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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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) 1-7, 9 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Watanabe (JP 20080026480).
Regarding claim 1, Watanabe discloses a seal ring 10 Fig. 1, comprising: a sliding surface 20 provided with a dynamic pressure generation groove 21 that is configured to rotate and slide relative to one of a shaft 60 and a housing 70, into which the shaft is inserted, to generate a dynamic pressure; and an installation surface 50 intersecting the sliding surface and installed on remaining one of the shaft and the housing, wherein a recess 51 that is open toward a surface which is formed in the remaining one of the shaft and the housing to face the installation surface of the seal ring is provided in the seal ring.
Regarding claim 2, Watanabe discloses wherein the recess 51 is provided around an entire circumference of the seal ring.
Regarding claim 3, Watanabe discloses wherein the sliding surface 20 is separated from an installed surface 50 on which is the seal ring 10 is installed and which is included in the surface formed in the remaining one of the shaft 60 and the housing 70.
Regarding claim 4, Watanabe discloses wherein the recess 51 extends to overlap with at least a counter-sliding surface 71 of the one of the shaft and the housing 70 in an axial view.
Regarding claim 5, Watanabe discloses wherein the dynamic pressure generation groove 21 is disposed on a side opposite to the remaining one of the shaft 60 and the housing 70 with respect to a bottom surface of the recess 51.
Regarding claim 6, Watanabe discloses wherein the sliding surface 20 and a counter-sliding surface of the one of the shaft and the housing face each other in an axial direction, and the recess 51 is disposed on a sliding surface side with respect to an axial center of the seal ring 10.
Regarding claim 7, Watanabe discloses wherein the sliding surface 20 and a counter-sliding surface of the one of the shaft 60 and the housing 70 face each other in a radial direction, and the recess 51 is disposed close to a sliding surface side.
Regarding claim 9, Watanabe discloses wherein the recess 51 extends to overlap with at least a counter-sliding surface 71 of the one of the shaft 60 and the housing 70 in an axial view.
Regarding claim 10, Watanabe discloses wherein the recess 51 extends to overlap with at least a counter-sliding surface 71 of the one of the shaft 60 and the housing 70 in an axial view.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe.
Regarding claim 8, Watanabe discloses the invention as claimed above but fails to explicitly disclose the configuration of the sealing ring wherein a cross-sectional shape of the seal ring is line-symmetrical with respect to a radial line. Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention since it has been held that the configuration of the claimed element was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed element was significant. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE G BYRD whose telephone number is (571)270-1824. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm.
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/EUGENE G BYRD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
