DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 1, the term “it” should be replaced with --said machine--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-6 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dearden US 2018/0230997 A1.
Dearden discloses, regarding claim 1, a positive displacement machine interacting with an operating fluid, said machine being a pump or a motor and comprising: means 118/120 interacting with the operating fluid; a first shaft 108 operatively associated with the means 118/120 interacting with the operating fluid; the first shaft 108 being rotatable about a first axis of rotation (of 108); a casing (comprising elements 114, 116, and 124) that houses said means 118/120 interacting with the operating fluid and at least a part of said first shaft 108; said casing extending between a first and a second end along a direction parallel to the first axis of rotation (clearly shown in Figs. 2-3); said casing (114, 116, 124) comprising a first bottom 124 placed at said first end; means for measuring 122/126 a parameter associated with a rotation speed of said first shaft 108; wherein the means for measuring 122/126 said parameter comprises an angular sensor 122/126 that determines an angular position of the first shaft 108; said angular sensor 122/126 comprising a sensitive element 126 that is associated with said first bottom 124; Re claim 2, wherein said first bottom 124 comprises a wall interposed between said sensitive element 126 and said first shaft 108 (clearly shown in Fig. 7C; see narrowed portion of 124); said wall preventing the operating fluid from coming into contact with the sensitive element 126 (clearly shown in Fig. 7C); Re claim 3, wherein said sensitive element 126 is placed inside the first bottom 124 and constrained thereto (clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 7C); Re claim 4, wherein said angular sensor 126 is a Hall effect sensor (see paragraph [0191] and claim 20); Re claim 5, wherein said first shaft 108 has an end facing an area of the first bottom 124 in which said sensitive element 126 is formed (clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 7C); Re claim 6, said first shaft 106 comprises magnetic means 122 integral therewith that is intended to interact with the sensitive element 126; Re claim 10, wherein said machine is a gear pump (see pump gears 118 and 120); said means interacting with the fluid comprising at least a first and a second mutually associated toothed wheel 118, 120; said first shaft 108 supporting the first toothed wheel 118.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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PJB
/PETER J BERTHEAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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