DETAILED ACTION
The following is a response to the amendment filed 12/3/2025 which has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-12 are pending in the application.
-The drawing objection has been withdrawn due to applicant amending Figures 3-5 accordingly which are approved and further clarifying the figure showing the pivot carried by carrier frame holder.
-The specification objection has been withdrawn due to applicant amending the abstract and specification accordingly.
-The claim objection has been withdrawn due to applicant amending claims 1 and 10 accordingly.
-The 103 rejection has been withdrawn due to applicant amending claim 1 with limitations not disclosed by the prior art of record used in rejection.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it is unclear as to what the phrase “……and having an external surface that has an axial with a convex shape…..” is referring to. It seems that a term is missing after the term “axial”. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
-Claim 2 recites the limitation “wherein the external surface of the pivot or the internal surface of the orifice has a radius of curvature which is measured in a plane passing through the corresponding radial axis, the radius of curvature being greater than 100 times an axial dimension of said external surface of the pivot, the axial dimension being measured along the corresponding radial axis.” It is still unclear as to what the measurement “greater than 100 times an axial dimension of said external surface of the pivot” is referring to based on the specification not indicating guidelines to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to determine the scope of coverage intended for the measurement recited, in other words, what measurement does the axial dimension of external surface of pivot represent in order for applicant to determine the radius of curvature is greater than 100 times that dimension.
-Claim 3 recites the limitation “wherein the external surface of the pivot or the internal surface of the orifice has a radius of curvature which is measured in a plane passing through the corresponding radial axis, the radius of curvature being greater than 50 times an average diameter of the external surface of the pivot, the average diameter being measured along the main axis.” It is still unclear as to what the measurement “greater than 50 times an average diameter of the external surface of the pivot” is referring to based on the specification not indicating guidelines to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to determine the scope of coverage intended for the measurement recited, in other words, what measurement does the average diameter of the external surface of pivot represent in order for applicant to determine the radius of curvature is greater than 50 times that diameter.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 are allowed (via prior art purposes).
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art of record doesn’t disclose or render obvious a motivation to provide for:
-a planet carrier for a reduction gear of a turbomachine having a carrier frame with an internal cavity receiving a sun gear centered on a main axis, planet gears arranged on the axis to mesh with the sun gear and a ring gear that surrounds the frame and axial housings distributed around the axis at a periphery of frame; a frame holder having axial fingers distributed around the axis and engaged to the housings; connecting the fingers to walls of housings with connecting elements including a pivot extending along a corresponding radial axis oriented in a radial direction to axis wherein the pivot slides along the radial axis in at least an orifice of one of the other fingers; the pivot is a single piece having an external surface having a convex shape in axial section that cooperates with a cylindrical internal surface of the orifice or the orifice has an internal surface having a convex shape in axial section that cooperates with a cylindrical external surface of pivot and in combination with the limitations exactly as written in claim 1.
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.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
-Mostafi 20100303626 shows that it is well known in the art to have a ball and pin formed as a single piece connected to a carrier housing; however, this ball and pin are not used to connect the housing and a carrier frame as recited in present invention.
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 TISHA D LEWIS whose telephone number is (571)272-7093. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm.
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Tdl
/TISHA D LEWIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619 February 27, 2026