DETAILED ACTION
Application Status
Claims 1-15 are pending and have been examined in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) filed on 10/28/2024, 09/26/2025, and 12/09/2025 have been reviewed and considered.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 8-9, and 12-14 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Roat (US 20250282217 A1).
Note, US 20250282217 A1 claims priority to provisional application #63/562,840, which was filed 03/08/2024 and appears to fully support the U.S. publication.
With respect to claim 1, Roat discloses: A disconnector apparatus comprising: a casing (112a, Fig. 9) including a casing main body and a cover (122) coupled to the casing main body; a support ring (see annotated figure below) disposed in the casing main body; and a clutch ring (134) having a first clutch part (136) disposed on an outer-diameter portion thereof, and a second clutch part (137) disposed on an inner-diameter portion of the clutch ring, the clutch ring being capable of being moved toward the support ring ("interior splines 137 that are axially movable into and out of engagement with the exterior splines 128", paragraph [0052]) by being pushed by a sleeve (160; also see "the clutch ring mount 160 that in turn moves the clutch ring 134.", paragraph [0052]), wherein the first clutch part is configured to engage with a third clutch part disposed on an inner-diameter portion of the casing main body, and the second clutch part is configured to engage with a fourth clutch part (128) disposed on an outer-diameter portion of one side of the support ring.
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With respect to claim 2, Roat discloses: The disconnector apparatus of claim 1, wherein the clutch ring (134, Fig. 9) is connected to the sleeve (160; also see "an interior groove 168 that engage the clutch ring 134.", paragraph [0052]), wherein the second clutch part (137) is configured to engage with (see "into and out of engagement", paragraph [0052]) the fourth clutch part (128) as the clutch ring is pushed toward the support ring by the sleeve, and wherein the second clutch part and the fourth clutch part are configured to be disengaged ("into and out of engagement", paragraph [0052]) as the clutch ring is pushed away from the support ring by a disengagement operation of the sleeve.
With respect to claim 3, Roat discloses: The disconnector apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one inclined contact surface (see annotated figure below) is defined at a tip of a tooth of the second clutch part (137), wherein at least one counterpart inclined contact surface (see annotated figure below) is defined at a tip of a tooth of the fourth clutch part (128), and wherein the second clutch part and the fourth clutch part are configured to engage with each other as the at least one inclined contact surface slides in a state in which the at least one inclined contact surface is in contact with the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface.
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With respect to claim 8, Roat discloses the disconnector apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one inclined contact surface is defined at two opposite sides (see annotated figure above) of the tip of the tooth of the second clutch part (137, Fig. 9).
With respect to claim 9, Roat discloses the disconnector apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface is defined at two opposite sides (see annotated figure above) of the tip of the tooth of the fourth clutch part (128, Fig. 9) opposite to the at least one inclined contact surface defined at the two opposite sides of the tip of the tooth of the second clutch part.
With respect to claim 12, Roat discloses the disconnector apparatus of claim 2, wherein a catching projection (see annotated figure below) is defined on an outer-diameter portion of the casing main body (112a, Fig. 9) to which the sleeve (160) is coupled, wherein, a catching surface (see annotated figure below) is defined on one surface of the sleeve directed toward the catching projection, and wherein the catching surface of the sleeve, which is configured to be moved along the outer-diameter portion of the casing main body by an operation of an actuator device (42, Fig. 5), is configured to be caught by the catching projection to restrict a movement of the sleeve.
With respect to claim 13, Roat discloses: the disconnector apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one pressing portion (166, Fig. 9) is disposed on a surface of the sleeve directed toward the clutch ring, wherein the at least one pressing portion passes through a through-hole (39) defined in the casing main body, and wherein the at least one pressing portion is connected to the clutch ring (see "an interior groove 168 that engage the clutch ring 134", paragraph [0052]) disposed in the casing main body.
With respect to claim 14, Roat discloses: the disconnector apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one pressing portion (166, Fig. 9) is configured to push the clutch ring (134) toward the support ring (see annotated figure above) to allow the second clutch part (137) to engage with the fourth clutch part (128), or the at least one pressing portion is configured to pull the clutch ring away from the support ring to disengage the second clutch part and the fourth clutch part ("interior splines 137 that are axially movable into and out of engagement with the exterior splines 128", paragraph [0052]).
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 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Roat (US 20250282217 A1) in view of Yuasa (US 20190322171 A1).
With respect to claim 4, Roat discloses the disconnector apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one inclined contact surface is defined at one side of the tip of the tooth of the second clutch part, but is silent in teaching that the at least one inclined contact surface defines an acute angle with respect to a tip end of the tooth of the second clutch part.
Yuasa teaches a disconnector apparatus (see “dog clutch”, paragraph [0002]) having a clutch part (42, Fig. 5), wherein the clutch part has at least one inclined contact surface (CF2) defined at one side of the tip of a tooth of the clutch part, wherein the inclined contact surface defines an acute angle (see annotated figure below) with respect to a tip end of the tooth of the clutch part.
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Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Roat in view of Yuasa to have one-sided chamfers on the teeth of the second clutch part to arrive at the claimed invention. Such a modification would have been obvious as a simple substitution of one known element (the teeth tip disclosed by Roat) for another known element (the one-sided chamfered teeth taught by Yuasa) to achieve predictable results. Since both elements are for creating mechanical engagement between clutch members of a selective four wheel drive system, such a person would predict that the modified device would function substantially similarly to the original device.
With respect to claim 5, Roat in view of Yuasa as modified above teaches the disconnector apparatus of claim 4, but is silent in teaching that the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface is defined at one side of the tip of the tooth of the fourth clutch part opposite to the at least one inclined contact surface, and wherein the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface defines an acute angle with respect to a tip end of the tooth of the fourth clutch part.
Yuasa further teaches a counterpart inclined contact surface (CF1, Fig. 5) defined at one side of a tip of a tooth of a clutch part opposite to the at least one inclined contact surface (CF2), and wherein the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface defines an acute angle (see annotated figure below) with respect to a tip end of the tooth of the clutch part.
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Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to further modify Roat in view of Yuasa to arrive at the claimed invention and to provide a tooth shape that cooperates with the inclined contact surface as recited in claim 3. Further, such a modification would have been obvious as a simple substitution of one known element (the teeth tip disclosed by Roat) for another known element (the one-sided chamfered teeth taught by Yuasa) to achieve predictable results.
Claims 6-7 and 10-11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Roat (US 20250282217 A1) in view of Zhang (US 20120193185 A1).
With respect to claim 6, Roat discloses the disconnector apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one inclined contact surface is defined at one side of the tip of the tooth part of the second clutch, but is silent in teaching the flat surface and that the at least one inclined contact surface defines an obtuse angle with respect to the tip end of the tooth of the second clutch part.
Zhang teaches a disconnector apparatus (see “clutch”, abstract) having a clutch part (20, Fig. 2), wherein at least one inclined contact surface (see annotated figure below) is defined at a tip of a tooth (24) of the clutch part, wherein the at least one inclined contact surface is defined at one side of the tip of the tooth of the second clutch part, wherein a tip end of the tooth of the second clutch part, which excludes the at least one inclined contact surface, has a flat surface (see annotated figure below), and wherein the at least one inclined contact surface defines an obtuse angle (see annotated figure below) with respect to the tip end of the tooth of the second clutch part.
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Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Roat in view of Zhang to arrive at the claimed invention. Such a modification would have been obvious as a simple substitution of one known element (the teeth tip disclosed by Roat) for another known element (the teeth taught by Zhang) to achieve predictable results. Since both elements are for creating mechanical engagement between clutch members, such a person would predict that the modified device would function substantially similarly to the original device. Further, such a person would have been motivated to make such a modification to prevent stress concentrations at narrow tips of the teeth.
With respect to claim 7, Roat discloses the disconnector apparatus of claim 6, but is silent in teaching: the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface is defined at one side of the tip of the tooth of the fourth clutch part opposite to the at least one inclined contact surface, wherein a tip end of the tooth of the fourth clutch part, which excludes the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface, has a flat surface, and wherein the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface defines an obtuse angle with respect to the tip end of the tooth of the fourth clutch part.
Zhang teaches a disconnector apparatus (see “clutch”, abstract) having a mating clutch part (14, Fig. 2), having at least one counterpart inclined contact surface (see annotated figure below) defined at a tip of a tooth of the mating clutch part, wherein the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface is defined at one side of the tip of the tooth of the mating clutch part, wherein a tip end of the tooth of the mating clutch part, which excludes the at least one inclined contact surface, has a flat surface (see annotated figure below), and wherein the at least one inclined contact surface defines an obtuse angle (see annotated figure below) with respect to the tip end of the tooth of the second clutch part.
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Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Roat in view of Zhang to arrive at the claimed invention. Such a modification would have been obvious as a simple substitution of one known element (the teeth tip disclosed by Roat) for another known element (the teeth taught by Zhang) to achieve predictable results. Since both elements are for creating mechanical engagement between clutch members, such a person would predict that the modified device would function substantially similarly to the original device. Further, such a person would have been motivated to make such a modification to prevent stress concentrations at narrow tips of the teeth.
With respect to claims 10 and 11, Roat discloses the disconnector apparatus of claim 9, but is silent in teaching that the tip ends of the second and fourth clutch parts, at their tip ends of their teeth, have a flat surface, and wherein each of the at least one inclined contact surface and counterpart inclined surface defines an obtuse angle with respect to the tip of the respective clutch part.
Zhang teaches a disconnector apparatus comprising a clutch part (20), wherein a tip end of the tooth of the clutch part, which is positioned between the at least one inclined contact surface defined at the two opposite sides of the tip of the tooth of the clutch part, has a flat surface (see annotated figure above), and wherein each of the at least one inclined contact surface defines an obtuse angle (see annotated figure above) with respect to the tip end of the tooth of the clutch part, and further comprising a mating clutch part (14, Fig. 2), wherein a tip end of the tooth of the mating clutch part, which is defined between the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface (see annotated figure below) defined at the two opposite sides of the tip of the tooth of the mating clutch part, has a flat surface (see annotated figure below), and wherein each of the at least one counterpart inclined contact surface defines an obtuse angle (see annotated figure below) with respect to the tip end of the tooth of the mating clutch part.
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Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Roat in view of Zhang to arrive at the claimed invention and to reduce stress concentrations near the tip of the teeth by providing a flat surface at the ends of the teeth.
Allowable Subject Matter
With respect to claim 15, the closest prior art made of record is Roat (US 20250282217 A1). Roat discloses: A disconnector apparatus comprising: a casing (112a) including a casing main body and a cover (122) coupled to the casing main body; a support ring (see annotated figure below) disposed in the casing main body; and a clutch ring (134) having a first clutch part (136) disposed on an outer-diameter portion thereof, and a second clutch part (137) disposed on an inner-diameter portion of the clutch ring, the clutch ring being capable of being moved toward the support ring ("interior splines 137 that are axially movable into and out of engagement with the exterior splines 128", paragraph [0052]) by being pushed by a sleeve (160; also see "the clutch ring mount 160 that in turn moves the clutch ring 134.", paragraph [0052]), wherein the first clutch part is configured to engage with a third clutch part disposed on an inner-diameter portion of the casing main body, and the second clutch part is configured to engage with a fourth clutch part (128) disposed on an outer-diameter portion of one side of the support ring.
Regarding claim 15, Roat is silent in teaching at least one pressing portion configured to be caught by a catching member mounted in the casing main body to restrict a movement of the at least one pressing portion. Suggestions to modify Roat to arrive at the invention as claimed in claim 15 were not reasonably found in the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and discloses clutches in general.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew D Lee whose telephone number is (571)272-6087. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri. (7:30 - 5:00 EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John Olszewski can be reached at (571) 272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW D LEE/ Examiner, Art Unit 3617
/JOHN OLSZEWSKI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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