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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 1 and 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kojima (US 20130175745 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Kojima discloses an anti-vibration device comprising: a tubular first attachment member (14) configured to be connected to one of a vibration generating portion and a vibration receiving portion and a second attachment member (22) configured to be connected to the other; an elastic body (32) connecting the first attachment member and the second attachment member; and a separating member (50) configured to separate, in an axial direction along a central axis of the first attachment member (14), a liquid chamber inside the first attachment member (14) into a first liquid chamber (44) having the elastic body (32) as a part of a dividing wall and a second liquid chamber (46), the separating member (50) having formed therein an orifice passage (60) connecting the first liquid chamber (44) and the second liquid chamber (46), wherein a deformable shielding body (34) connecting the first attachment member (14) and the second attachment member (22) and covering the elastic body (32) from a side opposite the first liquid chamber (44) along the axial direction is provided, and a shielding chamber (42) is defined by being sandwiched in the axial direction by the shielding body (34) and the elastic body (32) and is cut off from the liquid chamber (44) (see Fig. 6).
Regarding Claim 3, Kojima discloses wherein the shielding body (34) is integrally formed from a same material as the elastic body (32) (see Fig. 6).
Regarding Claim 4, Kojima discloses wherein the shielding chamber (42) is filled with a same liquid as a liquid filling the liquid chamber (44, 46) (see Fig. 6).
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 2 and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kojima (US 20130175745 A1) as applied to Claim 1, above, in view of Okumura (US 9365101 B2).
Regarding Claim 2, Kojima discloses the anti-vibration device according to claim 1, wherein an internal volume of the liquid chamber is deformable and has a variable volume (see Fig. 6, [0105]).
Kojima does not explicitly disclose wherein an internal volume of the shielding chamber is smaller than an internal volume of the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber respectively.
Okumura teaches an anti-vibration device wherein an internal volume of the shielding chamber (88) is smaller than an internal volume of the first liquid chamber (46) and the second liquid chamber (48) respectively (see Fig. 8).
It would have been obvious, to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teaching of the smaller volume shield chamber when compared to the other liquid chambers of Okumura with the anti-vibration device of Kojima in order to control and modify the vibration damping characteristics and reduce the size of the device (see US 9365101 B2 [Okumura]; 2: 42-49).
Regarding Claim 5, Kojima modified by Okumura teaches wherein the shielding body (34) is integrally formed from a same material as the elastic body (32) (see US 20130175745 A1 [Kojima]; Fig. 6).
Regarding Claim 6, Kojima modified by Okumura teaches wherein the shielding chamber (42) is filled with a same liquid as a liquid filling the liquid chamber (44, 46) (see US 20130175745 A1 [Kojima]; Fig. 6).
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tanaka (US 20060043658 A1) discloses an anti-vibration device with a separation member, shielding body, and a shielding chamber.
Kojima (US 20090026670 A1) discloses an anti-vibration device with a separation member, shielding body, and a shielding chamber.
Nishi (US 8657269 B2) discloses an anti-vibration device with a separation member, shielding body, and a shielding chamber.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Shea Irvin whose telephone number is (571)272-9952. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 - 17:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Siconolfi can be reached at (571) 272-7124. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S.W.I./Examiner, Art Unit 3616
/Robert A. Siconolfi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3616
