Appeal No. 2005-2603 Παγε 3
Application No. 10/118,068
OPINION
In reaching our decision in this appeal, we have given careful consideration to
the appellants' specification and claims, to the applied prior art references, and to the
respective positions articulated by the appellants and the examiner. As a consequence
of our review, we make the determinations which follow.
There does not appear to be any dispute that Minegishi discloses the subject
matter of claim 1, with the exception that the transmission unit C interposed between
the motor unit A2 and the oscillating internal planetary gear unit of Minegishi is a simple
planetary gear mechanism, rather than a simple planetary roller mechanism as called
for in claim 1. Specifically, the simple planetary gear mechanism of Minegishi includes
a sun gear 402, planet gears 404 that mesh with the outer periphery of the sun gear and
are retained in a carrier 408A, and an internal gear 406 which is fixed to the casing.
The sun gear 402 is connected to and rotates with the input shaft 410. The rotation of
the planet gears 404 by rolling contact with the sun gear 402 causes rotation of the
carrier 408A and, consequently, rotation of output shaft 420, which is integral with
output shaft flange 408B of the carrier 408A.
Batchelder teaches that, by using toothless contacting driving and driven
members for use in reduction or increasing of speeds, "the losses and other
disadvantages occasioned by the use of toothed gears are eliminated, resulting in a
speed transmission mechanism of high efficiency, greater compactness and strength,
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