DETAILED ACTION
Application Status
Claims 15-26 are pending and have been examined in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) filed on 08/17/2023, 10/10/2023, and 07/30/2024 has been reviewed and considered.
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 .
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.
Claims 15, 17 and 23-24, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schuller (DE 102007053263 A1) in view of Elser (US 6474437 B1).
With respect to claim 15, Schuller discloses: an apparatus for a vehicle with a steering apparatus that includes: a pump (24, Fig. 4) for pumping a working medium ("hydraulic fluid", paragraph [0005]) to a first output connector or a second output connector (see annotated figure below), an electric motor (22) for driving the pump (see “motor-pump unit 20”, paragraph [0031]), the electric motor being surrounded and/or being capable of being surrounded at least partially by the working medium (see paragraph [0042]), and a transmission with an input shaft (14) couplable to a steering wheel (10), a transmission element (“piston”, paragraph [0012]) movable in a first direction and a second direction in order to transmit a force from the input shaft to the output shaft, and a first working medium connector and a second working medium connector (see annotated figure below), the first medium working connector being connected to the first output connector in order to move the transmission element with the use of the working medium in the first direction, and the second working medium connector being connected to the second output connector in order to move the transmission element with use of the working medium in the second direction, the apparatus comprising: a control unit (18) configured to provide a motor signal to the electric motor (see "electronic control unit 18 of a motor-pump unit", paragraph [0028]) in order to operate the electric motor, in a normal operating phase of the steering apparatus, in order to cool the electric motor (see paragraph [0031]).
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Schuller differs from the claimed invention by the construction of the transmission.
Elser teaches a steering apparatus comprising a transmission with an input shaft (5, Fig. 2) couplable to a steering wheel (16) and an output shaft (illustrated at 24) couplable to a steering column lever (8), and a transmission element (3) movable in a first direction and a second direction in order to transmit a torque from the input shaft to the output shaft.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schuller in view of Elser to arrive at the claimed invention. Such a modification would have been obvious because it is a simple substitution of one known element (the steering transmission disclosed by Schuller) for another known element (the steering transmission disclosed by Elser) to achieve predictable results. Since both steering transmissions are used in hydraulic steering systems to transmit a steering force, such a person would predict that the substitution would result in a substantially similar steering apparatus capable of performing all of the functions of the original.
With respect to claim 17, Schuller discloses: a steering apparatus for a vehicle, the steering apparatus comprising: a pump device with a pump (24, Fig. 4) for pumping a working medium ("hydraulic fluid", paragraph [0005]) to a first output connector or a second output connector (see annotated figure above) of the pump device, and an electric motor (22) for driving the pump, the electric motor being surrounded and/or washed around or being capable of being washed around at least partially by the working medium (see paragraph [0042]); a transmission device with an input shaft (14) which is couplable to a steering wheel (10), a transmission element ("piston", paragraph [0012]) which is movable in a first direction and a second direction in order to transmit a force from the input shaft to the output shaft, and a first working medium connector and a second working medium connector (see annotated figure above), the first working medium connector being connected to the first output connector in order to move the transmission element with use of the working medium in the first direction, and the second working medium connector being connected to the second output connector in order to move the transmission element with use of the working medium in the second direction (see paragraph [0028]); and a control unit (18) configured to provide a motor signal to the electric motor in order to operate the electric motor in a normal operating phase of the steering apparatus in order to cool the electric motor (see paragraph [0031]).
Schuller differs from the claimed invention by the construction of the transmission.
Elser teaches a steering apparatus comprising a transmission with an input shaft (5, Fig. 2) couplable to a steering wheel (16) and an output shaft (illustrated at 24) couplable to a steering column lever (8), and a transmission element (3) movable in a first direction and a second direction in order to transmit a torque from the input shaft to the output shaft.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schuller in view of Elser to arrive at the claimed invention. Such a modification would have been obvious because it is a simple substitution of one known element (the steering transmission disclosed by Schuller) for another known element (the steering transmission disclosed by Elser) to achieve predictable results. Since both steering transmissions are used in hydraulic steering systems to transmit a steering force, such a person would predict that the substitution would result in a substantially similar steering apparatus capable of performing all of the functions of the original.
With respect to claim 23, Schuller in view of Elser as modified above discloses: the steering apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein a valve (Schuller; 32, Fig. 4) is connected between the first output connector and the second output connector (see annotated figure above).
With respect to claim 24, Schuller in view of Elser as modified above discloses: The steering apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the electric motor (Schuller; 22, Fig. 4) is configured not to move the steering column lever when the valve (32) is open (see “purely mechanically”, paragraph [0029]).
With respect to claim 26, Schuller discloses: a method for cooling an electric motor for a steering apparatus that includes: a pump device with a pump (24) for pumping a working medium ("hydraulic fluid", paragraph [0005]) to a first output connector or a second output connector (see annotated figure above) of the pump device, and an electric motor (22) for driving the pump, the electric motor being surrounded and/or washed around or being capable of being washed around at least partially by the working medium (see paragraph [0042]); and a transmission device with an input shaft (14) which is couplable to a steering wheel (10) a transmission element (“piston”, paragraph [0012]) which is movable in a first direction and a second direction in order to transmit a force from the input shaft to the output shaft, and a first working medium connector and a second working medium connector (see annotated figure above), the first working medium connector being connected to the first output connector in order to move the transmission element with use of the working medium in the first direction, and the second working medium connector being connected to the second output connector in order to move the transmission element with use of the working medium in the second direction, the method comprising: providing a motor signal, via a control unit (18), to the electric motor of the steering apparatus; and operating the electric motor in accordance with the motor signal to cool the electric motor in a normal operating phase of the steering apparatus (see paragraph [0042]).
Schuller differs from the claimed invention by the construction of the transmission.
Elser teaches a steering apparatus comprising a transmission with an input shaft (5, Fig. 2) couplable to a steering wheel (16) and an output shaft (illustrated at 24) couplable to a steering column lever (8), and a transmission element (3) movable in a first direction and a second direction in order to transmit a torque from the input shaft to the output shaft.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schuller in view of Elser to arrive at the claimed invention. Such a modification would have been obvious because it is a simple substitution of one known element (the steering transmission disclosed by Schuller) for another known element (the steering transmission disclosed by Elser) to achieve predictable results. Since both steering transmissions are used in hydraulic steering systems to transmit a steering force, such a person would predict that the substitution would result in a substantially similar steering apparatus capable of performing all of the functions of the original.
Claims 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schuller (DE 102007053263 A1) in view of Elser (US 6474437 B1) as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of McNamara (US 20090021093 A1).
With respect to claim 16, Schuller in view of Elser as modified above discloses: the apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the control unit (Schuller; 18, Fig. 4) is further configured to: provide the motor signal as a signal which brings about a current flow through the electric motor (22), from which a rotation of a rotor (58; also see paragraph [0018]) of the electric motor results. Schuller further discloses that the motor of the motor-pump unit is a “wet rotor motor” (Schuller; paragraph [0031]). Schuller in view of Elser is silent regarding motor windings.
McNamara teaches a wet rotor motor (10, Fig. 1) comprising windings (see winding support 40, Fig. 3, and paragraph [0033]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schuller in view of Elser in further view of McNamara to arrive at the claimed invention by substituting the wet rotor motor disclosed by Schuller for the wet rotor motor disclosed by McNamara. Since the motors are of the same type, such a person would predict that the substitution would result in a device substantially similar to the original and capable of performing all of the functions of the original
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schuller (DE 102007053263 A1) in view of Elser (US 6474437 B1) as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of McNamara (US 20090021093 A1).
With respect to claim 18, Schuller in view of Elser and McNamara as modified above discloses: the steering apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the motor is surrounded and/or is capable of being surrounded by the working medium (see paragraph [0042]) but is silent regarding windings of the motor.
McNamara teaches a wet rotor motor (10, Fig. 1) comprising windings (see winding support 40, Fig. 3, and paragraph [0033]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schuller in view of Elser in further view of McNamara to arrive at the claimed invention by substituting the wet rotor motor disclosed by Schuller for the wet rotor motor disclosed by McNamara. Since the motors are of the same type, such a person would predict that the substitution would result in a device substantially similar to the original and capable of performing all of the functions of the original. Note, the windings would be considered surrounded and/or capable of being surrounded by the working medium because as part of the motor, the windings would be disposed within the motor housing and hydraulic fluid is provided in the motor housing (Schuller; see paragraph [0042]).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schuller (DE 102007053263 A1) in view of Elser (US 6474437 B1) as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Bergman (US 20070251736 A1).
With respect to claim 19, Schuller in view of Elser as modified above discloses: the steering apparatus as claimed in claim 17 but is silent in teaching that the pump and the electric motor have a common shaft and/or are arranged in a common housing.
Bergman teaches a steering apparatus comprising a pump (2. Fig. 1) and an electric motor (9) wherein the motor and pump have a common shaft (see paragraph [0012]) and are arranged in a common housing (see paragraph [0013]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schuller in view of Elser in further view of Bergman to arrive at the claimed invention and to reduce the amount of space taken by the motor-pump combination as taught by Bergman (Bergman; see paragraph [0013]).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schuller (DE 102007053263 A1) in view of Elser (US 6474437 B1) and Bergman (US 20070251736 A1) as applied to claim 19 above, and further in view of McNamara (US 20090021093 A1).
With respect to claim 20, Schuller in view of Elser and Bergman as modified above discloses: the steering apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the housing has a channel (Schuller; 62, Fig. 5) for conducting the working medium from an inlet along an inner wall of the housing to the motor but is silent regarding motor windings.
McNamara teaches a wet rotor motor (10, Fig. 1) comprising windings (see winding support 40, Fig. 3, and paragraph [0033]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schuller in view of Elser in further view of McNamara to arrive at the claimed invention by substituting the wet rotor motor disclosed by Schuller for the wet rotor motor disclosed by McNamara. Since the motors are of the same type, such a person would predict that the substitution would result in a device substantially similar to the original and capable of performing all of the functions of the original. Note, the windings would be considered surrounded and/or capable of being surrounded by the working medium because as part of the motor, the windings would be disposed within the motor housing and hydraulic fluid is provided in the motor housing (Schuller; see paragraph [0042]). Further, when making such a modification, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to direct working medium to any part of the motor that heats during operation because the working medium is directed to the motor with the purpose of cooling the motor (Schuller; see paragraph [0042]).
Claims 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schuller (DE 102007053263 A1) in view of Elser (US 6474437 B1) as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Choi (US 8796895 B2).
With respect to claim 21, Schuller in view of Elser as modified above discloses: the steering apparatus of claim 17 but is silent in teaching that a rotor of the electric motor has a plurality of permanent magnets, and mutually adjacent ones of the plurality of permanent magnets are spaced apart by way of slots for conducting through the working medium.
Choi teaches an electric motor (140, Fig. 1) comprising a rotor (170, Fig. 4) that has a plurality of permanent magnets, and slots (211, Fig. 5) for the conduction of a working medium (see Col. 7, LL. 19-21). The slots disclosed by Choi are not disposed between permanent magnets as claimed; however, Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Choi to have the magnets separated by way of the slots because such a modification is a mere rearrangement of parts (see MPEP 2144.04 VI. C.).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Schuller in view of Elser in further view of Choi to arrive at the claimed invention and to increase motor cooling by improving the flow of the working medium through the motor.
With respect to claim 22, Schuller in view of Elser and Choi as modified above discloses: the steering apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the slots (Choi; 211, Fig. 5) are formed to convey the working medium in a case of a rotation of the rotor (see col. 8, LL. 57-63).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and discloses hydraulically assisted steering systems in general.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew D Lee whose telephone number is (571)272-6087. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri. (7:30 - 5:00 EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John Olszewski can be reached at (571) 272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW D LEE/ Examiner, Art Unit 3617
/JOHN OLSZEWSKI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3617