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.
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.
Claim 17 recites the limitation " The coiled strip" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 1-6, 8-14, 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adler [WO 2014/121768] in view of Koehl [US Pat # 2,737,843].
Regarding claim 1: Adler shows a ball screw assembly comprising:
a ball screw shaft (2) including a ball groove formed in an outer surface thereof;
a ball nut (3) including a central bore formed by an inner surface thereof, the inner surface defining a ball groove (16,17), and an axial recess extending inwardly in a direction parallel to an axis of the central bore of the ball screw nut (3) from an end face of the ball nut and into the ball groove of the inner surface (see fig 6);
a stop pin (7) disposed in the recess so that a portion of the stop pin (7) extends inwardly into the ball groove of the inner surface of the ball nut (3); and
a spring (6) having a first end and a second end (see fig 3), the first end of the spring (6) abutting the stop pin (7),
wherein a portion of the ball screw shaft (2) is rotatably received within the central bore of the ball nut (3),
Adler does not show the stop pin is formed by a coiled strip of metal having a first end, a second end, and an outer surface. However Koehl shows a pin (1) made by a coiled strip of metal (see fig 1-3) having a first end, a second end, and an outer surface (see fig 1-3).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have replaced the pin taught in Adler reference with a pin that is made by a coiled strip of metal due to its advantage and characteristic of increase retention force, better transfer of dynamic load and has uniform strength and flexibility.
Regarding claim 2: Adler shows further comprising a roller ball (5), wherein the second end of the spring abuts the roller ball (5).
Regarding claim 3: Adler does not show shows wherein the first end of the coiled strip of metal is disposed radially-outwardly of the second end of the coiled strip. However, Koehl shows shows wherein the first end of the coiled strip of metal is disposed radially-outwardly of the second end of the coiled strip (see fig 1-3)
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have replaced the pin taught in Adler reference with a pin that is made by a coiled strip of metal due to its advantage and characteristic of increase retention force, better transfer of dynamic load and has uniform strength and flexibility.
Regarding claim 4: Adler shows wherein the first end of the spring (6) abuts the outer surface of the stop pin (7).
Regarding claim 5: Adler does not show wherein the coiled strip of metal further comprises a pair of side edges extending between the first end and the second end, and each side edge is chamfered. However Koehl shows the coiled strip of metal (1) further comprises a pair of side edges extending between the first end and the second end, and each side edge is chamfered (2, 2).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective to have made the pin with two chamfered ends to facilitate pin insertion in the recess.
Regarding claim 6: Adler shows wherein the first end of the spring and the second end of the stop pin form a gap (18) therebetween.
Regarding claim 8: Adler does not show wherein the outer surface of the strip of metal is substantially cylindrical. However, Koehl shows the outer surface of the strip of metal is substantially cylindrical (see fig 1-3).
(see motivation of claim 1).
Regarding claim 9: Adler shows wherein the recess (8) defines a circular segment in a plane transverse to an axis of the central bore of the ball screw nut (3) such that an arcuate portion of the outer surface of the coiled strip is radially inward of the recess.
Regarding claim 10: Adler shows a ball screw assembly comprising:
a ball screw shaft (2) including a first ball groove formed in an outer surface thereof;
a ball nut (3) including a central bore formed by an inner surface thereof, the inner surface defining a second ball groove, the first ball groove being disposed inwardly of the second ball groove so that a ball raceway is formed therebetween (16, 17), and a recess extending inwardly into the ball raceway;
a stop pin (7) disposed in the recess so that a portion of the stop pin extends into the ball raceway; and a spring (6) having a first end and a second end, the spring (6) being disposed in the ball raceway, and the stop pin (7) extending transverse to the first end of the spring such that the first end of the spring abuts the outer surface of the stop pin (7).
Adler does not show the stop pin is formed by a coiled strip of metal having a first end, a second end, and an outer surface. However, Koehl shows a pin (1) made by a coiled strip of metal (see fig 1-3) having a first end, a second end, and an outer surface (see fig 1-3).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have replaced the pin taught in Adler reference with a pin that is made by a coiled strip of metal due to its advantage and characteristic of increase retention force, better transfer of dynamic load and has uniform strength and flexibility
Regarding claim 11: Adler shows further comprising a roller ball (5) disposed within the ball raceway, wherein the second end of the spring (6) abuts the roller ball (5).
Regarding claim 12: Adler does not show shows wherein the first end of the coiled strip of metal is disposed radially-outwardly of the second end of the coiled strip. However, Koehl shows shows wherein the first end of the coiled strip of metal is disposed radially-outwardly of the second end of the coiled strip (see fig 1-3)
(see motivation of claim 1).
Regarding claim 13: Adler does not show wherein the coiled strip of metal further comprises a pair of side edges extending between the first end and the second end, and each side edge is chamfered. However, Koehl shows the coiled strip of metal (1) further comprises a pair of side edges extending between the first end and the second end, and each side edge is chamfered (2, 2).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective to have made the pin with two chamfered ends to facilitate pin insertion in the recess.
Regarding claim 14: Adler shows wherein the first end of the spring and the second end of the stop pin form a gap (18) therebetween.
Regarding claim 16: Adler does not show wherein the outer surface of the strip of metal is substantially cylindrical. However, Koehl shows the outer surface of the strip of metal is substantially cylindrical (see fig 1-3).
(see motivation of claim 1).
Regarding claim 17: Adler shows a ball screw assembly comprising:
a ball screw shaft (2) including a ball groove formed in an outer surface thereof;
a ball nut (3) including a central bore formed by an inner surface thereof, the inner surface defining a ball groove, and an axial recess extending inwardly from an end face of the ball nut (3) and into the ball groove of the inner surface; anda stop pin (7) disposed in the recess so that a portion of the stop pin extends inwardly into the ball groove of the inner surface of the ball nut (3), wherein the recess defines a circular segment in a plane transverse to an axis of the central bore of the ball nut (3) such that an arcuate portion (see fig 8) of the outer surface of the pin (7) Adler does not show the pin is coiled strip is radially inward of the recess.
However Koehl shows a pin (1) made by a coiled strip of metal (see fig 1-3) having a first end, a second end, and an outer surface (see fig 1-3).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have replaced the pin taught in Adler reference with a pin that is made by a coiled strip of metal due to its advantage and characteristic of increase retention force, better transfer of dynamic load and has uniform strength and flexibility.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 15 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 prior arts of the record failed to show wherein the first end of the spring abuts both the first end and the second end of the strip of metal.
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAKARIA ELAHMADI whose telephone number is (571)270-5324. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-6 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached on 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618
Prosecution Insights