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 .
This is the First Office Action on the merits of Application No. 19/404701, filed on 12/01/2025. Claims 1-15 are still pending in the application.
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 1, 2, 9, 12-15 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 1, 2, 9, 13-15 the phrase "in particular" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 12, the phrase "such as" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-9, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent No. 8,113,318 to Monson et al (henceforth referred to as Monson).
Regarding claims 1-3, 6-9, 12, Monson teaches an elevator machine for driving and elevator car in an elevator system (i.e. Title), wherein the elevator machine comprises:
a rotatable shaft (i.e. shown in Fig. 2, ref. 14) extending along an axial direction (i.e. shown in Fig. 2, ref. 16) and including a sheave portion (i.e. Fig. 3, portion of shaft at ref. 26) for coupling the shaft to at least one tension member (i.e. column 1, lines 11-13: “form of load bearing member, such as a rope or a belt”), in particular to at least one belt that is coupled to the elevator car;
a motor (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 12) that is configured for rotationally driving the shaft; and
a brake (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 30) for braking rotation of the shaft;
wherein the motor , the brake and the sheave portion are arranged along the axial direction with the brake arranged between the motor and the sheave portion (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 26, 30, 12 are in axial alignment linear order).
Wherein the brake comprises a brake disc (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 28) that is coupled to the shaft for rotating concurrently with the shaft;
at least one plunger (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 36) that is movable along the axial direction between an engaged position in which it engages with the brake disc for braking rotation of the brake disc (i.e. column 3, lines 20-23: “Upon deactivation of the electromagnet 54, the bias members 38 actuate the armature 36 to again clamp the rotor 28 against the braking surface 44 of the first bearing stand 20”) and a released position in which it is not engaged with the brake disc (i.e. column 3, lines 17-20: “when the machine shaft 14 starts rotating, the motion separates the rotor 28 from the braking surface 44 such that the rotor 28 rotates free from contact with the braking surface 44”); and
at least one actuator (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 54) that is configured for selectively moving the at least one plunger from the engaged positioned into the released position;
wherein the at least one actuator is accommodated in a first bearing stand (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 22 supports ref. 54) comprising a first bearing (i.e. seen in Fig. 1, ref. 24) rotatably supporting a first portion of the shaft, with the first bearing stand comprised in, or mounted to a stator (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 36), in particular at a side of the stator facing the sheave portion.
Wherein the brake disc (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 28) and the at least one plunger (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 36) are arranged outside the first bearing stand (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 22) and/or outside the stator.
Wherein the brake disc (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 28) is arranged between the motor (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 12) and the at least one plunger (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 36).
Comprising a second bearing stand (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 20) comprising a second bearing (i.e. shown in Fig. 1, ref. 24) rotatably supporting a second portion of the shaft;
wherein the second bearing stand and the second bearing are arranged on a side of the sheave portion (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 26) opposite to the first bearing stand.
Comprising a spacer structure (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 18) extending along the axial direction between the first bearing stand and the second bearing stand.
Wherein the spacer structure comprises a plurality of spacer elements (i.e. column 2, lines 32-35: “housing 18 in this example includes a first bearing stand 20 and a second bearing stand 22”).
Wherein the spacer structure comprises a plurality of spacer elements;
wherein the plurality of spacer elements forms a cylindrical spacer structure surrounding the shaft (i.e. Fig. 1 shows ref. 8, 20, 22 forming a cylindrical shape); and/or
wherein at least one of the spacer elements has a particular a cylindrical shape.
Wherein the sheave portion comprises a plurality of sheaves (i.e. Fig. 1 shows a plurality of ref. 26), wherein each of the plurality of sheaves is configured for coupling with a corresponding tension members, such as a belt, respectively.
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) 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent No. 8,113,318 to Monson et al.
Regarding claim 10, Monson Fig. 3 does not teach the elevator machine that does not comprise a spacer structure. However, Monson Fig. 4 teaches an alternative embodiment of the elevator machine that does not comprise a spacer structure. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to not have a spacer structure as taught in Fig. 4 to use in elevator systems with limited space for a machine mount and there would have been reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 11, Monson does not teach the distance between an outer end face and a center of the sheave portion is less than 150mm. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a distance between an outer end face to a center of the sheave portion is less than 150mm to accommodate a smaller, more confined mounting space in the hoistway and there would have been reasonable expectation of success.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent No. 10,246,299 to Fargo et al (henceforth referred to as Fargo) in view of US Patent No. 8,113,318 to Monson et al.
Regarding claim 13, Fargo teaches an elevator system (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 20) comprising:
a hoistway (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 22) extending between a plurality of landings (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 38);
an elevator car (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 24) that is configured for traveling along the hoistway between the plurality of landings;
at least one guide rail (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 34, 36) for guiding the movement of the elevator car in the hoistway;
at least one tension member (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 44), in particular a belt, that is coupled to the elevator car; and
wherein the at least one guide rail is arranged in line with the elevator machine along the axial direction (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 34, 36 and the machine are positioned along a horizontal axis);
wherein the at least one guide rail is in particular arranged adjacent to an end face (i.e. right end) of the elevator machine along the axial direction;
wherein the at least one guide rail is more particularly arranged adjacent to an end face (i.e. left end) of the elevator machine that is located on a side of the sheave portion that is opposite to the motor.
Further comprising a bed plate (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 82, 96, 88, 86),
wherein the elevator machine is arranged on the bedplate, and wherein the distance between the at least one guide rail and the bedplate is less than
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent No. 8,113,318 to Monson et al in view of US Patent No. 10,246,299 to Fargo et al.
Regarding claim 15, Monson does not teach guide rails in axial direction with the machine. However, Fargo teaches a guide rail (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 34, 36) in a hoistway (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 22) of an elevator system (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 20)
wherein the method includes arranging the at least one guide rail and the elevator machine is in configuration in which the at least one guide rail is arranged in line with the elevator machine along the axial direction (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 34, 36 and the machine are positioned along a horizontal axis);
wherein the at least guide rail is in particular arranged adjacent to an end face (i.e. right end) of the elevator machine along the axial direction;
wherein the at least one guide rail is more particularly arranged adjacent to an end face (i.e. left end) of the elevator machine that is located on a side of the sheave portion that is opposite to the motor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 14 is allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Patent No. 6,446,762 to St. Pierre et al teaches an elevator machine with a motor, brake, and sheaves in axial alignment;
DE 102017223260 to Wolfel et al teaches an elevator machine with a motor, brake, and sheaves in axial alignment;
US Patent No. 10,246,299 to Fargo et al teaches an elevator machine with a motor, brake, and sheaves in axial alignment;
US Patent No. 10,207,899 to Fauconnet et al teaches an elevator machine with a motor, brake, and sheaves in axial alignment;
ES 2619510 to Gil teaches an elevator machine with a motor, brake, and sheaves in axial alignment;
US Patent No. 8,839,911 to Hubbard et al teaches an elevator machine with a motor, brake, and sheaves in axial alignment;
US Patent No. 6,601,828 to Strbuncelj at al teaches an elevator machine with a motor, brake, and sheaves in axial alignment.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIEM M TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7825. The examiner can normally be reached M 9-5, W-F 10-2.
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/DIEM M TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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