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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: “steering axis S”, e.g., see [0159]. As a result, the drawings are also objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a), because he drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “steering axis” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim16 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 16, the phrase “the central axis thereof” should be and is interpreted as “a[[the]] central axis thereof”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2020/0207405 A1 to Kuribayashi et al (hereinafter Kuribayashi).
Regarding claim 1, Kuribayashi discloses a corner module apparatus for a vehicle (Fig. 2 & [0035]), comprising:
a drive power generator (16) configured to provide drive power to a wheel (W) of the vehicle (B) (Fig. 2 & [0039]);
a brake component configured to interfere with rotation of the wheel (W) to generate braking power ([0035]-[0036]);
a suspension (18), connected to the drive power generator (16), configured to absorb shock transferred from a road surface to the wheel (W) (Fig. 2 & [0035]-[0036]); and
a steering system (20), connected to the suspension (18), configured to adjust a steering angle of the wheel (W) (Fig. 2 & [0035] and [0042] disclose the steering device 20 pivotally rotates the drive unit which is interpreted as thereby adjusting a steering angle of the wheel bolted to the drive unit),
wherein the steering system (20) comprises:
a first steering main body (12) fixed to a frame (10a) (Fig. 2 & [0037] and [0041]);
a second steering main body (34), supported on the first steering main body (12) in a manner that is rotatable on a steering axis, connected to the suspension (18) (Fig. 2 & [0043] disclose the speed reduction mechanism which includes rotating parts, e.g., 34e, is mounted on the first steering body 12 and also is interconnected with the suspension system 18 at a minimum because the steering body 12 is also part of the suspension system. [0049] discloses the axis of 34d is the kingpin axis, interpreted as a steering axis.); and
a steering driver (26), installed on the first steering main body (12), configured to rotate the second steering main body (24) relative to the first steering main body (12) (Fig. 2 & [0042], [0046], [0049]).
Regarding claim 2, depending on claim 1, Kuribayashi further discloses wherein the steering driver comprises:
a steering actuator (26), coupled to the first steering main body (12), configured to generate rotatory power (Fig. 2 & [0042] and [0046] disclose the steering actuator is a steering motor that rotates output shaft 26b. This is in line with applicant’s disclosed actuator. See Applicant’s PG PUB [0180]); and
a drive power transfer control (26b, 36, 34) configured to rotate the second steering main body (24) in conjunction with the rotatory power generated from the steering actuator (26) (Fig. 2 & [0042], [0046], [0049]).
Regarding claim 3, depending on claim 2, Kuribayashi further discloses wherein the drive power transfer control (26b, 36, 34) comprises: an input shaft (26b) connected to the steering actuator (26); an output shaft (24c), connected to the second steering main body (24), disposed in a manner that faces the input shaft (26b); and a decelerator (36,34), provided between the input shaft (26b) and the output shaft (24c), configured to transfer rotatory power of the input shaft (26b) to the output shaft (24c) (Fig. 2 & [0042], [0046], [0049]).
Regarding claim 4, depending on claim 3, Kuribayashi further discloses wherein the input shaft (26b) and the output shaft (24c) are disposed in parallel to the steering axis (Fig. 2 & [0042], [0046], [0049]).
Regarding claim 5, depending on claim 4, Kuribayashi further discloses wherein the steering axis (KP) is disposed inclined at a predetermined angle toward an inside in a width direction of the vehicle (B) with respect to the wheel (W) (Fig. 2 & [0049]).
Regarding claim 6, depending on claim 4, Kuribayashi further discloses wherein the input (26b) shaft and the output shaft (24c) are disposed in same straight line (Fig. 2 depicts that a straight line can be drawn through both the input shaft 26b and the output shaft 24c).
Regarding claim 7, depending on claim 3, Kuribayashi further discloses wherein the decelerator (36,34) is a strain wave gear (34) (Figs. 2-3B & [0043]-[0044] disclose reduction mechanism 34 is a harmonic gear, which a person of ordinary skill in the art would know to be a synonym for a strain wave gear.).
Regarding claim 8, depending on claim 7, Kuribayashi further discloses wherein the decelerator (34,36) comprises: a circular spline (34j) fixed to the first steering main body (12); a wave generator (24f) connected to the input shaft (26b); and a flex spline (34g) connected to the output shaft (24c), engaged with the circular spline (34j), and rotated in conjunction with rotation of the wave generator (24f) (Figs. 2-3B & [0043]-[0044]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuribayashi US 2021/0086821 A1 to Furuyoshi.
Regarding claim 11, depending on claim 3, Kuribayashi does not appear to disclose a steering angle measurer configured to measure a relative rotation angle of the second steering main body to the first steering main body.
Furuyoshi teaches that it was old and well known in the art of steering systems, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, a steering angle measurer (141) configured to measure a relative rotation angle of the second steering main body (220) to the first steering main body (160) (Figs. 1-2 & [0026] teaches measuring the angle of the output side of the steering system including a wave gear)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of steering systems before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the steering system system disclosed by Kuribayashi to incorporate the steering angle measurer configured to measure a relative rotation angle of the second steering main body to the first steering main body as taught by Furuyoshi in order to enable calibration of the steering system, e.g., see Furuyoshi [0029], and because doing so could be readily and easily performed by any person of ordinary skill in the art, without undue experimentation or risk of unexpected results.
Claims 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuribayashi in view of US 2022/0290752 A1 to Kobayashi.
Regarding claim 15, depending on claim 1, although Kuribayashi discloses that the speed reduction mechanism includes thrust bearings, e.g., [0045], Kuribayashi does not appear to explicitly disclose bearings, disposed between the first steering main body (12) and the second steering main body (24), configured to rotatably support the second steering main body (24) with respect to the first steering main body (12).
Kobayashi teaches that it was old and well known in the art of strain wave gears, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, bearings (7), disposed between the first … main body (6) and the second steering main body (8), configured to rotatably support the second steering main body (8) with respect to the first steering main body (6) (Figs. 1B & [0027]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of strain wave gears before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the strain wave gear disclosed by Kuribayashi to incorporate the bearings as taught by Kobayashi in order to provide the necessary rotational support as recognized by Kuribayashi, e.g., see [0045], and because doing so could be readily and easily performed by any person of ordinary skill in the art, without undue experimentation or risk of unexpected results.
PNG
media_image1.png
190
433
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 16, depending on claim 15, the modified combination of Kuribayashi/ Kobayashi further discloses wherein the bearings comprise: at least one first bearing (Kobayashi - 7) including a first roller (Kobayashi - 7) rotated about the central axis thereof (Kobayashi - Fig. 1B & [0027] teach the roller bearings rotate about axis 1a); and at least one second bearing (A) disposed spaced a distance, along a length direction of the first steering main body (Kuribayashi 12/ Kobayashi - 6), away from the first bearing (7) and including a second roller (A) rotated about the central axis thereof (Kobayashi Annotated Fig. 1(B) & [0027]).
It would have been obvious to have modified Kuribayashi in view of the teachings of Kobayashi for at least the same reasons discussed above in claim 15 and because doing so could be readily and easily performed by any person of ordinary skill in the art, without undue experimentation or risk of unexpected results.
Regarding claim 17, depending on claim 16, Kuribayashi further discloses wherein the first roller (Kobayashi - 7) and the second roller (Kobayashi - A) are disposed with respective central axes of the first roller (Kobayashi - 7) and the second roller (Kobayashi - A) intersecting each other (Kobayashi Annotated Fig. 1(B) & [0027] teach they share a common central axis 1a).
It would have been obvious to have modified Kuribayashi in view of the teachings of Kobayashi for at least the same reasons discussed above in claim 15 and because doing so could be readily and easily performed by any person of ordinary skill in the art, without undue experimentation or risk of unexpected results.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 10, and 12-14 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER B WEHRLY whose telephone number is (303)297-4433. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 - 4:30 MT.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at (571) 272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHRISTOPHER B WEHRLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3611