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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/07/2026 is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 15-19 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.
Claim 15 recites the limitation " a rotational shaft " in line 1. It is unclear whether this is the same shaft previously claimed in claim 1, from which claim 15 depends.
Claims 16-19 depend from indefinite claim 15.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-6, 10-11, 15-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SU: US 20210296965.
Regarding claim 1, SU discloses a system including a seal assembly comprising: a casing 20/30 defining a cavity 22/32 therein; and
a pair of radial shaft seals 34,38 positioned in the cavity 22/32, wherein the casing 20/30 is configured to be removably mounted on a shaft 12 such that each radial shaft seal sealingly engages the shaft 12 (Fig. 1 and para [0032]).
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Regarding claim 2, SU discloses the system of claim 1 wherein the casing 20/30 has an annular side wall 32, an outer flange (unlabeled; see annotated Fig. 1, below) and an inner flange 54, wherein one of the radial shaft seals 34 is positioned adjacent to the outer flange and the other radial shaft seal 38 is positioned adjacent the inner flange 54, and wherein a radial outer surface of each radial shaft seal is in sealing engagement with a radially inner surface of the side wall 32 (Fig. 1).
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Regarding claim 3, SU discloses the system of claim 2 wherein the casing 20/30 includes a first portion 30, including the outer flange and the side wall 32, and a second portion 20, including the inner flange 54, and wherein the first and second portions are removably coupled together.
Regarding claim 4, SU discloses the system of claim 2 wherein the outer flange is at least partially spaced away from the adjacent radial shaft seal to define a compartment therebetween (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, SU discloses the system of claim 1 wherein the radial shaft seals 34,38 are spaced apart in an axial direction to define a compartment G therebetween.
Regarding claim 6, SU discloses the system of claim 5 wherein the casing 20/30 includes a grease port 40 extending from a radially outer surface of the casing 20/30 to the compartment G (i.e. the through hole 36 is a grease port as broadly claimed).
Regarding claim 10, SU discloses the system of claim 1 wherein the casing 20/30 contains and retains the radial shaft seals 34,38 therein, and is configured to retain grease therein, and wherein the casing 20/30 is configured to be unassembled to provide access to the radial shaft seals 34,38 therein (Fig. 1 and para [0032]).
Regarding claim 11, SU discloses the system of claim 1 wherein the casing 20/30 and pair of shaft seals 34, 38 together form a modular seal assembly that is configured to be mounted on the shaft 12 as a unit, and configured to be removed from the shaft 12 as a unit (see para [0026]).
Regarding claim 15, SU discloses the system of claim 1 further comprising a rotational shaft 12, and wherein the seal assembly is mounted on the shaft 12 such that each radial shaft seal 34, 38 sealingly engages the shaft 12 (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 16, SU discloses the system of claim 15 further comprising a sealed bearing 52 mounted on the shaft and positioned axially inwardly relative to the seal assembly.
Regarding claim 17, SU discloses the system of claim 16 further comprising a bearing locking plate 50 in engagement with an outer race of the bearing 52 and positioned axially inwardly relatively to the bearing 52.
Regarding claim 18, SU discloses the system of claim 17 further comprising a bearing plate radial shaft seal (i.e. the flange on the shaft, visible at 22 in Fig. 2) coupled to the bearing locking plate 50 in sealing engagement with the shaft, and positioned axially inwardly relative to at least part of the bearing locking plate.
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Regarding claim 19, SU discloses the system of claim 15 further comprising a motor 1, wherein the shaft 12 is an output shaft of the motor 1, and wherein the motor 1 and shaft 12 are vertically aligned (see para [0024]).
Regarding claim 20, SU discloses a system including a seal assembly comprising:
a casing 20/30 having an annular side wall 32, an outer flange (unlabeled; see annotated Fig. 1, above) at or adjacent to one axial end and an inner flange 54 at or adjacent to an opposite axial end thereof, the casing 20/30 having an inner cavity 22/32,
wherein the casing 20/30 has a separable portion that is removably coupled to a remainder of the casing 20/30 to provide access to the cavity 22/32 (Fig. 1 and para [0032]); and
a pair of radial shaft seals 34,38 configured to be positioned in the cavity 22/32, wherein the casing 20/30 is configured to be removably mounted on a shaft such that each radial shaft seal sealingly engages the shaft (Fig. 1 and para [0032]).
Regarding claim 21, SU discloses a method comprising: accessing a system including a seal assembly having a casing 20/30 defining a cavity 22/32 therein, and a pair of radial shaft seals 34,38 positioned in the cavity 22/32; and
removably mounting the casing 20/30 on a shaft such that each radial shaft seal sealingly engages the shaft (Figs. 1 and para [0032]).
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 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SU in view of SEVERIEN: US 20040140723.
Regarding claim 7, SU discloses the system of claim 1 wherein each radial shaft seal includes a body.
However, SU does not disclose the body having a contact lip on a radially inner surface thereof and a spring configured to bias the contact lip to a radially inner position.
SEVERIEN discloses a system with a radial shaft seal 40 including a body having a contact lip 56 on a radially inner surface thereof and a spring 58 configured to bias the contact lip 56 to a radially inner position (Fig. 3).
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It 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 to provide the system of SU with the body having a contact lip on a radially inner surface thereof and a spring configured to bias the contact lip to a radially inner position, similar to SEVERIEN.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to provide a particularly good sealing of the seal in the direction on the shaft, reliably ensured even over particularly long periods of time, as taught by SEVERIEN (para [0026]).
Regarding claim 8, SU in view of SEVERIEN teaches the system of claim 7 wherein SEVERIEN teaches the spring 58 of each radial shaft seal is positioned radially outside the contact lip 56, and wherein each radial shaft seal further includes a stiffening member 54 positioned radially outside the spring (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, SU in view of SEVERIEN teaches the system of claim 8 wherein SEVERIEN teaches each body is made of a material that has greater pliability than the associated spring and stiffening member (see paras [0022] and [0025]), wherein the stiffening member 54 has a first portion aligned in a radial plane and a second portion aligned in a circumferential plane (Fig. 3), and wherein each radial shaft seal includes an outer lip 50 defining a gap between the outer lip 50 and the contact lip 56 in the axial direction (Fig. 3).
Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SU in view of SASSI: US 20020063393.
Regarding claim 12, SU discloses the system of claim 1.
However, SU does not disclose an inner V-ring seal positioned on an axially inner side of the casing, external of the cavity, and an outer V-ring seal positioned on an axially outer side of the casing, external of the cavity, wherein each V-ring seal is configured to be rotationally mounted on the shaft and to sealingly engage the casing.
SASSI teaches a pair of V-ring seals 5 positioned on an axially inner side of the casing, external of a cavity containing shaft lip seals 22, 30, wherein each V-ring seal 5 is configured to be rotationally mounted on a shaft 3 and to sealingly engage a casing 4 (one is shown but there are two; see para [0014]; see also Fig. 1).
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It 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 to provide the system of SU with an inner V-ring seal positioned on an axially inner side of the casing, external of the cavity, and an outer V-ring seal positioned on an axially outer side of the casing, external of the cavity, wherein each V-ring seal is configured to be rotationally mounted on the shaft and to sealingly engage the casing, similar to SASSI.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to provide a sealing unit that can easily be mounted in its own working seat, as taught by SASSI (para [0012])
Regarding claim 13, SU in view of SASSI teaches the system of claim 12 wherein SU teaches the casing 20/30 has an annular side wall 32, an outer flange (unlabeled; see annotated Fig. 1, above) at one axial end and an inner flange 54 at an opposite axial end thereof, wherein
and SASSI teaches an inner flange and an outer flange, each of which having a circumferentially-extending groove therein, and wherein at least part of each V-ring seal is received in an associated groove (see annotated Fig. 1, below).
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Regarding claim 14, SU in view of SASSI teaches the system of claim 12 wherein each V-ring seal includes a relatively rigid frame and a relatively pliable sealing lip (Fig. 1; i.e. the lip narrows to a point, inherently becoming increasingly pliable relative to the thicker portion, the frame as broadly claimed).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-20030173746-A1 Ramsay discloses a pair of cartridge shaft seals with spring-biased lips; US-20060071430-A1 Downes discloses a seal with multiple springs and a grease port; US-20060244325-A1 Reisch discloses advantages of a V-ring seal; US-20190056029-A1 PALMER discloses a system with multiple shaft seals, stiffening members, and a grease compartment; US-20210036575-A1 PEI discloses a system with multiple shaft seals and a grease port; US-20220275807-A1 Loderer discloses a system with multiple shaft seals and grease ports.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN STEFANON whose telephone number is (703)756-4648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternate Fridays 8AM - 5PM EDT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN STEFANON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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