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 .
Status of Claims
The amendment filed on April 16, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 – 12 are pending in this application. Claims 3 and 6 have been cancelled. The Examiner acknowledges the addition of claims 9 – 12. As amended, the Abstract overcomes the objection to the cited in the previous office action. As amended, claims 7 and 8 overcome the claim objections cited the previous office action. As amended, claim 7 fails to overcome(s) the 35 U.S.C 112, second paragraph rejection/claim objections cited in the previous office action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 16, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant has deemed claim 7 written in independent form as allowable, but has failed to specifically point out how the language of the claim is patently distinguishable for the prior art reference Ishikawa JP (see 102 rejection below). Further, independent claim 7 does not include the subject matter of claim 3 deemed allowable in the previous office action. Therefore, claim 7 stands finally rejected under 35 USC 102.
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 7 and 9 – 11 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.
Claim 7, the limitation "more pitch diameter value compared to other ball row in a pair of ball rows in a tandem bearing" is vague and lacks clear antecedent basis, as the limitation nor paragraph [0032] of the specification clearly identify the comparator (i.e. “the other ball row in a pair of ball rows in a tandem bearing”). As a result it, is unclear whether the comparison is intended between to be between the outer ball row and the inner ball row of the same tandem ball bearing, or the outer ball row and a ball row of another tandem ball bearing. Thus the scope of the comparison is ambiguous. Further, the phrase "more pitch diameter value" is a relative term that lacks clear boundaries because the claim does not clearly identify the reference ball row for comparison.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 7 and 9 – 11, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Ishikawa JP 2009036348 (incl. machine translation).
Claim 7, Ishikawa discloses a tandem ball bearing (tandem double-row angular contact ball bearing 1)(Fig. 1)([0020], l. 1) comprising: an outer ring 2 ([0020], l. 2); an inner ring 3 ([0020], l. 3); a plurality of outer balls 5 ([0021], l. 1) disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring to form an outer ball row; a plurality of inner balls 6 ([0021], ll. 2 – 3) disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring to form an inner ball row; wherein the plurality of outer balls and the plurality of inner balls are configured such that a plurality of external tangent apex (LE and LI) associated with the plurality of outer balls and the plurality inner balls meet at a common point (P) on a bearing central axis (LC)([0024]: “[t]he large diameter balls 5 and the small diameter balls 6 are formed so that, in a cross section passing through the axis L of the tandem double-row angular contact ball bearing, a line LE connecting the points where each ball 5, 6 touches the large diameter outer ring raceway surface 2a and the small diameter outer ring raceway surface 2b, and a line LI connecting the points where each ball 5, 6 touches the large diameter inner ring raceway surface 3a and the small diameter inner ring raceway surface 3b, intersect at a point P on the axis LC on the front side of the inner ring”); Ishikawa further discloses the outer ball row having an outer pitch diameter and the inner ball row has an inner pitch diameter, wherein the outer pitch diameter is more than the inner pitch diameter ([0034], ll. 1 – 3: “as a tandem type double-row angular contact ball bearing 1, the pitch circle diameter of the large diameter ball group on the pinion gear side is made larger than the pitch circle diameter of the small diameter ball group”), the outer ball row is a ball row having more pitch diameter value compared to other ball row (construed as the inner ball row) in a pair of ball rows in a tandem ball bearing (construed as tandem double-row angular contact ball bearing 1).
Claim 9, Ishikawa discloses the diameter of outer balls 5 being greater than the diameter of inner balls 6 ([0031], ll. 8 – 10: “[t]he tandem type double row angular contact ball bearing 1 is formed so that the diameter of the balls 5 constituting the large diameter side ball group is larger than the diameter of the balls 6 constituting the small diameter side ball group”).
Claim 10, Ishikawa discloses a contact angle α1 of the outer ball row being equal to a contact angle a2 of the inner ball row ([0016], II. 8 - 11: "[t]he tandem type double- row angular contact ball bearing comprises double-row ball groups interposed between the outer and inner rings, with the contact angles of the balls contacting the raceway surfaces of each row facing in the same direction").
Claim 11, Ishikawa discloses a difference between a contact angle a1 of the outer ball row and a contact angle a2 of the inner ball row is in a range between zero to five degrees (Ishikawa discloses a difference of zero degrees, since the contact angles are described in [0016], II. 8 - 11 of Ishikawa as "facing the same direction" or parallel as seen Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 12 are allowed.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHILLIP A JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5216. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm.
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/PHILLIP A JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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