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 19/161,337 filed on 09/02/2025. Claims 1-8 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 03/19/2026 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 7 recites “the an outer body” should read -- the [[an]] outer body-- as the limitation has been recited in previous line 1.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claim 5 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 5 recites the limitation "the plurality of pockets" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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, 3-6, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Triebold (US 20110091270 A1)
Triebold discloses:
Claim 1: A one-way clutch, comprising: (Fig.1. Note: under MPEP 2111.02, a preamble is not limiting if it merely states a purpose or intended use of the invention. In this case, the preamble recites “one-way clutch, comprising”. This is a statement of intended function/purpose not a structural limitation. Thereof, the preamble does not limit the claim for anticipation analysis) an outer body (14) comprising an inner periphery with a conical inner surface (e.g. inner surface of 30);
a shaft (12) comprising an outer periphery having a cylindrical outer surface (outer surface of 12 as shown in Fig.2);
a plurality of taper rollers (20) configured between the conical inner surface (e.g. inner surface of 30) of the outer body (14) and the cylindrical outer surface (outer surface of 12) of the shaft (12);and
a plurality of springs (22) configured to bias the plurality of taper rollers (20) in an axial direction towards a lower diameter side (e.g. move toward direction 15 as shown in Fig.2) of the respective taper rollers (20) (¶[0021]);
wherein rotation of the shaft (12) in counter clockwise direction, when viewed from a bigger end side of the taper rollers (20), is blocked on account of wedging action of the taper rollers (20) caused by a biasing force from the springs (22) (¶[0021]).
Claim 3:The one-way clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the springs (216) are configured such that when the shaft (12) is rotated in clockwise direction, when viewed from a bigger end side of the taper rollers (20), the biasing force of the springs (22) is overcome by a tendency (under BRI, the term “tendency” means movement in a particular direction. The term does not require that rollers move solely without assistance from another component). of the taper rollers (20. Note: rollers 20 are frusto-conical shaped and constrained between shaft and tapered ramp surfaces relative rotation necessarily produces an axial motion along the taper. Accordingly, during rotation in unlocking direction, rollers tends to move axially toward the larger diameter portion of the tapered ramps. The control sleeve merely facilitates the release by urging the rollers toward spring cap until the rollers move out of wedged position. Thus the disclosed movement is a consequence of conical rollers) to move axially towards a larger diameter side (e.g. move toward direction 17 as shown in Fig.2) of the conical inner surface (e.g. inner surface of 30) of the outer body (14).
Claim 4: The one-way clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer body (14) comprises a plurality of pockets (30. Note: “pocket” is interpreted as any recess or compartment that holds roller. In this case, 30 are recessed features that configured to receive roller 20, see ¶[0025]) and the plurality of taper rollers (20) are located within the plurality of pockets (30), one taper roller (20) in each of the plurality of pockets (30) (as shown in Fig.1,6).
Claim 5: The one-way clutch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of pockets (30) comprise a profiled surface (30a, 30b) that includes the conical inner surface (e.g. inner surface of 30) to create the wedging action (¶[0031]-[0032]).
Claim 6: The one-way clutch as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner periphery of the outer body (14) is a truncated periphery comprising a plurality of segments (
Regarding the term "segment", applicant does not have provide any specification definition of the phrase in the specification. Therefore, the phrase should be given its ordinary meaning, which is "a part or portion or section of something". In this case, it is sections of inner surface of 30, each segment (sections of inner surface of 30) located within a corresponding pocket (30).
Claim 8: The one-way clutch as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of pockets (30) are open towards the shaft (12) facilitating contact between the taper rollers (20) and the shaft (12).
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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Triebold (US 20110091270 A1) in view of Ando (US 20150167753 A1)
Claim 7: Triebold discloses the one-way clutch as claimed in claim 4, wherein the one-way clutch (Fig.1) further comprises a top plate (24) to hold (via 26) the plurality of taper rollers (20) and the springs (22) within the pockets (30).
Note: Triebold discloses the top plate (24) is coupled to the outer body (14) (see claim 10 of Triebold).
However, Triebold does not disclose the top plate is fixed to the outer body by crimping.
Ando teaches a one-way clutch (title) having a retainer (32; Fig.6) is fixed to an outer body (1) by crimping (The term “crimping” does not have special definition in the specification; thereof, the term is given its ordinary meaning as securing or joining a component by plastic deformation. In this regard, Ando teaches retainer is fixed to an outer body by caulking (see Ando-¶[0053]). Caulking is a well-known plastic deformation fastening technique in which material is plastically deformed to mechanically retain another component. Thereof, under BRI, the limitation “crimping” encompasses caulking disclosed by Ando).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to secure top plate (24) of Triebold to the outer body (14 of Triebold) using the crimping (e.g. caulking-as taught by Ando) to provide a simple, reliable and permanent attachment while maintaining roller and spring in their assembled positions.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is 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:
Kiener (US 20070246309 A1) discloses taper roller.
Fukui (US 5109964 A) discloses taper roller with spring pushes outer ring.
Vickerman (US 5653320 A) discloses taper roller without a spring.
Hughes (US1929782) discloses spring ring (50) with fingers 48; however, it does not disclose spring ring is diaphragm spring.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at (571)270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LILLIAN T NGUYEN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3655a
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