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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5-9 and 16-18 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.
Regarding claim 5, the limitation “the first friction means” has insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 10-16, and 20-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Rasmussen et al. (U.S. Patent No. 5,329,969).
Regarding claim 1, Rasmussen et al. disclose a hydraulic steering unit (11) comprising a supply port arrangement (Fig. 2) having a supply port (23) and a return port (25), a working port arrangement (Fig. 2) having two working ports (27 & 29), a steering valve arrangement (Fig. 2) arranged between the supply port arrangement and the working port arrangement and having two valve elements (35 & 37) arranged in a housing (13) and being movable in relation to each other to change area characteristics of a variable orifice (Column 6 lines 42-62), and a measuring motor (17) arranged in a line (Column 5 lines 55-67) between the steering valve arrangement and one of the working ports (27 & 29), wherein the variable orifice is connected to the supply port (23) and to a point (Column 8 line 50-Column 9 line 29) between an outlet of the measure motor (17) and the return port (25) for generating a backpressure (fluid pressure of the disclosed main flow path provides backpressure on the small axial displacement disclosed in Column 13 lines 26-47) on the measuring motor (17), wherein the variable orifice (Column 6 lines 42-62) is controlled by the valve elements (35 & 37), and a friction means (fluid pressure or 93) for facilitating relative movement (Column 8 lines 37-61) of the two valve elements (35 & 37) is provided between one of the valve elements (37) and the housing (13) and/or (interpreted as “or”, although the prior art reference Hjelsand does teach this feature as is rejected below) between a rotating part of the measuring motor (17) and the housing (13), respectively.
Regarding claim 2, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein one of the valve elements (35) is a spool (Column 5 lines 17-27) actuated by a steering command device (W) and the other valve element (37) is a sleeve (Column 5 lines 17-27) surrounding the spool (35), wherein the friction means (93) act (Column 8 lines 37-61) on the sleeve (37).
Regarding claim 3, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the spool (35) and the sleeve (37) are connected by a neutral spring arrangement (53, Column 6 lines 1-17), wherein the friction means (93) produce a holding torque (Column 8 lines 37-61) which is larger than a torque of the neutral spring arrangement (53) in a predetermined angle of rotation between spool (35) and sleeve (37).
Regarding claim 4, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the sleeve (37) is connected to the measuring motor (17) and the friction means (93) produce a holding torque (Column 8 lines 37-61) which is smaller than a torque (Column 5 lines 55-68) produced by the measuring motor (17).
Regarding claim 5, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the first friction means (93) comprise a compressed elastic element (Column 8 lines 37-61) between a sleeve (37) and the housing (13) and/or (interpreted as “or”) between a rotating element of the measuring motor and the housing.
Regarding claim 6, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the elastic element (93) is arranged at a front face (Fig. 2) of the sleeve (37) or of the rotating element, respectively.
Regarding claim 7, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein a slide ring (Fig. 2) is arranged between the elastic element (93) and the housing (13).
Regarding claim 10, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the friction means (fluid pressure) comprise a pressure chamber (Column 6 lines 18-62) connected to the supply port (23), wherein a pressure in the pressure chamber acts radially and asymmetrically (fluid pressure disclosed in Column 10 line 5-Column 13 line 47) on a sleeve (37).
Regarding claim 11, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the steering valve arrangement (Column 10 line 66-Column 11 line 29) further comprises a return orifice (111) between the outlet of the measuring motor (17) and the return port (25) and wherein the variable orifice (A4r or A5r) is connected to a point between the return orifice (111) and the outlet of the measuring motor (17).
Regarding claim 12, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the return orifice (111) is a fixed orifice (Column 10 lines 43-49).
Regarding claim 13, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the friction means (93) comprise a compressed elastic element (Column 8 lines 10-62) between the sleeve (37) and the housing (13) and/or (interpreted as “or”) between a rotating element of the measuring motor and the housing.
Regarding claim 14, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the friction means (93) comprise a compressed elastic element (Column 8 lines 10-62) between the sleeve (37) and the housing (13) and/or (interpreted as “or”) between a rotating element of the measuring motor and the housing.
Regarding claim 15, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the friction means (93) comprise a compressed elastic element (Column 8 lines 10-62) between the sleeve (37) and the housing (13) and/or (interpreted as “or”) between a rotating element of the measuring motor and the housing.
Regarding claim 16, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein a slide ring (Fig. 2) is arranged between the elastic element (93) and the housing (13).
Regarding claim 20, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein the friction means (fluid pressure) comprise a pressure chamber (Column 6 lines 18-62) connected to the supply port (23), wherein a pressure in the pressure chamber acts radially and asymmetrically (fluid pressure disclosed in Column 10 line 5-Column 13 line 47) on the sleeve (37).
Regarding claim 21, Rasmussen et al. disclose the hydraulic steering unit (11), wherein each of the two valve elements (35 & 37) is movable in relation to the housing (143) and to each other (Column 9 line 46-Column 11 line 29).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 8-9 and 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rasmussen et al. (U.S. Patent No. 5,329,969) in view of Hjelsand (U.S. Patent No. 6,071,102).
Regarding claim 8, Rasmussen et al. disclose the essential feature of the claimed invention but lack disclosure wherein the slide ring is made of a metal, hard plastic or polytetrafluorethylene.
Hjelsand teach a hydraulic steering unit (Fig. 1-3) having friction means (53) that comprises a slide ring (55) and an elastic element (57) arranged between a rotating part (37) of a measure motor (15) and a housing (17), and wherein the slide ring (55) is made of a metal, hard plastic or polytetrafluorethylene (Column 4 lines 15-25).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the friction means of Rasmussen et al. with a sealing assembly as taught by Hjelsand for the advantage of preventing excessive drag from the seal and promoting good steering characteristics (Column 5 lines 14-21).
Regarding claims 9, 17, and 18, Rasmussen et al. disclose the essential feature of the claimed invention but lack disclosure wherein the elastic element is in form of an O-ring.
Hjelsand teach a hydraulic steering unit (Fig. 1-3) having friction means (53) that comprises a slide ring (55) and an elastic element (57) arranged between a rotating part (37) of a measure motor (15) and a housing (17), and wherein the elastic element (57) is in form of an o-ring (Column 4 lines 14-32).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the friction means of Rasmussen et al. with a sealing assembly as taught by Hjelsand for the advantage of preventing excessive drag from the seal and promoting good steering characteristics (Column 5 lines 14-21).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Stephenson (U.S. Patent No. 5,016,672) disclose a similar hydraulic steering unit comprising friction means between the sleeve and housing.
Stephenson (U.S. Patent No. 5,161,577) disclose a similar hydraulic steering unit comprising friction means between the sleeve and housing.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Reinaldo Sanchez-Medina, telephone number 571-270-5168, fax number 571-270-6168. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (7:30AM-4:00PM EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607 or Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/REINALDO SANCHEZ-MEDINA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753