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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species 4 (as embodied in Figs. 7-9) in the reply filed on 02/11/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 3-4 and 15-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species 6 and 7, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 02/11/2026.
Claims 3 and 15, are directed to Species 6 which appears to be the only species that discloses the use of the one-way device in its friction brake.
Claims 4 and 16, are directed to Species 6 or 7 which appears to be the only species that discloses the use of a clutch with the friction brake.
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.
Claims 1-2, 5-6, 8-12, 14, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kachouh (EP 2 202 377 A2).
Regarding Claim 1, Kachouh discloses a parallel axis friction brake (20) coupled to a rotatable drive shaft (19), the parallel axis friction brake comprising:
A brake housing (27).
A friction assembly comprising: at least one shaft parallel to the rotatable drive shaft (see Figs. 3 and 5); and at least one friction clip (9) (note: a “clip” is defined my Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “any of various devices that grip, clasp, or hook) pressed over the at least one parallel shaft in an interference fit (see Fig. 5).
Wherein the friction assembly is engaged with the drive shaft (see Fig. 4) and coupled between the brake housing and the rotatable drive shaft (see [0037] of the translation, disclosing that the housing 27 is for the drive, and accordingly both the rotatable shaft and the friction assembly are located within the same housing, resulting in the coupling being located between the brake housing and the rotatable drive shaft; further note that as set forth in the 112b rejection above it is unclear what the friction assembly is being coupled to), at least one of the at least one friction clips and the at least one parallel shaft rotating with rotation of the rotatable drive shaft to produce the drag force (see [0030] of the translation, disclosing that the friction element is part of an overload clutch 5).
Regarding Claim 2, Kachouh further discloses the parallel axis friction brake of claim 1, wherein the rotatable drive shaft is coupled to one of a lead screw spindle drive and a direct drive (2) that are fixed to a load (see [0002] of the translation) that is moved by the lead screw spindle drive or direct drive (see Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 5, Kachouh further discloses the parallel axis friction brake of claim 1, wherein the friction assembly further comprises a portion with gear teeth (22) having an outer diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the rotatable drive shaft (see Figs. 4 and 5), the gear teeth engages with the rotatable drive shaft such that the friction assembly rotates faster than the rotatable drive shaft (see Fig. 4, showing, that due to the difference in number of gear teeth due to the difference in diameter of the respective components, that the smaller friction assembly would rotate faster than the larger rotatable drive shaft).
Regarding Claim 6, Kachouh further discloses the parallel axis friction brake of claim 1, wherein the friction assembly is characterized by the absence of separate springs and magnetic actuators (see Figs. 4 and 5, showing that there are no separate springs to the friction element, and no magnetic actuators).
Regarding Claim 8, Kachouh further discloses the parallel axis friction brake of claim 1 further comprising a motor (2), wherein the rotatable drive shaft is driven by the motor (see [0021] of the translation).
Regarding Claim 9, Kachouh further discloses the parallel axis friction brake of claim 1, wherein the at least one friction clip further comprises a portion with gear teeth (22) having an outer diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the rotatable drive shaft, the gear teeth engaging with the rotatable drive shaft such that the friction assembly rotates faster than the rotatable drive shaft (see Fig. 4, showing, that due to the difference in number of gear teeth due to the difference in diameter of the respective components, that the smaller friction assembly would rotate faster than the larger rotatable drive shaft).
Regarding Claim 10, Kachouh discloses an actuator system (see Fig. 2) comprising:
A rotatable drive shaft (19).
A parallel axis friction brake (20) engaged with the drive shaft and configured to provide a drag force on the rotatable drive shaft (see Fig. 3), the parallel axis friction brake further comprising:
A brake housing (27).
A friction assembly comprising at least one parallel axis shaft (see Fig. 5) and at least one clip (9) pressed over the at least one parallel shaft in an interference fit (see Fig. 5).
Wherein the friction assembly is engaged with the drive shaft and coupled to the brake housing (see Figs. 3 and 5), at least a portion of the friction assembly rotating with the rotatable drive shaft to create the drag force (see Fig. 5).
Regarding Claim 11, Kachouh further discloses the actuator system of claim 10 further comprising:
An actuator housing (see Fig. 1, showing a rectangular shape with elements 2 and 3 located within it).
Wherein the rotatable drive shaft is at least partially contained within the actuator housing (see Fig. 1).
Wherein the brake housing is coupled to the actuator housing (see Fig. 1, showing that the brake housing is part of element 3 which is located within the actuator housing, and accordingly is coupled to the actuator housing).
Regarding Claim 12, Kachouh further discloses the actuator system of claim 11, wherein the friction assembly is rotatably engaged with the drive shaft and is coupled between the brake housing and the rotatable drive shaft (see Figs. 3 and 5).
Regarding Claim 14, Kachouh further discloses the actuator system of claim 10, wherein the actuator system is coupled to a vehicle (see Fig. 1) between a stationary first component and a moveable second component (see Fig. 1) and wherein the rotatable drive shaft is coupled to one of a lead screw spindle drive linear actuator and a direct drive rotary actuator (2) that are fixed to the moveable second component such that the moveable second component is moved by the lead screw spindle drive or by the direct drive (see Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 17, Kachouh further discloses the actuator system of claim 10, wherein the friction assembly further comprises a portion with gear teeth (22) having an outer diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the rotatable drive shaft (see Figs. 4 and 5), the gear teeth engages with the rotatable drive shaft such that the friction assembly rotates faster than the rotatable drive shaft (see Fig. 4, showing, that due to the difference in number of gear teeth due to the difference in diameter of the respective components, that the smaller friction assembly would rotate faster than the larger rotatable drive shaft).
Regarding Claim 18, Kachouh further discloses the actuator system of claim 10, wherein the friction assembly is characterized by the absence of separate springs and magnetic actuators (see Figs. 4 and 5, showing that there are no separate springs to the friction element, and no magnetic actuators).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 13 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY WEBER whose telephone number is (571)272-3307. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM - 5PM M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MINNAH SEOH can be reached at (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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/GREGORY ROBERT WEBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618