axis direction of the wheel bearing, a surface of the wheel bearing outer ring that faces the flange comprises at least one step, which step is configured such that, in a screwed state of the wheel bearing outer ring to the wheel carrier flange, a gap between the wheel bearing outer ring and the wheel carrier flange is formed in a region of the step (Figure 8: surface of fitting portion 2F that faces towards the flange of knuckle 10 forms a gap D between outer ring 2 and the flange of knuckle 10). However, Fukushima does not teach a plurality of screws. Sakota discloses wherein the wheel bearing is clamped against the wheel carrier via a plurality of screws distributed over a circumference of the wheel bearing outer ring (Figures 1 and 2: bolts 15 are inserted in holes 7A and corresponding holes 17 formed in knuckle 16, distributed over a circumference of outer ring 1A). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the hub of Fukushima with the plurality of screws of Sakota in order to increase the strength of the joint between the hub and wheel carrier. Regarding claim 15, Fukushima as modified discloses a seal for fluidically sealing the wheel bearing outer ring from the wheel carrier flange, the seal being arranged in the gap (Figure 8: O-ring 20 is arranged in the gap D). Regarding claim 16, Fukushima as modified discloses the wheel bearing outer ring is a forged component (Paragraph [0060]: "the guide portions 2g, 2m, 2r, 2w, 2y, 102g, and 202g according to the present embodiment (embodiment shown in Fig. 8) are preferably composed of an unprocessed forged surface"), and the at least one step is produced during forging of the wheel bearing outer ring (Paragraph [0058]: "A recessed groove portion 15 is provided in a boundary portion between the fitting portion 2F and the guide portion 202g", thus the recessed groove is formed as a forged surface) . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim 14 is 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. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the wheel bearing “as viewed in the rotational axis direction and in a direction of the vehicle interior, the step is approximately 2 mm - 5mm high” is not found in prior art, nor is an obvious combination of prior art, as the cited art is silent to the size of the step. Further, applicant indicated this dimension as critical in paragraph [0018]: “Such a step height accordingly allows a correspondingly large (about 2-5 mm) gap between the wheel bearing outer ring and the wheel carrier flange that ensures sufficient drying in the case of moisture ingress and thus avoids possible corrosion formation” . Cited Prior Art not Relied Upon 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure includes Doell (US6216832B1), which discloses a forged wheel hub assembly . Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J O'NEILL whose telephone number is (571)272-4752. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri: 7AM-4PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason Shanske can be reached at (571) 270-5985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /MATTHEW JAMES O'NEILL/Examiner, Art Unit 3614 /JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614 Application/Control Number: 18/691,948 Page 2 Art Unit: 3614 Application/Control Number: 18/691,948 Page 3 Art Unit: 3614 Application/Control Number: 18/691,948 Page 4 Art Unit: 3614 Application/Control Number: 18/691,948 Page 5 Art Unit: 3614 Application/Control Number: 18/691,948 Page 6 Art Unit: 3614 Application/Control Number: 18/691,948 Page 7 Art Unit: 3614
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