DETAILED ACTION
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Klimt (DE 4101514 A1).
Re claim 1, Klimt discloses a disc brake which is a disc brake braking a vehicle having a disc (1) rotating together with a wheel, the disc brake comprising: a mounting member (3, 4) mounted on a non-rotating portion of the vehicle; a pair of brake pads (5, 2nd pad not shown); a caliper (2) mounted on the mounting member to be movable and configured to press the pair of brake pads against the disc; and a cover member (24) covering a recessed part (9) of the caliper, wherein the caliper comprises: a cylinder part having a cylinder hole (10) in which a piston for moving one of the pair of brake pads is disposed; a bridge part (see below) extending across an outer circumferential surface of the disc from the cylinder part in a direction of a rotating axis of the disc; a plurality of claw parts (see below) extended toward inside from the bridge part in a radial direction of the rotating axis of the disc and disposed on an opposite side from the cylinder part with the disc interposed between the plurality of claw parts and the cylinder part; the recessed part provided between the plurality of claw parts and opening in a position opposing the cylinder, and a locked part (26) formed on an inner circumferential surface of the recessed part, and wherein the cover member is provided with a locking member (25) connected to the cover member (24) and locked to the locked part to have the cover member to come into contact with the bridge part. (Fig. 1, 7)
[AltContent: textbox (bridge part)]
[AltContent: arrow]
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]
PNG
media_image1.png
286
542
media_image1.png
Greyscale
[AltContent: textbox (claw parts)]
Re claim 3, Klimt discloses a cover component which is assembled to a disc brake which includes: a mounting member mounted on a non-rotating portion of a vehicle having a wheel and a disc which rotates with the wheel; a pair of brake pads; and a caliper provided on the mounting member to be movable and configured to press the pair of brake pads against the disc, in which the caliper includes: a cylinder part having a cylinder hole in which a piston for moving one of the pair of brake pads is disposed; a bridge part extending across an outer circumferential surface of the disc from the cylinder part; a plurality of claw parts formed on an extended distal end side of the bridge part and disposed to face the cylinder part; and a recessed part provided between the plurality of claw parts, having an opening at a position facing the cylinder, a locked part formed on an inner circumferential surface of the recessed part, the cover component comprising: a cover member covering the recessed part; and a locking member connected to the cover member and locked to the locked part to have the cover member come into contact with the bridge part.
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 2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Klimt (DE 4101514 A1) in view of Murakami et al. (US 4840255).
Re claim 2, Klimt does not teach wherein a plurality of recessed parts are provided in the caliper, and the locking member is disposed in each of the recessed parts. Murakami et al. teach a caliper (12) comprising a plurality of recessed parts (between claw parts 24b, 24c, 24d). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the caliper arrangement as taught by Murakami et al. as an alternative conventional caliper arrangement. (Fig. 1, Column 2, lines 26-55) Further, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the locking members as taught by Klimt in each of the recessed parts as an obvious duplication of parts. (MPEP 2144.04 VI. B.)
Re claim 4, Klimt teaches wherein a plurality of locking members (25, 25) are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the cover member (24). Klimt does not teach wherein a plurality of recessed parts are provided in the caliper, and the locking member is disposed in each of the recessed parts. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the caliper arrangement as taught by Murakami et al. as an alternative conventional caliper arrangement. (Fig. 1, Column 2, lines 26-55) Further, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the locking members as taught by Klimt in each of the recessed parts as an obvious duplication of parts. (MPEP 2144.04 VI. B.)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Stahl teaches a disc brake braking a vehicle having a disc rotating together with a wheel, the disc brake comprising: a mounting member mounted on a non-rotating portion of the vehicle; a pair of brake pads; a caliper mounted on the mounting member to be movable and configured to press the pair of brake pads against the disc; and a cover member covering a recessed part of the caliper, wherein the caliper comprises: a cylinder part having a cylinder hole in which a piston for moving one of the pair of brake pads is disposed; a bridge part extending across an outer circumferential surface of the disc from the cylinder part in a direction of a rotating axis of the disc; a plurality of claw parts extended toward inside from the bridge part in a radial direction of the rotating axis of the disc and disposed on an opposite side from the cylinder part with the disc interposed between the plurality of claw parts and the cylinder part; the recessed part provided between the plurality of claw parts and opening in a position opposing the cylinder, and a locked part, wherein the cover member is provided with a locking member connected to the cover member and locked to the locked part to have the cover member to come into contact with the bridge part.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-7127. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 7:00AM-3:00PM.
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, Robert Siconolfi can be reached at 571-272-7124. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
MTWSeptember 23, 2026
Prosecution Insights