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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 7/28/2026 has been entered.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
wherein each of the plurality of lubricant injectors comprises a valve which is configured to be closed or opened by the control unit (claim 1) (valve not shown)
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-2, 4, 6-9, and 13-24 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.
In claims 1 and 17, lines 24-25 and 16-17 respectively, the limitation “wherein each of the plurality of lubricant injectors comprises a valve which is configured to be closed or opened by the control unit” is vague and indefinite. Where are these valves shown in the figures and described in the specification? What structure is being claimed?
In claims 22 and 23, the limitation “and/or” is vague and indefinite. For example in claim 22, is it possible for both “when the abnormal condition is determined, outside the predefined lubrication cycles and in response to determining the abnormal condition, closing the respective valves associated with the lubrication points not having the abnormal condition AND opening the respective valve associated with the at least one lubrication point having the abnormal condition to individually deliver the additional dose of lubricant to happen simultaneously? Where is this simultaneous operation of these two features described in the specification? What structure is being claime?
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 6-9, and 13-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Song et al., CN116498875 (applicant provided machine translation used for interpretation) in Conley et al., US PGPub 2017/0114957.
Regarding claims 1 and 17, Song et al. discloses a lubrication system (see [0001]) for lubricating a plurality of lubrication points (multi-point), the lubrication system comprising: a lubricant reservoir (connected with pump station – see [0028]); a plurality of lubricant injectors (injector connected to actuator – see [0028]) for providing lubricant from the lubricant reservoir (via pump - as described above) to the plurality of lubrication points (as described above); a control unit (PLC controller – see [0028]) for controlling the flow of lubricant from the lubricant reservoir (as described above) to the plurality of lubricant injectors (as described above), the control unit (as described above) being configured to control the plurality of lubricant injectors (as described above) to simultaneously deliver lubricant to the plurality of lubrication points (as described above) in predefined lubrication cycles (periodic oiling in step 1 – see [0035]); and a condition monitoring unit (vibration temperature detection unit – see [0028]) for monitoring the condition of the plurality of lubrication points (as described above), the condition monitoring unit (as described above) being configured to determine when the condition of at least one of the plurality of lubrication points (as described above) is abnormal (abnormal vibration or temperature data – see [0028]), the control unit (as described above) being configured to control the lubricant injector (as described above) associated with said one lubrication point (abnormal single point oiling – see [0028]) having an abnormal condition to individually deliver an additional dose of lubricant to the corresponding said one lubrication point when the condition monitoring unit determines the condition of said one lubrication point is abnormal (Step 3 – see [0037]). Song et al. does not specify that each lubricant injector comprises a valve.
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Conley et al. teaches a similar lubrication system (10) with injectors (41) wherein each of the plurality of lubricant injectors (41) comprises a valve (18) which is configured to be closed or opened by the control unit (20 via 37). (claims 1, 17)
wherein controlling the plurality of lubricant injectors (41) comprises: opening the respective valves (18) during each predefined lubrication cycle to simultaneously deliver lubricant to the plurality of lubrication points (i.e. 12,14,16); and when the abnormal condition is determined, outside the predefined lubrication cycles and in response to determining the abnormal condition, closing the respective valves associated with the lubrication points (12,14,16) not having the abnormal condition (see [0031]- [0033]) and/or opening the respective valve (18) associated with the at least one lubrication point having the abnormal condition to individually deliver the additional dose of lubricant. (claim 22)
wherein, during each of the predefined lubrication cycles, the control unit (20) is configured to open the respective valves (18) to simultaneously deliver lubricant to the plurality of lubrication points (12,14,16); and wherein, outside the predefined lubrication cycles, the control unit (20) is configured to close the respective valves (18) associated with the lubrication points not having an abnormal condition and/or open the respective valve associated with said one lubrication point (12,14,16) having the abnormal condition to individually deliver the additional dose of lubricant to said one lubrication point (12,14,16) having the abnormal condition. (claim 23)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the locally positioned valves described by Conley et al. to the system disclosed by Song et al. in order to modify the delivery parameters during grease degradation process to ensure optimum delivery and efficiency over extended durations.
Regarding claim 2, Song et al. in view of Conley et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (as described above) is configured to deliver the additional dose of lubricant (as described above) to the lubrication point (as described above) having the abnormal condition outside the predefined lubrication cycles (see [0044]).
Regarding claim 4, Song et al. in view of Conley et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claim 24, wherein the lubrication point (as described above) is a bearing (see [0002], line 29) and wherein the at least one parameter includes temperature and/or vibration of the bearing (see [0025]).
Regarding claims 6 and 13, Song et al. in view of Conley et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claims 1 and 4, wherein the condition monitoring unit (as described above) is configured to monitor the plurality of lubrication points continuously (during continuing multi-point periodic oil injections) .
Regarding claims 7 and 14, Song et al. in view of Conley et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claims 1 and 13, wherein the control unit (as described above) is configured to individually control each of the plurality of lubricant injectors (as described above) to stop the transport of lubricant to the plurality of lubrication points (as described above) outside the predefined lubrication cycles (between waiting periods) and to deliver an additional dose (abnormal single point injection- see [0037]) of lubricant to the lubrication point having an abnormal condition if required (see [0037]).
Regarding claims 8 and 15, Song et al. in view of Conley et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claims 7 and 14, wherein each respective valve is a solenoid (34) valve (see [0026]).
Regarding claims 9 and 16, Song et al. in view of Conley et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claims 1 and 15, wherein the control unit (as described above) is configured to adjust the predefined lubrication cycles (as described above) when the control unit (as described above) determines over a predetermined time period that all lubrication points of the plurality of lubrication points require additional doses of lubricant outside the predefined lubrication cycle (during step 3).
Regarding claims 18-21, Song et al. discloses the lubrication system according to claims 1 and 17, wherein the at least one parameter includes temperature and/or vibration (see abstract).
Regarding claim 24, Song et al. in view of Conley et al. discloses the lubrication system of claim 1, wherein the condition monitoring unit (as described above) comprises at least one sensor (see [0025]) for each of the plurality of lubrication points (as described above), wherein the at least one sensor (as described above) is configured to monitor at least one parameter (temperature / vibration) of the respective lubrication point (as described above) being indicative for an abnormal condition of the lubrication point (as described above), wherein the condition monitoring unit (as described above) is configured to compare the value of the monitored parameter (temperature / vibration) with a predefined threshold and is configured to determine that the condition of the respective lubrication point is abnormal when the value of the monitored parameter exceeds the predefined threshold (controller compares numerical values measured vs predefined values – see abstract)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2, 4, 6-9, and 13-24 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A RIEGELMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7956. The examiner can normally be reached 8-6 EST Monday - Friday.
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MICHAEL A. RIEGELMAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/MICHAEL A RIEGELMAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
