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 Amendment
The Amendment filed 05/09/2025 has been entered. Claims 1-21 and 23-24 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues that the independent claims as currently amended are not taught by the prior art of record. The examiner respectfully disagrees, the newly amended limitations are addressed by the prior art of record as substantially shown below.
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.
Claims 1-5, 7-8, 10-13, 17-19, 21 and 23-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Larose et al. (WO 2019/204917 A1) hereinafter Larose.
Regarding Claim 1 Larose teaches an actuator system comprising: a power source (A) ; an output member (C) ; at least a first fluidic coupling (10) and a second fluidic coupling (10) , the fluidic couplings (10) operable to generate a variable amount of torque transmission (B) (Fig 3); a transmission (B) operatively coupling the at least two fluidic couplings (10) to the power source (A) and to the output member (C) in at least first load path (Fig 3) and a second load path (Fig 3) the first load path (Fig 3) and the second load path (Fig 3) being parallel to one another, the first load path (Fig 3) including the first fluidic coupling (10), the first load path enabling transmission of torque from the first fluid coupling (10) to the output member (C) in a direction, the second load path (Fig 3) including the second fluidic coupling, the second fluid path (Fig 3) enabling the transmission of torque from the second fluidic coupling (10) to the output member (C) in said direction (when operated in combined mode see Par.0082&0084) wherein the fluidic couplings (10) are operable for torque from the power source (A) to be transmitted solely via the first load path in said direction, solely via the second load path (Fig 3) and cumulatively via the first load path (Fig 3) and the second load path (Fig 3, Par.0082 &0084).
Regarding Claim 2 Larose teaches wherein at least one of the fluidic couplings (10) is a magnetorheological (MR) fluid clutch apparatus, the MR fluid clutch apparatus operable to generate a variable amount of torque transmission (B) when subjected to a magnetic field (Fig 3, Par.0006).
Regarding Claim 3 Larose teaches wherein the first fluidic coupling (10) and the second fluidic coupling (10) are MR fluid clutch apparatuses (Par.0006).
Regarding Claim 4 Larose teaches wherein the MR fluid clutch apparatus in only one of the MR fluid clutch apparatuses has a combination of a permanent magnet (25) and an electromagnetic coil (18) concurrently operable to vary the amount of torque transmission (B) (Fig 2a).
Regarding Claim 5 Larose teaches wherein at least one of the fluidic couplings (10) is a torque converter (clutch) (Par.0109).
Regarding Claims 7 and 18 Larose teaches wherein the transmission (B) includes a first speed reduction mechanism (120) in the first load path (Fig 12).
Regarding Claims 8 and 19 Larose teaches wherein the transmission (B) includes a second speed reduction mechanism (120’) in the second load path (Fig 12) .
Regarding Claims 10 and 21 Larose teaches wherein the transmission (B) includes intermeshed gears (Fig 5).
Regarding Claim 11 Larose teaches wherein the transmission includes pulleys and belts (Fig 28).
Regarding Claims 12 and 23 Larose teaches a controller (300) for controlling the fluidic couplings (10) to selectively drive the output member (C) solely in the first load path, solely in the second load path (Fig 3) and cumulatively in the first load path (Fig 3) and the second load path (Fig 3, Par.106) .
Regarding Claim 13 Larose teaches wherein the first fluidic coupling (10A) has a first input coupled to the power source (A, 121) , and a first output to selectively transmit torque as a function of a control of the first fluidic coupling (Fig 3, and 12);the second fluidic coupling (10B) has a second input, and a second output to selectively transmit torque as a function of a control of the second fluidic coupling (Fig 3, 11-12); the transmission (B, 120) has a first portion between the input of the first fluidic coupling (10) and the input of the second fluidic coupling; the transmission (B, 120) has a second portion between the output of the first fluidic coupling (10) and the output of the second fluidic coupling (10B); the first load path (Fig 3) includes the first input to the first output of the first fluidic coupling; the second load path (Fig 3) includes the first input to the second input via the first portion of the transmission (B), the second input to the second output of the second fluidic coupling, and the second output to the first output via the second portion of the transmission (B) (Fig 3 and 12.
Regarding Claim 17 Larose teaches an actuator system comprising: at least two load paths, each of the load paths including at least a power source (A) , and a fluidic coupling controllable (10) to generate a variable amount of torque transmission (B); an output member (C) common to the two at least two load paths (Fig 3); a transmission (B) operatively coupling the at least two MR actuator units to the output member, for the output member (C) to receive torque from the at least two load paths; wherein the fluidic couplings (10) are controllable for torque from the power source (A) to be transmitted solely via the first load path in a direction to the output member, solely via the second load path (Fig 3) in said direction to the output member and cumulatively via the first load path (Fig 3) and the second load path (Fig 3) in said direction to the output member (when operated in combined mode see Par.0082&0084); and wherein at least one of the fluidic couplings (10) is a torque converter (that is clutch 10 is used to convert torque from the power source).
Regarding Claim 24 Larose teaches a system for driving an output member (C) of an actuator system, the system comprising: a processing unit; a non-transitory computer-readable memory communicatively coupled to the processing unit and comprising computer-readable program instructions (par.0106) executable by the processing unit for (par.0109-0112): actuating at least one power source (A) ; controlling a first fluidic coupling (10) and a second fluidic coupling (10) to transmit torque from the single power source (A) to the output member (C) in :a first load path (Fig 3) including solely the first fluidic coupling, a second load path (Fig 3) including solely the first fluidic coupling, and a combination of the first load path (Fig 3) and the second load path (Fig 3) .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 9 and 20 are objected to but would be allowable if rewritten to include all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
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/ABIY TEKA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745