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 Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because “between the at two bearings” appears be missing the word --least--. Appropriate correction is required.
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 17-21 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 17 recites the limitation "the axial installation direction" in lines 9-10. 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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-15, and 23-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Strbuncelj (US 6601828 B2) in view of Benedict et al. (US 3547244). Strbuncelj discloses a drivetrain arrangement (fig. 4) for a drive unit/belt drive unit of an elevator system (abstract), comprising:
Re claim 1, a shaft (112) mounted in at least two bearings (132,134) in a housing (fig. 6: 130); wherein at least one component (134) of at least one of the bearings is secured in an axially fixed manner on the shaft without a bearing cover (no cover shown in fig. 4 at the axial ends of 134) in a plurality of circumferential positions (a friction fit is exhibited circumferentially surrounding 134 and fixes 134 to 130 and is prevented from moving axially relative to each other).
Re claim 7, wherein in an end-face section of the housing, in which the respective bearing is mounted, the shaft terminates with an end-face end and, together with the respective bearing, seals a corresponding housing feedthrough (fig. 4 shows the feedthroughs 136,138 and the housing are sealed by the bearing and the shaft ends).
Re claim 8, further comprising: a brake unit (114) acting on the shaft, wherein the drivetrain arrangement has a reservoir (fig. 4: reservoir to the immediate left of 134, shown as the circumferential groove recessed radially outward from 134) arranged between the at two bearings and the brake unit and is configured for receiving bearing grease, wherein the reservoir is arranged and configured such that bearing grease is driven from an adjacent bearing of the at least two bearings or from the at least two bearings into the reservoir by centrifugal force (the opening space of the reservoir would receive the grease driven out of the bearing 134).
Re claim 9, wherein the reservoir is provided integrally in one piece on the housing (fig. 4).
Re claim 10, wherein the reservoir is designed in a ring-like manner (shown as circumferential groove around the inner surface of housing 130) with circular-segment-shaped or ellipse-segment-shaped cross-sectional geometry (a cross section perpendicular to the axis would yield a circular ring) and is arranged with a radial extent extending radially outward at least beyond the adjacent bearing (fig. 4) in such a way that bearing grease escaping from the at least one bearing is driven radially outward into the reservoir when the shaft rotates (fig. 4: the opening space of the reservoir would receive the grease driven out of the bearing 134).
Re claim 11, wherein the reservoir is arranged on a housing end face (left end of 130), which is provided for the arrangement of a brake disk (disk brake shown keyed to 114a), in a first axial section adjacent to the housing end face (fig. 4).
Re claim 12, wherein the reservoir is arranged between the bearing and the brake unit axially directly next to one of the bearings and axially directly next to the brake unit (fig. 4).
Re claim 14, wherein at least one driving zone (122) for at least one belt of the drive unit is formed on the shaft, wherein the at least one driving zone is arranged between the bearings (fig. 4).
Re claim 15, wherein the reservoir is arranged between a fixed bearing (134) and the brake unit (114) to be axially directly next to the fixed bearing and axially directly next to the brake unit (fig. 4).
Re claim 23, a method for a use of a shaft (112) mounted in at least two bearings (132,134) in a housing (130) for coupling drive components (110) of a drivetrain arrangement of an elevator system (abstract), the method comprising: coupling at least one belt (col 4 ln 1-2) of a drive unit/belt drive unit to at least one component (spec: elevator car) to be driven of the elevator system, wherein at least one component of at least one of the bearings is a fixed bearing (134) secured in an axially fixed manner on the shaft without a bearing cover (no cover shown in fig. 4 at the axial ends of 134) in a plurality of circumferential positions (a friction fit is exhibited circumferentially surrounding 134 and fixes 134 to 130 and is prevented from moving axially relative to each other), wherein the shaft has at least one of: a) the housing has a reservoir (fig. 4: reservoir to the immediate left of 134, shown as the circumferential groove recessed radially outward from 134) arranged between the bearings and a splined section (112b) of the shaft, which splined section is provided for a brake unit (114), and designed for receiving bearing grease (the opening space of the reservoir would receive the grease driven out of the bearing 134), or b) an inner diameter of the fixed bearing is smaller or greater than an inner diameter of a movable bearing.
Re claim 24, wherein dimensioning and arranging the shaft and housing is produced by material-recessing formation of the reservoir receiving bearing grease (shown as circumferential groove around the inner surface of housing 130), come to bear at least against the housing.
Strbuncelj does not disclose the:
Re claims 1, 23, the least one of the bearings is secured by at least one washer interacting with the housing.
Re claim 2, wherein the at least one component of the at least one bearing is secured in the plurality of circumferential positions by fixing the at least one washer to the housing with the respective washer in a radially overlapping arrangement between the housing and an outer ring of the respective bearing.
Re claim 3, wherein the at least one washer in the plurality of circumferential positions comes to bear against the outer ring of the respective bearing.
Re claim 4, wherein each of the at least one washer are uniformly distributed symmetrically over the circumference.
Re claim 5, wherein the at least one washer provided in the respective circumferential position is fixed by a fastener in axial alignment at least approximately parallel to the shaft and on the outside of the housing.
Re claim 13, wherein a lowest point of the reservoir is arranged at least 5% further radially on the outside than the radius of an outer ring at least of the adjacent bearing.
Re claim 24, wherein dimensioning and arranging the shaft and housing is produced such that the at least one washer securing a corresponding bearing in an axially fixed manner come to bear against an end face of the housing.
Re claim 25, wherein the at least one washer is a plain washer.
Re claim 26, wherein the at least one washer is clamped between the housing and a bearing ring of the at least one of the bearings by a fastener secured on the housing in the axial direction.
However, Benedict teaches a bearing retention assembly (fig. 3):
Re claims 1, 23, the least one of the bearings (152) is secured by at least one washer (154) interacting with the housing (113).
Re claim 2, wherein the at least one component of the at least one bearing is secured in the plurality of circumferential positions (this disclosed by Strbuncelj) by fixing the at least one washer to the housing with the respective washer in a radially overlapping arrangement between the housing and an outer ring (outer ring of 152) of the respective bearing (fig. 3).
Re claim 3, wherein the at least one washer in the plurality of circumferential positions comes to bear against the outer ring of the respective bearing (fig. 3).
Re claim 5, wherein the at least one washer provided in the respective circumferential position is fixed by a fastener (156) in axial alignment at least approximately parallel to the shaft (111) and on the outside of the housing (fig. 3).
Re claim 24, wherein dimensioning and arranging the shaft and housing is produced such that the at least one washer securing a corresponding bearing in an axially fixed manner come to bear against an end face of the housing (fig. 3).
Re claim 25, wherein the at least one washer is a plain washer (154 is shown as a plain washer).
Re claim 26, wherein the at least one washer is clamped between the housing and a bearing ring of the at least one of the bearings by a fastener (156) secured on the housing in the axial direction.
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to secure the bearing via washer, as taught by Benedict, to be able to easily and quickly remove the bearing during maintenance. The washer ensures a positive lock and prevents the bearing from coming loose during operation. While it is believed that Benedict discloses the plurality of retention means via circumferential friction fit, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to secure the bearings in a plurality of circumferential positions for improve security of the bearing to the housing, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. V. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Regarding claim 4, while it is believed that Strbuncelj discloses the circumferential distribution of the retention means via circumferential friction fit, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to rearrange the washers circumferentially symmetrically for even distribution of the load of securing the bearing, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding claim 13, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the claimed range of the reservoir lowest point to ensure sufficient amount of grease is able to be collected, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Strbuncelj (US 6601828 B2) in view of Benedict et al. (US 3547244) and Schoenek et al. (US 7303495 B2). Strbuncelj as modified discloses the drivetrain arrangement (as cited above). Strbuncelj does not disclose:
Re claim 6, wherein at least three bores or similar cutouts which are preferably uniformly distributed over the circumference and are configured for receiving the fastener fixing the washers are formed in an end-face section of the housing, in which the bearing is mounted.
However, Schoenek teaches a bearing arrangement (fig. 2-6):
Re claim 6, wherein at least three bores (66) or similar cutouts which are preferably uniformly distributed over the circumference (fig. 2) and are configured for receiving the fastener (62) fixing the washers (58) are formed in an end-face section of the housing, in which the bearing is mounted (fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to at least three bores, as taught by Schoenek, to provide sufficient support and evenly distribute the load of the securing means.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Strbuncelj (US 6601828 B2) in view of Benedict et al. (US 3547244) and Bentele et al. (US 4576489). Strbuncelj as modified discloses the drivetrain arrangement (as cited above). Strbuncelj does not disclose:
Re claim 16, wherein a felt ring is arranged in an arrangement between the reservoir and a bearing inner ring, so as to fill the axial section in between.
However, Bentele teaches a bearing lubrication arrangement:
Re claim 16, wherein a felt ring (5) is arranged in an arrangement between the reservoir (6) and a bearing inner ring (inner race of 3), so as to fill the axial section in between (see figure).
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ a felt ring, as taught by Bentele, to effectively retain some lubricant adjacent to the bearing to better reduce friction.
Claim(s) 17-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Strbuncelj (US 6601828 B2) in view of Benedict et al. (US 3547244) and Vincent et al. (US 2015/0353325 A1). Strbuncelj as modified discloses the drivetrain arrangement (as cited above):
Re claim 17, wherein the drive unit of the elevator system comprises: at least one belt drive (110), wherein at least one driving zone (122) for at least one belt of the drive unit is formed on the shaft between the bearings (fig. 4).
Re claim 21, wherein at least one, two, or three driving zones for corresponding numbers of belts is formed on the shaft between the bearings (fig. 4 shows at least one zone 122).
Strbuncelj does not disclose:
Re claim 17, wherein an inner diameter of a fixed bearing of the at least two bearings is smaller or greater than an inner diameter of a movable bearing of the at least two bearings and differs from the inner diameter of the other bearing of the at least two bearings in such a way that, in the axial installation direction, the bearing with the larger inner diameter can be applied without contact, via a shaft section of the shaft provided for the bearing with the smaller inner diameter.
Re claim 18, wherein the inner diameters of the bearings differ from each other in such a way that re-machining of the shaft is minimized/can be minimized.
Re claim 19, wherein the inner diameter of the fixed bearing is smaller than the inner diameter of the movable bearing.
Re claim 20, wherein the smaller bearing is arranged between the driving zone and a brake unit.
However, Vincent teaches a belt drive arrangement:
Re claim 17, wherein an inner diameter of a fixed bearing (51) of the at least two bearings is smaller or greater than an inner diameter of a movable bearing (15) of the at least two bearings (fig. 4 shows diameter of 51 is smaller than diameter of 15) and differs from the inner diameter of the other bearing of the at least two bearings in such a way that, in the axial installation direction, the bearing with the larger inner diameter can be applied without contact, via a shaft section (section corresponding to 51) of the shaft provided for the bearing with the smaller inner diameter (fig. 4).
Re claim 18, wherein the inner diameters of the bearings differ from each other in such a way that re-machining of the shaft is minimized (fig. 4).
Re claim 19, wherein the inner diameter of the fixed bearing is smaller than the inner diameter of the movable bearing (fig. 4).
Re claim 20, wherein the smaller bearing (51) is arranged between the driving zone (3) and a brake unit (40).
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ differing diameter bearings and the corresponding shaft, as taught by Vincent, for quick installment of the bearing from one side of the shaft and prevent the respective bearing from slipping axially towards the larger portion of the shaft.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-21 and 23-24 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH D TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-3014. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 pm.
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/Minh Truong/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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