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 .
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.
Claims 2-4 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 2 recites “a bottom surface”. There is no frame of reference from which “bottom” is measured. Is bottom in the radial direction or the axial direction? Applicant should redefine the term relative to the directions already claimed (axial, radial, etc.). For example, “a first axial side” or “a second axial side”. Claim 3 recites “upper surface” which should be changed in a similar and consistent manner as claim 2.
Claim 3 recites “the upper surface of the main portion is exposed to a radially outer side of the pillar portion”. It is unclear what structure is intended by the limitation. It is unclear how one surface can be ‘exposed’ to another. Applicant should rewrite the limitation to clearly define the intended geometry.
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.
Claims 1 and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tazumi JP 2002-242936.
Re clm 1, Tazumi discloses a crown cage (Fig. 1) for a ball bearing ([0014]) comprising: an annular main portion (annular portion formed by 1, Fig. 1; 1 excluding 4s, Fig. 3); a plurality of pillar portions (3a and 3b between pockets 2) protruding in an axial direction at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction from the main portion; and a pocket (2) formed between the adjacent pillar portions and having a spherical concave surface having a spherical shape (shown by Fig. 1-3) capable of holding a ball, wherein: the pillar portion includes a pair of claw portions (3a and 3b) having tip end portions arranged at intervals therebetween and a connection portion (portion of 1 between 3a and 3b) connecting the pair of claw portions; an inlet (circumferential gap between 3a and 3b spanning pocket 2) portion having a width shorter than a diameter of the ball and for inserting the ball is provided between the tip end portions of the two adjacent claw portions configuring the pocket (‘snap fit’; [0004] and [0016]); and a distance from an inner circumferential surface of the pocket to a center of the crown cage for a ball bearing is smaller than a radius of an inner circumferential surface of the pillar portion (due to radially inward protrusion 4).
Re clm 5, Tazumi further discloses the inner circumferential surface of the pocket is a cylindrical surface (bottom 4, Fig. 2; forms a cylindrical surface) protruding to a radially inner side from the inner circumferential surface of the pillar portion.
Re clm 6, Tazumi further discloses a ball bearing ([0014], Fig. 4) comprising: an outer ring (42); an inner ring (41); a plurality of balls (44) arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring; and the crown cage (Fig. 1-3) for a ball bearing according to claim 1.
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.
Claims 1 and 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cisco U.S. 2016/0160921 in view of Tazumi JP 2002-242936.
Re clm 1, Cisco discloses a crown cage (Fig. 2-3) for a ball bearing (Fig. 1) comprising: an annular main portion (20); a plurality of pillar portions (31) protruding in an axial direction at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction from the main portion; and a pocket (40) formed between the adjacent pillar portions and having a spherical concave surface having a spherical shape (shown by Fig. 2-5) capable of holding a ball, wherein: the pillar portion includes a pair of claw portions (33s) having tip end portions arranged at intervals therebetween and a connection portion (for example, 34) connecting the pair of claw portions; an inlet (circumferential gap between claws 33 spanning pocket 40) portion having a width shorter than a diameter of the ball and for inserting the ball is provided between the tip end portions of the two adjacent claw portions configuring the pocket.
Cisco does not disclose a distance from an inner circumferential surface of the pocket to a center of the crown cage for a ball bearing is smaller than a radius of an inner circumferential surface of the pillar portion.
Tazumi teaches a crown cage comprising a distance from an inner circumferential surface of the pocket to a center of the crown cage for a ball bearing is smaller than a radius of an inner circumferential surface of the pillar portion (due to radially inward protrusion 4, Fig. 1-3) for the purpose of suppressing the occurrence of cracks formed in the pockets during operation ([0010).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Cisco and provide a distance from an inner circumferential surface of the pocket to a center of the crown cage for a ball bearing is smaller than a radius of an inner circumferential surface of the pillar portion for the purpose of suppressing the occurrence of cracks formed in the pockets during operation.
Re clm 3, Cisco further discloses the claw portion protrudes in the axial direction from a radially inner side portion of an upper surface of the main portion (as shown by Fig. 2-5); and the upper surface of the main portion is exposed to a radially outer side of the pillar portion (as shown in Fig. 4-5).
Re clm 4, Cisco further discloses an opening portion (36, Fig. 5) opened in the axial direction is provided between the adjacent pockets in the main portion.
Re clm 5, the improvement of Tazumi further discloses the inner circumferential surface of the pocket is a cylindrical surface (bottom 4, Fig. 2; forms a cylindrical surface) protruding to a radially inner side from the inner circumferential surface of the pillar portion.
Re clm 6, Cisco further discloses a ball bearing (Fig. 1) comprising: an outer ring (3); an inner ring (2); a plurality of balls (4) arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring; and the crown cage (10) for a ball bearing according to claim 1.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tazumi JP 2002-242936 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of An KR 102045291.
Tazumi discloses all the claimed subject matter as described above.
Re clm 2, Tazumi does not disclose a convex portion protruding in the axial direction is provided on a bottom surface of the main portion; and at least a portion of the convex portion overlaps the pocket in the circumferential direction and a radial direction.
An teaches a similar crown cage comprising a convex portion (111, Fig. 4) protruding in the axial direction is provided on a bottom surface (axial facing surface) of the main portion; and at least a portion of the convex portion overlaps the pocket in the circumferential direction and a radial direction for the purpose of providing improved deformation resistance so that the ball is stably supported ([0020] and [0046]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Tazumi and provide a convex portion protruding in the axial direction is provided on a bottom surface of the main portion; and at least a portion of the convex portion overlaps the pocket in the circumferential direction and a radial direction for the purpose of providing improved deformation resistance so that the ball is stably supported. Although the increased thickness due to element 4 of Tazumi provides a similar benefit, providing thickness in different directions improves deformation resistance in different directions as well.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cisco U.S. 2016/0160921 in view of Tazumi JP 2002-242936 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of An KR 102045291.
Cisco in view of Tazumi discloses all the claimed subject matter as described above.
Re clm 2, Cisco does not disclose a convex portion protruding in the axial direction is provided on a bottom surface of the main portion; and at least a portion of the convex portion overlaps the pocket in the circumferential direction and a radial direction.
An teaches a similar crown cage comprising a convex portion (111, Fig. 4) protruding in the axial direction is provided on a bottom surface (axial facing surface) of the main portion; and at least a portion of the convex portion overlaps the pocket in the circumferential direction and a radial direction for the purpose of providing improved deformation resistance so that the ball is stably supported ([0020] and [0046]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Cisco and provide a convex portion protruding in the axial direction is provided on a bottom surface of the main portion; and at least a portion of the convex portion overlaps the pocket in the circumferential direction and a radial direction for the purpose of providing improved deformation resistance so that the ball is stably supported. Although the increased thickness due to element 4 of Tazumi provides a similar benefit, providing thickness in different directions improves deformation resistance in different directions as well.
Conclusion
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/ALAN B WAITS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617