DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05 August 2026 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 4 & 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kovacs et al. (US 11,885,377).
Regarding claim 4, Kovacs teaches a grounding brush assembly comprising:
a grounding brush 14 including a support 20 and a plurality of conductive fibers 22 disposed at least partially within the support, the support 20 having a mounting portion (channel) 24, a first lateral rim 28A extending from one axial side 26 of the mounting portion 24, and a second lateral rim 28B extending from another axial side of the mounting portion, the first and second lateral rims axially gripping the conductive fibers 22; and
a brush mounting plate 12 including a main body 12 and a plurality of retention tabs 44 for retaining the support 20 of the brush, each retention tab 44 having an axial portion 44a extending axially from the main body, locally radially surrounding and being in contact with the support 20 of the brush, and a radially inwardly bent portion 44b located at a free end of the axial portion 44;
wherein the mounting portion of the support 20 has alternating segments of small outside diameter and segments of large outside diameter after the support is positioned in axial contact against the annular main body of the mounting plate 12 such that the axial portion 44a of each retention tab 44 is in radial contact with and presses inwardly on a separate one of the segments of small outside diameter of the mounting portion,
wherein there is an axial clearance (not numbered) between the bent portion 44b of each retention tab 44 and the second lateral rim 28B of the support 20 (since sidewalls 28A & 28B are angled toward each other; c.4:54-56; Figs.4&7).
Regarding claim 6, the mounting plate 12 includes at least one centering portion 12a extending at least axially from the main body of the mounting plate, the at least one centering portion being offset radially outwardly with respect to the support 20 of the brush and has an outer surface defining an outside diameter of the mounting plate 12 (Fig.4).
Regarding claim 7, an electric motor M comprising: a casing 6 having a bore 6a; a shaft 3; and a grounding brush assembly 10 according to claim 4 mounted radially between the casing and the shaft, the conductive fibers 22 of the grounding brush assembly being in contact with the shaft and the mounting plate 12 being in radial contact with the bore of the casing (Fig.3).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BURTON S MULLINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2029. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5. 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.
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/BURTON S MULLINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
