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 .
Application Status
This action is responsive to the claims filed 18 November 2024.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and being examined.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 8-13, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Junkers (US 2013/0161041).
Claim 1: Junkers teaches a power tool (1-fig.1) comprising:
a housing (100,101,200-fig.1);
a motor (102-fig.2) supported within the housing (¶[0032]);
a drive assembly (210-fig.2) disposed within the housing and configured to be driven by the motor (¶[0032]-[0034]), the drive assembly including an output shaft (270-fig.2) and clutch mechanism (230-fig.2) with a collar (“shifting collars” ¶[0037]) surrounding the output shaft (see fig.2 showing the shifting collar of 230 surrounds the output shaft; ¶[0037]), the drive assembly operable in a first configuration (¶[0037]), in which the collar is coupled for co-rotation with the output shaft (¶[0037]; claim 30), and a second configuration, in which the collar is rotatable relative to the output shaft (¶[0037]; claim 30); and
a reaction arm (400-fig.2) configured to be removably coupled to the collar (¶[0054]).
Junkers further teaches:
Claim 2: The power tool of claim 1, wherein the drive assembly is operable in the first configuration only when the reaction arm is decoupled from the collar (¶[0054]).
Claim 8: The power tool of claim 1, wherein the drive assembly includes a ring gear (“ring gears” ¶[0033]) and a plurality of planet gears (“planetary gears” ¶[0033]) meshed with the ring gear, the plurality of planet gears carried by the output shaft (¶[0033], [0047]).
Claim 9: The power tool of claim 8, wherein the collar is fixed to the ring gear (¶[0037], claim 30).
Claim 10: The power tool of claim 9, wherein the collar and the reaction arm include cooperating splines (¶[0054]).
Claim 11: The power tool of claim 1, wherein the drive assembly includes a multi-stage planetary transmission (¶[0033]) having a plurality of gear stages (¶[0033]), wherein each of the plurality of gear stages provides a speed reduction and torque increase when the drive assembly is in the second configuration and the reaction arm is coupled to the collar (¶[0053]-[0054], claim 30) and engaged with a fixed support (¶[0054]), and wherein at least one of the plurality of gear stages is disabled, such that the output shaft is rotatable at a relatively higher speed and lower torque, when the drive assembly is in the first configuration (¶[0053]-[0054], claim 30).
Claim 12: Junkers teaches a power tool (1-fig.1) comprising:
a housing (100,101,200-fig.1);
a motor (102-fig.2) supported within the housing (¶[0032]);
a drive assembly (210-fig.2) disposed within the housing, the drive assembly including a sun gear (“sun gears” ¶[0033]) driven by the motor, a ring gear (“ring gears” ¶[0033]), a plurality of planet gears (“planetary gears” ¶[0033]) meshed with the sun gear and the ring gear, an output shaft (“transmission shafts” ¶[0033]) carrying the plurality of planet gears (¶[0033]), and a collar (“shifting collars” ¶[0037]) surrounding the output shaft (see fig.2 showing the shifting collar of 230 surrounds the output shaft; ¶[0037]); and
a reaction arm (400-fig.2) configured to be removably coupled to the collar (¶[0054]),
wherein the collar (¶[0037]) is fixed to the ring gear (¶[0044]),
wherein the output shaft is rotatable relative to the ring gear when the reaction arm is coupled to the collar and engaged with a fixed support (¶[0053]-[0054], claim 30), and
wherein the ring gear and the output shaft are configured to co-rotate when the reaction arm is decoupled from the collar and a torque on the output shaft is less than a threshold torque (¶[0054]).
Junkers further teaches:
Claim 13: The power tool of claim 12, wherein the ring gear is rotatable relative to the output shaft when the reaction arm is decoupled from the collar and a torque on the output shaft is greater than the threshold torque (¶[0053]-[0054], claim 30.
Claim 17: The power tool of claim 12, wherein the drive assembly includes a multi-stage planetary transmission comprising a plurality of gear stages (¶[0033]), and wherein the ring gear and the plurality of planet gears define a last stage of the plurality of gear stages (¶[0033]).
Claim 18: Junkers teaches a power tool (1-fig.1) comprising:
a housing (100,101,200-fig.1);
a motor (102-fig.2) supported within the housing (¶[0032]);
a drive assembly (210-fig.2) disposed within the housing and configured to be driven by the motor (¶[0032]-[0034]), the drive assembly including an output shaft (270-fig.2) and a collar (“shifting collars” ¶[0037]) surrounding the output shaft (see fig.2 showing the shifting collar of 230 surrounds the output shaft; ¶[0037]); and
a reaction arm (400-fig.2) configured to be removably coupled to the collar (¶[0054]),
wherein the drive assembly is operable in a high speed low torque mode in response to the reaction arm being decoupled from the collar (¶[0054]), and wherein the drive assembly is operable in a low speed high torque mode in response to the reaction arm being coupled to the collar (¶[0053]-[0054], claim 30).
Junkers further teaches:
Claim 19: The power tool of claim 18, wherein the drive assembly includes a ring gear (“ring gears” ¶[0033]) fixed to the collar and a plurality of planet gears (“planetary gears” ¶[0033]) meshed with the ring gear and carried by the output shaft (¶[0033], [0047]).
Claim 20: The power tool of claim 19, wherein the ring gear is rotatable relative to the housing in the high speed low torque mode (claim 24; ¶[0003]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 and 14-16 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KATIE L GERTH whose telephone number is (303)297-4602. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm (CT).
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/KATIE L GERTH/Examiner, Art Unit 3731
/THOMAS M WITTENSCHLAEGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731