Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
Applicant’s Remarks filed 28 September 2026 have been entered.
Application is a divisional application from 18/331,679, 17/867,207, 16/931,637. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks (“eccentric opening” arguments, pg 1, 2), filed 28 September 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1, 3, 4, 6-9, 12-14 and 16-20 under Moffatt (US 5,727,417) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, new grounds of rejection are made in view of McGrath (US 2015/0233453).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate Pargraphs 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, 3, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by McGrath (US 2015/0233,453).
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McGrath fig 1
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McGrath fig 5
Claim 1, McGrath discloses an axial pump assembly (an assembly which converts rotational input to reciprocating motion, McGrath, abstract; Applicant indicates the axial pump assembly is the component of pump converting rotational to reciprocating motion, See applicant’s ¶ 0017) for a hydraulic tool (“for a hydraulic tool” is intended use of the invention in the preamble and will not be given patentable weight, there are no structural features or differences in the body of the claim that result from the intended use of axial pump assembly in the hydraulic tool, MPEP 2111.02, therefore the intended use does not impose any limit on the claims), the axial pump assembly comprising: a cycloidal disk (epicycloid planet gear 400, ¶ 0035) rotatable about an axis (axis of the driveshaft 955, ¶ 0037) and having an eccentric opening (eccentric mounting hole 430, ¶ 0037) configured to receive a rotational input (driveshaft eccentric 500, ¶ 0035); a ring (fig 6A depicts the top of the epicycloid planet gear 400 shaped like a disk, with the cam track 440 around the outer radius at the edge of the disk, the depicted position of track 440 plainly meets the term periphery ¶ 0038; this aligns with applicant’s disclosure integrating the cam on the top of the cycloid disk 704, applicant’s ¶ 00121-00124, fig 7A-7D) defining a cam track (cam track 440, ¶ 0038), the ring engaged with the cycloidal disk so that rotation of the cycloidal disk causes corresponding rotation of the ring about the axis (epicycloid planet gear 400 includes the gear lobes 410 on the bottom portion, ¶ 0047 and cam track 440 on the upper disk portion; these are parts of an integral structure); and a plate (fig 4, ¶ 0045, output device 735, the figure shows a flat plate shape extending horizontally, it meets the plain meaning of plate under a BRI) including a follower (cam follower pin 600, ¶ 0045) that engages with cam track so that rotation of the cam track causes corresponding reciprocating motion of the plate along the axis (output device moves up and down with the cam follower pin, ¶ 0014, output device 735 raises and lowers based on the depth of the cam track 440, ¶ 0055, additionally fig 4 shows vertical movement direction arrows of the output device 735).
Claim 3, McGrath discloses the axial pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the eccentric opening is defined by a bushing (roller ball set 514 with seat 515 is between the driveshaft eccentric 500 and the eccentric mounting hole 430, ¶ 0060; since the bearing and seat 514/515 is within the eccentric mounting hole 430 and defines a further hole, to holds the epicycloid planet gear eccentric driver 510; seat 515 is a bearing bushing which meets the plain meaning of bushing under a BRI) that is received in a central opening (eccentric mounting hole 430, ¶ 0049) defined in the cycloidal disk (¶ 0047).
Claim 19, McGrath discloses a method of operating an axial pump assembly (an assembly which converts rotational input to reciprocating motion, McGrath, abstract; Applicant indicates the axial pump assembly is the component of pump converting rotational to reciprocating motion, See applicant’s ¶ 0017), the method comprising: driving a cycloidal disk (epicycloid planet gear 400, ¶ 0035) via a rotational input (driveshaft eccentric 500, ¶ 0035) that is received in an eccentric opening (eccentric mounting hole 430, ¶ 0037) of the cycloidal disk, the rotational input defining an axis of rotation (axis of driveshaft 955, ¶ 0037); rotating a cam (cam track 440, ¶ 0038) about the axis of rotation with the cycloidal disk; and reciprocating a plate (fig 4, ¶ 0045, output device 735 has a flat plate shape extending horizontally, it meets the plain meaning of plate under a BRI) that is engaged with the cam so that rotation of the cam causes corresponding reciprocating motion of the plate along the axis of rotation (output device moves up and down with the cam follower pin, ¶ 0014, output device 735 raises and lowers based on the depth of the cam track 440, ¶ 0055, additionally fig 4 shows vertical movement direction arrows of the output device 735).
Claim 20, McGrath discloses the method of claim 19, wherein the cam rotates at a reduced speed relative to the rotational input (cycloid speed reduction rate, ¶ 0012).
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 4 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McGrath.
Claim 4, McGrath discloses the axial pump assembly of claim 1. McGrath does not disclose wherein a plurality of pins extends between the cycloidal disk and the plate.
Nevertheless, McGrath discloses a single cam follower pin (600, ¶ 0045) extending between the cycloidal disk (400) and the plate (fig 4, output device 735 has a flat plate shape), where the pin (600, ¶ 0055) transfer reciprocating motion to the plate via engagement with the cam roller (325, ¶ 0055) and cam track (440, ¶ 0055).
In applicant’s disclosed invention, the plurality of pins extending between the cycloidal disk and the plate is directed toward four disk pins 420 of applicant’s invention (¶ 0097-0099). The four disk pins 420 are configured to interact with the cam roller bushings 408 and cam groove 418 to cause reciprocating of the disk 402 (¶ 0098).
Therefore, the claimed “plurality of pins” is obvious under McGrath’s single pin (600, ¶ 0055) as a duplication of parts. A duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced (MPEP 2144.04, In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960)). In this case, the claimed pins provide the same function as McGrath’s single pin by transferring reciprocation from the cam track to the disk (Applicant’s ¶ 0098, McGrath ¶ 0055). Applicant discloses no new and unexpected result of using a plurality of pins over a single pin; the plurality of pins performs the same functions as the single pin and yields predictable results.
A person of ordinary skill would have understood that adding more identical pins would simply repeat the known force-transfer and motion-following function, with the predictable result of distributing load and preserving synchronized reciprocation. Therefore, it would have been an obvious duplication of parts to a person of ordinary skill in the arts prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to duplicate the pin (600) of McGrath to transfer reciprocation from the cam track to the same disk, wherein the plurality of pins performs the same functions as the single pin of McGrath.
Claim 9 McGrath teaches the axial pump assembly of claim 4, further comprising a base (support bracket 330 supports pin 600, ¶ 0043-0045). McGrath is silent on the support bracket supporting a plurality of pins.
Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to adapt the bracket (330) of McGrath to support a duplication of pin (600) because the bracket (330) is configured to support the single pin and the plate for reciprocation. Adapting the base to carry or retain additional pins is within the general skill of an ordinary worker in the art. McGrath’s base already houses multiple components (pin 600, bores for pin, roller 325, spring 800), therefore extending that same support function to the duplicated pins would have been routine and within the ordinary skill in the art.
Therefore, in order to support a second pin, the pin supporting features of bracket (330) such as the bore to accommodate the pin would need to be duplicated as well.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-18 allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The nearest prior art is McGrath.
McGrath does not disclose:
Claim 12 recites a “cycloidal disk further defining a plurality of holes arranged around the eccentric opening … a base including a first plurality of pins that extend along the axis and through the plurality of holes in the cycloidal disk to the plate so that the plate is rotationally fixed to the base.” That combination distinguishes over McGrath because McGrath’s single cam follower pin (600) is press-fit to a plate-shaped output device (735) and not through a hole in the cycloid disk. McGrath’s pin does not have the same rotationally locking function, it is only a cam follower. Further McGrath’s cycloid gear does not have a plurality of holes around the eccentric opening, it has a single eccentric mounting hole (430) in which its driveshaft eccentric freely rotates (McGrath ¶ 0037, 0044-0049, 0055). McGrath's reaction force is taken by its stationary internal ring gear (285), and its cam track (440) lies in the top surface of the gear itself (McGrath ¶ 0036, 0042, 0050); it does not disclose base-carried pins passing through holes arranged around the eccentric opening and continuing to the plate. The claimed pins supply "a reaction force to drive the cycloidal disk 504 and the ring element 512" and, by holding the plate against rotation, cause rotation of the cam to appear as "reciprocating motion of the reciprocating plate 502" along the axis (Applicant’s Spec. ¶ 0106-0108). The art of record does not show the claimed pin-through-hole/rotational-fix relationship.
The structure is critical as it is required to make and use a cycloidal drive and does not amount to design choice, and there is no motivation to modify the prior art to incorporate said structure or provide said arrangement. Therefore, the sum of these limitations is not disclosed by the prior art and it would not be obvious to combine references in an effort to meet all of the claimed elements.
Therefore, claim 12 is allowed. Dependent claims 13-18 are also correspondingly allowed.
Claims 2, 5-8, and 10-11 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:
The nearest prior art is McGrath.
McGrath does not disclose:
Claim 2 “and the ring includes a plurality of pins that engage with the geared periphery to transmit rotation of the cycloidal disk to the ring.” McGrath's gear lobes (410) mesh with an internal ring gear (285) that is stationary in the housing (McGrath ¶ 0036, 0042, 0048), and does not disclose pins carried by the cam-carrying ring and engaged with the geared periphery to rotate that ring. In the claimed arrangement those pins are the structure by which "the ring element 512 receives rotational motion from the cycloidal disk 504" (Applicant’s Spec. ¶ 0104, 0106), which provides the speed reduction of the pump internally and thereby eliminates or reduces the need for an external gear reduction assembly (Applicant’s Spec. ¶ 0063-0064, 0110).
Claim 5, “the ring rotates relative to each of the cycloidal disk and the plate.” McGrath is disclosed with the cycloidal disk and the ring as integrated together. The claim 5 is directed at a ring and cycloidal disk which rotate relative to each other. An integrated ring and disk can not rotate relative to each other, therefore this additional limitation distinguishes over the integral ring and disk of the prior art. The holes "arranged around the eccentric opening to receive the plurality of pins" of claim 7 receive the base pins that provide the reaction force driving the cam (Applicant’s Spec. ¶ 0104 , 0107-0108), and the bushings of claim 8, positioned in those holes, "reduce frictional resistance between the five base pins 518 and the cycloidal disk 504" (Applicant’s Spec. ¶ 0107).
Claim 6, “wherein the plurality of pins extends through the ring.” McGrath has structure with pins above the ring, the pins of McGrath do not extend through the ring. The claims are directed to pins which extend through a central hole in the ring. The arrangement of the pins surrounding the eccentric hole, makes the drive train sit in line with the motor, to reduce the size and complexity of the transmission end (Applicant’s Spec ¶ 0064). In contrast, McGrath’s bracket-supported follower pin and housing support ball do not perform these functions because they are offset from center, which is shown in figure 4. Furthermore, based on the figure 4 drawing, a person of ordinary skill would recognize that the output device (735) extends outside the periphery of the housing to laterally move items offset from center line, therefore there is no reason to modify the position of the output device (735) in order to provide reciprocation on the centerline.
Claim 10, “the base defines a recess that receives each of the cycloidal disk, the ring , and the plate.” McGrath does not disclose the base recess which receives the plate. McGrath instead has the plate outside of the housing that receives the cycloidal disk and the ring.
The arrangement makes the drive train sit in line with the motor, to reduce the size and complexity of the transmission end (Applicant’s Spec ¶ 0064). McGrath’s offset bracket-supported follower pin and housing support ball do not perform these functions because they are offset from center.
These claims distinguish over McGrath because of the structural differences and benefits illustrated above. The structure is critical as it is required to make and use a cycloidal drive with said benefits and does not amount to design choice, and there is no motivation to modify the prior art to incorporate said structure or provide said arrangement. Therefore claims 2, 5, 6, 10, and 11 are objected to as allowable. Further dependent claims 7-8 are correspondingly objected to as dependent on claim 6.
Therefore, the sum of these limitations is not disclosed by the prior art and it would not be obvious to combine references in an effort to meet all of the claimed elements.
Conclusion
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/GEOFFREY S LEE/ Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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