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 .
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) 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hawkins et al. (US 2022/0203196) in view of CHEN (US 2021/0106863).
Regarding claim 18, Hawkins et al. discloses an exercise device (exercise device or trainer 10; Fig. 1; abstract), comprising: a frame assembly (frame assembly of the exercise device 10; Fig. 1) including a flywheel support member (frame member 28 comprises a flywheel support member; Fig. 1; Para. [0052]) and supporting a drive axle (axle 44 comprises a drive axle; Fig. 2; Para. [0052]), the drive axle adapted to be driven by a bicycle (a bicycle is mounted on the axle 44; axle 44 includes cassette 46 on one side and a two-sided spacer 56 on another side to mount and drive the bicycle that being mounted on the axle 44; Paras. [0053] and [0055]-[0056]); a flywheel assembly supported by the flywheel support member (flywheel assembly 68 supported by the frame member 28; Figs. 1-3; Paras. [0052] and [0057]), the flywheel assembly including a flywheel (flywheel 48; Fig. 2) supported by a flywheel axle (flywheel axle 72; Fig. 3) extending through the flywheel support member (flywheel axle 72 extends through the frame member 28; Figs. 1-3; Para. [0058]), wherein: the flywheel axle is coupled to the drive axle such that rotation of the drive axle drives the flywheel axle (axle 44 comprising the drive axle is configured to rotationally drive the flywheel axle 72 through a belt 76 that being connected thereto; Figs. 1-3; Para. [0058]), and the flywheel includes an outboard portion (outboard portion of the flywheel 48; Figs. 1-2) and a rim that collectively define a flywheel volume (rim of the flywheel 48; the outboard portion and rim of the flywheel 48 collectively define a flywheel volume that holds a core 92 therein; Figs. 1-2 and 8-9; Para. [0060]); and an electromagnetic brake assembly (electromagnetic brake assembly that resist rotation of the flywheel 48; Paras. [0060] and [0071]) coupled to the flywheel support member (the electromagnetic brake assembly includes a torque bracket 106 and mounting plate 102 coupled to the frame member 28; Figs. 9-10; Paras. [0060]-[0061]) and including an electromagnet (electromagnetic member 105; Figs. 9-10; Para. [0060]) disposed inside the flywheel volume (the electromagnetic member 105 disposed inside the flywheel volume that holds core 92 therein; Figs. 9-10). Hawkins et al. fails to disclose the electromagnet disposed outside the flywheel volume. CHEN discloses an exercise device (bicycle training device; Fig. 4; abstract) that comprises a flywheel assembly (resistance feedback system 1 comprises a flywheel assembly; Figs. 6-7; Paras. [0038] and [0048]) supported by a flywheel support member (mounting frame 64 comprises a flywheel support member; Figs. 6-7; Para. [0050]); the flywheel assembly including a flywheel (flywheel (or rotating object) E: Figs. 6-8); and the flywheel includes an outboard portion (outboard portion of the flywheel E; Fig. 6B) and a rim (rim of the flywheel E; Figs. 6A-6B) that collectively define a flywheel volume (the outboard portion and rim of the flywheel E collectively define a flywheel volume that holds coils G1 and G2 therein; Figs. 6-8); and an electromagnetic brake assembly (electromagnetic resistance generation unit 2 comprises an electromagnetic brake assembly; Fig. 6A; Para. [0035]) including an electromagnet (electromagnet that being generated by a winding 67; Fig. 10A; Paras. [0050] and [0055]) disposed outside the flywheel volume (electromagnetic resistance generation unit 2 is disposed outside the flywheel volume of the resistance feedback system 1; Figs. 6-7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the device of Hawkins et al. by placing the electromagnet outside the flywheel volume as taught by CHEN, in order to make it easier to maintain components of the brake assembly without disassembling the flywheel assembly during the maintenance and thereby improve the structural design of the exercise device.
Regarding claim 19, Hawkins et al. as modified by CHEN discloses the exercise device of claim 18. Hawkins et al. fails to disclose wherein the electromagnet is disposed at a position radially outward from the rim and the flywheel axle. CHEN further discloses the electromagnet is disposed al a position radially outward from the rim and a flywheel axle (central transmission axle of the rotating object E comprises a flywheel axle; the electromagnet of electromagnetic resistance generation unit 2 is disposed at a position radially outward from the rim and the central transmission axle of the rotating object E of the resistance feedback system 1; Figs. 6-7; Para. [0051]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the relevant date, to modify the device of Hawkins et al. by placing the electromagnet outside the flywheel volume such that the electromagnet becomes disposed at a position radially outward from the rim and the flywheel axle as taught by CHEN, in order to make it easier to maintain components of the brake assembly without disassembling the flywheel assembly during the maintenance and thereby improve the structural design of the exercise device.
Regarding claim 20, Hawkins et al. as modified by CHEN discloses the exercise device of claim 18. Hawkins et al. fails to disclose wherein the electromagnet is disposed at a position axially outward from the flywheel and the outboard portion. CHEN further discloses the electromagnet is disposed at a position axially outward from the flywheel and the outboard portion (the electromagnet of electromagnetic resistance generation unit 2 is disposed at a position axially outward from the flywheel E and the outboard portion of the flywheel E; Fig. 6B). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the relevant date, to modify the device of Hawkins et al. by placing the electromagnet outside the flywheel volume such that the electromagnet becomes disposed at a position axially outward from the flywheel and the outboard portion as taught by CHEN, in order to make it easier to maintain components of the brake assembly without disassembling the flywheel assembly during the maintenance and thereby improve the structural design of the exercise device. Claim 1 meets the criteria set out in PCT Article 33(2)-(3) because the prior art does not teach or fairly suggest the first width is different from the second width.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-17 allowed.
The closest art of record is Hawkins et al., which discloses an exercise device (exercise device or trainer 10; Fig. 1; abstract), comprising: a frame assembly (frame assembly of the exercise device 10; Fig. 1) including a flywheel support member (frame member 28 comprises a flywheel support member; Fig. 1; Para. [0052]) and supporting a drive axle (axle 44 comprises a drive axle; Fig. 2; Para. [0052]), the drive axle adapted to be driven by a bicycle (a bicycle is mounted on the axle 44; axle 44 includes cassette 46 on one side and a two-sided spacer 56 on another side to mount and drive the bicycle that being mounted on the axle 44; Paras. [0053] and [0055]-[0056]); a flywheel assembly supported by the flywheel support member (flywheel assembly 68 supported by the frame member 28; Figs. 1-3; Paras. [0052] and [0057]), the flywheel assembly including a flywheel (flywheel 48; Fig. 2) supported by a flywheel axle (flywheel axle 72; Fig. 3) extending through the flywheel support member (flywheel axle 72 extends through the frame member 28; Figs. 1-3; Para. [0058]), wherein the flywheel axle is coupled to the drive axle such that rotation of the drive axle drives the flywheel axle (axle 44 comprising the drive axle is configured to rotationally drive the flywheel axle 72 through a belt 76 that being connected thereto; Figs. 1-3; Para. [0058]); and an electromagnetic brake assembly (electromagnetic brake assembly that resist rotation of the flywheel 48; Paras. [0060] and [0071]) coupled to the flywheel support member (the electromagnetic brake assembly includes a torque bracket 106 and mounting plate 102 coupled to the frame member 28; Figs. 9-10; Paras. [0060]-[0061]) and including an electromagnet (electromagnetic member 105; Figs. 9-10; Para. [0060]), wherein: the electromagnet includes a core (core 92; Fig. 8; Para. [0060]) comprising a first outer leg at a first end of the core (core 92 defines six T-shaped portions 94; thus, by considering the core 92 having six ends at six portions 94, one of the T-shaped portions 94 comprises a first outer leg 94 at a first end of core 92; Fig. 8; Para. [0060]) and a second outer leg at a second end of the core (another one of the T-shaped portions 94 comprises a second outer leg 94 at a second end of core 92; Fig. 8), the second end is opposite the first end (the first end at the first portion 94 is opposite the second end at the second portion 94 as shown in Fig. 8), the first outer leg is characterized by a first width (first width of the first outer leg 94 at the first end of core 92; Fig. 8), the second outer leg is characterized by a second width (second width of the second outer leg 94 at the second end of core 92; Fig. 8). Hawkins et al. fails to disclose the first width is different from the second width. There is no motivation absent improper hindsight to modify Hawkins et al. to arrive at the instantly claimed invention.
Conclusion
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/GARRETT K ATKINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3784