DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 26-Jan-2026 has been entered.
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
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 1, 3 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Veneziano et al. (US 2004/0216967) in view of Hofmeister et al. (US 2017/0045105).
Regarding claim 1, Veneziano discloses a brake device (see Abstract, FIG. 3) for braking by pressing a brake disk (see e.g. ¶ 0045), the brake device comprising: a caliper body (2); a plurality of brake pads (26) positioned on a seating surface (18, 20) inside the caliper body (see FIG. 3); a master cylinder (see ¶ 0061), a plurality of caliper cylinders (28, 30) located on the seating surface of the caliper body for each of the brake pads (see FIG. 3), each caliper cylinder being connected to the master cylinder (see ¶ 0061); and a caliper piston within each of the caliper cylinders (see ¶¶ 0046, 0048); and a first connection portion (36) extending from the master cylinder and connected to each of the caliper cylinders in parallel (see FIGS. 3, 4), wherein, when the master cylinder is operated, brake fluid is transferred to each of the caliper cylinders through the first connection portion to cause the caliper pistons to protrude, by a pressure imparted by the brake fluid, to apply pressure to the brake pad (see ¶ 0051).
Veneziano does not disclose that the master cylinder is located on a side surface of the caliper body and storing brake fluid therein; a master piston movable linearly in the master cylinder; a braking motor positioned on the side surface of the caliper body and operative to generate a rotational force; a bolt screw operably coupled to the braking motor to convert the rotational force into a linear motion to drive the master piston; wherein, when the braking motor is operated, the master piston is driven to pressurize the brake fluid in the master cylinder, and wherein the master cylinder is arranged such that, when the master piston is driven to pressurize the brake fluid in the master cylinder, the master piston is moved in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of movement of the caliper piston.
Hofmeister teaches a brake device (see Abstract, FIGS. 1, 2) for braking by pressing a brake disk (see ¶¶ 0005, 0043), the brake device comprising: a caliper body (12, 16); a plurality of brake pads positioned on a seating surface inside the caliper body (see ¶ 0043, “brake lining;” see also FIGS. 8, 9, showing location of brake pads within caliper body); a master cylinder (24) located on a side surface of the caliper body and storing brake fluid therein (see FIG. 2); a master piston (38) movable linearly in the master cylinder (see ¶ 0043); a braking motor (44) (see also, ¶ 0043, “[a]lternately, any suitable actuator, for example, a motor and a screw combination”) positioned on the side surface of the caliper body (see FIGS. 1, 2) and operative to generate a rotational force (see ¶ 0043); a bolt screw operably coupled to the braking motor to convert the rotational force into a linear motion to drive the master piston (see ¶ 0043); a plurality of caliper cylinders (16) (see ¶ 0042, “[t]he caliper may have a single lining piston or multiple lining pistons on a single side of the rotor or alternately may have a single lining piston or multiple lining pistons on opposing sides of the rotor”) located on the seating surface of the caliper body for each of the brake pads, each caliper cylinder being connected to the master cylinder (see FIGS. 1, 2) (see ¶ 0042, “The caliper may have a single lining piston or multiple lining pistons where the load may be spread more evenly across the brake pad wear surface. The caliper may have a single lining piston or multiple lining pistons on a single side of the rotor or alternately may have a single lining piston or multiple lining pistons on opposing sides of the rotor”); and a caliper piston (26) within each of the caliper cylinder (see FIG. 2), and a first connection portion extending from the master cylinder and connected to each of the caliper cylinders (see ¶¶ 0042, 0043), wherein, when the braking motor is operated, the master piston is driven to pressurize the brake fluid in the master cylinder and transfer the brake fluid to each of the caliper cylinders through the first connection portion (see ¶¶ 0042, 0043), to cause the caliper pistons to protrude, by a pressure imparted by the brake fluid, to apply pressure to the brake pad (see ¶ 0043), and wherein the master cylinder is arranged such that, when the master piston is driven to pressurize the brake fluid in the master cylinder, the master piston is moved in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of movement of the caliper pistons (see FIG. 2).
It would have been obvious to combine the master cylinder of Hofmeister to be located on a side surface of the caliper body of Veneziano to provide a self-contained unit that may deployed at each wheel of a vehicle without the use of distributed hydraulics, thereby enabling independent and autonomous control of braking at each wheel (see e.g. Hofmeister, ¶ 0042).
Regarding claim 3, Veneziano discloses that the brake pads (26) include a first brake pad located on one surface of the brake disk and a second brake pad located on another surface of the brake disk (see FIG. 3, ¶¶ 0046, 0048, 0051), and wherein the caliper cylinders includes caliper cylinders arranged facing both the first brake pad and the second brake pad (see FIG. 3, ¶¶ 0046, 0048, 0051).
Regarding claim 14, Veneziano discloses a brake device (see Abstract, FIG. 3) for braking by pressing a brake disk (see e.g. ¶ 0045), the brake device comprising: a caliper body (2); a plurality of brake pads (26) positioned on a seating surface (18, 20) inside the caliper body (see FIG. 3); a master cylinder (see ¶ 0061), a plurality of caliper cylinders (28, 30) located on the seating surface of the caliper body for each of the brake pads (see FIG. 3), each caliper cylinder being connected to the master cylinder (see ¶ 0061); and a caliper piston within each of the caliper cylinders (see ¶¶ 0046, 0048); and a first connection portion (36) extending from the master cylinder and connected to each of the caliper cylinders in parallel (see FIGS. 3, 4), wherein, when the master cylinder is operated, brake fluid is transferred to each of the caliper cylinders through the first connection portion to cause the caliper pistons to protrude, by a pressure imparted by the brake fluid, to apply pressure to the brake pad (see ¶ 0051).
Veneziano does not disclose that the master cylinder is located on a side surface of the caliper body and storing brake fluid therein; a master piston movable linearly in the master cylinder; a braking motor positioned on the side surface of the caliper body and operative to generate a rotational force; a bolt screw operably coupled to the braking motor to convert the rotational force into a linear motion to drive the master piston; wherein, when the braking motor is operated, the master piston is driven to pressurize the brake fluid in the master cylinder, and wherein the master cylinder is arranged such that, when the master piston is driven to pressurize the brake fluid in the master cylinder, the master piston is moved in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of movement of the caliper piston.
Hofmeister discloses a vehicle (see ¶ 0042, “[t]he caliper may be such that a self-contained unit may be deployed at each wheel of a vehicle or device to be braked without the use of distributed hydraulics”) comprising: a vehicle body (see ¶ 0042, “vehicle”); a plurality of wheels located beneath the vehicle body (see ¶ 0042, “each wheel”), rotatable, and including respective brake disks (see ¶ 0005, “disk or rotor”); and a plurality of brake devices (10) disposed respectively at the plurality of wheels (see ¶ 0042), wherein each brake device is operative to come into contact with each brake disk to limit rotation of each wheel (see ¶¶ 0042, 0043), wherein at least one of the plurality of brake devices includes: a caliper body (12, 16); a pair of brake pads positioned on a pair of seating surfaces inside the caliper body (see ¶ 0043, “brake lining;” see also FIGS. 8, 9, showing location of brake pads within caliper body); a master cylinder (24) located on a side surface of the caliper body for storing brake fluid therein (see FIG. 2); a master piston (38) movable linearly in the master cylinder (see ¶ 0043); a braking motor (44) (see also, ¶ 0043, “[a]lternately, any suitable actuator, for example, a motor and a screw combination”) positioned on the side surface of the caliper body (see FIGS. 1, 2) and operative to generate a rotational force (see ¶ 0043); a bolt screw operably coupled to the braking motor to convert the rotational force into a linear motion to drive the master piston (see ¶ 0043); a plurality of caliper cylinders (16) (see ¶ 0042, “[t]he caliper may have a single lining piston or multiple lining pistons on a single side of the rotor or alternately may have a single lining piston or multiple lining pistons on opposing sides of the rotor”) located on the seating surfaces of the caliper body and connected to the master cylinder (see FIGS. 1, 2); and a pair of caliper pistons (26) inserted respectively into the plurality of the caliper cylinders (see FIG. 2) (see ¶ 0042, “[t]he caliper may have a single lining piston or multiple lining pistons on a single side of the rotor or alternately may have a single lining piston or multiple lining pistons on opposing sides of the rotor”), wherein, when the braking motor is operated, the master piston is operative to pressurize the brake fluid in the master cylinder and transfer the brake fluid to the plurality of caliper cylinders (see ¶ 0043), and the plurality of caliper pistons is operative to protrude, by a pressure from the brake fluid, to pressurize the brake pad (see ¶ 0043), and wherein the master cylinder is arranged such that, when the master piston is driven to pressurize the brake fluid in the master cylinder, the master piston is moved in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of movement of the caliper pistons (see FIG. 2).
It would have been obvious to combine the master cylinder of Hofmeister to be located on a side surface of the caliper body of Veneziano to provide a self-contained unit that may deployed at each wheel of a vehicle without the use of distributed hydraulics, thereby enabling independent and autonomous control of braking at each wheel (see e.g. Hofmeister, ¶ 0042).
Claims 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Veneziano et al. (US 2004/0216967) in view of Hofmeister et al. (US 2017/0045105), as applied to claim 1, above, and further in view of Hatano (US 2009/0199555).
Regarding claim 4, Hofmeister teaches that the master piston (38) is located within one end of the master cylinder (see FIG. 2), and a first connection portion (36) connected to the caliper cylinder is included at an opposite end of the master cylinder (see FIG. 2).
Hofmeister does not disclose that the brake device includes a first seal cup located on a circumferential surface of the master piston, within a gap between the master piston and the cylinder.
Hatano teaches a brake device (see Abstract, FIG. 2) comprising a master cylinder (23) and a master piston (38A) wherein the brake device includes a first seal cup (C1) located on a circumferential surface of the master piston (see FIG. 2), within a gap between the master piston and the cylinder (see FIG. 2).
It would have been obvious to replace the valve (56) and reservoir (R) of Hofmeister with the reservoir and seal cup of Hatano to provide a means for sealing the piston/cylinder interface in a pressurizing direction while allowing the continued supply of fluid from the reservoir to the cylinder in the event of a negative pressure in the master cylinder (see e.g. Hatano, ¶ 0036), without the need for an electrically operated valve (56) (see Hofmeister, FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 5, Hofmeister teaches a reservoir (22) connected to a second connection portion (52) located on a side surface of the master cylinder for storing the brake fluid therein (see FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Hatano teaches that the first seal cup is arranged to open a space between a second connection portion (40A) and a first connection portion (41A) before the master piston is driven (see FIG. 2), wherein, when the master piston is driven, the second connection portion and the first connection portion are separated from each other and the brake fluid is pressurized in a direction of the first connection portion (see ¶ 0052).
Regarding claim 7, Hatano teaches a second seal cup (C2) located on the circumferential surface of the master piston and blocking leakage of the brake fluid to the one end of the master cylinder where the master piston is inserted (see FIG. 2).
Claims 8, 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Veneziano et al. (US 2004/0216967) in view of Hofmeister et al. (US 2017/0045105), as applied to claim 1, above, and further in view of Takahashi et al. (US 5,348,123).
Regarding claim 8, neither Veneziano nor Hofmeister disclose an elastic portion located within the master cylinder and returning the master piston to its position before the operation of the motor when the force of the braking motor is removed.
Takahashi teaches a brake device (see Abstract, FIG. 3) comprising a master cylinder (1) comprising an elastic portion (S) located within the master cylinder and returning the master piston (7) to its position before the operation of the motor when the force of the braking motor is removed (see col. 4, lines 39-42).
It would have been obvious to combine the elastic portion of Takahashi with the device of Venziano/Hofmeister to provide a restoring force that positively retracts the master piston, thereby retracting the caliper piston and brake pads which prevents brake drag.
Regarding claim 10, neither Veneziano nor Hofmeister disclose a reduction gear located between the bolt screw and the braking motor.
Takahashi teaches a brake device (see Abstract, FIG. 3) comprising a reduction gear (4a, 4b) located between the bolt screw (5) and the braking motor (3).
It would have been obvious to combine the reduction gear of Takahashi with the Veneziano/Hofmeister device to reduce the speed of the motor and increase the torque applied to the bolt screw.
Regarding claim 11, Hofmeister does not disclose that a rotational axis of the braking motor is disposed in parallel with a rotational axis of the bolt screw, and the braking motor is located below the master cylinder.
Takahashi teaches a brake device (see Abstract, FIG. 3) comprising a braking motor (3) and a bolt screw (5), wherein a rotational axis of the braking motor is disposed in parallel with a rotational axis of the bolt screw (see FIG. 3), and the braking motor is located below the master cylinder (see FIG. 3; see also present application, specification, ¶ 0050 – the term “below” is subject to the orientation of the device).
It would have been obvious to combine the parallel configuration of the braking motor and bolt screw of Takahashi with the device of Veneziano/Hofmeister to provide an axially compact configuration of the motor and bolt screw.
Claims 1, 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Olschewski et al. (US 6,837,342) in view of Hofmeister et al. (US 2017/0045105) and Veneziano et al. (US 2004/0216967).
Regarding independent claim 1, Olschewski discloses a brake device (see Abstract, FIG. 8) for braking by pressing a brake disk (see col. 1, lines 45-48), the brake device comprising: a caliper body (100); a plurality of brake pads (111) positioned on a seating surface inside the caliper body (see col. 1, lines 45-48); a master cylinder (101) located on a side surface of the caliper body (see FIG. 8) and storing brake fluid therein (see col. 4, lines 56-58); a master piston (104) movable linearly in the master cylinder (see col. 4, lines 50-55); a braking motor positioned on the side surface of the caliper body and operative to generate a rotational force (see FIG. 8, motor located at right side of actuator (101) surrounding shaft); a bolt screw (103) operatively coupled to the motor to convert the rotational force into a linear motion to drive the master piston (see FIG. 8); a plurality of caliper cylinders (see FIG. 8, cylinders housing pistons (110)) located on the seating surface of the caliper body (see FIG. 8) for each of the brake pads (see FIG. 8), each caliper cylinder being connected to the master cylinder (see FIG. 8, via lines (107, 108)) and connected to the master cylinder (see FIG. 8); and a caliper piston (110) within each of the caliper cylinders (see FIG. 8); wherein, when the braking motor is operated, the master piston is driven to pressurize the brake fluid in the master cylinder and transfer the brake fluid to each of the caliper cylinders (see col. 4, lines 59-61) to cause the caliper pistons to protrude, by a pressure imparted by the brake fluid, to apply pressure to the brake pad (see col. 4, lines 59-61).
Olschewski does not disclose that the master cylinder is arranged such that, when the master piston is driven to pressurize the brake fluid in the master cylinder, the master piston is moved in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of movement of the caliper piston.
Hofmeister teaches a brake device (see Abstract, FIG. 2) comprising a master cylinder (34’) that is arranged such that, when a master piston (38) is driven to pressurize a brake fluid in the master cylinder, the master piston is moved in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction of movement of a caliper piston (26) (see FIG. 2).
It would have been obvious to configure the master cylinder of Olschewski to be oriented in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the caliper piston to provide a brake device that is compact in an axial direction of the caliper piston (see e.g. Hofmeister, FIG. 2; brake device is compact in axial direction of caliper piston (26)).
Olschewski does not disclose a first connection portion extending from the master cylinder and connected to each of the caliper cylinders in parallel.
Veneziano teaches a brake device (see Abstract, FIG. 3) for braking by pressing a brake disk (see e.g. ¶ 0045), the brake device comprising: a caliper body (2); a plurality of brake pads (26) positioned on a seating surface (18, 20) inside the caliper body (see FIG. 3); a master cylinder (see ¶ 0061), a plurality of caliper cylinders (28, 30) located on the seating surface of the caliper body for each of the brake pads (see FIG. 3), each caliper cylinder being connected to the master cylinder (see ¶ 0061); and a caliper piston within each of the caliper cylinders (see ¶¶ 0046, 0048); and a first connection portion (36) extending from the master cylinder and connected to each of the caliper cylinders in parallel (see FIGS. 3, 4), wherein, when the master cylinder is operated, brake fluid is transferred to each of the caliper cylinders through the first connection portion to cause the caliper pistons to protrude, by a pressure imparted by the brake fluid, to apply pressure to the brake pad (see ¶ 0051).
It would have been obvious to configure the caliper of Olschewski to have a first connection portion extending from the master cylinder and connected to each of the caliper cylinders in parallel to provide a brake-fluid distribution circuit which is reliable in use and at the same time can be produced easily and economically (see ¶ 0009).
Regarding claim 10, Olschewski discloses a reduction gear (115, 116) located between the bolt screw and the braking motor (see FIGS. 9, 10).
Regarding claim 12, Olschewski discloses that a rotational axis of the braking motor is disposed perpendicular to a rotational axis of the bolt screw (see FIGS. 9, 10), and the braking motor is disposed so as not to overlap with the brake pad of the caliper body in a lateral direction (see FIG. 11), wherein the brake device includes a bevel gear (115, 116) located between the braking motor and the bolt screw (see FIGS. 9, 10).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 14 have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection noted above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS J LANE whose telephone number is (571)270-5988. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/NICHOLAS J LANE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
February 21, 2026