Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2025-09-22)

CLAIMS:
Listing of Claims:

Amendments to the Claims:

This listing of claims will replace all prior versions, and listings, of claims in the application:

1-4. (CANCELLED)23

5\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) A set of belt tensioning rollers, comprising;a plurality of different main bodies which are provided to receive a rolling bearing held in an inner wall of the main body, wherein each main body has two cavities with a toroidal shape, wherein the two cavities comprise an outer cavity delimited by a belt support wall and an inner cavity delimited by the inner wall, wherein at least one of the main bodies comprises a reinforcement disposed in the outer cavity and comprises an additional reinforcement extending to the inner wall outside the two cavities, wherein the additional reinforcement is disposed in an extension of the reinforcement of the outer cavity.

6\. (CANCELLED)

7\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) The set of belt tensioning rollers \[\[set\]\] according to claim \[\[6\]\]5, wherein the reinforcement comprises reinforcinq webs which are formed alternately in \[\[the\]\]a circumferential direction of the outer cavity .

8\. (CANCELLED)

9\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) The set of belt tensioning rollers \[\[set\]\] according to claim \[\[1 \]\]5, wherein at least one of the main bodies has a one-sided rim on the belt support wall thereof.

10\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) The set of belt tensioning rollers \[\[set\]\] according to claim \[\[1 \]\]5, wherein at least one of the main bodies has rims on both sides of the belt support wall thereof.

11\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) A method for producing a set of belt tensioning rollers comprising:providing a powder material;and
generatively forming a plurality of main bodies of the set of belt tensioning rollers with the powder material, wherein the plurality of main bodies are provided to receive a rollinq bearinq held in an inner wall of the plurality of main bodies, wherein a respective main body is formed to include areinforcement \[\[webs\]\], an additional reinforcement, at least two cavities, and a depowdering opening, wherein the at least two cavities comprise an outer cavity delimited by a belt support wall and an inner cavity delimited by the inner wall, wherein the reinforcement is disposed in the outer cavity, wherein the additional reinforcement extends to the inner wall outside the at least two cavities and is disposed in an extension of the reinforcement of the outer cavity, wherein the depowdering openirq is configured for removal of the powder material following formation of the respective main body.

12\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) The method according to claim 11, wherein each of the at least two cavities has a toroidal shape.

13\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) A belt tensioning device comprising:one or more belt tensioning rollers, wherein a respective belt tensioning roller comprises a main body , wherein the main body is configured to receive a rolling bearing held in an inner wall of the main body, wherein the main body has two cavities including an outer cavity defined by a belt support wall and an inner cavity defined by the inner wall, wherein the main body has a reinforcement and an additional reinforcement, wherein the reinforcement of the main body is disposed in the outer cavity, wherein the additional reinforcement

extends to the inner wall outside the two cavities and is disposed in an extension of the reinforcement of the outer cavity, wherein the main body includes an opening for removal of powder used to form the main body.

14\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) The belt tensioninq device according to claim 13, wherein each cavity has a toroidal shape.

15\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) The belt tensioninq device according to claim 13, wherein the reinforcement comprises a reinforcement web.

16\. (CANCELLED)

17\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) The belt tensioninq device according to claim 13, wherein the reinforcement comprises multiple reinforcements formed alternately in \[\[the\]\]a circumferential direction of the outer cavity within the outer cavity.

18\. (CANCELLED)

19\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) The belt tensioninq device according to claim 13, wherein the main body comprises a one-sided rim on the belt support wall.

20\. (CURRENTLY AMENDED) The belt tensioninq device according to claim 13, wherein the main body comprises rims on both sides of the belt support wall.

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7, 9-15, 17 and 19-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest a set of belt tensioning rollers, comprising: a plurality of different main bodies which are provided to receive a rolling bearing held in an inner wall of the main body, wherein each main body has two cavities with a toroidal shape, wherein the two cavities comprise an outer cavity delimited by a belt support wall and an inner cavity delimited by the inner wall, wherein at least one of the main bodies comprises a reinforcement disposed in the outer cavity and comprises an additional reinforcement extending to the inner wall outside the two cavities, wherein the additional reinforcement is disposed in an extension of the reinforcement of the outer cavity.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKS/ARGUMENTSClaims 5, 7, 9-15, 17, and 19-20 are pending in this application. Claims 5, 7, 9-15, 17, and 19-20 have been amended, without waiver. Claims 1-4, 6, 8, 16, and 18 are cancelled, without waiver. Support for the amendments is found throughout the application as-filed. Reconsideration and further examination are respectfully requested.Allowable and Allowed Subject Matter The Patent Office stated Claims 8 and 18 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.The Applicant thanks the Patent Office for the indication of allowed and allowable subject matter.Claim Objections In section 2, claims 9-10 are objected to because claims 9 and 10 depend from claim 1, "A method of producing belt tensioning rollers..." and claims 9 and 10 recite "The belt tensioning roller set according to claim 1...". The Applicant thanks the Examiner for the indication. Claims 9-10 are amended in a manner that renders this objection moot. The Applicant respectfully requests the removal of the present objection.In section 3, claims 14-20 are objected to because claims 14-20 claim "The system according to claim 13..." while claim 13 does not claim a system. The Applicant thanks the Examiner for the indication. Claims 16 and 18 are cancelled and claims 14-15, 17, and 19-20 are amended in a manner that renders this objection moot. The Applicant respectfully requests the removal of the present objection.Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 112 Claims 1-10 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.In section 5, the Examiner indicates the "a uniform basic roller shape" of claim 1 is indefinite because it is unclear what a basic roller shape consists of or looks like. In section 5, the Examiner also indicates the "... different main bodies of belt tensioning rollers... by various modifications of the basic roller shape" of claim 1 is indefinite because it is unclear what the different main bodies are by various modifications of the basic roller shape. The Applicant thanks the Examiner for the indication. To expedite prosecution, claim 1 is cancelled. The Applicant respectfully requests withdrawal of this rejection.In section 6, the Examiner indicates the "complement the basic roller shape" of claim 2 is indefinite because it is unclear what the scope of complementing the basic roller shape is. The Applicant thanks the Examiner for the indication. To expedite prosecution, claim 2 is cancelled. The Applicant respectfully requests withdrawal of this rejection.In section 7, the Examiner indicates the "at least one reinforcement is realized in the form of an increase in wall thickness" of claim 3 is indefinite because the claim doesn't specify what the reinforcement is thicker than relative to what.The Applicant thanks the Examiner for the indication. To expedite prosecution, claim 3 is cancelled. The Applicant respectfully requests withdrawal of this rejection.In section 8, the Examiner indicates the "wherein openings in the main body for depowdering, which are open in the direction of the central axis of the main body, are excluded" of claim 4 is indefinite because it is unclear what this means.The Applicant thanks the Examiner for the indication. To expedite prosecution, claim 4 is cancelled. The Applicant respectfully requests withdrawal of this rejection.In section 8, the Examiner indicates the "The belt tensioning roller set according to claim 1" of claim 9 and 10 are indefinite because claim 1 is directed to a method of producing belt tensioning rollers. The Examiner further suggests Claims 9 and 10 should be recited appropriately to claim 1 or claim dependency to claim 5. The Applicant thanks the Examiner for the indication. Claims 9 and 10 are amended to claim dependency to claim 5. The Applicant respectfully requests withdrawal of this rejection.Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 103 Claims 1, 4, 5 and 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerhard, DE102019132263.Claims 2, 6, 7, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerhard, DE102019132263 in view of Garlatti, U.S. Patent Publication 2014/0221140.Claims 9, 10, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerhard, DE102019132263 in view of Doerr et al., U.S. Patent 4,602,875.The Applicant respectfully traverses each rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103.To establish prima facie obviousness of a claimed invention, all the claim limitations must be taught or suggested by the prior art. In re Ryoka, 180 U.S.P.Q.580 (C.C.P.A. 1974). See also In re Wilson, 165 U.S.P.Q. 494 (C.C.P.A. 1970).Moreover, "[o]bviousness can only be established by combining or modifying the teachings of the prior art to produce the claimed invention where there is some teaching, suggestion, or motivation to do so found either explicitly or implicitly in the references themselves or the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art." MPEP § 2143.01. "If an independent claim is nonobvious under 35 U.S.C. 103, then any claim depending therefrom is nonobvious." MPEP § 2143.03, citing In re Fine, 837 F.2d 1071, 5 USPQ 2d 1596 (Fed. Cir. 1988).To expedite prosecution, the Applicant has amended Claim 5. Claim 5 is amended to include the allowable subject matter of claim 8, together with the intervening claims. Claim 5 is believed to be allowable for at least this reason.Claims 7 and 9-10 depend upon claim 5 directly or indirectly and are allowable based on their dependence upon an allowable base claim.To expedite prosecution, the Applicant has amended Claim 11. Claim 11 is amended in a similar manner as claim 5. Claim 11 is believed to be allowable for at least this reason. Claims 12 depends upon claim 10 directly and is allowable based on its dependence upon an allowable base claim.To expedite prosecution, the Applicant has amended Claim 13. Claim 13 is amended to include the allowable subject matter of claim 18. Claim 13 is believed to be allowable for at least this reason. Claims 14-15, 17, and 19-20 depend upon claim 13 directly or indirectly and are allowable based on their dependence upon an allowable base claim.The Applicant respectfully traverses all the arguments made in the Office Action that were not specifically addressed above. The fact that rejections and/or statements may not be explicitly addressed during the course of prosecution should not be taken as an admission of any sort, and Applicant hereby reserves any and all rights to contest such rejections and/or statements at a later time.The Applicant may have cancelled and/or amended one or more claims during the course of prosecution. Claims have been amended and/or cancelled in this Amendment solely to facilitate expeditious prosecution. Applicant notes that any such cancellations and/or amendments will have transpired (i) prior to issuance and (ii) in the context of the rules that govern claim interpretation during prosecution before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Patent Office).Applicant notes that the rules that govern claim interpretation during prosecution form a radically different context than the rules that govern claim interpretation subsequent to a patent issuing. Accordingly, Applicant respectfully submits that any cancellations and/or amendments during the course of prosecution should be held to be tangential to and/or unrelated to patentability in the event that such cancellations and/or amendments are viewed in a post-issuance context under post-issuance claim interpretation rules. Applicant submits that support for these amendments may be found in the disclosure as originally filed, and therefore no new matter has been added.The Applicant respectfully reserves the right to pursue claims as presented prior to this Amendment and additional claims in one or more continuing applications. With respect to any cancelled claims, such cancelled claims were and continue to be a part of the original and/or present patent application(s). Applicant hereby reserves all rights to present any cancelled claim or claims for examination at a later time in this or another application. Applicant hereby gives public notice that any cancelled claims are still to be considered as present in all related patent application(s) (e.g. the original and/or present patent application) for all appropriate purposes (e.g., written description and/or enablement). Applicant does not intend to dedicate the subject matter of any cancelled claims to the public.CONCLUSIONIn light of the forgoing, reconsideration and allowance of the pending claims is earnestly solicited. Should the Examiner have any questions or comments concerning the foregoing, Applicant's attorney welcomes the opportunity to discuss the same with the Examiner via a telephonic interview.Respectfully submitted, By: /matthew a poulsen/ Matthew A. Poulsen Reg. No. 71,622 SUITER SWANTZ RINGENBERG POULSEN PC LLO14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 220 Omaha, NE 68154 (402) 496-0300  telephone (402) 496-0333  facsimile