DETAILED ACTION
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the screw connection openings of the screw groups being arranged on an outer circle (Claim 6) and two crankshaft end pieces (Claims 9 and 21) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Regarding Claim 6, the screw connection openings (17) of screw groups (10) are not shown to be arranged on the outer circle (7) in Fig. 2, rather on an inner circle (8).
Regarding Claims 9 and 21, the drawings (Fig. 1) illustrate only one crankshaft end piece (1B) rather than two as claimed.
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 specification does not disclose reference numbers for “a depression” (Claim 1) or “a cavity” (Claims 10 and 11). Upon adding them to the specification, the drawings should also be reviewed to ensure these reference numbers/features are illustrated.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 14 and 19 should be formatted with indentations in accordance with Rule 1.75(i).
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: The phrase “a crankshaft axis” in line 4 should be recited as --the crankshaft axis--. 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 8, 14-18 and 20 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.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the border" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding Claim 14, “which part” is recited however it is not clear which of the two parts is being referred to.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "the connecting rod" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 15-18 are rejected by dependency.
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, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Peterson (US Pub No. 2015/0276015 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Peterson discloses
at least one disk-shaped crank web (28’’ in Fig. 3), arranged with rotation symmetry relative to a crankshaft axis (A-A) and carrying a main bearing surface (32) that rotates around said crankshaft axis, and
a crank pin (i.e. the center pin 30 in Fig. 3, between 28’’ and 28’’’) that is arranged eccentric to the crankshaft axis and extends parallel to the crankshaft axis, wherein a depression that is set back axially in the direction of the crankshaft axis is provided on the side of the crank web that faces away from the crank pin (i.e. the hole into which fastener 72 that secures 68 to 28’’ is inserted, depicted at the upper left facing surface of 28’’ in Fig. 3, also see Fig. 2) and/or (i.e. OR, wherein the first alternative/depression is met) that screw-connection openings are arranged in screw groups, in the crank web, with a rotation symmetry of 60°, wherein one of the screw groups is arranged at the level of the crank pin.
Regarding Claim 2, Peterson discloses
a further crank web (28’’’ in Fig. 3) that is also configured in disk shape and arranged with rotation symmetry relative to the crankshaft axis, and also carries a main bearing surface (32) that rotates around the crankshaft axis, wherein the crank pin is arranged between two crank webs, viewed along the crankshaft axis.
Regarding Claim 3, Peterson discloses
a depression that is set back axially, in the direction of the crankshaft axis, is also provided on the side of the further crank web that faces away from the crank pin (i.e. the hole into which fastener 72 that secures 68 to 28’’’ is inserted, depicted at the lower right facing surface of 28’’’ in Fig. 3, also see Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 4, Peterson discloses
the crank pin has a crank pin axis (i.e. its center longitudinal line) that extends parallel to the crankshaft axis (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 5, Peterson discloses
the crank pin axis is arranged radially within the main bearing surface (i.e. all of 30 is within the circumference of 32, Fig. 3).
Regarding Claims 6 and 7, it is noted that the claim limitations are based on an alternative in Claim 1 that is not required to be satisfied (i.e. as shown in the Claim 1 rejection above, the other alternative/depression is satisfied therefore the screw-connection openings/groups are not required).
Regarding Claim 8, Peterson discloses
the border that projects radially beyond the main bearing surface is provided on the side of the main bearing surface that faces the crank pin (i.e. see the border as created by 68 that extends above 32 on 28’’ and faces middle pin 30).
Regarding Claim 19, Peterson discloses
An assembly-ready arrangement of a crankshaft (10), configured as a disk crankshaft and comprising disk-shaped crank webs (28’, 28’’, 28’’’) that are arranged with rotation symmetry relative to a crankshaft axis (A-A) and carry a main bearing surface (32) that rotates around a crankshaft axis, and crank pins (30) that are arranged eccentric to the crankshaft axis and extend parallel to the crankshaft axis (see Fig. 2, 3), and having bearings (34) that are set onto the crank webs (Fig. 2), which bearings have a bearing outside diameter (i.e. along outer circumference of 34), as well as connecting rod eyes that are arranged on the crank pins (i.e. the eyes of 16 arranged on 30 in Fig. 1), wherein the connecting rod eyes are arranged radially within a cylinder surface that spans the bearing outside diameters (i.e. 30 is within the circumference of 32/34, Figs. 1-3).
Regarding Claim 20, Peterson discloses
at least one of the connecting rod eyes is a connecting rod eye of the connecting rod (i.e. the eye is at one end of 16, arranged on 30).
Claim(s) 14-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Evans (US Patent No. 6,282,983 B1).
Regarding Claim 14, Evans discloses
A divided connecting rod (12), wherein a connecting rod eye (i.e. hole/inner circle formed between 20a, 20b) composed of a bearing lid (20b) and a center part (20a), both of which are connected to form the connecting rod eye, as well as by an upper part (14) that forms a connecting rod bar (i.e. with 22 and 28), which part is connected to the center part (i.e. 14 is connected to 20a via 22, 28).
Regarding Claim 15, Evans discloses
the bearing lid and the center part and/or the center part and the upper part are screwed onto one another (i.e. the first alternative is met where 20b and 20a are shown to be screwed onto one another, lines 53-55 of Column 2).
Regarding Claim 16, Evans discloses
the connecting rod has a center axis (i.e. along 52 as shown in Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 17, Evans discloses
a parting surface (i.e. the outer circumferential surface of 14) is provided between the center part and the upper part, which surface approaches the bearing lid in a constant progression toward the center axis (i.e. approaches it along its outer circumference towards the center/bottommost point).
Regarding Claim 18, Evans discloses
the upper part widens toward the center part (i.e. 14 widens in its upper half, from its topmost point down to its center), in a plane that contains the center axis and the connecting rod eye (i.e. 14 and the eye are colinear and located along the center axis, see Figs. 1-4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-13 and 21 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: None of the prior art of record shows two crankshaft end pieces of which at least one carries a power take-off shaft (Claims 9-13 and 21).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chawla (US Patent No. 5,435,059) discloses crank web 21, crank pin 31 and depression 14.
Kobayashi et al. (US Pub No. 2010/0065006) discloses crank web 9, crank pin 2 and depression/screw-connection opening 13.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PRASAD GOKHALE whose telephone number is (571)270-3543. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am - 5:30pm.
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, Michael McCullough can be reached at (571) 272-7805. 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.
/PRASAD V GOKHALE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653 July 21, 2026
Prosecution Insights