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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore:
The protruding members from claim 1, line 25 (Note: only a singular protruding member (24) is shown in the drawings)
the plurality of insertion holes from claim 8 (Note: claim 8 discloses “a bottom side of each of the two grooves includes an insertion hole” thus the Applicant is referring to a plurality of insertion holes, but only a singular insertion hole (221) is shown in the drawings)
the plurality of insertion holes from claim 10 (Note: claim 10 discloses “the bottom side of each of the two grooves includes an insertion hole” thus the Applicant is referring to a plurality of insertion holes, but only a singular insertion hole (221) is shown in the drawings)
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 7-9 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 7, line 4, recites “the elastic member” which is indefinite because it is unclear which one of the two elastic members the Applicant is referring to. The Applicant has not previously singled out one of the two elastic members. Is the Applicant trying to claim --a gap between the flat surface of each slot and each corresponding elastic member--?
Claim 8, lines 2-3, recites “the insertion hole” which is indefinite because it is unclear which one of the insertion holes the Applicant is referring to. Claim 8 discloses a plurality of insertion holes, but the Applicant has not previously singled out one of the plurality of insertion holes.
Claim 9, line 11, recites “the insertion hole” which is indefinite because it is unclear which one of the insertion holes the Applicant is referring to. Claim 10 discloses a plurality of insertion holes, but the Applicant has not previously singled out one of the plurality of insertion holes.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6 are allowed over the prior art of record.
Claims 7-9 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include 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 does not teach or render obvious the claimed combination of elements recited in claim 1, wherein a hub device is comprised of a hub shell, a plurality of teeth arranged around an axial hole of the hub shell, a ratchet ring including a driving end portion axially inserted in the hub shell, an outer circumferential surface of the driving end portion including two grooves and a plurality of recesses extending axially, a plurality of detent members respectively received in the plurality of recesses and swingably engaged with the plurality of teeth in a one-way ratcheting manner, and swingable between an outer swung position and an inner swung position, two elastic members circumferentially hooped around the plurality of detent members so that the plurality of detent members are engaged with the plurality of teeth, when the plurality of detent members are at the outer swung position, an elastic restraint force of each of the elastic members ranges from 0.0561 kgf to 0.0828 kgf, when the plurality of detent members are at the inner swung position, the elastic restraint force of each of the elastic members ranges from 0.09945 kgf to 0.13685 kgf, each of the plurality of detent members includes two slots, the two elastic members are C-shaped members respectively received in the two slots, each of the two grooves is provided with a protruding member, and two ends of each of the elastic members are movable away from or close to the protruding member in a circumferential direction of the ratchet ring.
While the prior art, as described below, discloses hubs, teeth, flanges, ratchets, grooves, recesses, detents, elastic members, shafts, slots, and protruding members, the prior art does not teach or render obvious the hub device as claimed. One of ordinary skill in the art would not be motivated to connect the elements of each prior art reference to make the applicant's invention absent improper hindsight.
Lee (US 12,187,072 B2) discloses a hub device that is comprised of a hub shell with axial extending teeth on an inner surface, a ratchet ring having grooves and recesses, a plurality of pawls, each pawl having a plurality of slots, and each slot is engaged by a corresponding elastic member. Lee is silent in regards to the restraint force that each elastic member provides at an outer swung position and at an inner swung position, and is silent to each groove of the ratchet ring having a protruding member.
Chen (US 8,127,909 B2) discloses a hub device that is comprised of a hub shell with axial extending teeth on an inner surface, a ratchet ring having grooves and recesses, a plurality of pawls, each pawl having a slot, and each slot is engaged by a corresponding elastic member. Chen is silent in regards to the restraint force that each elastic member provides at an outer swung position and at an inner swung position, and is silent to each groove of the ratchet ring having a protruding member.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM D ROGERS whose telephone number is (571)272-6561. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 6AM-2:00PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John Olszewski can be reached at (571)272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ADAM D ROGERS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
Prosecution Insights