DETAILED ACTION
This is the first office action on the merits with reference to the above identified patent application filed on 01 December 2025. Claims 1 – 5 are pending and currently being examined.
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 § 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) 1, 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamazaki (PG Pub US 20150159652 A1) in view of Ishii (PG Pub US 20150204383 A1) and as evidenced by Takao (US Patent 5,938,417 A).
In Re Claim 1, Yamazaki discloses a scroll compressor (title) comprising: a housing (10) having a suction port (111) through which a refrigerant is sucked and a discharge port (121) through which the refrigerant is discharged; a rotary shaft (2) accommodated in the housing and (10) rotatably supported by the housing (10); and a compression mechanism having a fixed scroll (7) that is fixed to the housing (10) and an orbiting scroll (6) that orbits with rotation of the rotary shaft (2), the rotary shaft (2) having an eccentric shaft (3) that protrudes from a distal end of the rotary shaft (2) and extends in parallel with the rotary shaft (2) at a position offset from a center axial line of the rotary shaft (2), the fixed scroll (7) having a fixed scroll base plate (71), a fixed scroll spiral wall (72) that protrudes from the fixed scroll base plate (71), and a fixed scroll outer peripheral wall (best seen adjacent to 11 in Figure 6) that protrudes from the fixed scroll base plate (71) and surrounds the fixed scroll spiral wall (72), the orbiting scroll (6) having an orbiting scroll base plate (61) that faces the fixed scroll base plate (71) and an orbiting scroll spiral wall (62) that protrudes from the orbiting scroll base plate (61) toward the fixed scroll base plate (71) and orbits inside the fixed scroll outer peripheral wall (as best seen in Figure 6), the compression mechanism having a compression chamber (15) that is defined by the fixed scroll base plate (71), the fixed scroll spiral wall (72), the orbiting scroll base plate (61), and the orbiting scroll spiral wall (62) and in which the refrigerant is compressed by meshing the fixed scroll spiral wall with (72) the orbiting scroll spiral wall (62), the housing (10) having a shaft supporting housing (8) that is disposed on a side opposite from the fixed scroll base plate (71) relative to the orbiting scroll base plate (61) and supports the rotary shaft (2), the refrigerant being introduced into a back pressure chamber (16) that is formed between a base plate end surface of the orbiting scroll base plate (61) opposite from the fixed scroll base plate (71) and the shaft supporting housing (8), the refrigerant urging the orbiting scroll base plate (61) toward the fixed scroll base plate (71), the orbiting scroll (6) having an oil supply hole (64) that is opened toward the back pressure chamber (16) and through which oil is supplied to the back pressure chamber (the refrigerant contains entrained oil – paragraph [0030]), the eccentric shaft (3) being inserted into a bushing (4) that is swingable about the eccentric shaft (3), the base plate end surface having a recess formed in a bottom tubular shape (63) in which the bushing (4) is disposed, the recess being defined by an inner peripheral surface on which a plain bearing (5; Figure 3) rotatably supporting the bushing (4) is disposed, the recess being defined by a bottom surface (lower surface of 61) in which the oil supply hole (64) is opened, the bushing (4) having a bushing tubular portion that is disposed inside the plain bearing (5), and the plain bearing (5) having a bearing tubular portion that is disposed inside the inner peripheral surface, wherein the bushing (4) has a bushing flange portion (that connects to 42) that protrudes from the bushing tubular portion outwardly in a radial direction of the rotary shaft (2); (paragraphs [0018]-[0020],[0027],[0028],[0030],[0032]; Figures 1, 2, 3, 6).
Yamazaki does not disclose a bearing flange portion that protrudes from the bearing tubular portion outwardly in the radial direction.
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Annotated Figures 2a and 3 of Ishii
However, Ishii discloses a plain bearing (Figure 3 embodiment) that is capable of use with a scroll compressor (see Figure 6), the plain bearing has a bearing flange portion (see annotated figures above) that protrudes from the bearing tubular portion (see annotated figures above) outwardly in the radial direction, a groove (see annotated figures above, the groove is better visible in the Figure 2a embodiment) is formed in the bearing tubular potion, and a cutout (see annotated figures above) through is formed in the bearing flange portion and communicates with the groove (paragraphs [0104], [0171] – [0176]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed the invention to modify the bearing tubular portion of Yamazaki to incorporate a groove and a bearing flange portion that protrudes from the bearing tubular portion (see annotated figures above) outwardly in the radial direction as taught by Ishii, thus essentially substituting the plain bearing of Yamazaki with the plain bearing of Ishii for the purpose of supporting the axial load exerted by the rotary shaft as evidenced by the function of the flanged plain bearing (3a; Figure 11) of Takao that supports an axial load exerted by the rotary shaft as described in Column 9, Lines 10 – 14.
In the modified apparatus, the groove of Ishii would allow oil from the oil supply hole of Yamazaki to be supplied to the bearing flange portion through which the oil is supplied toward an outer peripheral edge of the bearing flange portion, and the bearing flange portion of Ishii would be disposed between the base plate end surface and the bushing flange portion of Yamazaki.
In Re Claim 3, the combined references above disclose all the limitations of Claim 1, and in the modified apparatus, the bearing flange portion of Ishii is in contact with the base plate (71) end surface of / Yamazaki and presses the orbiting scroll (6) against the fixed scroll (7) of Yamazaki, and is in contact with the bushing flange portion (portion of 4 that connects to 42) of Yamazaki and presses the bushing (4) of Yamazaki against the distal end of the rotary shaft (2) of Yamazaki (when the shaft of Yamazaki applies an axial load to the bearing flange portion of Ishii).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamazaki (PG Pub US 20150159652 A1) in view of Ishii (PG Pub US 20150204383 A1) and as evidenced by Takao (US Patent 5,938,417 A) and further in view of Yamashita (PG Pub US 20150152731 A1).
In Re Claim 2, Yamazaki and Ishii disclose all the limitations of Claim 1, but they do not explicitly disclose the position of the groove of Ishii relative to the oil supply hole of Yamazaki.
However. Yamashita discloses a position of the oil supply hole (19b; paragraph [0068; Figure 1]) that is diametrically opposite from the position shown in Yamazaki. When the plain bearing is substituted, if the groove of the modified plain bearing does not meet the required relative position between the groove and the oil supply hole, the diametrically opposite position of the groove is Yamashita would meet the required relative position.
If needed, moving the position of the oil supply hole of Ishii to a new position taught by Yamashita would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed the invention, because it is only a matter of relocating the position of the oil supply hole, and it has been held that a mere rearrangement of parts is routine skill in the art – MPEP 2144.04, Section (VI-C): In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950) (Claims to a hydraulic power press which read on the prior art except with regard to the position of the starting switch were held unpatentable because shifting the position of the starting switch would not have modified the operation of the device.); In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975) (the particular placement of a contact in a conductivity measuring device was held to be an obvious matter of design choice).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamazaki (PG Pub US 20150159652 A1) in view of Ishii (PG Pub US 20150204383 A1) and as evidenced by Takao (US Patent 5,938,417 A) and further in view of Ambrosie (PG Pub US 20110002565 A1).
In Re Claim 4, Yamazaki and Ishii disclose all the limitations of Claim 1, but they do not disclose a first extending portion and a second extending portion as claimed.
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Annotated Figure 2b of Ambrosie
However, Figure 2 of Ambrosie discloses a plain bearing having a bearing flange portion (magnified view in Figure 2b), and Figure 9 shows that the bearing flange portion is in contact with the base plate (2) end surface and presses the base plate (2) end surface, and is in contact with the flange portion (3) and presses the flange portion (3), wherein the bearing flange portion has: a first extending portion (see annotated figure above) that is formed in an arc shape extending from the bearing tubular portion (straight portion in the annotated figure above, below the annotated rectangle) outwardly in the radial direction of the shaft and is in contact with the flange portion (3); and a second extending portion (see annotated figure above) that is formed in an arc shape extending and inclining from an end of the first extending portion opposite from the bearing tubular portion toward the base plate (2) end surface and is in contact with the base plate (2) end surface (paragraphs [0035],[0044]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed the invention to modify the bearing flange portion of Ishii in the apparatus of Yamazaki / Ishii such it has a first extending portion and a second extending portion as taught by Ambrosie, thus essentially substituting the plain bearing of Yamazaki with the plain bearing of Ishii for the purpose of allowing axial tolerance compensation (Abstract of Ambrosie), this also allows the plain bearing to function as a shock absorber.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamazaki (PG Pub US 20150159652 A1) in view of Ishii (PG Pub US 20150204383 A1) and as evidenced by Takao (US Patent 5,938,417 A) and further in view of Kumazawa (PG Pub US 20170262010 A1).
In Re Claim 5, Yamazaki and Ishii disclose all the limitations of Claim 1, but they do not disclose a first extending portion and a second extending portion as claimed.
However, Figure 5 of Kumazawa discloses a plain bearing having a bearing flange portion (19, 23), Figure 4 shows that the bearing flange portion is in contact with the end surface of boss (31) and presses the end surface of boss (31), and is in contact with the flange portion (39) and presses the flange portion (39), wherein the bearing flange portion (19, 23) has: a first extending portion (19) that is formed in an arc shape (a straight line is an arc of infinite radius, so the straight portion 19 reads on an arc shape) extending from the bearing tubular portion (12) outwardly in the radial direction of the shaft (shaft is best seen in Figure 4) and is in contact with the end surface of boss (31); and a second extending portion (23) that is formed in an arc shape (a straight line is an arc of infinite radius, so the straight portion 23 reads on an arc shape) extending and inclining from an end of the first extending portion (19) opposite from the bearing tubular portion (12) toward the flange portion (39) (as best indicated by the inclination angle in Figure 2) and is in contact with the flange portion (39) (as best seen in Figure 4) (paragraphs [0040]-[0050]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed the invention to modify the bearing flange portion of Ishii in the apparatus of Yamazaki / Ishii such it has a first extending portion and a second extending portion as taught by Kumazawa, thus essentially substituting the plain bearing of Yamazaki with the plain bearing of Kumazawa to allow the plain bearing to function as a shock absorber, and to compensate for axial tolerance of the rotary shaft.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DNYANESH G KASTURE whose telephone number is (571)270-3928. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu, 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Essama Omgba can be reached at 469-295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/D.G.K/Examiner, Art Unit 3746
/ESSAMA OMGBA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3746
