CTNF 19/160,569 CTNF 89095 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/28/2025 has been considered by the examiner. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 Claims 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 6 recites “in each axial cut” which is unclear and renders the claim indefinite. Specifically, there is no antecedent basis in the claims for “each axial cut”. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-3, 6-10, 12-13 and 15, as best understood , is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1)/(2) as being anticipated by Popov (USPN 4047449) . Popov discloses a helical pinion for a helical gear transmission, comprising: at least one tooth gear (1) having a globoidal design, the at least one tooth gear having tooth profile contours (see Fig. 1) which constantly change (each tooth is a different shape, therefore the tooth profile contours are considered to constantly change) over the entire course of the tooth gear; wherein all of the tooth profile contours are asymmetrical (with respect to vertical lines of symmetry [those parallel to line A in Fig. 1) passing through the tooth profiles, the tooth profiles are considered asymmetrical); wherein, starting from a tooth gear course center, respective outer tooth flanks have an increasing concavity (see Fig. 1, as the teeth to either side of the center tooth are shorter, and yet still conform to the most curved portion of the mating gear teeth, they are considered to have increasing concavity) over a respective partial course of the tooth gear; wherein, in each axial cut, heads and/or feet of the tooth profile contours describe a section of an ellipse (as best understood, some portion of the curved heads or feet of the teeth can be described by some portion of some ellipse); wherein the at least one tooth gear has a constantly changing distance of a measuring ball center point (as best understood, see Fig. 1) from a foot curve over the entire course; wherein the at least one tooth gear has constantly changing tooth heights (see Fig. 1, tooth heights are different) over the its entire course; wherein the tooth gear has constantly changing tooth head (see Fig. 1, the head shapes differ at least in width) shapes over the entire course, and a helical gear (2); wherein a tooth gear course center of the helical pinion lies in overlap (see Fig. 1) with an axis crossing point of the helical pinion; wherein the helical gear is cylindrical (the helical gear is considered cylindrical, as it is generally circular in cross section); wherein all of the tooth profile contours with the exception of one tooth profile contour (the tooth profile contour of helical gear 2 is symmetrical) are asymmetrical . 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1, 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1)/(2) as being anticipated by Albro (USPN 264,428) . Albro discloses a helical pinion for a helical gear transmission, comprising: at least one tooth gear (A) having a globoidal design (as gear B envelopes the worm gear depicted in Fig. 1, it is considered to have a “globoidal design”), the at least one tooth gear having tooth profile contours (see Fig. 1) which constantly change (each tooth is a different shape, therefore the tooth profile contours are considered to constantly change) over the entire course of the tooth gear; a helical gear (see Fig. 1, worm gear meshing with worm A); and wherein the helical gear straight-toothed (see Fig. 1) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Popov (USPN 4047449) in view of Wildhaber (USPN 3,386,305) . Popov discloses the claimed invention, except for applying the helical gear transmission to the intended use of a steering gear for a steering system for a motor vehicle. Wildhaber discloses a helical steering gear (see Fig. 6) for a steering system (see Fig. 10) of a motor vehicle. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed to have modified the helical gear transmission of Popov to be used as a steering gear, as the selection of an intended use for an invention only requires routine skill in the art . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 4-5 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. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAKE COOK whose telephone number is (571)272-5968. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:00 PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached at (571) 270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. JAKE COOK Primary Examiner Art Unit 3618 /Jake Cook/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618 Application/Control Number: 19/160,569 Page 2 Art Unit: 3618 Application/Control Number: 19/160,569 Page 3 Art Unit: 3618 Application/Control Number: 19/160,569 Page 4 Art Unit: 3618 Application/Control Number: 19/160,569 Page 6 Art Unit: 3618
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