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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is a final office action in response to the amendment filed 6/11/2026.
Claims 1, 14-15, 30-31 and 44 are amended, and claim 4, 6-8, 10-11, 13, 18-20, 22, 24-26, 28, 32-35, 37-38 and 41-43 are canceled.
Claims 1-3, 5, 9, 12, 14-17, 21, 23, 27, 29-31, 36, 39-40 and 44 are pending and examined.
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.
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 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi(U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. 2019/0300309; cited on PTO 892).
Takahashi discloses a one-way bearing(75, the member 75 has portions bearing on one another and therefore considered a “bearing” meeting the claim limitation) having a central axis(see Fig. 2A), comprising:
an inner race(inner protrusion of 101 with portions 204A and 204B, see Figs. 2A/B and 3A/B) comprising an outer surface(portions 204A/B);
an outer race(102 with inner protrusions 206, see Fig. 3A) surrounding, considered in a plane transversal to the central axis, at least partially the inner race and comprising an inner surface, at least a portion of the inner surface being radially spaced apart from the outer surface of the inner race to define at least one coupling member-receiving chamber therebetween(see Figs. 4A/B); and
at least one unidirectional coupling member(201A/B) provided in said at least one coupling member-receiving chamber and freely displaceable both radially and tangentially therein(see Figs. 4A/B), the unidirectional coupling member being free from any mechanical connection with each of the inner and outer races;
wherein the outer surface of the inner race at least partially forms first and second tangential wall portions at least partially delimiting said at least one coupling member-receiving chamber(see Fig. 4A/B);
wherein said at least one unidirectional coupling member(201A/B) selectively engages with the inner surface of the outer race when the outer race is rotated about the central axis in a first direction, thus abutting one of the first and second tangential wall portions and rotating the inner race together with the outer race in the first direction(see abstract); and
wherein said at least one unidirectional coupling member slides along the inner surface of the outer race when the outer race rotates about the central axis in a second direction opposed to the first direction, thus allowing a free rotation of the outer race with respect to the inner race(see abstract),
said at least one unidirectional coupling member(201A/B) having an outer surface selectively engageable with the inner surface of the outer race when the outer race is rotated about the central axis(see Figs. 4A/B).
Regarding claim 2, Takahashi discloses the one-way bearing according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of indentations(on 206) are formed along an entirety of a periphery of the inner surface of the outer race(see Figs. 4A/B).
Regarding claim 3, Takahashi discloses the one-way bearing according to claim 2, wherein said at least one unidirectional coupling member(201A/B) comprises an inner race-facing side and an opposed outer race-facing side forming at least partially the outer surface(see Figs. 4A/B), and wherein a profile of the outer race-facing side of said at least one unidirectional coupling member corresponds substantially to a profile of the inner surface of the outer race(the term correspond is considered by definition to mean “to be similar or equivalent”, the protrusions of the inner and outer race are considered to be similar meeting the claim limitation).
Regarding claim 9, Takahashi discloses the one-way bearing according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of coupling-member receiving chambers are defined between the inner surface of the outer race and the outer surface of the inner race(see Figs. 3A/B), and wherein the plurality of coupling-member receiving chambers are regularly distributed along a periphery of the outer surface of the inner race(see Figs. 3A/B).
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment has overcome the previous claim objections and 102 rejections.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 30-31, 36, 39-40 and 44 are allowed.
Claims 5, 12, 14-17, 21, 23, 27 and 29 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.
No prior art of record shows a one-way bearing with an inner and outer race and coupling member, and the specific surface of the inner race, as in claim 5, nor any motivation to do so.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3, 5 and 9 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.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the prior 102 rejections are moot given that the rejections have been withdrawn.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BETH A. AUBREY whose telephone number is (571)272-1851. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8a-4:30p.
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, Brian Glessner can be reached at 571-272-6754. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
BETH A. AUBREY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3633
/Beth A Aubrey/
Prosecution Insights