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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 - 16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 - 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koyama (U.S. PG Pub # 20230392666) in view of .
Regarding Claim 1, Koyama discloses a sealing device (5, 50, 12, fig 2) to be assembled between a housing being cylindrical (4) and a rotor (3) located inside the housing (4) coaxially with the housing (fig 2) and rotatable about an axis (3 rotates about its axis), the sealing device comprising:
a first seal including a body (body of 5) to extend along an outer periphery of the rotor (5 extends along the outer periphery of 3) and
a groove (50) on an outer circumferential surface of the body ( 50 on outer circumferential surface of 5) and surrounding the port (50 surrounding 5c) when the outer circumferential surface is viewed in a radial direction toward the axis (fig 2), the groove including a pair of slopes (slopes of 50, fig 4b same as fig 2) flaring toward the housing (slopes of 50 flare toward 4); and
a second seal (12) attachable to the groove (50) to be in contact with the pair of slopes (12 contact slopes of 50), the second seal being configured to seal a gap between the housing and the first seal (12 seals gap between 4 and 5).
Koyama does not disclose the first seal including a port that extends radially relative to the axis throughout the body.
However, Hedger teaches the first seal including a port (92, fig 5) that extends radially relative to the axis throughout the body (92 extends radially relative to the axis throughout the body of 94, 95, fig 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the port of Koyama to extend radially through the body as in Hedger with a reasonable expectation of success so that the compressed air flows out through the port to the external atmosphere.
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses the sealing device, wherein the groove includes a bottom end ( as seen in examiner annotated Koyama fig 4b below), the groove has a first clearance between the bottom end and the second seal ( as seen in examiner annotated Koyama fig 4b below), and the second seal is deformable toward the first clearance during assembly (Koyama 12 can be deformed toward the first clearance).
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Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses the sealing device, wherein the second seal comprises an elastomer ( Koyama 12 comprises rubber, Para 0042).
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses the sealing device, wherein the pair of slopes are symmetric with each other in a radial direction of the first seal (Koyama slopes of 50 are symmetric radially).
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses the sealing device, wherein the second seal includes a buckling portion configured to buckle during assembly (Koyama buckling portion configured to buckle during assembly as seen in examiner annotated fig 4b above).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses the sealing device, wherein the groove has a second clearance between the pair of slopes and the buckling portion (Koyama second clearance between the slopes and the buckling portion as seen in examiner annotated fig 4b above).
Regarding Claim 7, Koyama discloses a sealing device (5, 50, 12, fig 2) to be assembled between a housing being cylindrical (4) and a rotor located inside the housing coaxially with the housing and rotatable about an axis (rotor 3 about its axis and coaxial with 4), the sealing device comprising:
a first seal including a body to extend along an outer periphery of the rotor (body of 5 extends along the outer periphery of 3),
and
a groove on an outer circumferential surface of the body (50 on outer circumferential surface of body of 5) and surrounding the port (50 surrounding 5c) when the outer circumferential surface is viewed in a radial direction toward the axis (fig 2), the groove including a pair of slopes ( slopes of 50) and a bottom end (as seen in examiner annotated fig 4b above ), each of the pair of slopes extending straight in a direction intersecting with the radial direction in a sectional view (fig 4b); and
a second seal attachable to the groove to be in contact with the pair of slopes (12 contacts slopes of 50), the second seal being configured to seal a gap between the housing and the first seal (12 seals gap between 4 and 5), wherein the groove has a first clearance between the bottom end and the second seal (as seen in examiner annotated fig 4b above), and
the second seal is deformable toward the first clearance during assembly (second seal 12 is deformable toward the first clearance during assembly).
Koyama does not disclose the first seal including a port that extends radially relative to the axis throughout the body.
However, Hedger teaches the first seal including a port (92, fig 5) that extends radially relative to the axis throughout the body (92 extends radially relative to the axis throughout the body of 94, 95, fig 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the port of Koyama to extend radially through the body as in Hedger with a reasonable expectation of success so that the compressed air flows out through the port to the external atmosphere.
Regarding Claim 8, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses a sealing structure, comprising: the sealing device (5, 50, 12);
the housing (Koyama 4); and
the rotor (Koyama 3).
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses a method for assembling a sealing structure, the method comprising: assembling the sealing device (Koyama 5, 50, 12) on a housing being cylindrical (Koyama 4); and assembling the rotor on an inner circumferential surface of the sealing device assembled on the housing (Koyama 3 on inner surface of 5, 50, 12 assembled on 4), the inner circumferential surface being opposite to the outer circumferential surface (Koyama opposite surfaces of 5, 50, 12).
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses a method for assembling a sealing structure, the method comprising: assembling the sealing device (Koyama 5, 50, 12, fig 2) on the rotor (Koyama 3); and assembling the housing (Koyama 4) on the sealing device assembled on the rotor (Koyama fig 2).
Regarding Claim 11, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses the sealing device, wherein the pair of slopes are symmetric with each other in a radial direction of the first seal (Koyama slopes of 50 symmetric radially).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses the sealing device, wherein the second seal includes a buckling portion configured to buckle during assembly (buckling portion configured to buckle during assembly as seen in examiner annotated Koyama fig 4b above).
Regarding Claim 13, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses the sealing device, wherein the second seal includes a buckling portion configured to buckle during assembly (buckling portion configured to buckle during assembly as seen in examiner annotated Koyama fig 4b above).
Regarding Claim 14, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses a sealing structure, comprising: the sealing device (5, 50, 12);
the housing (Koyama 4); and
the rotor (Koyama 3).
Regarding Claim 15, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses a method for assembling a sealing structure, the method comprising: assembling the sealing device (Koyama 5, 50, 12) on the housing (Koyama 4); and assembling the rotor (Koyama 3) on an inner circumferential surface of the sealing device assembled on the housing (Koyama 3 on the inner surface of 5, 50, 12), the inner circumferential surface being opposite to the outer circumferential surface (Koyama - opposite surfaces of 5, 50, 12).
Regarding Claim 16, the combination of Koyama and Hedger discloses a method for assembling a sealing structure, the method comprising: assembling the sealing device (Koyama 5, 50, 12) on the rotor (Koyama 3); and assembling the housing (Koyama 4) on the sealing device (Koyama 5, 50, 12) assembled on the rotor (Koyama 3).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to L. SUSMITHA KONERU whose telephone number is (571) 270-5333. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday from 9 A.M. – 4 P.M.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor Christine Mills can be reached on 571.272.8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/L.S.K/Examiner, Art Unit 3675
/CHRISTINE M MILLS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675