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 .
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 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Volet GB 283,542.
Re clm 1, Volet discloses a rolling bearing cage (Fig. 11) that holds a plurality of rolling elements (c) between an outer ring (a, Fig. 1) and an inner ring (b) in a rollable manner, the rolling bearing cage comprising: a pair of annular members (d) each made of an annular flat plate and each having a plurality of circular holes (e) formed along a circumferential direction; and a coupling member (f) configured to couple the pair of annular members while maintaining a separated state and the holes facing each other, wherein the pair of annular members sandwich the rolling element and hold the rolling element by accommodating a part of the rolling element in the hole (page 2: lines 65-69).
Re clm 4, Volet further discloses a rolling bearing (Fig. 1) comprising: a rolling bearing cage (Fig. 11) configured to hold a plurality of rolling elements (c) between an outer ring (a) and an inner ring (b) in a rollable manner, wherein the rolling bearing cage is the rolling bearing cage according to claim 1.
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Volet GB 283,542 as applied to claim 1 above.
Volet discloses all the claimed subject matter as described above.
Re clm 2, Although Volet shows the recited size in Fig. 7, Volet is silent as to the actual size of the hole and does not disclose (D1/D2) = 10% to 40%, where (D1/D2) is a ratio of a diameter (D1) of the hole in the annular member to a diameter (D2) of the rolling element.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Volet and provide (D1/D2) = 10% to 40%, where (D1/D2) is a ratio of a diameter (D1) of the hole in the annular member to a diameter (D2) of the rolling element, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). See MPEP 2144.05(II)(A).
The size of the holes are a result effective variable since the balls can be inserted into the pocket. If the size of the holes are too large, then the two rings will be too close together requiring an excessive amount of force to insert the ball into the cage potentially damaging the cage. If the size of the holes are too small, then the balls can easily come out of the pocket and prevent proper spacing of the balls. The hole sizes are also a result effective variable since on the one hand, contact points between the ball and the cage closer to the poles have a lower surface speed while on the other hand, contact points further from the poles have a higher surface speed. Higher surface speeds increase friction, wear and heat.
The examiner further notes that Applicant has provided no criticality for the claimed ratio.
Claim 3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Volet GB 283,542 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Alff EP 0506496.
Volet discloses all the claimed subject matter as described above.
Re clm 3, Volet does not disclose a portion of the hole of the annular member that comes into contact with an outer peripheral surface of the rolling element is chamfered.
Alff teaches a guiding surface on the cage that contacts the ball being chamfered (18, Fig. 3). Chamfers are well-known to reduce high stress concentration points provided by sharp corners.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Volet and provide a portion of the hole of the annular member that comes into contact with an outer peripheral surface of the rolling element is chamfered for the purpose of reducing high stress concentration points of contact between the ball and the cage.
Re clm 5, Volet further discloses a rolling bearing (Fig. 1) comprising: a rolling bearing cage (Fig. 11) configured to hold a plurality of rolling elements (c) between an outer ring (a) and an inner ring (b) in a rollable manner, wherein the rolling bearing cage is the rolling bearing cage according to claim 1.
Conclusion
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/ALAN B WAITS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
