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 I in the reply filed on 24 June 2026 is acknowledged.
The traversal is on the ground(s) that if the search and examination of all the claims in an application can be made without serious burden, even though they include claims to independent or distinct inventions, there would not be a serious search and/or examination burden if all of the groups were examined together because for example, each of the groups are directed to automobile propeller shafts, which is a very specific and narrow technical field, indicating that the search would be directed to the same or similar search class and there would be significant overlap in search amongst the groups.
This is not found persuasive because the claims do not require an automobile propeller nor driveshaft, not all driveshafts are telescopic in vehicles or otherwise, not all driveshafts require a universal joint in vehicles or otherwise, and; the separate classifications and divergent subject matter of the respective dependent claim sets would require an exhaustive search and examination.
Claims 16--19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Species II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 13, 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Colletti et al., U.S. 3,609,994.
Regarding claims 1 and 20, Colletti et al. discloses a lightweight universal joint (col. 1, lines 29-37; universal joint for a steering column is lighter than those in the drivetrain), having a socket (fig 2, cup-shaped bearing 15; col. 2, lines 41-53), a ball (fig 2, ball 3; col. 2, lines 25-29), and a straight shaft (separate pin 5 press fitted in a bore of the ball; col. 2, lines 29-32), wherein the socket (15) is a thin-walled structure (bearing 15 appears to be thin walled and there is no claimed basis of comparison to support the metes and bounds of “thin”), and the socket is not configured to transfer a transmission torque (col. 3, lines 28-31), the ball (1) is rotatably provided in the socket (3), and the ball (ball 3) is provided with a transmission hole (bore through the ball for pin 5), the straight shaft (pin 5) runs through the transmission hole and a center of the ball (col. 2, lines 29-32); two ends (slots 19; col. 2, lines 54-62) of the socket (bearing 15) are connected (bushings 7 slidably fit in slots 19) to fixed wings (fig 2, bushings 7), respectively; and each of the fixed wings (7) is provided with a carrying hole (fig 2, bore 9; col. 2, lines 32-34) and a transmission key (lug-like projection 13, 13a; col. 2, lines 34-40).
As to claim 2, Colletti et al. discloses the socket (15) is an integrated thin-walled structure (col. 2, lines 41-46; integrated slots 19, closed end 17, recess 21, etc.).
As to claim 13, Colletti et al. discloses a wall thickness of the socket is 0.2 mm-5 mm (a wall thickness of slot 19 appears to be in the claimed range; moreover, size is a well known design consideration).
As to claim 14, Colletti et al. discloses a diameter of a lip (fig 2, tapered or flared mouth 21a; col. 3, lines 7-16) of the socket (15) is smaller (col. 3, lines 7-10) than a diameter of the ball (ball 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-12, 15 and 21-23 are 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH L THOMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7037. The examiner can normally be reached Weekdays; 9:00-5:00, est.
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10 July 2026
/KENNETH L THOMPSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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