Appeal No. 2000-0760
Application No. 08/831,198
inwardly and carries an annular friction disk on
an inner surface confronting the inner drive
plate and the inner drive plate carries a spring
that engages an outer surface of the one
retainer plate to bias the friction disk into
engagement with the inner drive plate to create
a hysteresis effect.
Yanko discloses a conical spring washer 126 located
between the inner surface of retainer plate 88 at 118
confronting inner drive plate 60 (Fig. 2), the washer 126
pressing against the retainer plate 88 and drive plate 60 to
create frictional drag (col. 6, lines 57 to 66). Göbel
discloses a torsional vibration damper in which friction pads
16 are located between the inner surfaces of the retainer
plates 11, 12 and the inner drive plate 7, the retainer plates
("cover plates") being "initially stressed in the direction
towards the hub flange 7 and act as friction devices" (col. 3,
lines 43 to 46). The examiner states that it would have been
obvious in view of Göbel to include a friction disc between
the inner drive plate and retainer plate of Yanko.
Acknowledging that Göbel does not disclose a spring engaging
the outer surface of the retainer plate, as claimed, she finds
that inclusion of such a spring would have been obvious since
"[a] spring to bias elements into engagement is old and well
7
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