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 § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
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.
Claims 1-2,8-10,18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN217761308 to Peng (provided by applicant in IDS) in view of US Patent 10634142 to Doepker.
As to claim 1, Peng discloses (the prior art Embodiment of Figure 8 is relied upon which shows the cover 43’ disposed below the counterweight 41’, and other figures are referenced for their better representation of the Features of Figure 8) A compressor comprising: a shell (10); a compression mechanism Fig 1); a driveshaft operable to drive the compression mechanism to compress a fluid (60); and a ring-shaped counterweight assembly (Fig 3) positioned on the driveshaft and having two radial surfaces (top and bottom Fig 3) and a circumferential edge between the two radial surfaces (exterior of 412), wherein the counterweight assembly includes: a counterweight (Fig 3; 41’) fixed on the driveshaft (Fig 8), the counterweight including a coupling ring (417, Fig 3) and a main weight (412) extending from the coupling ring, the coupling ring defining a bore sized and shaped to receive the driveshaft (413) to fix the counterweight on the driveshaft, wherein the main weight has an arcuate shape (412) with two circumferential main weight end surfaces (415 ends of 412); and a cover attached to the driveshaft via a snap fit (45’) connection (43’ Fig 8; Fig 4) in a circumferential groove defined on the driveshaft to form the snap fit connection, wherein the counterweight and the cover cooperate to define the counterweight assembly (Fig 5,Fig 8), wherein the cover extends circumferentially between two cover end surfaces each positioned adjacent one of the main weight end surfaces to define a disk-shape of the counterweight assembly (Fig 5).
Peng discloses a snap ring (45’) holding the cover in place but does not expressly disclose wherein the cover includes a coupling collar including a circular base and flexible fingers, the flexible fingers engageable with a circumferential groove defined on the driveshaft to form the snap fit connection.
Doepker discloses how a counterweight cover can be held in place by a snap ring (Fig 7a) or by modifying the cover to include a coupling collar including a circular base and flexible fingers, the flexible fingers engageable with a circumferential groove defined on the driveshaft to form the snap fit connection (788, Fig 9a, 16C).
At the time of invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Peng to include the cover includes a coupling collar including a circular base and flexible fingers, the flexible fingers engageable with a circumferential groove defined on the driveshaft to form the snap fit connection instead of a snap ring using the teachings of Doepker so as to utilize fewer parts, as expressly desired by Peng simplifying the overall construction and assembly with predictable results.
As to claim 2, Peng discloses each finger of the flexible fingers includes a grip that extends radially inward to engage the circumferential groove of the driveshaft to form the snap fit connection (Doepker : 788, Fig 9a, 16C).
As to claim 8, Peng discloses the cover is attached to the driveshaft separate from the counterweight (Fig 5,7,8; counterweight is press fit requiring separate installation as it is installed first being the upper component).
As to claim 9, Peng discloses the cover includes a main body, wherein the coupling collar defines a circumferential extent that is greater than a circumferential extent defined by the main body (Fig 3,4; 417 has full circumference as compared to main body portion of cover 436 which is partial circumference; equivalent to present application).
As to claim 10, Peng discloses the cover includes a size that is complementary to a size of the main weight to define a substantially smooth transition between each of the two cover end surfaces and each of the two main weight end surfaces (Fig 5).
As to claim 18, Peng discloses A method of assembling a compressor, the method comprising: positioning a compression mechanism within a shell of the compressor (10); operably connecting a driveshaft to the compression mechanism; positioning a ring-shaped counterweight assembly on the driveshaft, the counterweight assembly having two radial surfaces and a circumferential edge between the two radial surfaces, the counterweight assembly including: a counterweight including a coupling ring and a main weight extending from the coupling ring, the coupling ring defining a bore sized and shaped to receive the driveshaft (Fig 3-5,8; as cited and rejected Claim 1 above), the main weight having an arcuate shape with two circumferential main weight end surfaces; and a cover including a main body, wherein the counterweight and the cover cooperate to define the counterweight assembly, wherein the cover extends circumferentially between two cover end surfaces to define a disk-shape of the counterweight assembly; fixing the counterweight on the driveshaft (press fit); and attaching the cover to the driveshaft using a snap fit connection such that the two cover end surfaces are each positioned adjacent one of the main weight end surfaces (Fig 3-5,8; as cited and rejected Claim 1 above).
Peng discloses a snap ring (45’) holding the cover in place but does not expressly disclose wherein the snap fit connection is formed by flexible fingers extending from a circular base of a coupling collar of the cover engaging with a circumferential groove defined on the driveshaft.
Doepker discloses how a counterweight cover can be held in place by a snap ring (Fig 7a) or by modifying the cover to include a coupling collar including a circular base and flexible fingers, the flexible fingers engageable with a circumferential groove defined on the driveshaft to form the snap fit connection (788, Fig 9a, 16C).
At the time of invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Peng to include wherein the snap fit connection is formed by flexible fingers extending from a circular base of a coupling collar of the cover engaging with a circumferential groove defined on the driveshaft using the teachings of Doepker so as to utilize fewer parts, as expressly desired by Peng simplifying the overall construction and assembly with predictable results.
As to claim 19, Peng discloses the cover is attached to the driveshaft using the snap fit connection via one or more grips defined on the flexible fingers (Doepker: 788).
As to claim 20, Peng discloses the cover is attached to the counterweight by sliding the cover over the driveshaft to articulate the flexible fingers until a portion of the flexible fingers is received within the circumferential groove of the driveshaft (Doepker: 788, Fig 9a, 16C).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7, 11-17 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSE SAMUEL BOGUE whose telephone number is (571)270-1406. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-5:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached on 571-270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JESSE S BOGUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746