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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The specification recites “nut 340” and “nut 240”; however, both statements cannot be correct.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20210245363, Fussl in view of US 2737843, Herman.
In regards to claim 1, in Figure 4 and paragraphs detailing said figure, Fussl discloses a joint for mounting a component to a bracket on a rocket body (intended use and not positively claimed), the joint comprising: pin (51) defining a channel; a shaft (30, 50) having a first end (28) and a second end (29) and extending axially through the channel of the pin; one or more first disc springs (52, 53, 56, 57) disposed about the first end of the shaft and configured to axially compress; and one or more second disc springs (52, 53, 56, 57) disposed about the second end of the shaft and configured to axially compress. Fussl does not disclose a coiled roll pin. In Figures 1-2, Hermann teaches “a resilient coiled sheet metal fastening pin that may be used for connecting various mechanical or structural elements” (col. 1, lines 15-17), in particular, a pin of high mechanical strength “to resist shear forces, shock and vibration” (col. 1, lines 52-53). It 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 to provide a resilient coiled sheet metal fastening pin that may be used for connecting various mechanical or structural elements, in particular, a pin of high mechanical strength to resist shear forces, shock and vibration, as taught by Herman.
In regards to claim 2, Fussl in view of Herman further disclose a first washer (54) disposed about the first end of the shaft adjacent the one or more first disc springs.
In regards to claim 3, Fussl in view of Herman further disclose a second washer (55) disposed about the second end of the shaft adjacent the one or more second disc springs.
In regards to claim 4, Fussl in view of Herman further disclose the first end of the shaft comprises a head (at the right end of 30) that flares radially outward and axially retains the shaft within the channel.
In regards to claim 6, Fussl in view of Herman, Herman further discloses axially outer ends of the channel have an inner width (2) that decreases in axially outer directions.
In regards to claim 7, Fussl in view of Herman, Herman further discloses the coiled roll pin comprises a sheet of metal wrapped about a central axis at least one complete turn (col. 2, lines 55-58).
In regards to claim 8, Fussl in view of Herman further disclose the coiled roll pin is configured to provide a radially outward resilient force to the joint to compensate for radial thermal expansion of the joint (inherent).
In regards to claim 9, Fussl in view of Herman further disclose the coiled roll pin is configured to damp out vibratory loads from the rocket body.
In regards to claim 10, Fussl in view of Herman further disclose the one or more first and second disc springs are configured to limit an axially tensile force to the shaft to compensate for axial thermal expansion of the joint (inherent).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 and 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 12-18 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON M DUNWOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-7080. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.
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/AARON M DUNWOODY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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