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 § 102
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 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 4 - 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Beai (U.S. Patent # 4415166).
Regarding Claim 1, Beia discloses a retainer (18, fig 1) for a seal assembly (fig 1), the retainer comprising: a base including an inner surface defining an aperture (aperture 48 of the inner surface of 18 as seen in examiner annotated fig 1 below); a protrusion (42, fig 2 same as fig 1) extending from the inner surface (fig 1); and a flange extending outwardly from the base, the flange defining an outer surface including opposing flat surfaces ( flange 36 as seen in examiner annotated fig 1 below).
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Regarding Claim 4, Beia discloses the retainer wherein: the retainer is configured for connection to an additional retainer having an opening (retainer 18 connects with additional retainer 20 with opening 38, fig 2 same as fig 1); and the protrusion is configured to be received by the opening of the additional retainer (42 received by 38).
Regarding Claim 5, Beia discloses the retainer wherein the opposing flat surfaces are configured to be engaged by a robot (opposing flat surfaces 36 are configured to be engaged by a robot) when the retainer is being connected to a substrate (18 connected to substrate of 26) or an additional retainer (20).
Regarding Claim 6, Beia discloses the retainer wherein the flange defines a channel configured to receive an annular seal (channel of flange 36 receiving seal 26).
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 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 103 in view of Tejano et al. (U.S. PG Pub # 20160372987).
Regarding Claim 2, Beia discloses the retainer.
Beia does not disclose wherein the base includes a set of flexible locking arms.
However, Tejano teaches wherein the base includes a set of flexible locking arms (70, fig 8B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the base of Beai with a set of locking arms of Tejano with a reasonable expectation of success so that the base may be secured to the substrate using the locking arms ( Tejano Para 0106).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Beia and Tejano discloses the retainer wherein: the retainer is configured for connection to a substrate (Beai 18 connected to substrate of 26); and the set of flexible locking arms is configured to inhibit removal of the retainer from the substrate (Tejano 70 inhibits removal of Beai 18 from the substrate of 26).
Claims 7 – 16 and 18 - 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beai in view of Chretien et al. (EP 0967425).
Regarding Claim 7, Beia discloses a retainer (18, fig 1) for a seal assembly (fig 1), the retainer comprising: a base ( as seen in examiner annotated fig 1 below) including: an outer surface ( as seen in examiner annotated fig 1 below); an inner surface opposite the outer surface ( as seen in examiner annotated fig 1 below), the inner surface defining an aperture (48); and an end surface (32, fig 2 same as fig 1) extending between the outer surface and the inner surface (fig 1), the end surface defining an opening (40), and a flange extending outwardly from the base ( as seen in examiner annotated fig 1 below), the flange defining a second outer surface ( as seen in examiner annotated fig 1 below), and the second outer surface including opposing flat surfaces ( as seen in examiner annotated fig 1 below).
Beia does not disclose the outer surface defining a groove in communication with the opening.
However, Chretien teaches the outer surface (outer surface of 6a, fig 1) defining a groove ( groove of 17, fig 1) in communication with the opening (opening of 17, fig 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the outer surface of the retainer of Beai with a groove of Chretien with a reasonable expectation of success so that the protrusions engage the grooves and the retainers are rotated until blocked ( Chretien Description of 17).
Regarding Claim 8, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the retainer wherein: the retainer (Beai18) is configured for connection to an additional retainer (Beai1820); the opening (Beai 18 40) is configured to receive a protrusion (Beai18 38) of the additional retainer (Beai18 20); and the groove is configured to translatably-receive the protrusion.
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the retainer.
Beia does not disclose wherein: the retainer is configured for connection with a third retainer; and the aperture receives the third retainer.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, to comprise a plurality of retainers, as it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art, to improve the sealing assembly with better retention while providing modularity for the sealing assembly.
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the retainer wherein the opposing flat surfaces are configured to be engaged by a robot when the retainer is being connected to an additional retainer (opposing flat surfaces of Beai are configured to be engaged by a robot when the retainer 18 of Beia is being connected to an additional retainer).
Regarding Claim 11, Beia discloses a seal assembly (fig 1) comprising: a first retainer (18) including: a first base (base of 18) including a first inner surface defining a first aperture (aperture 48 of 18); and a protrusion (38) extending from the first inner surface (inner surface of 18); and a second retainer (20) configured for removable connection with the first retainer (18) (20 removable from 18) and including a second base (base of 20) having: an outer surface (outer surface of 20); a second inner surface (inner surface of 20) opposite the outer surface (fig 1), the second inner surface defining a second aperture (aperture 48 of 20); and an end surface (32 of 20) extending between the outer surface and the second inner surface (surfaces of 20), the end surface defining an opening (40) configured to receive the protrusion (38).
Beia does not disclose the outer surface defining a groove in communication with the opening and configured to translatably-receive the protrusion upon rotation of the second retainer relative to the first retainer.
However, Chretien teaches the outer surface (outer surface of 6a, fig 1) defining a groove ( groove of 17, fig 1) with the opening (opening of 17, fig 1) and configured to translatably-receive the protrusion (Beai 38) upon rotation of the second retainer relative to the first retainer (Beai 18, 20).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the outer surface of the retainer of Beai with a groove of Chretien with a reasonable expectation of success so that the protrusions engage the grooves and the retainers are rotated until blocked ( Chretien Description of 17).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the seal assembly wherein one of the first retainer or the second retainer includes a first flange (Beai 36 of 18) extending outwardly therefrom (Beai fig 1).
Regarding Claim 13, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the seal assembly further comprising an annular seal (Beai 26) coupled to the first flange (Beai 36 of 18).
Regarding Claim 14, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the seal assembly wherein the other of the first retainer or the second retainer includes a second flange (Beai 36 of 20) extending outwardly therefrom (Beai fig 1).
Regarding Claim 15, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the seal assembly, wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are configured to receive the annular seal upon removably-connecting the first retainer to the second retainer (Beai - apertures of 18 an d20 receive 26).
Beia does not disclose further comprising a third retainer.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, to comprise a plurality of retainers, as it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art, to improve the sealing assembly with better retention while providing modularity for the sealing assembly.
Regarding Claim 16, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the seal assembly wherein: the first retainer (Beai 18) is configured for connection to a substrate (Beai – substrate of 26); and in an assembled configuration, the substrate surrounds the first base and the second base (Beai – substrate of 26 surrounds bases of 18 and 20).
Regarding Claim 18, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the seal assembly wherein: the first retainer includes a flange (Beai – 36 of 18) extending outwardly from the first base (Beai - base of 18); the flange defines opposing flat surfaces (Beai – flat surfaces of 36); and the opposing flat surfaces are configured to be engaged by a robot (Beai - opposing flat surfaces of 36 are configured to be engaged by a robot ) when the first retainer is being connected to a substrate or the second retainer (Beai fig 1).
Regarding Claim 19, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the seal assembly wherein: the second retainer includes a flange (Beai – 36 of 20) extending outwardly from the second base (Beai – base of 20); the flange defines opposing flat surfaces (Beai – flat surfaces of 36); and the opposing flat surfaces are configured to be engaged by a robot ( Beai - opposing flat surfaces are configured to be engaged by a robot) when the second retainer is being connected to the first retainer (Beai fig 1).
Regarding Claim 20, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses a vehicle comprising: the seal assembly (Beai fig 1).
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beai in view of Chretien and further in view of Tejano.
Regarding Claim 17, the combination of Beia and Chretien discloses the seal assembly.
wherein the first base includes a flexible locking arm having an outwardly-extending tab configured to engage a substrate.
Beia does not disclose wherein the first base includes a flexible locking arm having an outwardly-extending tab configured to engage a substrate.
However, Tejano teaches wherein the first base includes a flexible locking arm (70, fig 8B) having an outwardly-extending tab (tab of 70, fig 8B) configured to engage a substrate (Beai - substrate of 26).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the base of Beai with a set of locking arms of Tejano with a reasonable expectation of success so that the base may be secured to the substrate using the locking arms ( Tejano Para 0106).
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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 from Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM.
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. SUSMITHA KONERU/Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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