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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed July 24, 2025 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
While documents have been filed that correspond to items listed in the IDS, all of the documents include a complete foreign translation but the actual foreign document is not complete and a complete copy of a translation is not a legible copy of the foreign patent document as required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the reversed configuration covered by claim 2 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP4911354 (JP354).
Regarding claim 1, JP354 discloses a bearing seal (5) for use in a rolling bearing including an outer ring (3), an inner ring (2), and rolling elements (4), the bearing seal comprising: a first metal plate and a second metal plate (plates 7 and 9, more specifically 7a and 9a as shown in figure 7, in the attached translation these parts are named “metal plate”) each having an annular shape; and a sliding member (8) interposed between the first metal plate and the second metal plate, wherein at least one of the first metal plate and the second metal plate, or a conductive rubber that covers a radially outward section of the first metal plate and a radially outward section of the second metal plate and extends radially outward is in contact with the outer ring (the top of 7a, or the radially outer side, in figure 7, contacts the outer ring 3), the sliding member is a bundle of conductive fibers (8 is a series of thin wires that are arranged to create a bundle that fans out like a brush, this can be seen in figure 7 but is more clearly shown in figure 10), and the bundle of conductive fibers (8) has an extending portion that extends radially inward from a radially innermost end of the first metal plate and the second metal plate (portion labeled 16) and is in contact with the inner ring at a distal end of the extending portion (17 is indicating the distal ends that create the contact).
Regarding claim 2, JP354 discloses a bearing seal (5) for use in a rolling bearing including an outer ring (3), an inner ring (2), and rolling elements (4), the bearing seal comprising: a first metal plate and a second metal plate (plates 7 and 9, more specifically 7a and 9a as shown in figure 7, in the attached translation these parts are named “metal plate”) each having an annular shape; and a sliding member (8) interposed between the first metal plate and the second metal plate, wherein at least one of the first metal plate and the second metal plate, or a conductive rubber that covers a radially outward section of the first metal plate and a radially outward section of the second metal plate and extends radially outward is in contact with the inner ring (the top of 7a, or the radially outer side, in figure 7, contacts the outer ring 3 and then the last paragraph of the written description, see attached translation, discloses that the assembly can be reversed with the seal attached to the inner ring, the seal would attach in the same manner to the inner ring), the sliding member is a bundle of conductive fibers (8 is a series of thin wires that are arranged to create a bundle that fans out like a brush, this can be seen in figure 7 but is more clearly shown in figure 10), and the bundle of conductive fibers (8) has an extending portion that extends radially outward from a radially outermost end of the first metal plate and the second metal plate (portion labeled 16) and is in contact with the outer ring at a distal end of the extending portion (17 is indicating the distal ends that create the contact, this contact will occur with the outer ring when the seal is reversed).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES PILKINGTON whose telephone number is (571)272-5052. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 7-3.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John Olszewski can be reached at 571-272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES PILKINGTON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
