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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 8, “an terminating end” has been changed to - - a terminating end - -.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “deep” in claim is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “deep” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. As such, use of the term “deep” renders the limitation “deep groove” indefinite.
Claim 12 is rejected based on its dependence to claim 6.
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.
Claim(s) 1 – 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Hosoe et al. USPGPUB 20140159314.
Claim 1, Hosoe discloses a sliding component (annular stationary ring 6)(Fig. 2)([0035], l. 8) that is disposed at a relatively rotating position in a rotating machine ([0026], l. 2: “water pump”) and slides relatively on a counterpart sliding component (annular rotating ring 3)([0035], l. 4), wherein a sliding surface (sealing face S)([0035], l. 16) of the sliding component is provided with a fluid introduction groove (intake pumping area 11a) configured to communicate with at least a side on which a fluid exists, and a dynamic pressure generation groove (outflow pumping area 11b) configured to communicate with the fluid introduction groove (see Fig. 4a and [0043], ll. 11 – 14: “[t]he pumping areas 11 are provided with intake pumping areas 11a operating in a direction so as to draw in the sealed fluid and outflow pumping areas 11b operating in a direction so as to expel the sealed fluid”) and extend in a circumferential direction, and wherein the dynamic pressure generation groove is provided with an uneven portion ([0044], ll. 1 – 5: “[a]s shown in detail in FIG. 5, described below, a plurality of parallel linear indentations (also referred to as a ‘periodic linear indentation structure’ in the present invention) is formed at a constant pitch in each of the pumping areas 11”) that repeatedly undulates toward an terminating end of the dynamic pressure generation groove.
Claim 2, Hosoe discloses the uneven portion having a corrugated shape ([0044], ll. 1 – 5).
Claim 3, Hosoe discloses a top portion of a convex portion of the uneven portion extending in a radial direction ([0074], ll. 1 – 5: “[i]n FIG. 5, the pumping areas 11 are formed parallel to a plane orthogonal to the axis in the circumferential direction and radial direction, but the pumping areas 11 are optionally inclined in the circumferential direction and/or radial direction as necessary”).
Claim 4, Hosoe discloses a side wall (w)(see annotated Fig. 5) of the dynamic pressure generation groove extending in a direction orthogonal to the sliding surface S.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 7 – 11 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.
Claims 6 and 12 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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).
Conclusion
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/PHILLIP A JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617