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 .
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claims 1 and 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 20120175830 A1) in view of Monma (US 20170097094 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Yang discloses a damper device configured to be attached between a pair of members that are configured to move toward or away from each other, and configured to apply a braking force when the pair of members move toward or away from each other, the damper device comprising: a cylinder (20) having an opening portion at one end portion (61); a rod (31) movably inserted into the cylinder (20) through the opening portion (61); a piston (33) connected to the rod (31) and having an annular groove (43) formed on an outer periphery thereof; a seal ring (40) disposed in the annular groove (43) on a side of a damper braking direction in a manner of being movable in an axial direction and configured to come into pressure contact with an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder (20); and a friction member (50) disposed in the annular groove (43) on a side of a return direction opposite to the damper braking direction with respect to the seal ring (40), wherein a seal portion is formed between the cylinder (20) and the piston (33) by the seal ring (40) and the friction member (50), or by the seal ring (40), wherein an air chamber (22) is formed in the cylinder (20) via the seal portion, wherein when the piston (33) moves in the damper braking direction, the seal ring (40) is configured to press the friction member (50) to expand the friction member (50) in diameter, and an outer peripheral surface of the friction member (50) is configured to be brought into pressure contact with an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder (20), wherein the friction member (50) is formed to be smaller than a size of the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder (20) when no pressing force is applied from the seal ring (40) (see Fig. 1, Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B, [0018]).
Yang does not disclose wherein an inclined surface is provided on one of the friction member and a bottom surface of the annular groove, and an inclined surface contact portion configured to come into contact with the inclined surface is provided on the other of the friction member and the bottom surface of the annular groove, and wherein when the piston moves in the damper braking direction, the inclined surface contact portion is configured to be pressed against the inclined surface while a contact position on the inclined surface changes, and the friction member is configured to be expanded in diameter.
Monma teaches a Seal and Friction member assembly wherein an inclined surface is provided on one of the friction member (1) and a bottom surface (20) of the annular groove (4), and an inclined surface contact portion (12) configured to come into contact with the inclined surface (20) is provided on the other of the friction member (1) and the bottom surface (20) of the annular groove (4), and wherein when the piston moves in the damper braking direction, the inclined surface contact portion (12) is configured to be pressed against the inclined surface (20) while a contact position on the inclined surface changes, and the friction member is configured to be expanded in diameter (see Fig. 1, Fig. 2, [0005]).
It would have been obvious, to one of ordinary skill before the effective filling date of the invention, to combine the teachings of the seal ring and friction member assembly of Monma with the damper device of Yang in order to “provide a sealing device capable of preventing the formation of the gap causing the biting of the seal member between the backup ring and the shaft under high pressure” (see US 20170097094 A1 [Monma]; [0009]).
Regarding Claim 3, Yang modified by Monma teaches wherein the friction member (1) is formed with a tapered surface (12) whose diameter decreases toward the return direction on an outer peripheral surface of an end portion located on the side of the return direction (see US 20170097094 A1 [Monma]; Fig. 1, Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 4, Yang modified by Monma teaches wherein the annular groove (4) is provided with a friction member movement restricting portion (A) (see Annotated Fig. 1 below) configured to restrict movement of the friction member (1) in the axial direction when the piston moves in the return direction (see US 20170097094 A1 [Monma]; Fig. 1, Annotated Fig. 1 below).
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Annotated Fig. 1
Regarding Claim 5, Yang modified by Monma teaches wherein a ridge extending in a peripheral direction (C) (see Annotated Fig. 1 above) is provided on the bottom surface of the annular groove (4), wherein a surface on the side of the damper braking direction of the ridge (C) forms the inclined surface (12), and wherein a gap (B) is provided in a portion of the friction member (1) adjacent to the inclined surface contact portion (12) (see US 20170097094 A1 [Monma]; Fig. 1, Annotated Fig. 1 above).
Regarding Claim 6, Yang modified by Monma teaches wherein a ventilation groove (51) extending along the axial direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the friction member (50), and wherein the ventilation groove (51) is configured to maintain ventilation thereof even when the friction member (50) is pressed by the seal ring (40) and the outer peripheral surface thereof is in pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder (20) when the piston (33) moves in the damper braking direction (see US 20120175830 A1 [Yang]; Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B).
Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (US 20120175830 A1) in view of Ishigaki et. al. (US 6523833 B1).
Regarding Claim 7, Yang discloses a damper device configured to be attached between a pair of members that are configured to move toward or away from each other, and configured to apply a braking force when the pair of members move toward or away from each other, the damper device comprising: a cylinder (20) having an opening portion (61) at one end portion; a rod (31) movably inserted into the cylinder (20) through the opening portion (61); a piston (33) connected to the rod (31) and having an annular groove (43) formed on an outer periphery thereof; a seal ring (40) disposed in the annular groove (43) on a side of a damper braking direction in a manner of being movable in an axial direction and configured to come into pressure contact with an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder (20); and a friction member (50) disposed in the annular groove (43) on a side of a return direction opposite to the damper braking direction with respect to the seal ring (40), wherein a seal portion is formed between the cylinder (20) and the piston (33) by the seal ring (40) and the friction member (50), or by the seal ring (40), wherein an air chamber (22) is formed in the cylinder (20) via the seal portion, wherein when the piston (33) moves in the damper braking direction, the seal ring (40) is configured to press the friction member (50) to expand the friction member (50) in diameter, and an outer peripheral surface of the friction member (50) is configured to be brought into pressure contact with an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder (20), wherein the friction member (50) is formed to be smaller than a size of the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder (20) when no pressing force is applied from the seal ring (40) (see Fig. 1, Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B, [0018]),
Yang does not disclose wherein the seal ring includes a base portion having an annular shape and disposed within the annular groove, at least two inner diameter side protruding portions protruding from an inner diameter side surface of the base portion, and an outer diameter side protruding portion protruding from an outer diameter side surface of the base portion and configured to come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder.
Ishigaki teaches a seal ring (1) including a base portion (X) (see Annotated Fig. 1 (Ishigaki) below) having an annular shape and disposed within the annular groove (3), at least two inner diameter side protruding portions (Y) protruding from an inner diameter side surface of the base portion (X), and an outer diameter side protruding portion (Z) protruding from an outer diameter side surface of the base portion (X) and configured to come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of a cylinder (20) (see Fig. 1, Annotated Fig. 1 (Ishigaki) below).
It would have been obvious, to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention, to combine the teachings of the seal ring of Ishigaki with the damper device of Yang in order to improve attachability of the sealing and extend the life of the sealing arrangement (see US 6523833 B1 [Ishigaki]; 2: 38-43).
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Annotated Fig. 1 (Ishigaki)
Regarding Claim 8, Yang modified by Ishigiaki teaches wherein, of the inner diameter side protruding portions (Y) (see Annotated Fig. 1 (Ishigaki) above), an outer side surface (Y1) of one of the inner diameter side protruding portions (Y) located on a position closest to the side of the return direction opposite to the damper braking direction is inclined toward another of the inner diameter side protruding portions (Y) adjacent to the one of the inner diameter side protruding portions (Y) in the axial direction as being away from the inner diameter side surface of the base portion (X), over entire range from the inner diameter side surface of the base portion to a top portion of the one of the inner diameter side protruding portions (Y) (see US 6523833 B1 [Ishigaki]; Fig. 1, Annotated Fig. 1 (Ishigaki) above).
Conclusion
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/S.W.I./Examiner, Art Unit 3616
/Robert A. Siconolfi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3616
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