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
Applicant's election with traverse of species 2 in the reply filed on 1/27/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the Examiner has not provided “evidence” for restriction. However, the Examiner notes that this is not a restriction, but rather an election of species. This is not found persuasive because, simply put, a number of the species COULD NOT read on the independent claims. Specifically, the limitation “projections of the second bearing, the main shaft bearing and the spring on a reference plane perpendicular to an up and down direction have an overlapping region” does not occur in any other species other than the one elected (which the Examiner assumes the Applicant knows, which is why they selected that species).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4 and 10-12 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 16 and subsequent dependent claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 16, the claim limitation “a second bearing” and “a ratio of a distance from a rear end surface of the spring to a front end surface of the first bearing to a distance from a front end surface of the second bearing to the front end surface of the first bearing is less than or equal to 1” renders the claim indefinite, as no first bearing has been claimed. The “second bearing” will be interpreted as “a bearing”. However, the ratio portion of the claim cannot be examined, as there is no context to interpret this portion of the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-2, 5-9, 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Roehm, US 20250050489.
Regarding claim 1, Roehm discloses: An impact tool (Fig. 1, power tool 100), comprising:
a motor (Fig. 1, drive motor 114), comprising or connected to a drive shaft (Fig. 1, drive shaft 116) for outputting power and rotatable about a first axis (Fig. 2, tool axis 102).
;
an impact assembly (Fig. 1, percussion mechanism 122), comprising a main shaft (Fig. 2, intermediate shaft 120) and a spring (Fig. 2, springs 320 and 340) sleeved on the main shaft;
a transmission assembly (Fig. 1, gear unit 118), for transmitting the power output by the drive shaft to the main shaft;
a main shaft bearing (Fig. 2, bearing 200), for supporting the main shaft; and
a second bearing (Fig. 1, drive shaft bearing 117), for supporting the drive shaft;
wherein projections of the second bearing, the main shaft bearing and the spring on a reference plane perpendicular to an up and down direction have an overlapping region (see Examiner Illustration 1. As the device is cylindrically symmetrical, the reference plane sighted by the examiner would encounter the same projections as the p21 plane as shown in Fig. 20 of the current application).
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Examiner Illustration 1
Regarding claim 2, Roehm further discloses: the main shaft is formed with a first groove (see Examiner Illustration 1), and the drive shaft or the second bearing is at least partially disposed in the first groove (see Examiner Illustration 1).
Regarding claim 5, Roehm further discloses: the transmission assembly comprises an inner ring gear (Fig. 2, ring gear 129) and a planetary gearset engages with the inner ring gear.
Regarding claim 6, Roehm further discloses: the transmission assembly further includes a gearbox housing (Fig. 2, gear cover 125).
Regarding claim 7, Roehm further discloses: the main shaft bearing is arranged between the main shaft and the gearbox housing (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 8, Roehm further discloses: the main shaft has a first surface, an inner race of the main shaft bearing abuts against the first surface, and an outer race of the main shaft bearing abuts against the gearbox housing (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, Roehm further discloses: the impact assembly further includes an impact block (Fig. 2, striker 300) movably sleeved on the main shaft.
Regarding claim 13, Roehm discloses: An impact tool (Fig. 1, power tool 100), comprising:
a motor (Fig. 1, drive motor 114), comprising or connected to a drive shaft (Fig. 1, drive shaft 116) for outputting power;
an impact assembly (Fig. 1, percussion mechanism 122), comprising a main shaft (Fig. 2, intermediate shaft 120) and a spring (Fig. 2, springs 320 and 340) sleeved on the main shaft;
a transmission assembly (Fig. 1, gear unit 118), for transmitting the power output by the drive shaft to the main shaft; and
a main shaft bearing (Fig. 2, bearing 200), for supporting the main shaft, wherein the main shaft bearing is formed with an accommodating space extending along a front and rear direction in which the spring is at least partially disposed along the front and rear direction (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 14, Roehm further discloses: the impact tool also includes a second bearing (Fig. 1, drive shaft bearing 117), for supporting the drive shaft, the main shaft is formed with a first groove (see Examiner Illustration 1), and the drive shaft or the second bearing is at least partially arranged in the first groove (see Examiner Illustration 1).
Regarding claim 15, Roehm further discloses: the drive shaft or the second bearing is at least partially arranged in the accommodating space in the front and rear direction (see Examiner Illustration 1).
Claims 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tamura, US 20240253203.
Regarding claim 16, Tamura discloses: An impact tool (Fig. 1, impact wrench 10), comprising:
a motor (Fig. 1, motor 30), comprising or connected to a drive shaft (Fig. 1, drive shaft 31) for outputting power;
an impact assembly (Fig. 1, impact mechanism 40), comprising a main shaft (Fig. 1, spindle 42) and a spring (Fig. 1, energizing spring 48) sleeved on the main shaft; and
a bearing (Fig. 1, bearing 24, 26 and/or 70), for supporting the drive shaft;
Regarding claim 17, Tamura discloses: the main shaft is formed with a first groove, and the drive shaft or the second bearing is at least partially disposed in the first groove (see Examiner Illustration 2).
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Examiner Illustration 2
Regarding claim 18, Tamura discloses: the main shaft is also formed with a second groove, and the spring is at least partially disposed in the second groove along the front and rear direction (see Examiner Illustration 2).
Regarding claim 19, Tamura discloses: projections of the first groove and the second groove on a reference plane perpendicular to the up and down direction overlap (see dotted line in Examiner Illustration 2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL JEREMY LEEDS whose telephone number is (571)272-2095. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs, 0730-1730.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at 571-270-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL JEREMY LEEDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731