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
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Suzuki et al. (US 2014/0251083; hereinafter “Suzuki”).
Claim 1
Suzuki discloses an electromagnetic clutch comprising:
an annular electromagnetic coil (90);
a yoke (23) that holds the electromagnetic coil (90);
a magnetic path forming member (20 or 20c) that forms a magnetic path for a magnetic flux generated by a current flowing through the electromagnetic coil; and
an armature (91) to be attracted toward the magnetic path forming member by the magnetic flux, the magnetic path forming member (20) being configured to rotate relative to the yoke (23) in an oil-bath state (see e.g., paragraphs [0140] and [0141]), wherein
a pump portion (21d including 21c, opposing inclined surface of 23, and clearance 21e) that generates a flow of lubrication oil between the yoke and the magnetic path forming member is formed by part of each of the magnetic path forming member and the yoke,
the pump portion (21d) includes an inner tapered portion (21c) having a tapered outer circumferential surface, and an outer tapered portion (tapered surface of 23 opposing 21c) having a tapered inner circumferential surface that faces the tapered outer circumferential surface across a clearance (21e), and
the inner tapered portion (21d) is formed on one of the magnetic path forming member (21) and the yoke, and the outer tapered portion (surface of 23) is formed on the other of the magnetic path forming member and the yoke (23) (see FIG. 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7 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.
With reference to claim 2, the prior art does not disclose or render obvious an electromagnetic clutch comprising the combination of features as recited including the two inner and outer pump portions as these are claimed.
With reference to claim 3, the prior art does not disclose or render obvious an electromagnetic clutch comprising the combination of features as recited including “wherein: the yoke, the magnetic path forming member, and the armature are arranged in an axial direction, and the magnetic path forming member is disposed between the yoke and the armature; a rotary housing member that houses the magnetic path forming member and the armature and rotates together with the magnetic path forming member is provided, and the rotary housing member is disposed in a case in the oil-bath state; the rotary housing member rotates in the oil-bath state to cause an unevenly distributed state in which the lubrication oil is unevenly distributed toward the yoke in the case; and the lubrication oil is supplied to the pump portion from a space between the yoke and an end of the magnetic path forming member near the yoke.” The prior art does not disclose a rotary housing member that houses the same recited magnetic path forming member as well as the armature and which causes the uneven distributed state of the oil as this is recited.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 208/0187727 discloses a tapered surface on the magnetic path forming member. CN 105190032A discloses two opposing tapered surfaces that form a friction clutch rather than a pump. US 5,775,583 includes an electromagnetic clutch attached to a pump.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STACEY A FLUHART whose telephone number is (571)270-1851. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9AM-7PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at 571-270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/STACEY A FLUHART/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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