Appeal No. 2005-0687
Application No. 10/097,510
rotation of the thrust collar with the shaft, the center bore
having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial
and radial directions relative to the thrust collar, and the
thrust collar having an annular flange that projects outwardly
from the thrust collar exterior surface to a peripheral edge of
the annular flange, the annular flange having opposite interior
and exterior surfaces and the interior surface extending both
axially and radially over the thrust collar exterior surface,
and,
the annular flange having a peripheral surface at the flange
peripheral edge, the peripheral surface extending axially between
the flange interior surface and the flange exterior surface and
the flange peripheral surface being parallel to the thrust collar
center axis.
In addition to the admitted prior art found in appellant's
specification, the examiner relies upon the following references
as evidence of obviousness:
Fruhstorfer 1,945,219 Jan. 30, 1934
Lakin 4,711,590 Dec. 8, 1987
Williams et al. 5,575,355 Nov. 19, 1996
(Williams)
Appellant's claimed invention is directed to a lubricant
retention assembly of an electric motor that has a self-contained
lubricant reservoir. The assembly comprises
[A] thrust collar mounted on the motor shaft and a bearing
cap surrounding the thrust collar, where the thrust collar
has an annular flange that throws lubricant leaking along
the shaft radially outwardly toward the bearing cap and the
bearing cap has an angled interior surface that deflects the
lubricant thrown by the annular flange into the motor
interior and toward the lubricant reservoir [page 1 of
specification].
-2-
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007