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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 6, 10, and 13 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.
Re: claims 6, 10, and 13. The phrase “the parking brake flow path” is indefinite. It is unclear whether Applicant intends to refer to the parking brake flow path of claim 1 or the additional parking brake flow path of claim 2. Examiner suggests using such language as --a first parking brake flow path-- in addition to the “additional parking brake flow path” to clearly refer back to --the first parking brake flow path-- or “the additional parking brake flow path” to avoid possible confusion. Examiner notes that currently a reference back to the additional parking brake flow path could be in the form “the additional parking brake flow path” or “the parking brake flow path”. The listed claims are examples and are not intended to be exhaustive. As best understood, Examiner has interpreted the phrase recited, for example, to refer to the parking brake flow path 23, as best understood, for examining purposes.
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN-107074213 (CN’213).
Re: claims 1 and 11. CN’213 shows in figures 1 and 2 a system for controlling a parking brake, the system comprising: an air compressor 4 that generates compressed air, an air dryer 5 that transmits the compressed air, and a pressure protection valve RV1 within element 12 that supplies the compressed air from the air dryer 4 to a service brake flow path, as labeled, connected to a spring brake chamber 7a, 7b of a brake 7 via intervening elements, a
[AltContent: textbox (Additional parking brake flow path)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Parking brake flow path)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Service brake flow path)][AltContent: arrow]
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parking brake flow path, as labeled, and an additional parking brake flow path, as labeled, connected between the air dryer 5 and the pressure protection valve RV1 within element 12; a double check valve SV within element 12 including first P1 and second P2 inputs connected to the additional parking brake flow path, as labeled, and the parking brake flow path, as labeled, respectively, via intervening elements within or surrounding element 12 and transmitting a higher pressure among a first flow path pressure of the first input and a second flow path pressure of the second input through an output port P3 of the double check valve; and a parking valve PV which is provided on a flow path connected from the output port of the double check valve as shown to a parking port entering element 7b of the spring brake chamber 7a, 7b and is configured to control a parking brake operation of the brake. With regard to claim 11, CN’213 shows the limitation wherein the brake 7 is a brake rear WR.
Re: claim 2. CN’213 shows in figures 1 and 2 the system further including: a solenoid valve TPV provided on the additional parking brake flow path by way of being positioned within element 12 which is attached to the additional parking brake flow path as shown in figure 1; and controlling a supply of the compressed air through the additional parking brake flow path by controlling the solenoid valve.
Re: claim 3. CN’213 shows in figures 1 and 2 the system further including a parking switch PU with positive pressure detection representing an on state and zero pressure detection representing an off state provided on the flow path connected from output port P3 of the double check valve to parking port connected to element 7b to detect a parking brake operation state of the brake 7.
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) 4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN’213 in view of WO-2020228963 (WO’963).
Re: claim 4. CN’213 shows in figure 2 the use of a pressure sensor PU to detect a flow path pressure, but is silent with regard to the pressure sensor being an additional parking flow path pressure sensor provided on the additional parking brake flow path and a service flow path pressure sensor provided on the service brake flow path.
WO’963 teaches in figure 1 the use of a parking flow path pressure sensor 71 provided on a parking brake flow path and a service flow path pressure sensor 72 provided on a service brake flow path.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the pressure sensor arrangement of CN’213 to have included a parking flow path pressure sensor on the additional parking brake flow path and a service flow path pressure sensor on the service brake flow path of CN’213, in view of the teachings of WO’963, in order to provide a means of actively knowing the pressure state of the parking and service brakes in order to monitor for anomalies in park and service brake function and better maintain safe operating conditions of the vehicle.
Re: claim 5. CN’213, as modified, teaches in figure 2 of CN’213 the use of a controller 11. Examiner notes that CN’213, as modified by the teachings of WO’963 to include the parking flow path pressure sensor and the service flow path pressure sensor, would result in the controller being configured to control those sensors just as the controller 11 controls sensor PU in order to provide active control of the pressure within the system to maintain desired and safe vehicle operating brake conditions.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9, 12, 14, and 15 are 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 6, 10, and 13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. JP-2003054399, CN-109080611, CN-106167010, and WO-2015/154788 teach the use of similar systems including parking and service brake functions and brake control.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MELODY M BURCH whose telephone number is (571)272-7114. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 6:30AM-3PM, generally.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert 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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mmb
December 27, 2025
/MELODY M BURCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616