DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 6, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated Vogt et al. DE 19863628329.
Vogt discloses:
Claim 1- a profiled body (12) extending along an axis of movement, a carriage (23) mounted on the profiled body for linear movement along the axis of movement, a toothed belt pulley (49), a deflection roller (48) and a toothed belt (50), which partially wraps around the toothed belt pulley and the deflection roller and is connected to the carriage (23), wherein the toothed belt pulley is rotatably received in a first bearing housing (14), which is fixed to a first axial end face of the profiled body (12) by at least one fastening means (unnumbered), wherein the carriage has a first carriage centering interface (40) and the first bearing housing has a first bearing housing centering interface (42) opposite the first carriage centering interface along the axis of movement, which are designed for a translational alignment of the first bearing housing relative to the carriage in a first spatial direction transverse to the axis of movement and for a rotational alignment of the first bearing housing relative to the carriage about the axis of movement (the device is capable of these functions).
Claim 2- wherein the first carriage centering interface has a first centering element (40), and the first bearing housing centering interface has a second centering element (42), wherein at least a central axis of the first centering element and a central axis of the second centering element are aligned parallel to the axis of movement (see figure 5).
Claim 6- wherein the first centering element (40) and/or the second centering element are designed as a recess extending along the axis of movement, wherein at least the central axis of the first centering element and the central axis of the second centering element are aligned parallel to the axis of movement (38 and 40 are coaxial).
Claim 10- displacing a carriage (23) mounted on a profiled body (12) extending in a direction of movement along the direction of movement into a first mounting position, - positioning the first bearing housing (13), which can be fixed with at least one fastening means to an axial first end face of the profiled body, in a fastening position, - connecting a first carriage centering interface of the carriage to a first bearing housing centering interface of the first bearing housing for translational alignment of the first bearing housing relative to the carriage in a first spatial direction transverse to the axis of movement and for rotational alignment of the first bearing housing relative to the carriage about the axis of movement (see figures 1, 2, 5 and 6), wherein a central axis of a first centering element of the first carriage centering interface and a central axis of a second centering element of the first bearing housing centering interface are aligned parallel to the axis of movement (see figure 5).
Claim 11- wherein the first carriage centering interface has a first centering element (carriage side of 38), and the first bearing housing centering interface has a second centering element (housing side of 38), wherein at least a central axis of the first centering element and a central axis of the second centering element are aligned parallel to the axis of movement and coaxially to one another (see Fig. 5).
Claims 12- wherein the first centering element or the second centering element is designed as a recess extending along the axis of movement (40, 42 are recesses), wherein at least the central axis of the first centering element and the central axis of the second centering element are aligned parallel to the axis of movement (Fig. 5).
Claims 13, 14- wherein the first centering element and the second centering element are designed as a recess (40, 42 are recesses) extending along the axis of movement (fig. 5), wherein at least the central axis of the first centering element and the central axis of the second centering element are aligned parallel to the axis of movement and coaxial to one another (Fig. 5).
Claim 15- wherein a second bearing housing (13) is fixed to a second axial end face of the profiled body opposite the first axial end face with at least one fastening means (13 is fastened to 12, additionally 22 is capable of this function), in which the deflection roller (56 see fig. 6) is rotatably mounted, wherein the carriage has a second carriage centering interface (25) located at a distance from the first carriage centering interface along the axis of movement and that the second bearing housing has a second bearing housing centering interface (18, 20) opposite the second carriage centering interface along the axis of movement, which is identical to the first bearing housing centering interface, and which is designed for a translational alignment of the second bearing housing relative to the carriage in a first spatial direction transverse to the axis of movement and for a rotational alignment of the second bearing housing relative to the carriage about the axis of movement (the device is capable of this function).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vogt et al. DE 19863628329.
Vogt discloses:
Claim 9- wherein a second bearing housing (14) is fixed to a second axial end face of the profiled body (12) opposite the first axial end face with at least one fastening means (unnumbered), in which the deflection roller (48) is rotatably mounted.
Vogt discloses the claimed invention except for an identical second carriage centering interface located at a distance from the first carriage centering interface along the axis of movement and that the second bearing housing has a second bearing housing centering interface opposite the second carriage centering interface along the axis of movement. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to utilize an identical second carriage centering interface located at a distance from the first carriage centering interface along the axis of movement and that the second bearing housing has a second bearing housing centering interface opposite the second carriage centering interface along the axis of movement, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed 7/23/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues Specifically, Applicant submits that one having ordinary skill in the art would have understood that the device of Vogt has a different structure than recited in Claim 1. For example, one having ordinary skill in the art would have understood that the base plate 12 of Vogt cannot be a profiled body, since Vogt only discloses that the base plate 12 is a specific structure that is used to hold the blocks 13 and 14 at a longitudinal spacing. There is nothing in Vogt, however, of any indication that the block plate 12, itself, is a profiled body.
In response, the claim language “profiled body” is extremely broad. Element 12 is certainly a “body” in that it has structure. Element 12 is considered to be a “profiled body” in that element 12 is a body with an elongated profile, just as applicant’s “profiled body” has an elongated profile. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Applicant further argues “Vogt only teaches that the carriage 23 is linearly mounted on two guide rods 16,17, which are received in bores of the bearing blocks 13, 14. In Vogt, the bearing blocks 13, 14 are mounted on and screwed to the base plate 12, not on an axial end face. As such, there is nothing in Vogt of any indication that a carriage mounted on the profiled body, let alone, that the carriage has a first carriage centering interface and the first bearing housing has a first bearing housing centering interface opposite the first carriage centering interface along the axis of movement, in which the first bearing housing is fixed to a first axial end face of the profiled body by at least one fastening means, as required by Claim 1.
In response, Vogt discloses “a carriage (23) mounted on the profiled body (12), that the carriage has a first carriage centering interface (40) and the first bearing housing (13) has a first bearing housing centering interface (42) opposite the first carriage centering interface along the axis of movement, in which the first bearing housing is fixed to a first axial end face of the profiled body by at least one fastening means (13 is fixed to 12), Additionally, element 22 of Vogt is also be considered to be a “fastening means” and is capable of.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2,462,060 US 2018/0045284, and US 2016/0319919 discloses structurally similar devices.
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 TERENCE BOES whose telephone number is (571)272-4898. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached at (571) 270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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TERENCE BOES
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3618
/TERENCE BOES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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