DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the AIA first to invent provisions. 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 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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 19-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabrys (U.S. P.G. Publication No. 2003/0029269 A1; “Gabrys”).
Gabrys discloses:
Regarding claim 19:
A flywheel (70; FIG. 11) comprising
a plurality of discs (71) arranged in a stack (depicted in FIG. 11), including at least first and second end discs (top and bottom discs 71) at either end of the stack, in which each disc face includes first and second disk faces (top and bottom faces thereof), each disc face a central region (hub region closest to the center rotational axis e.g. center axis running through shaft 72) and a peripheral region (rim region at reference number 71) disposed around the central region, the peripheral region being adjacent to a peripheral edge of the disc (depicted in the FIG. 11),
first and second plate members (73) disposed at opposing ends of the stack (FIG. 11 depicts plates 73 at the very top and the very bottom of the stack), and
bonding means which bonds only part of each disc to each neighbouring disc in the stack (at 5 in the FIG. ; pg. 2, “The disks are in contact at the ends of their rims, and the gap between them is filled with bonding material 6, for example, glue, which also serves as a connecting element”; the FIG depicts bonding material only at the “rims” of each neighboring disc), including bonding together adjacent peripheral regions of neighbouring discs (pg. 2, “The disks are in contact at the ends of their rims, and the gap between them is filled with bonding material 6, for example, glue, which also serves as a connecting element”),
the flywheel does not include clamping means for clamping the discs in the stack together (FIG. 11 depicts the connected discs without clamping elements/fastening elements; ¶ 35, “The preferred embodiment of the flywheel of the invention achieves high operating speed and energy storage capability by axially stacking thinner steel discs and attaching them together without making through holes in the discs.”).
However, Gabrys does not expressly disclose bonding means bonding each of the first and second plate members to the first and second end discs of the stack.
Gabrys, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 12, teaches bonding means bonding each of the first and second plate members to the first and second end discs of the stack (¶ 37, “Another method of joining the discs is to put axial joining layers between the discs, as shown in FIG. 12, to produce an axially joined axially stacked disc flywheel 80. The flywheel 80 is constructed of multiple stacked discs 81 and in most cases, shafts 82 and end plates 83. In this configuration, the discs 81 are joined axially by preferably brazing, soldiering or use of an adhesive. Other methods of joining may also be used”; FIG. 12 depicts bonding material 84 between the top and bottom plates 83 and the top and bottom discs 81, respectively) as a viable means of joining the plates to the discs (¶ 37).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Gabrys’ embodiment of FIG. 11, with a reasonable expectation of success, such that the bonding means bonds each of the first and second plate members to the first and second end discs of the stack, as taught by Gabrys’ embodiment of FIG. 12, as it is a viable means of joining the plates to the discs.
Gabrys as modified above further teaches the following:
Regarding claim 20:
A flywheel assembly comprising one or more flywheels as claimed in claim 19, the or each flywheel being mounted on or to a drive assembly for facilitating rotation of the or each flywheel for storing energy in or deploying energy from at least one of the flywheels (¶ 3).
Regarding claim 21:
A flywheel assembly comprising one or more flywheels as claimed in a flywheel assembly comprising one or more flywheels as claimed in comprising one, any two or all three of the following:
the stack of discs does not accommodate any clamping elements extending between the plate members (depicted in FIG. 11);
the discs do not include disc apertures for a connection element (depicted in FIG. 11; ¶ 35); and
the plate members do not include one or more plate apertures for a connection element (depicted in FIG. 11; ¶ 35).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 and 16-18 are allowed.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments to the claims filed 6/8/2018 have been fully considered and have required a new grounds of rejection is made in view of Medlicott and JP ‘629, as described supra. Applicant’s remaining arguments have been fully considered but are not deemed as persuasive.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL D YABUT whose telephone number is (571)270-5526. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor John Olszewski can be reached on (571) 272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL D YABUT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3656