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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 6-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HESSLING et al. (US 2023/0296169 A1).
Regarding claim 1, HESSLING discloses a bearing arrangement for a gearbox, comprising: at least one planet carrier (34); a stationary element (11); and a bearing (A, see Figure 1 below), wherein the at least one planet carrier (34) has a first end region (39) and an axially opposite second end region (@ bearing A), wherein the first end region is configured to be permanently connected to a shaft (33) for conjoint rotation, wherein the second end region forms a first bearing region, on which the bearing (A) is supported by a radial outer side, and wherein the stationary element (11) forms a second bearing region, on which the bearing is supported by a radial inner side.
Regarding claim 6, HESSLING discloses the stationary element (11) has a radially extending first wall region (B) which is adjoined by a second wall region (C) extending axially toward the at least one planet carrier, the second wall region (C) forming the second bearing region.
Regarding claim 7, HESSLING discloses the bearing (A) is axially secured.
Regarding claim 8, HESSLING discloses the bearing arrangement has a sun gear (31), the sun gear having a gearwheel element (part meshing with planet gear 36) and a shaft element (44) separate therefrom, which are permanently interconnected for conjoint rotation.
Regarding claim 9, HESSLING discloses the gearwheel element (part meshing with planet gear 36) has an external diameter greater than an internal diameter of the stationary element in the second bearing region (C).
Regarding claim 10, HESSLING discloses a gearbox comprising a planetary gearset and the bearing arrangement according to claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, HESSLING discloses a wind turbine comprising the gearbox according to claim 10.
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Figure 1: Annotated Fig. 1 of HESSLING
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 2-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HESSLING et al. (US 2023/0296169 A1) as applied to claims 1 and 6-11 above, and further in view of NAKAGAWA et al. (US 7,918,649).
Regarding claim 2, HESSLING discloses the bearing (A), but does not provide details as to its arrangement, and what type of forces it is configured to absorb.
NAKAGAWA teaches, in Fig. 7, a bearing for use in a wind turbine, that is configured to absorb axial forces.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to have the bearing of HESSLING be configured to absorb axial forces, as taught by NAKAGAWA, since both inventions disclose bearings for use in a wind turbine, as the details of the bearing of HESSLING are not provided, it would be obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to substitute the bearing taught by NAKAGAWA, “since the rollers 4 of one row in the split bearing portion 1EB have a longer length and a greater contact angle, the load carrying capacity to support the thrust load can be increased and the rolling fatigue life can also be increased.” NAKAGAWA, col. 14, lines 32-36.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of HESSLING-NAKAGAWA discloses the bearing has two angular rolling bearings (1EA, 1EB).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of HESSLING-NAKAGAWA discloses the two angular rolling bearings (1EA, 1EB) have an X-shaped arrangement.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of HESSLING-NAKAGAWA discloses one of the two angular rolling bearings is larger than other of the two angular rolling bearings (NAKAGAWA, col. 14, lines 21-23 teaches the outer diameter of the bears may differ).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEREK D. KNIGHT whose telephone number is (571)272-7951. The examiner can normally be reached Telework: From 5:30am-1:30pm EST.
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/DEREK D KNIGHT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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