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 .
Status of Claims
Currently claims 1-20 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 12, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wagner (U.S. 2008/0035184).
With respect to claims 1 and 16, Wagner discloses a nozzle apparatus assembly/a method of reducing a rate of rotation in a nozzle apparatus comprising:
a housing body (body 100);
a tubular nozzle shaft (106) rotatably mounted within the housing body (100);
a nozzle head (104) coupled to the tubular nozzle shaft (see figure 2), wherein:
the tubular nozzle shaft and the nozzle head define a portion of a fluid pathway extending from an inlet end (inlet at 113) of the housing body to a set of directional nozzles (nozzles 118/120) disposed at a discharge end of the nozzle head (see figure 2, the nozzles being at the discharge end), and
the tubular nozzle shaft and the nozzle head are configured to rotate together in response to a discharge of a pressurized liquid from the set of directional nozzles (abstract and paragraph 0020); and
a friction brake assembly (having 108 and 110) housed within the housing body (within 100), wherein the friction brake assembly is configured to convert a centrifugal force generated by a rotation of the tubular nozzle shaft (rotation from 107) and the nozzle head into an axial force that reduces a rate of rotation of the nozzle shaft and the nozzle head (axial force of 108 against 110, causing the friction breaking, paragraphs 0007-0009).
With respect to claim 12, Wagner discloses the housing body is configured to operate in an absence of a lubricating fluid (Wagner is void of any lubrication being included).
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-9, 12-13, 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hardy (U.S. 5,964,414) in view of Wagner.
With regard to claims 1 and 16, Hardy discloses a nozzle apparatus assembly/a method of reducing a rate of rotation in a nozzle apparatus comprising:
a housing body (body 10);
a tubular nozzle shaft (12) rotatably mounted within the housing body (10);
a nozzle head (14) coupled to the tubular nozzle shaft (see figure 1), wherein:
the tubular nozzle shaft and the nozzle head define a portion of a fluid pathway extending from an inlet end (inlet at 16) of the housing body to a set of directional nozzles (see nozzles within 14) disposed at a discharge end of the nozzle head (see figure 1), and
the tubular nozzle shaft and the nozzle head are configured to rotate together in response to a discharge of a pressurized liquid from the set of directional nozzles (as14 and 12 rotate together, see figure 1).
Hardy fails to disclose, a friction brake assembly housed within the housing body, wherein the friction brake assembly is configured to convert a centrifugal force generated by a rotation of the tubular nozzle shaft and the nozzle head into an axial force that reduces a rate of rotation of the nozzle shaft and the nozzle head.
Wagner discloses a friction brake assembly (having 108 and 110) housed within the housing body (within 100), wherein the friction brake assembly is configured to convert a centrifugal force generated by a rotation of the tubular nozzle shaft (rotation from 107) and the nozzle head into an axial force that reduces a rate of rotation of the nozzle shaft and the nozzle head (axial force of 108 against 110, causing the friction breaking, paragraphs 0007-0009), such breaking allows for the nozzle to have a breaking that is further influenced independently the fluid pressure.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the friction brake assembly of Wagner into that of Hardy, further improving Hardy’s ability to regulate speed by allowing the nozzle to having a breaking that is influenced independently of the fluid pressure as well, as well as incorporating not just rotational sport with the bearings system of Hardy but further including a physical friction break.
With respect to claims 2 and 17, Hardy as modified discloses at least one centrifugal force converter (being the bearings 20) slidably mounted to the tubular nozzle shaft (as seen in figures 1-3 of Hardy)and rotatably fixed to the tubular nozzle shaft (as they are understood fixed with the housing, such that they are stationary and the bearings within move); and at least one rotor disk (being a rotor disk of the friction disk of Wagner), wherein the centrifugal force converter converts the centrifugal force into the axial force (being the effect of the bearings onto the system) that increases a frictional force exerted on the at least one rotor disk to reduce the rate of rotation of the nozzle shaft and the nozzle head (as the exertion of the frictional force of the bearings 20 onto the shaft, would further effect the rotor disc that is attached to the shaft).
With respect to claims 3 and 18, Hardy as modified by Wagner discloses at least one lined friction disk (the disk 110 with sleeve 111 of Wagner) that includes a friction liner (110) attached to a base plate (111) of the lined friction disk , wherein the friction disk is coaxially aligned with the rotor disk (as shown in figure 2 of Wagner) ,the friction liner is configured to be operably engaged with the rotor disk (as shown in figure 2 of Wagner), and the frictional force is exerted on the at least one rotor disk by the friction liner (paragraph 0044 of Wagner).
With respect to claim 6, Hardy as modified discloses at least one centrifugally responsive weight (bearing 20, having a given weight); at least one guidance channel (channel of the bearing housing in which the bearing moves) sized to receive the at least one centrifugally responsive weight (see figures 1-3), wherein: the at least one guidance channel is configured to cause the at least one centrifugally responsive weight to travel along a path that is at least partially in an axial direction (being the path the bearing rotates within).
With respect to claims 7 and 19-20, Hardy as modified discloses the path is a generally arcuate path relative to the tubular nozzle shaft (being an arcuate circular path).
With respect to claim 8, Hardy as modified discloses the at least one centrifugally responsive weight is a ball bearing (20 being a ball bearing).
With respect to claim 9, Hardy as modified by Wagner discloses the guidance channel is configured to have an expanding cross-sectional area that expands during the rotation of the tubular nozzle shaft and the nozzle head (the movement of the bearing would generate some amount of heat, said heat cause some amount of thermal expansion of the housing within the shaft).
With respect to claim 13, Hardy as modified discloses the housing body further comprises a lubricating fluid contained therein (as there is lubricant within and about 20, column 7 rows 10-16).
With respect to claim 15, Hardy as modified disclosed the axial force is adjustable by changing a number of the at least one centrifugally responsive weights (changing or adjusting 20 would change the axial force, such that it is adjustable by changing them), changing a mass and/or density of the centrifugally responsive weights (doing so would also change the axial force, as more weight would have more force when spinning), an angle of departure of the path of travel of the at least one centrifugally responsive weights (changing ang angle of departure would change the axial force, note that such changes can be seen in the below 103 of claim 10, and is understood that the system is adjustable).
Claim(s) 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hardy and Wagner as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Arsi (U.S. 4,951,877).
With respect to claims 10 and 11, Hardy discloses the guidance channel, but fails to disclose the guidance channel is a volume of space defined by an idler spider and a ramped disk and wherein the ramped disk includes an inclined surface with at least two different angles of departure.
Arsi, figures 7-8, discloses a guidance channel (between 15 and 26) having an idler spider (15), and a ramped disk (26), wherein the ramped disk includes an inclined surface (surface that 26 is within, that have at least two different angles of departure (having an angle at the base that is different then the side angles), disclosing (column 4 rows 5-21) that such a bushing configuration allows for the adjusting (reducing) of the speed of the rotational jet, and thus allowing for an adjustable speed of rotation through an infinitely adjustable centrifugal break (column 1 rows 30-45).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the idler spider and ramped disk of Arsi into the system of Hardy for their bearings, allowing for improved reduction of the speed of the shaft as well as adding adjustability of the rotation via the centrifugal break.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 and 14 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to disclose “at least one rotor disk comprises a plurality of rotor disks rotatably fixed to the tubular nozzle shaft, the at least one friction disk comprises a plurality of friction disks non-rotatably mounted within the housing body, and the plurality of rotor disks and the plurality of friction disks are arranged in alternating fashion,” as these limitations further define claims 1-3 from which they depend.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH A GREENLUND whose telephone number is (571)272-0397. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm EST.
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/JOSEPH A GREENLUND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
