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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 27-31 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/23/2025.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figs. 7a-7d, 9, and 10 are photos/ renders that would not allow for clear reproduction as a printed patent, as required by 37 CFR § 1.84 (b). It is recommended that the drawings be line drawings with the appropriate shading where necessary. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 recites the limitation “a ring element” in line 1. This appears to be an instance of double inclusion with the same limitation disclosed in line 4 of claim 1.
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: The claim does not begin with a capital letter. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 6-9, 12-20, and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HUR et al. KR 20080072432 A in view of HOFMANN et al. (US 20150047463 A1).
Regarding claim 1, HUR discloses a device comprising, a sun element (1) comprised of a first material with a first modulus (see page 6 of provided translation, which discloses the sun being a SCM material); a plurality of planet elements (planetary gears) comprised of a second material with a second modulus (see page 6 of provided translation, which discloses the carrier made of a Mn-Cu alloy, and page 8 that discloses the carrier composed of three planetary gears); and a ring element (3); wherein the sun element and the ring element are coaxial with an axis, and each of the plurality of planet elements are disposed between the sun element and the ring element; wherein the sun element and each of the plurality of planet elements engage and transfer motion therebetween at a first interface and each of the plurality of planet elements and the ring element engage at a second interface, and the first modulus and the second modulus are unequal.
HUR does not disclose at least one of the first material and the second material is a bulk metallic glass.
HOFMANN teaches gear systems having bulk metallic glass gearing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the device of HUR, such that at least one of the first and second materials would be a bulk metallic glass, as taught by HOFMANN, as HOFMANN teaches selecting a BMG based on its suitability in view of desired parameters, and its resistance to standard modes of wear (HOFMANN, paragraph [0065]).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the sun element wears at a rate proportional to the number of planet elements (this is intrinsic to all planetary gear trains).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the sun element (1) has a higher hardness and modulus than each of the plurality of planet elements. (HUR discloses the sun being made of a steel alloy, and the planets made from a Mn-Cu alloy).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses a ring element and wherein the first rotational element, is configured to rotate about an axis, and the ring element is disposed coaxially with the first rotational element and the second rotational element is disposed between the first rotational element and the ring element.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses at least one of the first material or the second material is a steel alloy (HUR discloses the sun gear being a steel alloy).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the device is configured for operation above a set temperature.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses a device comprising, a first rotational element comprised of a first material with a first surface that rotates at a first speed; and a second rotational element comprised of a second material with a second surface that rotates at a second speed; wherein the first surface and the second surface are comprised of different materials and engage at a hybrid material interface to transfer motion; wherein the first rotational element rotates at a first cycle period, the second rotational element rotates at a second cycle period, and the first cycle period is different from the second cycle period; and wherein at least one of the first material and the second material is a bulk metallic glass.
Regarding claim 13, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the first speed and the second speed are different.
Regarding claim 14, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the first rotational element and the second rotational element are configured as gears.
Regarding claim 15, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the first material and the second material are different.
Regarding claim 16, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the first material and the second material are selected for a desired property selected from the group consisting of: operational lifetime, operational environment, hardness, or modulus.
Regarding claim 17, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the first cycle period is higher than the second cycle period, and the first material is selected for a modulus that is higher than the second material.
Regarding claim 18, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the modulus is selected for a low contact stress at the hybrid material interface.
Regarding claim 19, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the device is configured as a traction drive.
Regarding claim 20, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the first rotational element wears at a first wear rate, the second rotational element wears at a second wear rate and the first wear rate and the second wear rate are not equal.
Regarding claim 23, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the first surface and the second surface are configured to engage without lubrication.
Claim(s) 10, 11, 24, and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HUR et al. KR 20080072432 A in view of HOFMANN et al. (US 20150047463 A1) as applied to claims 1, 2, 6-9, 12-20, and 23 above, and further in view of HASAN et al. (US 2019/0136962A1).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN discloses the planetary elements and the sun element, but does not disclose at least one of them further comprised of a third material at a contact surface.
HASAN teaches a planetary gearing system wherein a coating is applied to the teeth of one of the elements, see claim 18.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the device of HUR in view of HOFMANN such that the teeth of one of the sun gear and the planetary elements would have a coating, as taught by HASAN to increase the harness of the gear teeth (claim 18 of HASAN).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN-HASAN discloses the third material is an oxide or a ceramic (claim 18 of HASAN).
Regarding claim 24, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN-HASAN discloses the first surface is comprised of a third material that is harder than the first material.
Regarding claim 25, the combination of HUR-HOFMANN-HASAN discloses the third material is an oxide or ceramic.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 21, 22, and 26 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 9855992 B1: Teaches various planets having different modulus, as well as the ring gear.
US 9328813 B2: Teaches using BMGs because "metallic glasses are generally much harder than conventional metals, and are generally tougher than ceramic materials. They are also relatively corrosion resistant", also "the manufacture of metallic glass materials lends itself to relatively easy processing. In particular, the manufacture of a metallic glass can be compatible with an injection molding process, or any similar casting process." Col. 4 lines 52-60
US 10941847 B2: Teaches gears formed of BMG and a range of modulus of such gears.
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/DEREK D KNIGHT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655