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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species Figure 4D in the reply filed on 12/24/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the elected and non-elected species are closely related. This is not found persuasive because the different species require different fields of search, and prior art applicable to one species may not be applicable to the other species.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 8-9 and 11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 12/24/2025.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was filed on 07/31/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
“much compact size” in Paragraph [0002], Line 1 should read “a much more compact size”.
“involving” in Paragraph [0002], Line 7 should read “including”.
“to further reduce production costs” in Paragraph [0002], Line 9 should read “to reduce production costs further”.
“desired” in Paragraph [0002], Line 13 should read “desirable”.
“and specific” in Paragraph [0024], Line 9 should read “and a specific”.
“high temperature” in the last line of Paragraph [0024] should read “high-temperature”.
“The second engagement structure 131 which is also made of the second material is…” in Paragraph [0026], Lines 3-4 should read “The second engagement structure 131, which is also made of the second material, is…”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 10 and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shen (CN 106151096 A).
Regarding Claim 1: Shen discloses a base structure of a cooling fan, comprising a bearing (Figure 4, No. 15), defining therein a first cylindrical cavity for receiving a shaft (Figure 5, No. 171) of the cooling fan; a shaft sleeve (11) made of a first material (Paragraph [0062]) and defining therein a second cylindrical cavity having a first opening and a second opening at a first end and a second end of the shaft sleeve, respectively (Figure 2), the shaft sleeve further comprising a protrusion part arranged at the first end of the shaft sleeve and protruding from an inner surface of the shaft sleeve toward the second cylindrical cavity (Figures 2-3 – protruding part of sleeve 11 that forms shaft hole 113), wherein the bearing is inserted into the shaft sleeve through the second opening and is stopped by the protrusion part (Figures 4-6); and a first engagement structure (112) provided at the second end of the shaft sleeve (Figure 2); and a base (12, 13) made of a second material (Paragraph [0054]) and comprising a second engagement structure (13), wherein the second engagement structure is interlocked with the first engagement structure since the second engagement structure is integrally formed with the base, thereby restricting the bearing from moving with respect to the base (Figures 3-6; Paragraph [0055]), wherein the first material has a greater rigidity than the second material (Paragraphs [0054] & [0062] – the metal of the shaft sleeve has a greater rigidity than the polymer of the base).
Regarding Claim 4: Shen discloses the base structure according to Claim 1.
The limitations of “the base is formed by injecting” and “the second engagement structure is formed and interlocked…in the injection molding process” are being treated as a product-by-process limitation; that is, the base and engagement structures are made by injection molding. Product-by-process claims are limited ONLY to the structure implied by the cited steps, NOT to the manipulation of the recited steps. It has been held that if the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable, even though the prior product was made by a different process, and the burden shifts to the applicant to show an unobvious difference. See MPEP 2113.
Regarding Claim 10: Chen discloses the base structure according to Claim 1, wherein the first engagement structure is implemented by annular grooves (Figure 1, No. 1121-1123) around an outer surface of the shaft sleeve (Figure 1), the first engagement structure being engaged with the second engagement structure to restrict the first engagement structure from moving with respect to the second engagement structure along a lengthwise direction of the shaft (Figures 3-6; Paragraph [0055]).
Regarding Claim 12: Chen discloses a manufacturing method of a base structure of a cooling fan, the manufacturing method comprising steps of providing a bearing (15) defining therein a first cylindrical cavity; inserting a shaft (171) of the cooling fan into the first cylindrical cavity (Figures 5-6); providing a shaft sleeve (11) made of a first material (Paragraph [0062]) and defining therein a second cylindrical cavity having a first opening and a second opening at a first end and a second end of the shaft sleeve (Figures 2-3), respectively, the shaft sleeve having a protrusion part arranged at the first end of the shaft sleeve and protruding from an inner surface of the shaft sleeve toward the second cylindrical cavity (Figures 2-3 – protruding part of sleeve 11 that forms shaft hole 113); and a first engagement structure (112) provided at the second end of the shaft sleeve; inserting the bearing into the shaft sleeve through the second opening till reaching the protrusion part (Figures 4-6); putting the shaft sleeve in a mold to make the first engagement structure of the shaft sleeve located in an accommodation room defined in the mold; and performing an injection molding process to form a base having a second engagement structure by injecting a second material into the mold, wherein the second engagement structure is interlocked with the first engagement structure since the second engagement structure is integrally formed with the base in the injection molding process, thereby restricting the shaft sleeve from moving with respect to the base (Paragraphs [0055], [0056], & [0059]).
Regarding Claim 13: Shen discloses the manufacturing method according to Claim 12, wherein the first material has a greater rigidity than the second material (Paragraphs [0054] & [0062] – the metal of the shaft sleeve has a greater rigidity than the polymer of the base).
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) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shen in view of Horng (US Patent No: 6,336,745).
Regarding Claim 2: Shen discloses the base structure according to Claim 1; however, Shen fails to disclose the bearing being an oil-impregnated bearing.
Horng teaches a cooling fan (Figure 2) with a bearing (2), wherein the bearing is an oil-impregnated bearing (Column 2, Lines 46-47).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to substitute the oil-impregnated bearing of Horng in for the bearing of Shen. Both bearings are known elements in cooling fans, and substituting the oil-impregnated bearing of Horng in for the bearing of Shen still results in a bearing receiving a shaft (element 3 of Horng) and being located within a cylindrical cavity of a shaft sleeve (element 1 of Horng) located in the cooling fan. Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to substitute the oil-impregnated bearing of Horng in for the bearing of Shen, thus making the bearing an oil-impregnated bearing.
Regarding Claim 3: Shen, as modified by Horng, discloses the base structure according to Claim 2, wherein the bearing is a self-lubricating bearing (Horng: Column 2, Lines 46-47).
Claim(s) 5-7 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shen in view of Hatcho (US Publication No: 2014/0097717).
Regarding Claim 5: Shen discloses the base structure according to Claim 1, wherein the second material is a plastic material (Paragraph [0054] – “polymer material”); however, Shen fails to disclose the first material being a metal material of copper, aluminum, steel or metal alloy.
Hatcho teaches a cooling fan bearing apparatus (Figure 1, No. 10) comprising a sleeve (12) made of a first material, the first material being copper (Paragraph [0023], Lines 2-3; Paragraph [0024], Lines 18-20).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the first material of Shen copper, as taught by Hatcho, for the purpose of securing sufficient rigidity for the shaft of the fan (Paragraph [0024], Lines 18-21).
Regarding Claim 6: Shen discloses the base structure according to Claim 1, wherein the first material has the greater rigidity than the second material when the cooling fan operates (Paragraphs [0054] & [0062] – the metal of the shaft sleeve has a greater rigidity than the polymer of the base); however, Shen fails to disclose the shaft sleeve being located within a working temperature range of 60-100°C.
Hatcho teaches a cooling fan bearing apparatus (Figure 1, No. 10) comprising a sleeve (12) located within a working temperature range of 60-100°C (Paragraph [0076], Lines 1-6).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the sleeve located within a working temperature range of 60-100°C, as taught by Hatcho, for the purpose of providing the fan with a small variation in the value of the motor driving electric current, no change in color of the lubricating oil, and no wear debris (Paragraph [0076], Lines 7-11; Paragraph [0077], Lines 1-6).
Regarding Claim 7: Shen, as modified by Hatcho, discloses the base structure according to Claim 6, wherein the first material has a higher deformation resistance than the second material when the cooling fan operates (property of the material – the structure of the claimed first and second materials is substantially identical to the prior art structure of the first and second materials; therefore, the properties of the first and second materials, including the deformation resistance, are presumed to be inherent. See MPEP 2112.01(I)), and the shaft sleeve is located within the working temperature range of 60-100°C (Hatcho: Paragraph [0076], Lines 1-6).
Regarding Claim 14: Shen discloses the manufacturing method according to Claim 13; however, Shen fails to disclose the first material being a metal material of copper, aluminum, steel or metal alloy, and the second material is a plastic material.
Hatcho teaches a cooling fan bearing apparatus (Figure 1, No. 10) comprising a sleeve (12) made of a first material, the first material being copper (Paragraph [0023], Lines 2-3; Paragraph [0024], Lines 18-20).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the first material of Shen copper, as taught by Hatcho, for the purpose of securing sufficient rigidity for the shaft of the fan (Paragraph [0024], Lines 18-21).
Regarding Claim 15: Shen discloses the manufacturing method according to Claim 12, wherein the first material has a greater rigidity than the second material when the cooling fan operates (Paragraphs [0054] & [0062] – the metal of the shaft sleeve has a greater rigidity than the polymer of the base); however, Shen fails to disclose the shaft sleeve being located within a working temperature range of 60-100°C.
Hatcho teaches a cooling fan bearing apparatus (Figure 1, No. 10) comprising a sleeve (12) located within a working temperature range of 60-100°C (Paragraph [0076], Lines 1-6).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to make the sleeve located within a working temperature range of 60-100°C, as taught by Hatcho, for the purpose of providing the fan with a small variation in the value of the motor driving electric current, no change in color of the lubricating oil, and no wear debris (Paragraph [0076], Lines 7-11; Paragraph [0077], Lines 1-6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 16 is 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. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to disclose a manufacturing method as claimed, further comprising a step of using an internal turning tool to cut the inner surface of the shaft sleeve at the second end to form an internal annular cutting portion as the first engagement structure, the internal annular cutting portion having an annular slant surface with a first circular boundary surrounding the second opening and a second circular boundary away from the second opening, a diameter of the first circular boundary being smaller than a diameter of the second circular boundary, the first engagement structure being engaged with the second engagement structure to restrict the first engagement structure from moving with respect to the second engagement structure along a lengthwise direction of the shaft. Shen discloses a shaft sleeve with an annular slant surface (Figures 2-3); however, the annular slant surface is on the outer surface of the shaft sleeve, not the inner surface, and Shen does not disclose the step of using an internal turning tool to cut the inner surface of the shaft sleeve at the second end to form the internal annular cutting portion as the first engagement structure. Wiesner (US Patent No: 3,030,535) discloses a bearing assembly comprising a bearing (Figure 1, No. 10) and a shaft sleeve (11), wherein an internal turning tool is used to cut the inner surface of the shaft sleeve (Column 2, Lines 68-71; Column 3, Lines 1-2); however, Wiesner fails to disclose the shaft sleeve having an internal annular cutting portion having an annular slant surface with a first circular boundary surrounding the second opening and a second circular boundary away from the second opening. The prior art fails to disclose the manufacturing method as claimed; therefore, Claim 16 contains allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL L SEHN whose telephone number is (571)270-3564. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 AM-6 PM, every other Friday off.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Courtney Heinle can be reached at 571-270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL L SEHN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745