DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement has been received and considered.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because it is unclear where the thrust flange 220 and thrust bearing 230 etc. shown in figure 5A are located/seen in figures 1-4. This should be shown for increased clarity should the application mature into a patent.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-2,5-7,9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Osterlanger et al. 8,800,341.
Regarding claim 1 Osterlanger shows in figures 1-7:
A screw-type linear actuator comprising: a support structure;3,6 a screw shaft 8,28,29 that is axially stationary with respect to the support structure but rotatably drivable; a nut 10,26 mounted on the screw shaft such that rotation of the screw shaft causes axial movement of the nut along the screw shaft; the screw shaft defining a first annular contact surface 23,35,36 having a spherical profile with a first radius; a ‘thrust flange’ (as broadly claimed) 19,33 located on the screw shaft for rotation with the screw shaft, the thrust flange 19,33 having a second annular contact surface 22,37 with a second radius, the first annular contact surface engaging the second annular contact surface.
Regarding claim 2 from figure 7 it appears these limitations are met.
Regarding claim 5 note the ‘thrust bearing’ at 20 in figure 3.
Regarding claim 6 note the bearing disc at 18.
Regarding claim 7 note the balls shown at 9 or 27.
Regarding claim 9 note the piston at 14.
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.
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(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Osterlanger in view of Zinnecker U.S. 2020/0200245.
Regarding claim 8 Osterlanger lacks showing a ‘non-recirculating’ type of ball screw assembly.
However such ball screw assemblies are known in the art as taught by Zinnecker in figures 2 and 3 and as discussed in para 0014.
One having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have used a ball screw assembly of the type shown by Zinnecker in the device of Osterlanger simply dependent upon the vehicle and or application of the brake device since this would merely amount to the substitution of roughly equivalent parts and may offer a simpler/smaller more compact design.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 3,4 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.
Claims 10-19 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER P SCHWARTZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7123. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 A.M.-7:00P.M..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rob Siconolfi can be reached at 571-272-7124. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER P SCHWARTZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
10/30/25