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 § 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.
Claims 1-9 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 1: line 9 recites “a cavity between them”. Applicant should avoid using pronouns in claim language for clarity. It is unclear which elements “them” is referencing. For example, is “them” the two thrust washers or the spacer washer and the thrust washers?
Claim 3: line 5 recites “over their respective sealing regions”. Applicant should avoid using pronouns in claim language for clarity. It is unclear which elements “their” is referencing.
Claim 7: line 3 recites “a shaft”. Claim 1 previously recited a shaft. It is unclear if these are the same shafts or if they are separate shafts.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The closest prior art reference is DE 102021203593. While the prior art discloses similar elements, the reference does not disclose the particular arrangement of elements, such as a spacer washer and form a cavity between them in the axial direction for receiving a shaft sleeve connected to the shaft, and wherein the spacer washer extends beyond the thrust bearing washers in the radial direction and is formed to maintain the thrust bearing washers at a predetermined axial distance by means of an annular, radially inner section, and to dissipate heat from the cavity and/or from the thrust washers radially outwards by means of an annular, radially outer cooling section formed as a heat sink wherein the first housing section and the second housing section each have a sealing region, each formed to abut the spacer washer via a respective sealing body and to separate a radially inner thrust bearing space formed by the bearing housing from a radially outer cooling space in a fluid-tight manner, wherein the cooling space circumscribes the axis of rotation in an annular manner, encloses the cooling section of the spacer washer, and is configured for a cooling fluid to flow therethrough.
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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