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 .
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kato (US20180328358A1).
Claim 1: Kato discloses a maintenance method for replacing a main body unit on a scroll fluid machine (Figs. 1-6) including the main body unit that has a fixed scroll (2), an orbiting scroll (3) for forming working chambers between itself and the fixed scroll (see paragraph 24), a support (note support portion near 22 in Fig. 3B which is analogous to the support depicted by Applicant’s disclosure as 13 in Fig. 3) supporting the orbiting scroll for orbiting motion thereon, and a main body casing (14) connected to the fixed scroll and accommodating the orbiting scroll and the support therein (Figs. 2-3), and a motor unit (20) that is connected to the main body unit to allow the orbiting scroll to undergo orbiting motion via a crankshaft (6/6A), wherein the motor unit has a flange (15) having a protruding portion (see Figure below, Examiner noting that the protruding portion can begin within the recess of the flange) that extends toward the main body unit and has an outer circumferential side first fitting surface (see Figure below) and an outer circumferential side second fitting surface (see Figure below) at positions different from each other in a circumferential direction or a radial direction (Fig. 5), the main body casing of the main body unit before the replacement has an inner circumferential side third fitting surface fitted on only the first fitting surface (see Figure below, Examiner noting that this fit will be present before replacement), and the main body casing of the main body unit after the replacement has an inner circumferential side fourth fitting surface fitted on only the second fitting surface (see Figure below, Examiner noting that this fit will be present after replacement).
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Claim 4: Kato discloses a scroll fluid machine (Figs. 1-6) including a main body unit that has a fixed scroll (2), an orbiting scroll (3) for forming working chambers between itself and the fixed scroll (see paragraph 24), a support (note support portion near 22 in Fig. 3B which is analogous to the support depicted by Applicant’s disclosure as 13 in Fig. 3) supporting the orbiting scroll for orbiting motion thereon, and a main body casing (14) connected to the fixed scroll and accommodating the orbiting scroll and the support therein (Figs. 2-3), and a motor unit (20) that is connected to the main body unit to allow the orbiting scroll to undergo orbiting motion via a crankshaft (6/6A), wherein the motor unit has a flange (15) having a protruding portion (see Figure below, Examiner noting that the protruding portion can begin within the recess of the flange) that extends toward the main body unit and has an outer circumferential side first fitting surface (see Figure above) and an outer circumferential side second fitting surface (see Figure above) at positions different from each other in a circumferential direction or a radial direction (see Fig. 5), and the main body casing of the main body unit selectively (Examiner noting that the following limitations can be fulfilled/satisfied via the replacement process of the main body casing) has one of an inner circumferential side third fitting surface fitted on only the first fitting surface (see Figure above, Examiner noting that this fit will be present before replacement) and an inner circumferential side fourth fitting surface fitted on only the second fitting surface (see Figure above, Examiner noting that this fit will be present after replacement).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 and 5-6 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 2, the prior art of record does not further disclose or reasonably teach in combination that the first fitting surface and the second fitting surface are each three or more fitting surfaces at positions different from one another in the circumferential direction, and the third fitting surface and the fourth fitting surface are each three or more fitting surfaces at positions different from one another in the circumferential direction. In view of Applicant’s disclosure (see specification, paragraphs 5-8), this kind of arrangement allows for, during maintenance, only needing to replace the main body unit and not the flange of the motor unit.
Regarding claim 5, the prior art of record does not further disclose or reasonably teach in combination that the first fitting surface and the second fitting surface are each three or more fitting surfaces at positions different from one another in the circumferential direction, and the third fitting surface and the fourth fitting surface are each three or more fitting surfaces at positions different from one another in the circumferential direction. In view of Applicant’s disclosure (see specification, paragraphs 5-8), this kind of arrangement allows for, during maintenance, only needing to replace the main body unit and not the flange of the motor unit.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN C ZOLLINGER whose telephone number is (571)270-7815. The examiner can normally be reached Generally M-F 9-4 EST.
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, Essama Omgba can be reached at 469-295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHAN C ZOLLINGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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