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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-16 are currently pending in this application.
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) 1-3, 5, 8-11, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by GISSLER (FR 3095247)
Regarding Claim 1, GISSLER teaches a Filtering pulley (11) comprising a hub (12 and inner part of 13) adapted to be fixed to a shaft rotating around an axis (2), a crown (17, 18) mounted coaxially and rotationally free on said hub (12 and inner part of 13), at least one elastic group (15) arranged circumferentially with respect to said hub (12) and said crown (17, 18) and interposed, each, between a pair of first elements (radial inner part of element 13) fixedly carried by said hub (12 and inner part of 13) and between a pair of second elements (implicitly carried by element 17) fixedly carried by said crown (17, 18), wherein said hub (12 and inner part of 13) comprises a first element (radial inner part of element 13) and a second element (portion of 12 engaged with inner part of 13) realized as separate elements connected together by axially oriented fixing means (Fig. 2, 6)[0036][0042](the fixing means can be considered axially oriented since they have dimensions in the axial direction; in addition, bonds 10 through recesses 20 also have an axial component), said first element (radial inner part of element 13) carrying an actuator (radially outer portion of 13) and said second element (portion of 12 engaged with inner part of 13) being configured to be connected to said shaft.
Regarding Claim 2, GISSLER teaches wherein said axially oriented fixing means comprises a shape coupling [0036][0042](Figs. 2, 6).
Regarding Claim 3, GISSLER teaches wherein the shape coupling comprises a protrusion carried in a fixed manner to one between said first and second elements and a seat realized in the other between said first and second elements [0036][0042](Figs. 2, 6).
Regarding Claim 5, GISSLER teaches wherein said protrusion and said seat are coaxial to said axis (2) [0036][0042](Figs. 2, 6).
Regarding Claim 8, GISSLER teaches further comprising a dynamic damper (19) carried by said hub.
Regarding Claim 9, GISSLER teaches wherein said dynamic damper comprises a hub portion carried by said first element via a shape coupling [0039](Figs. 2, 3).
Regarding Claim 10, GISSLER teaches wherein the shape coupling comprises a protrusion carried in a fixed manner to one of said first element (radial inner part of element 13) and said hub portion and a seat realized in the other of said first element and said hub portion [0039](Figs. 2, 3).
Regarding Claim 11, GISSLER teaches wherein the first element and the second element of the hub are connected by a shape coupling, wherein the shape coupling comprises a protrusion carried in a fixed manner to one of the first and second elements of the hub and a seat realized in the other of the first and second elements of the hub, wherein said shape couplings are coaxial to said axis [0036][0042](Figs. 2, 6).
Regarding Claim 16, GISSLER teaches wherein said protrusion and said seat are concentric to said axis (A) [0036][0042](Figs. 2, 6).
Claim(s) 1, 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated SIEBER (2021/0254670).
Regarding Claim 1, SIEBER teaches a Filtering pulley (1) comprising a hub (4) adapted to be fixed to a shaft rotating around an axis (7), a crown (6) mounted coaxially and rotationally free on said hub (4), at least one elastic group (27) arranged circumferentially with respect to said hub (4) and said crown (6) and interposed, each, between a pair of first elements (8) fixedly carried by said hub (4) and between a pair of second elements (implicitly carried by element 6) fixedly carried by said crown (6), wherein said hub (4) comprises a first element (8) and a second element (radially inner part of 4) realized as separate elements connected together by axially oriented fixing means (Fig. 2)(the fixing means can be considered axially oriented since they have dimensions in the axial direction), said first element (8) carrying an actuator and said second element (radially inner part of 4) being configured to be connected to said shaft.
Regarding Claim 13, SIEBER teaches wherein said pair of first elements (8) is realized monolithic with said first element radially inner part of 8).
Regarding Claim 14, SIEBER teaches wherein said pair of second elements (implicitly carried by 6) are projections integral with an element of said crown (6).
Regarding Claim 15, SIEBER teaches wherein said at least one elastic group (27) is circumferentially sliding inside a space formed between the pair of first elements (8) and/or the pair of second elements (implicitly carried by 6) [0040](Fig. 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6, 7, 12 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.
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein said protrusion and said seat are cylindrical with the other elements in Claim 4.
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein at least one between said first and second elements defines an axial flange configured to cooperate at contact with a shoulder realized in the other between said first and second elements with the other elements in Claim 6
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein said axial flange is located radially outer to said axis with respect to said shape coupling with the other elements in Claim 7.
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the first element and the second element of the hub are connected by a shape coupling, wherein the shape coupling comprises a protrusion carried in a fixed manner to one of the first and second elements of the hub and a seat realized in the other of the first and second elements of the hub, wherein said shape couplings are equal with the other elements in Claim 12.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/17/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that GISSLER and SIEGER do not teach the first and second elements of the hub are “connected together by axially oriented fixing means” in Claim 1 (Remarks pg. 1 para. 9). The term “axially oriented” is broad enough to include the case where the first and second elements have an axial dimension and have engaging surfaces contacting in the axial direction. Here the spline connections in GISSLER and SIEGER have spline thicknesses in the axial direction and spline surfaces which engage each other in the axial direction.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENRY Y LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-7018. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30 ET.
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HENRY Y. LIU
Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/HENRY Y LIU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
