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 . 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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of the wheel bearing unit of Figures 2A and 2B (Species II) in the reply filed on April 24, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 9 and 19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 1-3, 5-8, 10-13, and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2017/0082150 (Uhrick).
Regarding claim 1, Uhrick discloses a wheel bearing unit for a drive train of a vehicle (100; see Figures 1-4), comprising:
a wheel bearing hub (104) with a first spur toothing (270),
a constant velocity joint (102) of a drive joint with a second spur toothing (280),
a radially pretensionable element (340) that is accommodated in a recess (472) in such a way that, in an elastically unstressed state, it protrudes at least partially from the recess in a radial direction (see Figures 3 and paragraphs [0033]-[0034]), and
a conical peripheral surface (326) which, in an at least partially assembled state of the wheel bearing unit, is arranged opposite the radially pretensionable element in the radial direction (see Figure 3),
wherein the radially pretensionable element and the conical peripheral surface interact during assembly of the wheel bearing unit so as to generate an axially acting force, which braces the wheel bearing hub and the constant velocity joint against one another (see Figure 3 and paragraphs [0033]-[0035]; see also the “Response to Arguments” section below).
Regarding claim 2, Uhrick discloses the recess (472) is provided on an outside diameter of the constant velocity joint (102) and the conical peripheral surface (326) is provided on an inside diameter of the wheel bearing hub (104), and the inside diameter of the wheel bearing hub is larger than the outside diameter of the constant velocity joint (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 3, Uhrick discloses a constriction diameter (322) which is designed to elastically deform the radially pretensionable element (340) during the assembly of the wheel bearing unit (104) in such a way that the radially pretensionable element snaps into the conical peripheral surface after passing through the constriction diameter (see Figure 3 and paragraph [0034]).
Regarding claim 5, Uhrick discloses a trailing surface (324) is formed downstream of the conical peripheral surface (326) as viewed in an assembly direction (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 6, Uhrick discloses the trailing surface (324) is formed as substantially cylindrical (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 7, Uhrick discloses an inclination of the conical peripheral surface (326) is formed such that a self-locking effect is prevented during the assembly of the wheel bearing unit (see paragraph [0034], where only a “casual disengagement” is prevented; i.e. the unit is not locked against intentional disengagement).
Regarding claim 8, Uhrick discloses the recess (472) is formed as an integral groove or on an outside diameter of the constant velocity joint (102; see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 10, Uhrick discloses a method for assembling a wheel bearing unit (100; see Figures 1-4) according to claim 1, comprising:
inserting the constant velocity joint (102) into the wheel bearing hub (104; see Figure 3),
bringing the radially pretensionable element (340) into contact with the conical peripheral surface (326; see Figure 3),
generating an axial force, which braces the wheel bearing hub and the constant velocity joint against one another (see paragraph [0034]),
producing a form-fitting connection between the first (270) and second spur toothing (280; see Figure 3 and paragraph [0039]), and
connecting the wheel bearing hub and the constant velocity joint with a bracing element (210; see paragraph [0037]).
Regarding claim 11, Uhrick discloses a wheel bearing unit for a motor vehicle (100; see Figures 1-4), comprising:
a wheel bearing hub (104) comprising a first spur toothing (270);
a constant velocity joint (102) comprising a second spur toothing (280);
a radially pretensionable element (340) disposed in a recess (472), the radially pretensionable element protruding radially from the recess in an unstressed state (see Figures 3 and paragraphs [0033]-[0034]); and
a conical peripheral surface (326) disposed radially opposite the radially pretensionable element in a partially assembled state of the wheel bearing unit, wherein, during assembly of the wheel bearing unit, the radially pretensionable element applies an axially acting force to the conical peripheral surface to brace the wheel bearing hub against constant velocity joint (see Figure 3 and paragraphs [0033]-[0035]; see also the “Response to Arguments” section below).
Regarding claim 12, Uhrick discloses an inside diameter of the wheel bearing hub (104) is larger than an outside diameter of the constant velocity joint (102); and
the recess (472) is disposed on the outside diameter of the constant velocity joint and the conical peripheral surface (326) is disposed on the inside diameter of the wheel bearing hub (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 13, Uhrick discloses a constriction diameter (322) arranged to elastically deform the radially pretensionable element (340), wherein, during assembly of the wheel bearing unit, the radially pretensionable element snaps onto the conical peripheral surface (326) after passing through the constriction diameter (see Figure 3 and paragraph [0034]).
Regarding claim 15, Uhrick discloses a trailing surface (324) formed downstream of the conical peripheral surface (326) as viewed in an assembly direction of the wheel bearing unit (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 16, Uhrick discloses the trailing surface (324) is substantially cylindrical (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 17, Uhrick discloses an inclination of the conical peripheral surface (326) is selected to prevent self-locking of the radially pretensionable element (340) on the conical peripheral surface during assembly of the wheel bearing unit (see paragraph [0034], where only a “casual disengagement” is prevented; i.e. the unit is not locked against intentional disengagement).
Regarding claim 18, Uhrick discloses the recess (472) is formed as an integral groove or slot on an outside diameter of the constant velocity joint (102; see Figure 3).
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 4, 14, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uhrick in view of US 6,135,571 (Mizukoshi).
Regarding claim 4, Uhrick discloses the wheel bearing unit according to claim 1, but does not expressly disclose a tapering guide surface which is arranged upstream of the conical peripheral surface (326) in an axial direction as viewed in an assembly direction.
Mizukoshi teaches a wheel bearing unit (see, e.g., Figure 3) comprising a tapering guide surface (36) which is arranged upstream of a peripheral surface (13) interacting with a radially pretensionable element (35) in an axial direction as viewed in an assembly direction (see Figure 3) in order to allow the pretensionable element to smoothly pass into a constriction diameter (28) between the tapering guide surface and peripheral surface to facilitate assembly and prevent errors (see column 10, lines 43-45, and column 13, line 59, through column 14, line 5). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the wheel bearing unit of Uhrick, such that a tapering guide surface is arranged upstream of the conical peripheral surface in an axial direction as viewed in an assembly direction, as taught in Mizukoshi, in order to facilitate assembly and prevent errors.
Regarding claim 14, Uhrick discloses the wheel bearing unit of claim 11, but does not expressly disclose a tapering guide surface arranged axially upstream of the conical peripheral surface (326) as viewed in an assembly direction of the wheel bearing unit.
Mizukoshi teaches a wheel bearing unit (see, e.g., Figure 3) comprising a tapering guide surface (36) which is arranged upstream of a peripheral surface (13) interacting with a radially pretensionable element (35) in an axial direction as viewed in an assembly direction (see Figure 3) in order to allow the pretensionable element to smoothly pass into a constriction diameter (28) between the tapering guide surface and peripheral surface to facilitate assembly and prevent errors (see column 10, lines 43-45, and column 13, line 59, through column 14, line 5). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the wheel bearing unit of Uhrick, such that a tapering guide surface is arranged axially upstream of the conical peripheral surface as viewed in an assembly direction of the wheel bearing unit, as taught in Mizukoshi, in order to facilitate assembly and prevent errors.
Regarding claim 20, Uhrick discloses a wheel bearing unit for a motor vehicle (100; see Figures 1-4), comprising:
a wheel bearing hub (104) comprising a first spur toothing (270);
a constant velocity joint (102) comprising a second spur toothing (280);
a radially pretensionable element (340) disposed in a recess (472), the radially pretensionable element protruding radially from the recess in an unstressed state (see Figures 3 and paragraphs [0033]-[0034]); and
a conical peripheral surface (326) disposed radially opposite the radially pretensionable element in a partially assembled state of the wheel bearing unit (see Figure 3), wherein, during assembly of the wheel bearing unit:
the radially pretensionable element moves axially within an inside diameter until reaching a constriction diameter (322) arranged to elastically deform the radially pretensionable element, the constriction diameter having a smaller diameter than the inside diameter (see Figure 3);
after passing through the constriction diameter, the radially pretensionable element snaps onto the conical peripheral surface and applies an axially acting force to the conical peripheral surface to brace the wheel bearing hub against constant velocity joint (see Figure 3 and paragraphs [0033]-[0035]; see also the “Response to Arguments” section below).
Uhrick does not expressly disclose the radially pretensionable element sliding along a tapering guide surface until reaching the constriction diameter.
Mizukoshi teaches a wheel bearing unit (see, e.g., Figure 3) comprising a tapering guide surface (36) which is arranged upstream of a peripheral surface (13) interacting with a radially pretensionable element (35) in an axial direction as viewed in an assembly direction (see Figure 3) in order to allow the pretensionable element to smoothly pass into a constriction diameter (28) between the tapering guide surface and peripheral surface to facilitate assembly and prevent errors (see column 10, lines 43-45, and column 13, line 59, through column 14, line 5). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the wheel bearing unit of Uhrick, such that the radially pretensionable element slides along a tapering guide surface until reaching the constriction diameter, as taught in Mizukoshi, in order to facilitate assembly and prevent errors.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 24, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In the reply, on pages 7-8, Applicant asserts Uhrick does not show, suggest, or describe “an axially acting force…to brace the wheel bearing hub against [the] constant velocity joint” within the disclosure.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees and directs Applicant’s attention to paragraph [0034] of Uhrick, which sets forth “a casual disengagement may be effectively discouraged” by the radially pretensionable element (340) after insertion through a bore (322) of the wheel bearing hub (104) and expansion into engagement with a conical peripheral surface (326). Therefore, an intentional pulling force must be imparted in order to separate the wheel bearing hub from the constant velocity joint (102) in order to overcome this engagement. As such, an axially acting force must be present in order to prevent such “casual disengagement. Uhrick supports this notion in further explaining “the engaged unit may be handled this point onward with greater ease and downstream processing thereof may be met with reduced labor intensity” (see paragraph [0034]). Uhrick further notes the radially pretensionable element holds a stem (470) of the constant velocity joint in place such that an “operator may complete the entire assembly without the necessity of additional operators or manufacturing assists”, said operator fully securing the assembly utilizing a fastener (210; see paragraph [0037]).
The Examiner notes Applicant appears to be relying on the notion the radially pretensionable element of Uhrick is a temporary means to hold wheel bearing hub and constant velocity joint together. However, there are no limitations currently in the claim(s) which preclude such an element. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Conclusion
The prior art set forth in the attached Notice of References Cited (PTO-892) made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure in the field of wheel bearing units.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Josh Skroupa whose telephone number is (571)270-3220. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amber Anderson can be reached on (571)270-5281. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Josh Skroupa/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678
July 6, 2026
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