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
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 1-3 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by anticipated Dittes [WO 2011/047779].
Regarding claim 1: Dittes shows a linear actuator, comprising: a housing (4+7); a threaded spindle (5) rotatably supported on the housing at a first end portion the threaded spindle defining a longitudinal axis; a cantilever (14) which projects out of the housing long the longitudinal axis, and which is movable along the longitudinal axis; and a sliding piston (73) axially fixed within the cantilever (14) and supporting a second end portion of the threaded spindle (5) opposite the first end portion, and configured to define, at least in part a first cavity and a second cavity (71, 72) within the linear actuator (see fig 1),
wherein the first cavity (72) is located between the second cavity (71) and the first end portion wherein the cantilever (14) is connected to a threaded nut (6), which is axially fixed with respect to the cantilever (14, see fig 1) and the threadedly engaged with the threaded spindle (5), wherein the first cavity (72) is at least partially filled with a liquid (74),
wherein a first longitudinal channel (23) is located inside the threaded spindle, which extends along the longitudinal axis, wherein the first longitudinal channel is fluidly connected to the first cavity (72) and the second cavity (72) at its ends opposite to one another with respect to the longitudinal axis such that upon movement of the cantilever the liquid flows through the first longitudinal channel and between the sliding piston (73) and the threaded spindle thereby forming a lubricating film between the sliding piston and the threaded spindle.
Regarding claim 2: Dittes shows wherein the sliding piston (73) comprises bore holes (51) configured to pass fluid therethrough in a direction parallel to the threaded spindle (5) thereby providing a fluid connection between the first cavity and the second cavity.
Regarding claim 3: Dittes shows wherein the bore holes (51) run towards a center axis of the sliding piston (73).
Regarding claim 8: Dittes shows further comprising: a further nut (see markup fig 6) threadedly engaged with the second end portion and axially fixed with respect to the threaded spindle, wherein the sliding piston includes an enlarged internal space (see fig 1, the inner surface of 73 has larger portion and smaller portion) in which at least a portion of the further nut is positioned.
Regarding claim 9: Dittes shows the sliding piston (73) further having threaded holes by which an axial seal is secured to the sliding piston (73) by way of screws (“…If the pressure conditions are reversed, the membrane 61 is lifted off the recesses to the limit of the valve housing 66 which is annular and on a valve body part 65th screwed or press-connected with this…”).
Regarding claim 10: Dittes shows further including the axial seal comprises a check valve (60) and upon the movement of the cantilever the liquid further flows through the check valve (60)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 6, 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dittes [WO 2011/047779] in view of Wilhem [DE 102017121942].
Regarding claim 6: Dittes does not explicitly disclose that wherein the sliding piston is made of a wrought AlSi alloy. However, Wilhem teaches that the piston is made of a wrought AlSi alloy (see abstract)
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have made the piston from AIsi Alloy that offers advantages of superior strength, durability and toughness suitable for heavy duty applications. The material is resistant to fatigue and wear.
Note: Wrough AISi alloy per definition is a classification system for steels that have specific alloying elements, such as chromium, nickel, and molybdenum, added to them.
Regarding claim 7: Dittes does not explicitly show further comprising guiding bands and seals provided on the outer side of the sliding piston and configured to keep the sliding piston fixed to the cantilever by way of friction so that it does not rotate. However, Wilhem shows comprising guiding bands (15, see fig 3) and seals (6) provided on the outer side of the sliding piston and configured to hinder, by friction, rotation of the sliding piston (2) with respect to the cantilever
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have added seals on the circumference of the sliding piston to prevent any fluid leak or foreign object intrusion (e.g dust)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 5 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.
The prior art of the record fails to explicitly show wherein a cross-sectional area of the bore holes is between 50% and 200% of a cross-sectional area of the grooves. wherein as the cantilever moves, more fluid also flows through the bore holes than through the sliding bearing and grooves.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1-3, 6-10 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant argument that Huang does not disclose the sliding piston is axially fixed. The new cited rejection and considering the sliding piston to be element (73). The piston is axially fixed.
The added new limitation are addressed in details above.
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. For example, US 2022/0112940 shows spindle (41) with sliding piston (60) and sealing (65) and grooves (see fig 4) on the circumference of the sliding piston (60).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAKARIA ELAHMADI whose telephone number is (571)270-5324. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-6 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached on 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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