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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because in Figure 1, the element 28 description should read –rear axle control device—to correct a misspelling. 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) 11-14,16-18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chinese Patent No. CN 109955840 to Deng et al.
Regarding Claim 11, Deng et al disclose a braking system for an at least two-axle vehicle (see Figure 1) having all the features of the instant invention including: a front axle unit 11,12 including at least one first motorized brake pressure buildup device 8a, a first front-wheel wheel-brake cylinder 11 mountable at a first front wheel of the vehicle (see Figure 1), and a second front-wheel wheel-brake cylinder 12 mounted at a second front wheel of the vehicle (see Figure 1), the at least one first motorized brake pressure buildup device 8a being hydraulically connected via a first front-axle hydraulic path at the first front- wheel wheel-brake cylinder 11 and via a second front-axle hydraulic path at the second front-wheel wheel-brake cylinder 12 (see Figure 1 and page 4 second paragraph of the examiner provided translation); a rear axle unit 13,14 hydraulically separate from the front axle unit 11,12 (see Figure 1 and page 5 first paragraph of the examiner provided translation), the rear axle unit 13,14 including at least one second motorized brake pressure buildup device 8b, a first rear- wheel wheel-brake cylinder 13 mountable at a first rear wheel of the vehicle (see Figure 1), and a second rear-wheel wheel-brake cylinder 14 mountable at a second rear wheel of the vehicle (see Figure 1), the at least one second motorized brake pressure buildup device 8b being hydraulically connected via a first rear-axle hydraulic path at the first rear-wheel wheel-brake cylinder 13 and via a second rear-axle hydraulic path at the second rear-wheel wheel-brake cylinder 14 (see Figure 1 and page 4 second paragraph of the examiner provided translation); and a first separating valve 17 situated in the first rear-axle hydraulic path and/or by a second separating valve 18 situated in the second rear-axle hydraulic path (see Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 12, Deng et al further disclose a rear-axle control device 10 of the rear axle unit 13,14 is configured to activate, taking into account at least one braking setpoint signal which is output to the rear-axle control device 10 by at least one brake actuator sensor 3 of the vehicle (see page 6 first three paragraphs of the examiner provided translation) so that at least temporarily: i) while at least the first separating valve 17 id directed into its closed position, brake fluid is transferrable via the second rear axle hydraulic path into the second rear wheel wheel brake cylinder 14 using an operation of the at least one second motorized brake pressure buildup device 8b, and/or ii) while at least the second separating valve 18 is directed into its closed state, brake fluid is transferrable via the first rear axle hydraulic path into the first rear wheel wheel brake cylinder 13 using the operation of the at least one second motorized brake pressure buildup device 8b (see pages 7 and 8 and the Section 3 “Fail-safe braking mode” portion of the examiner provided translation).
Regarding Claim 13, Deng et al further disclose that the rear axle unit 13,14 is hydraulically separate from the front axle unit 11,12 in such a way that the rear axle unit 13,14 and the front axle unit 11,12 are connected to one another at most via at least one signal line (via controller 10 as shown in Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 14, Deng et al further disclose that i) the first front axle hydraulic path and the second front axle hydraulic path extend through a shared front axle brake circuit of the front axle unit 11, 12 (see Figure 1 and page 4 third paragraph of the examiner provided translation) and/or ii) the first rear axle hydraulic path and the second rear axle hydraulic path extend through a shared rear axle brake circuit of the rear axle unit 13,14 (see Figure 1 and the third paragraph of the examiner provided translation).
Regarding Claim 16, Deng et al further disclose that the front axle unit 11,12 also includes at least one first front axle separating valve 15 situated in the first front axle hydraulic path, and/or a second front axle separating valve 16 situated in the second front axle hydraulic path (see Figure 1 and page 4 third paragraph of the examiner provided translation).
Regarding Claim 17, Deng et al further disclose the front axle unit 11,12 also includes a main brake cylinder 5, at which a brake actuator 1 of the vehicle is connectable or is connected in such a way that at least one piston of the main brake cylinder 5 delimiting at least one chamber of the main brake cylinder 5 is adjustable using an actuation of the brake actuator 1 by a driver of the vehicle, and the at least one chamber of the main brake cylinder 5 being hydraulically connected via at least one valveless or valve-equipped connecting line at the at least one first motorized brake pressure buildup device 8a, at the first front-axle hydraulic path and/or at the second front-axle hydraulic path (see Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 18, Deng et al further disclose that the at least one first motorized brake pressure buildup device 8a is a plunger device and the at least one chamber of the main brake cylinder 5 is hydraulically connected via the at least one connecting line at at least one plunger chamber of the plunger device 8a (see page 4 second paragraph of the examiner provided translation), and a respective opening of the at least one connecting line at the at least one plunger chamber being configured in such a way that, when at least one adjustable plunger piston of the plunger device 8a is present in its respective initial position, brake fluid is transferable from the main brake cylinder 5 through the at least one opening of the at least one connecting line into the plunger device 8a, whereas, when the at least one adjustable plunger piston is moved out of its respective initial position, a brake fluid transfer out of the main brake cylinder 5 through the at least one opening of the at least one connecting line into the plunger device 8a is prevented using at least one sealing element attached at the at least one plunger piston and/or in the respective plunger chamber (see Figure 1 and page 4 second and third paragraphs of the examiner provided translation).
Regarding Claim 20, see Claims 11 and 12 above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15 and 19 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent No. 6,074,018 to Zeiner et al., PG Publication No. 2015/0307073 to Kunz et al., PG Publication No. 2016/0332611 to Bussmann et al., PG Publication No. 2020/0307538 to Ganzel, German Patent No. DE 102016203563 to Besier et al., and Chinese Patent No. CN 105292093 to Strengert all disclose braking systems similar to applicant’s.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAMELA RODRIGUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7122. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 7 AM - 5 PM.
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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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PAMELA RODRIGUEZ
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
/PAMELA RODRIGUEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616 12/03/25