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
Claims 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 30 June 2026.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “through slot” and “hole” of claim 8 and 15; and the “drive unit” and “motor” of Fig. 10 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
The drawings are objected to because the shading of the drawings is not consistent with MPEP §608.02(V)(m). Specifically, Figs. 1A-5B and improperly shaded. Shading should be removed from Fig. 1A-4. The shading outside the housing of Fig. 5A-5B should be removed. The shading should be improved for Fig. 5A and 5B for clarity. Furthermore, the scale for Fig. 5A and 5B are unitless. Still further, the scale appears to have similar shades of grey for more than one value on the scale, rendering the drawing confusing.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claim 7 is 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.
Claim 7 recites “the bearing housing is a portion of a top gear box or a bottom gear box”. This renders the scope of the claim indefinite. The scope of the claim is a bearing assembly. The top gear box and the bottom gear box are outside the scope of the bearing assembly. Thus, it is unclear if the scope of the claims is simply the bearing assembly or the gear box. For the purpose of examination, it is assumed that the scope of the claim is intended to be just the bearing housing and not the gear box. The examiner further notes that there is no reference datum from which “top” or “bottom” are measured. Still further, it is unclear how the limitation “is a portion of a top gear box or a bottom gear box” in any way structurally limits the bearing housing.
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, 5-12 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schaube DE 102015012375.
Re clm 1, Schaube discloses a bearing assembly (Fig. 1) for power transmission ([0009]), the bearing assembly comprising: a bearing outer ring (10) comprising a first surface and a second surface (axial facing surfaces), the bearing outer ring structurally forming at least a first recess (22) on the first surface; a bearing housing (4) configured to house the bearing outer ring, the bearing housing structurally forming at least a cavity (28); and a retaining plunger (32 and 30) comprising a spring (30), the retaining plunger at least partially enclosed by the cavity, wherein, when the first recess and the retaining plunger are misaligned with each other, the retaining plunger is compressed by the first surface of the bearing outer ring into the cavity (as shown by Fig. 4).
Re clm 2 and 11, Schaube further discloses when the first recess and the retaining plunger are aligned with each other, the retaining plunger engages the first recess to prevent the bearing outer ring to rotate relative to the bearing housing (as shown in Fig. 3).
Re clm 3, Schaube further discloses the spring causes the retaining plunger to engage the first recess when the first recess and the retaining plunger are aligned with each other (shown in Fig. 3).
Re clm 5 and 14, Schaube further discloses a bearing inner ring (9) and a plurality of rolling elements (7), wherein the plurality of rolling elements are sandwiched between the bearing outer ring and the bearing inner ring (Fig. 1).
Re clm 6, Schaube further discloses the plurality of rolling elements comprise tapered rollers (Fig. 1; [0009]).
Re clm 7, Schaube further discloses the bearing housing is a portion of a top gear box or a bottom gear box ([0022]).
Re clm 8 and 15, Schaube further discloses the first recess comprises a notch, a slot, a through slot or a hole (22 is shown as each of these, especially a notch).
Re clm 9, Schaube further discloses the retaining plunger comprises a spring-loaded dowel pin, a detent pin, or a plunger (Fig. 3).
Re clm 10, Schaube discloses a drive unit for a vehicle ([0022]), the drive unit comprising: a motor configured to drive a gearbox (transmission; vehicle transmissions must be driven by a motor); and the gearbox comprising: a bearing (Fig. 1) comprising a bearing outer ring (10), the bearing outer ring structurally forming a first recess (22, Fig. 3) on a first surface, a bearing housing (4) configured to house the bearing, the bearing housing structurally forming at least a cavity (28), and a retaining plunger (30 and 32) at least partially enclosed by the cavity, wherein the retaining plunger is compressed by the first surface of the bearing outer ring (Fig. 4) into the cavity when the first recess and the retaining plunger are misaligned with each other.
Re clm 12, Schaube further discloses the retaining plunger comprises a spring (30), the spring causes the retaining plunger to engage the first recess when the first recess and the retaining plunger are aligned with each other (shown in Fig. 3).
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 4 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schaube DE 102015012375 as applied to claims 1 and 10 above, and further in view of Nieman U.S. 2003/0103704.
Schaube discloses all the claimed subject matter as described above.
Re clm 4 and 13, Schaube does not disclose the bearing outer ring structurally forms a second recess on the second surface, and wherein the second surface and the first surface face toward opposite directions.
Nieman teaches a bearing arrangement comprising anti-rotation features in which the bearing outer ring structurally forms a second recess (34s, Fig. 2) on the second surface (34s are located on both axial sides of the bearing), and wherein the second surface and the first surface face toward opposite directions (shown in Fig. 2) for the purpose of allowing the bearing to be mounted within the housing without reference to a preferred direction ([0027]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill I the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Schaube and provide the recess on both axial sides of the bearing such that the bearing outer ring structurally forms a second recess on the second surface, and wherein the second surface and the first surface face toward opposite direction for the purpose of allowing the bearing to be mounted within the housing without reference to a preferred direction.
Claims 10-12 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kraeuter U.S. 2023/0235792 in view of DE 29906373.
Re clm 10, Kraeuter discloses a drive unit for a vehicle ([0001]), the drive unit comprising: a motor (12) configured to drive a gearbox (transmission 16); and the gearbox comprising: a bearing (either of 40 or 42) comprising a bearing outer ring, a bearing housing (casing 36 and/or 38) configured to house the bearing.
Kraeuter does not disclose the bearing outer ring structurally forming a first recess on a first surface, the bearing housing structurally forming at least a cavity, and a retaining plunger at least partially enclosed by the cavity, wherein the retaining plunger is compressed by the first surface of the bearing outer ring into the cavity when the first recess and the retaining plunger are misaligned with each other.
DE ‘373 teaches a locking means comprising the bearing outer ring (1) structurally forming a first recess (5, Fig. 1-3) on a first surface (axially facing surface of outer ring), the bearing housing structurally forming at least a cavity (6), and a retaining plunger (7 and 8) at least partially enclosed by the cavity, wherein the retaining plunger is compressed by the first surface of the bearing outer ring into the cavity when the first recess and the retaining plunger are misaligned with each other (as shown in Fig. 3) for the purpose of affixing the bearing outer ring to housing so that it cannot rotate ([0006]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kraeuter and provide the bearing outer ring structurally forming a first recess on a first surface, the bearing housing structurally forming at least a cavity, and a retaining plunger at least partially enclosed by the cavity, wherein the retaining plunger is compressed by the first surface of the bearing outer ring into the cavity when the first recess and the retaining plunger are misaligned with each other for the purpose of affixing the bearing outer ring to housing so that it cannot rotate.
Re clm 11, the improvement of DE ‘373 further discloses the first recess and the retaining plunger are aligned with each other, the retaining plunger engages the first recess to prevent the bearing outer ring to rotate relative to the bearing housing (Fig. 2).
Re clm 12, the improvement of DE ‘373 further discloses the retaining plunger comprises a spring (8), and wherein the spring causes the retaining plunger to engage the first recess when the first recess and the retaining plunger are aligned with each other (Fig. 2).
Re clm 14, Kraeuter further discloses the bearing comprises a bearing inner ring and a plurality of rolling elements, and wherein the plurality of rolling elements are sandwiched between the bearing outer ring and the bearing inner ring (Fig. 1).
Re clm 15, the improvement of DE ‘373 further discloses the first recess comprises a hole (Fig. 1-4).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kraeuter U.S. 2023/0235792 in view of DE 29906373 as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Nieman U.S. 2003/0103704.
Kraeuter in view of DE ‘373 discloses all the claimed subject matter as described above.
Re clm 13, Kraeuter in view of DE ‘373 does not disclose the bearing outer ring structurally forms a second recess on the second surface, and wherein the second surface and the first surface face toward opposite directions.
Nieman teaches a bearing arrangement comprising anti-rotation features in which the bearing outer ring structurally forms a second recess (34s, Fig. 2) on the second surface (34s are located on both axial sides of the bearing), and wherein the second surface and the first surface face toward opposite directions (shown in Fig. 2) for the purpose of allowing the bearing to be mounted within the housing without reference to a preferred direction ([0027]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill I the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Kraeuter in view of DE ‘373 and provide the recess on both axial sides of the bearing such that the bearing outer ring structurally forms a second recess on the second surface, and wherein the second surface and the first surface face toward opposite direction for the purpose of allowing the bearing to be mounted within the housing without reference to a preferred direction.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALAN B WAITS whose telephone number is (571)270-3664. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday from 6-4 EST.
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/ALAN B WAITS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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