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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/14/2023, 03/07/2025 and 05/27/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 11-16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Palomba et al. (US 2018/0334150 A1).
Regarding claims 11 and 20, Palomba et al. discloses a braking system (fig. 1) for an at least two-axle vehicle, comprising: a first axle unit (12a) including a first motorized brake pressure buildup device (16, 18 of 12a), a first wheel-brake cylinder (RF; 30) hydraulically connected at the first motorized brake pressure buildup device (16, 18 of 12a) and mountable at a first wheel of a first axle of the vehicle, and a second wheel-brake cylinder (LF; 30) hydraulically connectable at the first motorized brake pressure buildup device (16, 18 of 12a) and mountable at a second wheel of the first axle; and
a second axle unit (12b) configured to be hydraulically separate from the first axle unit (12a), the second axle unit including at least one motorized device (16, 18 of 12b), a first wheel-brake unit (LR; 30) hydraulically or mechanically connected at the at least one motorized device and mountable at a first wheel of a second axle of the vehicle, and a second wheel-brake unit (RR; 30) hydraulically or mechanically connected at the at least one motorized device (16, 18 of 12b) and mountable at a second wheel of the second axle;
wherein the first axle unit (12a) includes, in addition to the first motorized brake pressure buildup device, a second motorized brake pressure buildup device (16 of 12a), at which the first wheel-brake cylinder (RF; 30) and the second wheel-brake cylinder (LF; 30) are hydraulically connected.
Re-claim 12, Palomba et al. discloses the first axle unit (12a) includes a first control device (34 of 12a) configured to, while taking into account at least one brake setpoint signal which is output to the first control device by at least one brake actuator sensor (note [0036]) of the vehicle, by an automatic speed control system of the vehicle and/or by a second control device (34 of 12b) of the second axle unit and/or by a further stabilizing device of the braking system, activate the first motorized brake pressure buildup device (16, 18 of 12a) and the second motorized brake pressure buildup device (16, 18 of 12b) in such a way that, at least temporarily, brake fluid is transferable into the first wheel-brake cylinder and the second wheel-brake cylinder using an operation of the first motorized brake pressure buildup device, and at least temporarily, brake fluid is transferable into the first wheel-brake cylinder and into the second wheel-brake cylinder using an operation of the second motorized brake pressure buildup device (note [0019], [0031]-[0034]).
Re-claim 13, Palomba et al. discloses the first axle unit is configured to be hydraulically separate from the second axle unit in such a way that the first axle unit and the second axle unit are connected to one another at most via at least one signal line and/or bus line connected at the first control device and at the second control device (note the control unit 34 in fig. 1; [0025]-[0028]).
Re-claim 14, Palomba et al. discloses the first motorized brake pressure buildup device is hydraulically connected at the first wheel-brake cylinder and at the second wheel-brake cylinder via a forked first hydraulic path, and a first separating valve and/or a second separating valve being situated in the first hydraulic path in such a way that: i) while brake fluid is transferable into the second wheel-brake cylinder using the first motorized brake pressure build-up device, the first wheel-brake cylinder is decouplable from the first motorized brake pressure buildup device via a closing of the first separating valve, and/or ii) while brake fluid is transferable into the first wheel-brake cylinder using the first motorized brake pressure buildup device, the second wheel-brake cylinder is decouplable from the first motorized brake pressure buildup device via a closing of the second separating valve (note the valves 26 and 32 of unit 12a; also note the operations of the valves in [0019]-[0022], [0025]-[0028]).
Re-claim 15, Palomba et al. discloses the second motorized brake pressure buildup device is hydraulically connected at the first wheel-brake cylinder and at the second wheel-brake cylinder via a forked second hydraulic path, and a third separating valve and/or a fourth separating valve being situated in the second hydraulic path in such a way that: i) while brake fluid is transferable into the second wheel-brake cylinder using the second motorized brake pressure buildup device, the first wheel-brake cylinder is decouplable from the second motorized brake pressure buildup device via a closing of the third separating valve, and/or ii) while brake fluid is transferable into the first wheel-brake cylinder using the second brake pressure buildup device, the second wheel-brake cylinder is decouplable from the second brake pressure buildup device via a closing of the fourth separating valve (note the valves 26 and 32 of unit 12b; also note the operations of the valves in [0019]-[0022], [0025]-[0028]).
Re-claim 16, Palomba et al. discloses the first axle unit also includes a main brake cylinder at which a brake actuator of the vehicle is connectable or is connected in such a way that at least one piston of the main brake cylinder delimiting at least one chamber of the main brake cylinder is adjustable using an actuation of the brake actuator by a driver of the vehicle, and the at least one chamber of the main brake cylinder being hydraulically connected via at least one valveless or valve-equipped connecting line at the first motorized brake pressure buildup device: i) at the second motorized brake pressure buildup device, and/or at the first hydraulic path, and/or iii) at the second hydraulic path (note the master brake cylinder and a brake pedal in [0011]).
Re-claim 19, Palomba et al. discloses at least one main brake cylinder decoupling valve (36 in fig. 2) is situated in the at least one connecting line.
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.
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.
Claims 11 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johnson et al. (US 2018/0290640 A1) in view of Schiel et al. (US 5,758,930).
Regarding claims 11, 16 and 20, Johnson et al. discloses a braking system for an at least two-axle vehicle (100 in fig. 1), comprising:
a first axle unit (104, 116, 124) including a first motorized brake pressure buildup device (222, 236), a first wheel-brake cylinder hydraulically (108) connected at the first motorized brake pressure buildup device and mountable at a first wheel (106) of a first axle of the vehicle, and
a second wheel-brake cylinder (108) hydraulically connectable at the first motorized brake pressure buildup device and mountable at a second wheel (108) of the first axle; and
a second axle unit (110, 118, 126) configured to be hydraulically separate from the first axle unit (note the second brake line 132 is fluidly isolated from the first brake fluid line 130; [0032]), the second axle unit including at least one motorized device (260, 274), a first wheel-brake unit (284, 114) hydraulically or mechanically connected at the at least one motorized device (260, 274) and mountable at a first wheel (114) of a second axle (110) of the vehicle, and a second wheel-brake unit (286, 114) hydraulically or mechanically connected at the at least one motorized device (260, 274) and mountable at a second wheel (114) of the second axle (110).
Johnson et al. discloses all claimed limitations as set forth above including the first wheel-brake cylinder hydraulically (108) and the second wheel-brake cylinder (108) hydraulically connectable at the first motorized brake pressure buildup device and mountable at a second wheel (108) of the first axle but fails to disclose a second motorized brake pressure buildup device, at which the first wheel-brake cylinder and the second wheel-brake cylinder are hydraulically connected as recited in the claims. However, Schiel et al. discloses a brake system comprising a main brake cylinder (2), a plurality of wheel-brake cylinders (7-10) and a plurality of motorized brake pressure buildup devices (3-6) connected to the main cylinder (2), wherein at least two motorized brake pressure buildup devices connectable at least two wheel-brake cylinders. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at time before the filing date of the present application was made to include the brake system of Johnson et al. with additional motorized brake pressure buildup devices as taught by Schiel et al. will improve the controllability of the braking system specially for an emergency braking operation.
Re-claims 17 and 18, Johnson et al. discloses all claimed limitations as set forth above including the motorized brake pressure buildup device is a plunger but fails to disclose the details of the motorized brake pressure buildup device including at least one sealing element attached at the plunger piston and/or in the plunger chamber. However, Schiel et al. discloses a brake system comprising a main brake cylinder (2), a plurality of wheel-brake cylinders (7-10) and a plurality of motorized brake pressure buildup devices (3-6) connected to the main cylinder (2), wherein each motorized brake pressure buildup device comprises a plunger (70 in fig. 2) having a seal member and the chamber having a seal member. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at time before the filing date of the present application was made to modify the motorized brake pressure buildup device of Johnson et al. with seal members as taught by Schiel et al. will improve the pressure controllability of the motorized brake pressure buildup device.
Re-claim 19, Johnson et al. discloses at least one main brake cylinder decoupling valve (212) is situated in the at least one connecting line.
Conclusion
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/MAHBUBUR RASHID/ Examiner, Art Unit 3616
/THOMAS J WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616