DETAILED ACTION
This application is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The listing of references in the specification (i.e., the prior art reference relating to FIGS. 1-3 and the associated disclosure contained in the written disclosure) is not a proper information disclosure statement. 37 CFR 1.98(b) requires a list of all patents, publications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office, and MPEP § 609.04(a) states, "the list may not be incorporated into the specification but must be submitted in a separate paper." Therefore, unless the references have been cited by the examiner on form PTO-892, they have not been considered.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it exceeds 150 words. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Drawings
The drawings are acceptable.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 6-7, 9, and 12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1: The Office recommends amending the limitation “pinion gear” (Line 19, Line 20, and Line 23 of Claim 1) to recite “pinion shaft.”
Claim 1: The Office recommends deleting the word “further” (Line 30).
Claim 6: The Office recommends amending the limitation “the pinion gear” (Line 2 and Line 6 of Claim 6) to recite “the pinion shaft.”
Claim 7: The Office recommends amending the limitation “further comprising a pinion shaft extending” (Line 1-2) to recite “wherein the pinion shaft extends.”
Claim 9: The word “a” (Line 4) should be amended to recite “the.”
Claim 12: The word “an” should be inserted prior to the word “apparatus” (Line 3). The Office recommends similar amendments described above with regards to Claim 1.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over the prior art of the pending application (i.e., FIGS. 2-3), in view of U.S. Patent No. 4,995,277 to Yanagisawa.
Claim 1: FIGS. 2-3 of the pending application discloses a prior art apparatus for effecting movement of an object 20, the apparatus comprising:
a first bevel gear 45 having a first central opening 85 formed therein, the first bevel gear 45 comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;
a second bevel gear 50 having a second central opening 95 formed therein, the second bevel gear 50 comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;
a first threaded stem 35A passing through the first central opening 85 of the first bevel gear 45, the first threaded stem 35A comprising a thread configured to mate with a thread formed in the first central opening 85 of the first bevel gear 45;
a second threaded stem 35B passing through the second central opening 95 of the second bevel gear 50, the second threaded stem 35B comprising a thread configured to mate with a thread formed in the second central opening 95 of the second bevel gear 50;
a pinion [shaft] 55 comprising a first end 60 and a second end 70, wherein the first end 60 of the pinion [shaft] 55 is configured to engage a plurality of teeth formed on the upper surface of the first bevel gear 45, and the second end 70 of the pinion [shaft] 55 is configured to engage a plurality of teeth formed on the upper surface (i.e., not the lower surface, as recited in Claim 1) of the second bevel gear 50; and
wherein rotation of the first bevel gear 45 in a first direction (see arrows shown in FIG. 3) effects (i) longitudinal movement of the first threaded stem 35A relative to the first bevel gear 45, and (ii) rotation of the second bevel gear 50 in a second direction opposite the first direction (i.e., not the first direction, as recited in Claim 1), and further wherein rotation of the second bevel gear 50 in the second direction effects longitudinal movement of the second threaded stem 35B relative to the second bevel gear 50.
Thus, the prior art is distinguished from Claim 1 in the following two (2) ways:
the second bevel gear 50 of the prior art is oriented 180 degrees relative to the second bevel gear of Claim 1; and
the first and second bevel gears 45, 50 of the prior art rotate in opposite directions (by virtue of the orientation described above), whereas the first and second bevel gears of Claim 1 rotate in the same direction.
Yanagisawa teaches a drive system in which bevel gears 80, 82 which drive threaded stems 26, 28 are oriented 180 degrees relative to each other. In this way, the threaded stems 26, 28 can be identical (i.e., they can share the same thread direction and thread pitch) and the bevel gears 80, 82 can rotate in the same direction in order to drive the threaded stems 26, 28 in the same direction. This design advantageously allows the same manufactured part number to be used for both threaded stems.
In view of the Yanagisawa teaching, the Office finds that it would have been obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of filing to modify, with a reasonable expectation of success, the apparatus disclosed by the prior art such that the second bevel gear 50 is oriented 180 degrees relative to the orientation shown in FIG. 3 of the pending application, above the second pinion gear 75 as shown in FIG. 3 (similar to the orientation of bevel gears 80, 82 relative to the pinion shaft 66 of Yanagisawa), and such that the threaded stems 35A, 35B are identical (i.e., such that they have the same thread direction and thread pitch), in order to standardize elements of the apparatus and reduce costs. According to this modification, the threaded stems rotate in the same direction when driven by the respective bevel gears.
Claim 2, which recites “wherein the thread of the first threaded stem and the thread of the second threaded stem are threaded in the same direction” is rendered obvious over the combination described above in the rejection of Claim 1 (see the characterization in the rejection of Claim 1).
Claim 3, which recites “wherein the threads of the first threaded stem have a first pitch and the threads of the second threaded stem have a second pitch, and further wherein the first pitch and the second pitch are identical” is rendered obvious over the combination described above in the rejection of Claim 1 (see the characterization in the rejection of Claim 1).
Claim 4: The prior art discloses wherein the first threaded stem and the second threaded stem are mounted to an object 20, and further wherein longitudinal movement of the first threaded stem and the second threaded stem effects longitudinal movement of the object 20. Thus, Claim 4 is rendered obvious over the combination described above in the rejection of Claim 1.
Claim 5: The object 20 of the prior art is a slide gate. Thus, Claim 5 is rendered obvious over the combination described above in the rejection of Claim 1.
Claim 6: The prior art discloses wherein the first end of the pinion [shaft] 55 comprises a first pinion gear 65 comprising a plurality of teeth configured to engage with the plurality of teeth formed on the upper surface of the first bevel gear 45, and the second end of the pinion [shaft] 55 comprises a second pinion gear 75 comprising a plurality of teeth configured to engage with the plurality of teeth formed on the upper surface (i.e., not the lower surface as recited in Claim 6) of the second bevel gear 50.
As described above in the rejection of Claim 1, according to the modification of the prior art in view of Yanagisawa, the second bevel gear 50 is oriented 180 degrees relative to the orientation shown in FIG. 3 of the pending application (similar to the configuration of bevel gears 80, 78 of Yanagisawa).
Thus, the apparatus recited in Claim 6 is rendered obvious over the combination of the prior art and Yanagisawa.
Claim 7: The prior art discloses a pinion shaft extending between the first pinion gear 65 and the second pinion gear 75. Thus, the apparatus recited in Claim 7 is rendered obvious over the combination of the prior art and Yanagisawa.
Claim 8: The prior art discloses wherein rotation of the first bevel gear 45 in the first direction effects rotation of the pinion shaft 55 in a second direction, and further wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction. Thus, the apparatus recited in Claim 8 is rendered obvious over the combination of the prior art and Yanagisawa.
Claim 9: The prior art discloses an input pinion gear 80 comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the input pinion gear 80 is configured to engage a plurality of teeth formed on the upper surface of the first bevel gear 45, such that rotation of the input pinion gear 80 effects rotation of the first bevel gear 45. Thus, the apparatus recited in Claim 9 is rendered obvious over the combination of the prior art and Yanagisawa.
Claim 10: Page 4, Lines 3-7 of the pending Application discloses that a crank may be connected to the second end of the input pinion gear 80 for rotating the input pinion gear 80. Thus, the apparatus recited in Claim 10 is rendered obvious over the combination of the prior art and Yanagisawa.
Claim 11: Page 4, Lines 3-7 of the pending Application discloses that a motor may be connected to the second end of the input pinion gear 80 for rotating the input pinion gear 80. Thus, the apparatus recited in Claim 11 is rendered obvious over the combination of the prior art and Yanagisawa.
Claim 12: FIGS. 2-3 and Pages 2-6 of the pending application discloses a prior art method for moving an object 20, the method comprising:
providing [an] apparatus for effecting movement of the object, the apparatus comprising:
a first bevel gear 45 having a first central opening 85 formed therein, the first bevel gear 45 comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;
a second bevel gear 50 having a second central opening 95 formed therein, the second bevel gear 50 comprising an upper surface and a lower surface;
a first threaded stem 35A passing through the first central opening 85 of the first bevel gear 45, the first threaded stem 35A comprising a thread configured to mate with a thread formed in the first central opening 85 of the first bevel gear 45;
a second threaded stem 35B passing through the second central opening 95 of the second bevel gear 50, the second threaded stem 35B comprising a thread configured to mate with a thread formed in the second central opening 95 of the second bevel gear 50;
a pinion [shaft] 55 comprising a first end 60 and a second end 70, wherein the first end 60 of the pinion [shaft] 55 is configured to engage a plurality of teeth formed on the upper surface of the first bevel gear 45, and the second end 70 of the pinion [shaft] 55 is configured to engage a plurality of teeth formed on the upper surface (i.e., not the lower surface, as recited in Claim 12) of the second bevel gear 50; and
rotating the first bevel gear 45 in a first direction (see arrows shown in FIG. 3), whereby to effect (i) longitudinal movement of the first threaded stem 35A relative to the first bevel gear 45, and (ii) rotation of the second bevel gear 50 in a second direction opposite the first direction (i.e., not the first direction, as recited in Claim 12), wherein rotation of the second bevel gear 50 in the second direction effects longitudinal movement of the second threaded stem 35B relative to the second bevel gear 50, such that the first threaded stem 35A and the second threaded stem 35B move longitudinally in concert with one another.
Thus, the prior art is distinguished from Claim 12 in the following two (2) ways:
the second bevel gear 50 of the prior art is oriented 180 degrees relative to the second bevel gear of Claim 12; and
the first and second bevel gears 45, 50 of the prior art rotate in opposite directions (by virtue of the orientation described above), whereas the first and second bevel gears of Claim 12 rotate in the same direction.
Yanagisawa teaches a drive system in which bevel gears 80, 82 which drive threaded stems 26, 28 are oriented 180 degrees relative to each other. In this way, the threaded stems 26, 28 can be identical (i.e., they can share the same thread direction and thread pitch) and the bevel gears 80, 82 can rotate in the same direction in order to drive the threaded stems 26, 28 in the same direction. This design advantageously allows the same manufactured part number to be used for both threaded stems.
In view of the Yanagisawa teaching, the Office finds that it would have been obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of filing to modify, with a reasonable expectation of success, the method for moving an object disclosed by the prior art such that the second bevel gear 50 is oriented 180 degrees relative to the orientation shown in FIG. 3 of the pending application, above the second pinion gear 75 as shown in FIG. 3 (similar to the orientation of bevel gears 80, 82 relative to the pinion shaft 66 of Yanagisawa), and such that the threaded stems 35A, 35B are identical (i.e., such that they have the same thread direction and thread pitch), in order to standardize elements of the apparatus and reduce costs. According to this modification, the threaded stems rotate in the same direction when driven by the respective bevel gears.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RANDELL J KRUG whose telephone number is (313) 446-6577. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 9:00-14:00 AZ time.
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/RANDELL J KRUG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618