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 .
This is the First Office Action on the merits of Application No. 19/118114, filed on 04/03/2025. Claims 1-11, 13 are still pending in the application.
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 3, line 4 recites “the at least two have been separated”. It appears that the claim should recite “the at least two driving zone sections have been separated”. 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.
Claim 4 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.
Regarding claim 4, the phrase "in particular" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
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.
Claim(s) 1-11, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0100902 to Strbuncelj et al (henceforth referred to as Strbuncelj).
Regarding claims 1-11, 13, Strbuncelj discloses a drivetrain arrangement for a belt drive unit of an elevator installation (i.e. Fig. 2) comprising:
a shaft (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 12) which has been mounted in a housing and on which a driving zone (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 2, “driving zone”) for at least one belt (i.e. paragraph 0027: “traction surfaces 22 can… accommodate… flat belts”) interacting with a/the belt drive unit has been formed, wherein the driving zone has a driving zone width (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 2, “driving zone”); wherein the absolute length (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 2, “absolute length”) of the shaft is greater than the driving zone width according to a predefined/predefinable length factor, wherein the predefined/predefinable length factor is smaller than an upper threshold value, wherein the predefined/predefinable length factor lies between 2.5 and 3.3 (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 2 shows “driving zone” value of 188 and shows “absolute length” value of 507, which is a factor of about 2.7).
Wherein the predefined/predefinable length factor is smaller than the upper threshold value 3.0 (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 2 shows “driving zone” value of 188 and shows “absolute length” value of 507, which is a factor of about 2.7).
Wherein provision is made of at least two driving zone sections (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 22) which together form the driving zone, at least two driving zone sections with the same driving zone diameter, the at lest two have been separated from one another by a web (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 24) in each case, said web being provided in an encircling manner on the shaft, such that the driving zone sections have the same width.
Wherein the shaft is configured to interact with at least two belts (i.e. Fig. 2, shows at least three ref. 22 to accommodate three belts) which are guided on individual driving zone sections of the driving zone, said driving zone sections being separated from one another in particular by webs (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 24).
Wherein the shaft has two bearing sections (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 32, 34), wherein the driving zone has been arranged between the bearing sections, directly adjacent to a first bearing section, which is provided for a first bearing (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 32) or directly adjacent to a second bearing section, which is provided for a second bearing (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 34).
Wherein the driving zone is delimited on both sides by bearing sections (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 32, 34 delimit traction surface, ref. 22) of the shaft.
Wherein the shaft has the greatest diameter in the region of the driving zone and has the second greatest diameter in the region of a first and second bearing section (i.e. Fig. 2, shaft, ref. 12, has a smaller diameter at the end with ref. 16 than at the end with ref. 22 and 34).
Wherein provision is made of two or three driving zone sections which together from the driving zone (i.e. Fig. 2, shows three ref. 22), wherein the driving zone sections have been separated from one another by a web (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 24) in each case, said web being provided in an encircling manner on the shaft, wherein the width of the web is, in terms of magnitude, in the range of 3 to 15% of the width of the individual driving zone section (i.e. Fig. 2 shows value of ref. 24 is 5 and the value of ref. 22 is 10).
Wherein the width of the driving zone, including any shoulders and webs provided for separating driving zone sections, lies in the range of 28 to 42% of the absolute length of the shaft (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 2 shows “driving zone” value of 188 and shows “absolute length” value of 507, which is a about 37%).
Wherein the shaft diameter is greater both in a first and in a second bearing section for bearings (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 32, 34) that delimit the driving zone than the shaft diameter in a further section that is adjacent to the respective bearing section, wherein the width of the driving zone lies in the range of 28 to 42% of the absolute length of the shaft (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 2 shows “driving zone” value of 188 and shows “absolute length” value of 507, which is a about 37%).
Wherein the belt drive unit is configured for coupling at least one drive (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 10) of the belt drive unit to at least one component (i.e. Abstract: “an elevator car and a rope, connected to the elevator car.. is hoisted”) to be driven of the elevator installation by the at least one belt.
A method for use of a shaft (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 12), dimensioned in the manner optimized in terms of length, for a drivetrain arrangement (i.e. Fig. 2) of an elevator installation, the method comprising:
coupling at least one drive (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 10) of a belt drive unit of the elevator installation to at least one component to be driven of the elevator installation by at least one belt (i.e. paragraph 0027: “traction surfaces 22 can… accommodate… flat belts”), wherein the shaft is mounted in bearings on both sides of a/the drive zone (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 2, “drive zone”), wherein the shaft has at least one section whose axial length has been dimensioned in a manner dependent on the driving zone width; wherein the absolute length (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 2, “absolute length”) of the shaft is greater than the driving zone width according to a predefined length factor, wherein the predefined length factor is smaller than an upper threshold value, specifically smaller than a length factor of 3.3, wherein the predefined/predefinable length factor lies between 2.5 and 3.3 (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 2 shows “driving zone” value of 188 and shows “absolute length” value of 507, which is a factor of about 2.7).
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Patent No. 8,522,927 to Fischer teaches a drive shaft of an elevator with a drive zone delimited by bearing sections;
WO 2025/157462 to Schutt et al teaches a drive shaft of an elevator with drive zone delimited by bearing sections;
WO 2015/132051 to Liebetrau teaches a drive shaft of an elevator with drive zone delimited by bearing sections.
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/DIEM M TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
