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 .
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 limitation “wherein a side of the first side wall facing the first stepped portion has at least one sealing lip” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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.
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 3, 10 and 12 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 3, “a side of the first side wall facing the first stepped portion has at least one sealing lip”, unclear how this is possible, when figures and specification show the radially outer side of the first side wall having at least one sealing lip?
Claim 10, lines 5-6 “an axial length”, this limitation is not clear in view of what is stated in line 4, “an axial length”. This also applies to an axial length in line 8.
Claim 12, “the space”, the limitation lacks antecedent basis.
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) 1-3, 9-11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by White et al (US. 9914326).
White discloses a sealing structure (e.g. figure 3) comprising an inner sealing ring having a stepped cross section and comprising a first stepped portion having an L-shaped cross section (e.g. 1st step having 188 and 210, figure 2) and a second stepped portion having an L-shaped cross section (e.g. step having 180 and 226), the first stepped portion being connected to the second stepped portion (e.g. figure 3 shows this), an outer sealing ring (e.g. ring having 134 and 130) having a circumferential annular groove having an axially extending first side wall (e.g. 130) and an axially extending second side wall (e.g. 134), wherein the first stepped portion of the inner sealing ring is located in the annular groove of the outer sealing ring (e.g. groove between 130 and 134), wherein the second stepped portion of the inner sealing ring is located axially adjacent to the first side wall of the outer sealing ring (e.g. 130 adjacent to the second stepped portion), and wherein a radially outer side of the first side wall of the outer sealing ring includes at least one sealing lip (e.g. 160 and/or 166).
Regarding claim 2: Wherein a side of the first stepped portion facing a bottom of the annular groove has at least one sealing lip (e.g. 212).
Regarding claim 3: Wherein a side of the first side wall facing the first stepped portion has at least one sealing lip (e.g. 176).
Regarding claim 9: Wherein the second stepped portion of the inner sealing ring includes an annular rib (e.g. 196) extending towards the at least one sealing lip.
Regarding claim 10: Wherein the at least one sealing lip comprises a plurality of sealing lips (e.g. lips 160 and 166), wherein a spacing (e.g. S) between adjacent sealing lips of the plurality of sealing lips is 1/5 to 1/2 of an axial length of the first side wall (e.g. see figure below comparing S in view of AL), wherein each of the sealing lips of the plurality of sealing lips has a length of 1/4 to 1/2 of the axial length of the first side wall (e.g. see figure below comparing L1 or L2 in view of AL) and wherein each sealing lip of the plurality of sealing lips has a thickness of 1/18 to 1/12 of an axial length of the first side wall (e.g. see figure below comparing T in view of AL).
Regarding claim 11: Wherein the at least one sealing lip is incline at an angle of 10 degree to 70 degrees with respect to the first side wall (see angle of 160 between C and D).
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Regarding claim 13: The sealing structure further comprising a retaining ring (e.g. 138) having a radial side wall (e.g. 148) and an axial side wall (e.g. 150), wherein the second side wall of the outer sealing ring includes an annular groove (e.g. 144) and a bent edge (e.g. 140) extending radially from the annular groove such that the radial side wall of the retaining ring is sandwiched in the annular groove by the bent edge (e.g. see figure 3).
Regarding claim 14: Wherein the axial side wall of the retaining ring is configured to block axial movement of the first stepped portion of the inner sealing ring (e.g. see end of 150 which is capable of blocking axial movement of the first stepped portion), wherein a main sealing lip (e.g. 222) formed at an edge of the first stepped portion is located in a space between the axial side wall of the retaining ring and the second side wall of the outer sealing ring.
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.
Claim(s) 1-9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al (US. 20220307604A1) in view of White et al (US9914326).
Regarding claim 1-9 and 12: Wu discloses a sealing structure (e.g. figures) comprising an inner sealing ring (e.g. 22) having a stepped cross section and comprising a first stepped portion having an L-shaped cross section (e.g. 1st, see figure below) and a second stepped portion having an L-shaped cross section (e.g. 2nd, see figure below), the first stepped portion being connected to the second stepped portion (e.g. figures shows this), an outer sealing ring (e.g. 32) having a circumferential annular groove having an axially extending first side wall (e.g. 1st wall) and an axially extending second side wall (e.g. 2nd wall having the retaining ring R and holes H, see figure below), wherein the first stepped portion of the inner sealing ring is located in the annular groove of the outer sealing ring (e.g. groove between 1st wall and 2nd wall), wherein the second stepped portion of the inner sealing ring is located axially adjacent to the first side wall (e.g. 1st wall) of the outer sealing ring, wherein a radially outer side (e.g. outer side of 1st wall) of the first side wall of the outer sealing ring, regarding claim 2 wherein a side of the first stepped portion facing a bottom of the annular groove has at least one sealing lip (e.g. 26c and 26d), regarding claim 3 wherein a side of the first side wall facing the first stepped portion has at least one sealing lip (e.g. lip 26b), regarding claim 4 wherein a side of the second stepped portion facing the first side wall has a protrusion (e.g. 27) in contact with the first side wall, and wherein the protrusion is circumferentially continuous or discontinuous, regarding claim 5 wherein the protrusion comprises a base (e.g. base shown in figure 5 having 31) and at least one boss (e.g. 31a) extending from the base and contacting the first side wall, regarding claim 7 wherein the protrusion (e.g. protrusion having 29a) is continuous and comprises a base portion (e.g. 29a) and a continuous flange (e.g. flange having 31) extending from the base portion, wherein a radial width of the continuous flange is smaller than a radial width of the base portion (e.g. see figure 5), and wherein the continuous flange contacts the first side wall (e.g. this is the case as stated that tip 31a wears and flange having 31a contacts the first side wall, see description of 31a), regarding claim 8 wherein the first sidewall of the outer sealing ring comprises a bent edge (e.g. 36) extending in a radial direction, wherein the protrusion contacts an axial face of the bent edge (shown in figures), regarding claim 9 wherein the second stepped portion of the inner sealing ring includes an annular rib (e.g. 29b) extending towards the axial face, regarding claim 12 wherein the space formed between the first stepped portion of the inner sealing ring and the annular groove of the outer sealing ring is filled with lubricant (see paragraph 0036 stating lubricant is preferably injected between the sealing lips 26a-26d to reduce contact friction).
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Wu discloses the invention as claimed above but fails to disclose a radially outer side of the first side wall of the outer sealing ring includes at least one sealing lip. White discloses a radially outer side of a first side wall (e.g. 130) of an outer sealing ring including at least one lip (e.g. lip 160). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the first side wall of Wu to have at least one lip as taught by White with reasonable expectation of success to provide labyrinth sealing with a housing (e.g. see description of 160 in White).
Regarding claim 6:
Wu discloses the claimed invention except the at least one boss comprises 5 to 25 circumferentially spaced bosses and a spacing between adjacent bosses is 20 mm - 65 mm. Discovering an optimum range of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Kulling, 895 F.2d 1147, 14 USPQ 2d 1056. Without the showing of some unexpected result. Since applicant has not shown some unexpected result the inclusion of this limitation is considered to be a matter of choice in design. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the bosses be 5 to 25 and be spaced 20mm to 65mm from each other with reasonable expectation of success, to optimize friction between two elements and as a matter of design choice (e.g. too many bosses and contact the element that is the outer ring would reduce rotation of the shaft or too little of bosses will cause environmental contaminants to go into the machine).
Claim(s) 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over White in view of Wu.
White discloses the invention as claimed above but fails to disclose the radial side wall includes a plurality of through holes. Wu discloses a retaining with plurality of through holes (H in figure above H). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the radial side wall of White with plurality of through holes as taught by Wu with reasonable expectation of success to provide fluid pressure on the main sealing lip (inherent, also assignee is common with regard to Wu and current application, and the assignee can provide statement why one would have through holes in the retaining ring).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. It is further noted that other references such as Wilkins teaching lips 28, which has the same assignee as current applicant (20210239217A1).
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/VISHAL A PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675