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 .
Status of Claims
This is the first action on the merits for application 19/154036 filed on 08/06/2025. Claims 1-15 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/06/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 1, 6-7, 9-12, 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akamatsu (US 20070220875 A1) in view of Muramatsu (US 20020180288 A1)
Claim 1: Akamatsu discloses a freewheel-axial bearing assembly (Fig.1b) for a vehicle having:
a freewheel (10; Fig.1a) which is designed to transfer a torque on the basis of a relative rotational direction between a connection component (12a) and a coupling component (e.g. stator shaft, ¶[0112]) and which comprises an inner ring (22),
a freewheel sleeve (21), at least one clamping body (20) that is functionally arranged between the inner ring (22) and the freewheel sleeve (21) (¶[0004]), and
a support ring (18) that is connected to the freewheel sleeve (21) (¶[0088]) and can be connected to the connection component (12a) via a first form-fitting connection (connection between 18b and 12b, ¶[0099]), and
an axial bearing (1b) with at least one axial bearing disc (4b).
Akamatsu does not disclose wherein: at least one securing means projects integrally from the axial bearing disc, said securing means being connected to the support ring in a form-fitting manner, thereby forming a second form-fitting connection which is offset circumferentially relative to the first form-fitting connection.
Muramatsu teaches stator assembly (1; Fig.1) having axial bearing (16) with at least one axial bearing disc (24); wherein: at least one securing means (20) projects integrally from the axial bearing disc (24), said securing means (20) being connected to the support ring (11) in a form-fitting manner (¶[0048]), thereby forming a second form-fitting connection (e.g. connection between 20 and 18) which is offset circumferentially relative to a first form-fitting connection (connection between 11 and 10).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add securing means (20-Muramatsu) to axial bearing disc (4b of Akamatsu) and recess (¶[0048]: recesses provided in the stepped portion 18-Muramatsu) to a support ring (18 of Akamatsu) such that the securing means being connected to support ring in form fitting manner and offset circumferentially relative to a first form fitting connection (connection between connection between 18b and 12b-Akamatsu) for the purpose of providing extra securing between axial bearing disc and support ring such that axial bearing disc and support ring always rotate together, improving durability, reliability especially in high vibration environment of torque converter.
Claim 6: Akamatsu in view of Muramatsu discloses the freewheel-axial bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the securing means (20-Muramatsu) is embodied as an axial projection (Muramatsu: engagement portion of extension 20).
Claim 7: Akamatsu in view of Muramatsu discloses the freewheel-axial bearing assembly according to claim 6, wherein the axial projection (Muramatsu: engagement portion of extension 20) engages in a form-fitting manner to form a corresponding recess (e.g. recess, see ¶[0048]-Muramatsu) in the support ring (18-Akamatsu) to form the second form-fitting connection [[(88)]].
Claim 9: Akamatsu in view of Muramatsu discloses a torque converter (Akamatsu- ¶[0024]) having an impeller (Akamatsu- ¶[0024]), a turbine (Akamatsu -¶[0024]), a stator (12- Akamatsu) and a freewheel-axial bearing assembly (Fig.1b) according to claim 1.
Claim 10: Akamatsu in view of Muramatsu discloses the torque converter according to claim 9, wherein the stator (12- Akamatsu) forms the connection component (12a).
Claim 11: Akamatsu discloses a torque converter (¶[0024]), comprising:
an impeller (¶[0024]);
a turbine (¶[0024]);
a stator (12-Fig.1a-1b) comprising a stator hub (12a);
a freewheel-axial bearing assembly (Fig.1b), comprising:
a freewheel (10) arranged to transfer a torque based on a relative rotational direction
between the stator (12) and a coupling component (e.g. stator shaft, ¶[0112]), the freewheel (10) comprising:
an inner ring (22);
a freewheel sleeve (21);
a clamping body (20) arranged between the inner ring (22) and the freewheel
sleeve (21); and
a support ring (18) rotationally fixed to the freewheel sleeve (21) (¶[0088]) and connected to the stator hub (12a) via a first form-fitting connection (connection between 18b and 12b, ¶[0099]); and
an axial bearing (1b) comprising a bearing disc (4b),
Akamatsu does not disclose the bearing disc comprising an integral axial projection form-fittingly connected to a recess in the support ring to form a second form-fitting connection, circumferentially offset relative to the first form-fitting connection.
Muramatsu teaches stator assembly (1; Fig.1) having axial bearing (16) with at least one axial bearing disc (24); the bearing disc (24) comprising an integral axial projection form-fittingly (20) connected to a recess (recesses provided in the stepped portion 18, ¶[0048]) in the support ring (11) to form a second form-fitting connection (connection between 20 and 18), circumferentially offset relative to a first form-fitting connection (connection between 11 and 10).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add integral axial projection (20-Muramatsu) to axial bearing disc (4b of Akamatsu) and recess (¶[0048]: recesses provided in the stepped portion 18-Muramatsu) to a support ring (18 of Akamatsu) to form a second form-fitting connection (connection between 20 and 18), circumferentially offset relative to a first form-fitting connection (connection between connection between 18b and 12b-Akamatsu) for the purpose of providing extra securing between axial bearing disc and support ring such that axial bearing disc and support ring always rotate together, improving durability, reliability especially in high vibration environment of torque converter.
Claim 12: Akamatsu in view of Muramatsu discloses the torque converter of claim 11, wherein the support ring (18-Akamatsu) comprises an integral radial projection (18b-as shown in Fig.1: 18b are projections in radial direction from outer periphery of 18) engaged in a radial recess (12b-groove in inner periphery of stator hub 12a) in the stator hub (12a) to form the first form-fitting connection (connection between 12b and 18b).
Claim 14: Akamatsu in view of Muramatsu discloses the torque converter of claim 12, wherein the integral axial projection (20-Muramatsu) is arranged circumferentially directly adjacent to the integral radial projection (18b-Akamatsu).
Claim 15: Akamatsu in view of Muramatsu discloses the torque converter of claim 12, wherein the recess (¶[0048]: recesses provided in the stepped portion 18-Muramatsu) in the support ring (18-Akamatsu) circumferentially directly adjoins the integral radial projection (18b-Akamatsu).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 8 and 13 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.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Ochi (US 20040076522) discloses outer race 320-fig.11, axial bearing disc 520.
Ochi (US 20080185257 A1) discloses outer race 36, axial bearing disc 54.
FUJIWARA (EP0478891) discloses outer race 15, axial bearing disc 21, does not have sleeve; de102018129900 cited from IDS discloses sleeve 7 between outrace 3 and inner race 2. However, there is no reason to add the sleeve 7 to freewheel of EP’891 since freewheel of FUJIWARA has end bearing.
OCHI (JP-2007177969-A) discloses freewheel similar to FUJIWARA.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Lillian T Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-5404. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.
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/LILLIAN T NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3655a
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