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 .
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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 12 is 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 12 recites the limitation "the plurality of fluid directing elements" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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, 4, and 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Teller (EP 3972097 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Teller discloses a shaft earthing arrangement comprising:
a housing (1 of Figure 1-2) which receives a shaft (5 of Figure 2); and
a fluid (Para. 0196, 0209),
wherein the shaft is associated with an earthing ring (4 of Figure 2) configured to produce an electrically conductive contact between the shaft and housing (Para. 0068), wherein the earthing ring has a disk-shaped contact member supported in a lip-like manner on a covering of the shaft (see Figures 2, 12),
wherein a first contact face is formed from the contact member and a second contact face is formed from the shaft (see Figures 2, 12), and
wherein at least one of the first contact face and the second contact face is provided with a surface structuring (see Figures 2, 12).
Regarding claim 2, Teller discloses wherein the contact member (4 of Figure 2) has a matrix comprising nonwoven fabric (Para. 0059, PTFE).
Regarding claim 4, Teller discloses wherein the surface structuring comprises grooves (88 of Figures 43a, 43b) which extend in a circumferential direction.
Regarding claim 7, Teller discloses wherein the surface structuring is introduced into the first contact face (4 of Figure 2; see Figures 42-52).
Regarding claim 8, Teller discloses wherein the surface structuring is pressed into the first contact face (Para. 0141).
Regarding claim 9, Teller discloses wherein the contact member (4 of Figure 2) is associated with a resilient member (14 of Figure 8) which presses the contact member against the shaft (5 of Figure 2) with resilient pretensioning.
Regarding claim 10, Teller discloses wherein the surface structuring is introduced into the resilient member (14 of Figure 8; Para. 0141).
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 3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teller (EP 3972097 A1), in view of Hsieh (US 2009/0015083).
Regarding claim 3, Teller discloses all of the elements of the current invention as mentioned above, however does not explicitly disclose wherein the surface structuring is introduced into the second contact face (claim 3);
wherein the grooves are formed annularly or in a manner of a screw thread (claim 5).
Hsieh discloses wherein the surface structuring (31 of Figure 2-6) is introduced into the second contact face (22 of Figure 2-6) (claim 3);
wherein the grooves (31 of Figure 2-6) are formed annularly or in a manner of a screw thread (see Figures 2-6) (claim 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing of the claimed invention to have the surface structuring of Teller introduced into the second contact face and formed annularly or in a manner of a screw thread, as taught by Hsieh, to reduce the degree of wear over long periods of time [Hsieh: Para. 0026].
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teller (EP 3972097 A1), in view of Posedel (DE 3511755 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Teller discloses all of the elements of the current invention as mentioned above, however does not explicitly disclose wherein the surface structuring is non-directed.
Posedel discloses wherein the surface structuring (30 of Figure 5) is non-directed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing of the claimed invention to have the surface structuring of Teller be non-directed, as taught by Posedel, so that a multitude of spaced-apart rhombuses result as the actual contact surface [Posedel: Para. 0048].
Claims 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teller (EP 3972097 A1), in view of Reimnitz (US 2023/0307988).
Regarding claims 11, 12, Teller discloses all of the elements of the current invention as mentioned above, however does not explicitly disclose wherein fluid directing elements are associated with the earthing ring (4 of Figure 2) (claim 11);
wherein the plurality of fluid directing elements comprises two fluid directing elements, wherein a first fluid directing element of the two fluid directing elements is associated with a first end side of the contact member and a second fluid directing element of the two fluid directing elements is associated with a second end side of the contact member (claim 12).
Reimnitz discloses wherein fluid directing elements (14 of Figure 4) are associated with the earthing ring (11 of Figure 4) (claim 11);
wherein the plurality of fluid directing elements comprises two fluid directing elements (14 of Figure 4), wherein a first fluid directing element of the two fluid directing elements is associated with a first end side of the contact member (11 of Figure 4) and a second fluid directing element of the two fluid directing elements is associated with a second end side of the contact member (see Figure 4) (claim 12).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing of the claimed invention to have fluid directing elements in the element of Teller, as taught by Reimnitz, to protect the shaft grounding element from unwanted external influences [Reimnitz: Para. 0052].
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bantz (US 2022/0247284) discloses a grounding ring.
Lenz (WO 2017/148586 A1) discloses a shaft grounding ring.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES H REID whose telephone number is (571)272-9248. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-4:45 PM.
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, Tulsidas Patel can be reached at 571-272-2098. 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.
/Charles Reid Jr./ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
Prosecution Insights