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 § 102
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 11, 12, 14, 18, 29, 32, 33 and 35-37, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Klein et al. (DE 10 2018 108 541).
Klein discloses and shows at Fig. 2, for example, a shaft-and-gear arrangement comprising:
a shaft having a longitudinal axis of rotation, a first portion (at 4,PA2) having an outer diameter, a second portion (at PA1), and a third portion (at PA3) axially between the first portion and the second portion,
a first gear (PA1) formed integrally with the second portion of the shaft or having a circumferential inner surface secured to an outer surface of the second portion of the shaft, the first gear having a first subportion having a maximum outer diameter of the first gear and a second subportion (at 7) having a radially outer surface having a maximum outer diameter less than the maximum outer diameter of the first gear, the second subportion including a first axially facing abutment surface (7), and
a second gear (6) having a circumferential inner surface mounted on the third portion of the shaft coaxial with the first gear, the second gear having a first subportion having a maximum outer diameter of the second gear and a second subportion (at 7) having a radially outer surface having a maximum outer diameter less than the maximum outer diameter of the second gear, the second subportion having a second axially facing abutment surface (at 7) in axial frictional engagement with the first axially facing abutment surface of the first gear,
wherein the second gear is mounted to the third portion of the shaft a) via a press fit (pg. 5, fourth paragraph of the English translation) or b) via a clearance fit and an adhesive between the circumferential inner surface and the third portion of the shaft,
wherein the axial frictional engagement is maintained solely by the press fit or the adhesive in the absence of a threaded fastener, and
wherein the third portion of the shaft has either: a) a conical outer surface having a minimum outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the first portion of the shaft and a maximum outer diameter less than the maximum outer diameter of the second subportion of the first gear or b) a cylindrical outer surface (paragraph crossing pages 5-6) having an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the first portion of the shaft and less than the maximum outer diameter of the second subportion of the first gear.
Cl. 12 – the first gear (1) is formed integrally with the shaft.
Cl. 14 – the third portion of the shaft has the cylindrical outer surface.
Cl. 18 – Klein discloses and shows a shaft-and-gear arrangement comprising:
a shaft having a longitudinal axis of rotation, a first portion (at 4,PA2) having an outer diameter, a second portion (at PA1), and a third portion (at PA3) axially between the first portion and the second portion,
a first gear (PA1) having a circumferential inner surface secured to an outer surface of the second portion of the shaft, the first gear having a first subportion having a maximum outer diameter of the first gear and a second subportion (at 7) having a radially outer surface having a maximum outer diameter less than the maximum outer diameter of the first gear, the second subportion including a first axially facing abutment surface (7), and
a second gear (PA3) having a circumferential inner surface mounted on the third portion of the shaft coaxial with the first gear, the second gear having a first subportion having a maximum outer diameter of the second gear and a second subportion (at 7) having a radially outer surface having a maximum outer diameter less than the maximum outer diameter of the second gear, the second subportion having a second axially facing abutment surface in axial frictional engagement with the first axially facing abutment surface of the first gear (at 7),
wherein the third portion of the shaft has either: a) a conical outer surface having a minimum outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the first portion of the shaft and a maximum outer diameter less than the maximum outer diameter of the second subportion of the first gear or b) a cylindrical outer surface (paragraph crossing pages 5-6) having an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the first portion of the shaft and less than the maximum outer diameter of the second subportion of the first gear;
wherein the second gear is mounted to the third portion of the shaft a) via a press fit (pg. 5, fourth paragraph of the English translation, paragraph crossing pages 5-6) or b) via a clearance fit and an adhesive between the circumferential inner surface and the third portion of the shaft, and
wherein the axial frictional engagement is maintained solely by the press fit or the adhesive in the absence of a threaded fastener.
Cl. 29 – the third portion of the shaft has the cylindrical outer surface.
Cl. 32 – the second portion of the shaft has a cylindrical outer surface, and wherein the third portion of the shaft has a cylindrical outer surface (Fig. 1).
Cl. 33 – the outer diameter of the second portion of the shaft is the same as the outer diameter of the third portion of the shaft (Fig. 1).
Cl. 35 – the first gear is mounted to the second portion of the shaft with a press fit and the second gear is mounted to the third portion of the shaft with a press fit.
Cls. 36 and 37 – the second gear is mounted to the third portion of the shaft with the press fit (pg. 5, fourth paragraph of the English translation, paragraph crossing pages 5-6).
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.
Claims 17 and 34, as best understood, is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Klein as applied to claims 11 and 18, respectively, and in view of Hardtle (US 8,662,785).
Klein discloses and shows the shaft-and-gear arrangement of claims 11 and 18 as described elsewhere above. Regarding claims 17 and 34, Klein does not include a friction increasing coating and/or friction increasing particles applied between the first and second gears and the respective portions of the shaft or axially facing abutting surfaces.
Hardtle teaches a friction increasing coating and/or friction increasing particles applied between a gear (4) and shaft (2) for increased interference fit/bond strength which yields maximum torque (col. 7:38-49).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Klein arrangement to where a friction increasing coating and/or friction increasing particles are applied to at least one surface selected from a group consisting of: the circumferential inner surface of the first gear, the circumferential inner surface of the second gear, the first axially facing abutment surface and the second axially facing abutment surface so as to increase interference fit/bond strength and maximize torque as taught by Hardtle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 15 is allowed.
Claims 30 and 31 are 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: regarding claims 15 and 30, the prior art lacks a shaft and gear assembly having first and second gears mounted coaxially on a common shaft, the second gear mounted such that an axial end face of the second gear is in axial, frictional engagement with an axial end face of the first gear, and the portion of the shaft where the second gear is mounted has a conical outer surface having a minimum outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the shaft and a maximum outer diameter less than the maximum outer diameter of the axial end face of the first gear.
Regarding claim 31, the prior art lacks a shaft and gear assembly having first and second gears mounted coaxially on a common shaft, the second gear mounted such that an axial end face of the second gear is in axial, frictional engagement with an axial end face of the first gear, and the portion of the shaft where the first gear and the second gear are mounted has a conical outer surface having a minimum outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the shaft and a maximum outer diameter less than the maximum outer diameter of the axial end face of the first gear, the conical portions sloping away from each other.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BOBBY RUSHING, JR whose telephone number is (571)270-0501. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8AM-5PM EST.
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/BOBBY RUSHING, JR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618