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 .
Drawings
Figures 13-15c should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated (both the apparatus and test results/charts are related to the prior art not the invention). See MPEP § 608.02(g).
The drawings are objected to because Figure 1 should include reference character 1, this should be generally located in the same position as the reference character is in figure 7.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The specification includes a listing of reference characters at the end, however this list is incomplete and is missing characters such as 2a, 3a, 7a, 7b, 9, 10, 11 and 16. The list should either include all the reference characters used or alternatively the list can be deleted as this is not a requirement in US practice.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 8, line 4, the line should begin with - -a- -.
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.
Claims 1-8 are 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.
Regarding claim 1, it is unclear what the phrase “contacts the seal groove outside a lip” in lines 7-8 means. What is the intended meaning of the use of “outside” in this case? Is this a direction, if so is it radially outside or axially outside and what is the “outside” direction? Or is Applicant attempting to claim that there is contact with the groove outside the region with the lip? Using “outside” on its own does not provide a clear meaning or scope nor does the claim previously provide any context for determining a clear meaning or intent for what is being considered “outside” either relative to a direction or location.
Regarding claim 1, the last line of the claim sets forth an angular requirement of 80-100 degrees, however no frame of reference is provided. Where is this angular measurement being taken from? The recitation appears to be defining this based of the contact point of the lip with the wall, however a rounded object would only contact at one point and thus no angle is formed by contact points in general. A contact point is also just a point on a line and would not define an angle. What surfaces or features other than a contact point defines the angle being claimed? Or is this an attempt to define a normal relative to the wall surface at the point of contact? If so all contact points on an inclined surface can be said to include a normal that is perpendicular or 90 degrees relative to the inclined surface and thus the recitation would not distinguish over any prior art document including an inclined surface at a contact point anywhere along that surface.
Regarding claim 7, it is unclear how many seals are now being positively set forth by the claim. The claim is defining the air outlet as being on “the” seal member disposed on one side or “each of two sides” of the bearing. The recitation “each of two sides” is suggestive of there being two seals however claim 1 only positively sets forth one. How many seals are present and being positively claimed?
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) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsuji, WO2022092025.
Regarding claim 1, Tsuji discloses a rolling bearing comprising: an inner ring (2); an outer ring (3); a plurality of balls (4) interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring; a retainer (5) configured to retain the plurality of balls (4); and a seal member (6) attached to the outer ring (3) and configured to close a bearing space between the inner ring and the outer ring, the inner ring having an outer peripheral surface on which a seal groove (7) is formed in a circumferential direction, wherein the seal member (6) is a contact seal which contacts the seal groove outside a lip (15, contact at end of 15c), the seal groove (7) has an outer groove wall surface (7c) which is an inclined surface which is inclined toward an outer diametric side as the inclined surface extends outward in an axial direction (see slope shown in figures 1 and 2, the slope extends radially outward while running from an axially inner side of the bearing to an axially outer side just like in the instant application), the outer groove wall surface (7c) has an inclination angle of from 55 to 65° with respect to the axial direction (illustrated as angle I and disclosed in the translation provide by Applicant as being in the range of 53-68 degrees, see paragraph 0030, this larger ranges anticipates the narrower claimed range), and a lip shape is configured so that a tip end part of the lip has a round shape (the end of 15c is rounded as shown in figure 2) and contacts the outer groove wall surface at from 80 to 100° (at the contact point there is a normal line relative to the inclined surface, all normal lines extend perpendicular or 90 degrees relative to the inclined surface, based on the similarity between figure 2 of the instant application and the prior art the same lip and inclined surface contact is being shown and thus both documents would meet this angular requirement).
Regarding claim 2, Tsuji discloses that the tip end part of the lip has an arcuate shape having a radius of from 0.03 to 0.09 mm (rounded tip with a radius in the claimed range, see paragraph 0034).
Regarding claim 3, Tsuji discloses that the seal member includes a metal core (10, see paragraph 0024) and a rubber member (11, see paragraph 0024), the lip is constituted by the rubber member (the lip is formed from the rubber material that makes 11), and the lip has a surface roughness Ra of from 0.4 µm to 2.5 µm (see paragraph 0037) on the entirety of an inner surface of the lip or a part of the inner surface which is located on an inner diametric side with respect to a pitch circle diameter (PCD) (see paragraph 0038).
Regarding claim 4, Tsuji discloses that the seal member (6) is provided with an air outlet (12, subcomponents 12a and 12b) on an outer diametric part configured to release internal pressure of the rolling bearing.
Regarding claim 5, Tsuji discloses that at least the seal member on one side of the rolling bearing is provided with a plurality of air outlets in an outer peripheral part of the seal member (12a and 12b), the air outlets include a radial air outlet (12a) defined in the radial direction and an axial air outlet (12b) defined in the axial direction, and the radial air outlet and the axial air outlet are arranged at different circumferential positions (see figure 3).
Regarding claim 6, Tsuji discloses that the lip of the seal member is provided with air outlet (18, see paragraph 0051) configured to release internal pressure of the rolling bearing.
Regarding claim 7, Tsuji discloses that the air outlet (12/12a/12b) is provided to the seal member disposed on one side or each of two sides of the rolling bearing (the air inlet is at least on one of the two seal members shown in figure 1, however figure 1 also appears to be showing that both seals including an air outlet 12a although it is not labeled specifically in the figure).
Regarding claim 8, Tsuji discloses that the seal member includes a sub lip (16) protruding axially inward from a base end part (at or adjacent 14) of the seal member, and [a] labyrinth seal is produced between a tip end part of the sub lip and an inner groove wall surface of the seal groove (at Rs).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES PILKINGTON whose telephone number is (571)272-5052. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 7-3.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John Olszewski can be reached at 571-272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES PILKINGTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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