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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in EP on 20 January 2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the EP23152697 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: 1’.
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. 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.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities: Thet term “the vehicle hub arrangement” in both claims 1 and 11 should be replaced with the term -- the wheel hub arrangement -- for clarity and consistency with the remainder of the claims. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. 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 4, 7 and 19-21 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 claims 4 and 7, the term "preferably" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the term are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 19, there is insufficient antecedent basis for “the wheel hub engagement surface”.
Regarding claim 20, there is insufficient antecedent basis for “the wheel hub engagement surface”.
Regarding claim 21, there is insufficient antecedent basis for “the wheel rim surface”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-3, 8-10 and 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lesch et al. (DE 102008057471 A1; hereinafter “Lesch”).
Regarding claim 1, Lesch discloses a vehicle wheel (Fig. 3) comprising a wheel hub arrangement 10, 36 with a wheel hub arrangement surface 18 and a wheel rim 26 with a wheel rim surface 28, the wheel hub arrangement surface and the wheel rim surface being arranged to abut to each other when the wheel rim is mounted on the wheel hub arrangement (Fig. 3; first full paragraph on page 4 of the English-language machine translation), wherein the wheel hub arrangement is provided with a first engagement structure (at 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) and the wheel rim is provided with a second engagement structure (at 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d), the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure being adapted to engage with each other (Fig. 3; first full paragraph on page 4 of the English-language machine translation), wherein the wheel hub arrangement and the wheel rim are assemblable together to form the vehicle wheel (Fig. 3), provided that the wheel hub arrangement and the wheel rim are mutually positioned such that the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure are engaged thereby enabling the wheel hub arrangement surface and the wheel rim surface to abut to each other (Fig. 3; first full paragraph on page 4 of the English-language machine translation), wherein the vehicle hub arrangement comprises a brake disc 12 provided with the wheel hub arrangement surface (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Lesch further discloses one of the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure is an axial protrusion (i.e., axially protruding teeth at 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) and the other of the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure is a recess (i.e., recesses between teeth at 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) for receiving the axial protrusion (Fig. 3; first full paragraph on page 4 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 3, Lesch further discloses the first engagement structure is the axial protrusion and the second engagement structure is the recess (Figs. 1-3; first full paragraph on page 4 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 8, Lesch further discloses a distance in the radial direction between a centre of the wheel rim and the recess (i.e., the radial center of the recess) is substantially the same as the distance in the radial direction between the centre of the wheel rim and a wheel bolt pattern at 22 of the wheel rim (evident from Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Lesch further discloses the wheel hub arrangement surface 18 is provided with the first engagement structure (at 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d in Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Lesch further discloses the wheel rim surface 28 is provided with the second engagement structure (at 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d in Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 19, Lesch further discloses a wheel hub arrangement 10, 36 for co-operation with the wheel rim 26 of the vehicle wheel, wherein the wheel hub arrangement has an engagement structure (at 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) engaged with the engagement structure (at 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) of the wheel rim when the wheel rim is mounted on the wheel hub arrangement such that the wheel hub arrangement surface 18 and the wheel rim surface 28 abut to each other (Fig. 3; first full paragraph on page 4 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 20, Lesch further discloses a brake disc 12 for co-operation with the wheel rim 26 of the vehicle wheel, wherein the brake disc has an engagement structure (at 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) engaged with the engagement structure (at 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) of the wheel rim when the wheel rim is mounted on the brake disc such that the wheel hub arrangement surface 18 and the wheel rim surface 28 abut to each other (Fig. 3; first full paragraph on page 4 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 21, Lesch further discloses a wheel rim 26 for co-operation with the wheel hub arrangement of the vehicle wheel, wherein the wheel rim has an engagement structure (at 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d) engaged with the engagement structure (at 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d) of the wheel hub arrangement when the wheel rim is mounted on the wheel hub arrangement such that the wheel hub arrangement surface 18 and the wheel rim surface 28 abut to each other (Fig. 3; first full paragraph on page 4 of the English-language machine translation).
Claims 1-7, 9-11 and 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakagawa et al. (US 2019/0315156 A1; hereinafter “Nakagawa”).
Regarding claim 1, Nakagawa discloses a vehicle wheel (Fig. 1) comprising a wheel hub arrangement 20, 30 with a wheel hub arrangement surface (unlabeled axially outboard facing surface of second protrusion 31 of brake rotor 30 as best shown in Fig. 7) and a wheel rim 40 with a wheel rim surface (unlabeled axially inboard facing surface of wheel rim 40 as best shown in Fig. 7), the wheel hub arrangement surface and the wheel rim surface being arranged to abut to each other when the wheel rim is mounted on the wheel hub arrangement (Fig. 7), wherein the wheel hub arrangement is provided with a first engagement structure 60 and the wheel rim is provided with a second engagement structure (head portion recess 42 and/or through hole 43), the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure being adapted to engage with each other (Fig. 7), wherein the wheel hub arrangement and the wheel rim are assemblable together to form the vehicle wheel (Fig. 7), provided that the wheel hub arrangement and the wheel rim are mutually positioned such that the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure are engaged thereby enabling the wheel hub arrangement surface and the wheel rim surface to abut to each other (Fig. 7), wherein the vehicle hub arrangement comprises a brake disc 30 provided with the wheel hub arrangement surface (Figs. 4 and 7).
Regarding claim 2, Nakagawa further discloses one of the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure is an axial protrusion 60 and the other of the first engagement structure and the second engagement structure is a recess (at head portion recess 42 and/or through hole 43) for receiving the axial protrusion (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 3, Nakagawa further discloses the first engagement structure is the axial protrusion and the second engagement structure is the recess (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 4, Nakagawa further discloses the axial protrusion is a pin 60.
Regarding claim 5, Nakagawa further discloses the axial protrusion is a guide pin 60 guiding the radial position and/or the circumferential position of the wheel rim and the wheel hub arrangement relative to each other (evident from Fig. 7 and paragraph [0086]).
Regarding claim 6, Nakagawa further discloses the recess has an extension (unlabeled extension at both 42 and 43 shown in Fig. 7) in the circumferential direction exceeding an extension of the axial protrusion in the circumferential direction such that the wheel hub arrangement at 30 and the wheel rim are at least somewhat pivotable relative to each other when the axial protrusion is received by the recess (paragraph [0090]), the wheel hub arrangement and the wheel rim are centred relative to each other and the wheel hub arrangement surface and the wheel rim surface abut to each other (Figs. 4 and 7).
Regarding claim 7, Nakagawa further discloses the recess is a groove (42 and/or 43) of the wheel rim, the groove having a main extension in the circumferential direction of the wheel rim (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 9, Nakagawa further discloses the wheel hub arrangement surface is provided with the first engagement structure (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 10, Nakagawa further discloses the wheel rim surface is provided with the second engagement structure (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 11, Nakagawa further discloses the vehicle hub arrangement comprises a brake disc locating screw 60, and the first engagement structure is constituted by at least a part of a screw head 61 of the brake disc locating screw (Fig. 7; paragraphs [0082-0083]).
Regarding claim 19, Nakagawa further discloses a wheel hub arrangement 20, 30 for co-operation with the wheel rim 40 of the vehicle wheel, wherein the wheel hub arrangement has an engagement structure 60 engaged with the engagement structure (head portion recess 42 and/or through hole 43) of the wheel rim when the wheel rim is mounted on the wheel hub arrangement such that the wheel hub arrangement surface and the wheel rim surface abut to each other (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 20, Nakagawa further discloses a brake disc 30 for co-operation with the wheel rim 40 of the vehicle wheel, wherein the brake disc has an engagement structure 60 engaged with the engagement structure (head portion recess 42 and/or through hole 43) of the wheel rim when the wheel rim is mounted on the brake disc such that the wheel hub arrangement surface and the wheel rim surface abut to each other (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 21, Nakagawa further discloses a wheel rim 40 for co-operation with the wheel hub arrangement 20, 30 of the vehicle wheel, wherein the wheel rim has an engagement structure (head portion recess 42 and/or through hole 43) engaged with the engagement structure 60 of the wheel hub arrangement when the wheel rim is mounted on the wheel hub arrangement such that the wheel hub arrangement surface and the wheel rim surface abut to each other (Fig. 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-18 are allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art shows other examples of vehicle wheels in which a brake disc is provided with the wheel hub arrangement surface that abuts the wheel rim surface.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIP T KOTTER whose telephone number is (571)272-7953. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30-6 EST Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Samuel (Joe) J Morano can be reached at (571)272-6684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kip T Kotter/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
