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 .
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) 1-3 and 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by German Patent No. DE 102021202237 to Beilner et al.
Regarding Claim 1, Beilner et al disclose a hydraulic system for active damping control of a motor vehicle (see Figures 1A-1C) having all the features of the instant invention including: at least one damper 1, with which a damper shutoff member 43 is associated and to which at least one hydraulic line 39 is hydraulically connected (see Figure 2 and page 4 of the examiner provided translation, second paragraph), wherein an end of the hydraulic line 39 facing the damper 1 includes a line shutoff member 41, wherein the line shutoff member 41 at the end of the hydraulic line 39 facing the damper 1 is integrated into a line connection block 19 (see Figures 2 and 4 and page 4 of the examiner provided translation, first and second paragraphs), wherein the line connection block 19 is secured in a hydraulically sealed but releasable manner to a damper connection block 29 by the damper shutoff member 43 (see page 3 of the examiner provided translation, seventh and eighth paragraphs and page 4 of the examiner provided translation, first, second and fifth paragraphs), wherein the damper shutoff member 43 is merged, along with a filling member, into a combined filling valve which is integrated into the damper connection block 29 (see page 4 of the examiner provided translation, first, second, and seventh paragraphs).
Regarding Claim 2, Beilner et al further disclose that, in closed positions of the damper shutoff member 43 and the line shutoff member 41, the damper shutoff member 43 and the line shutoff member 41 constitute metallic seals (see page 4 of the examiner provided translation, fifth-seventh paragraphs).
Regarding Claim 3, Beilner et al further disclose that the damper shutoff member 43 and the line shutoff member 41 are shutoff screws (see Figures 5 and 6).
Regarding Claim 7, Beilner et al further disclose that the damper connection block 29 is secured to the line connection block 19 (see Figure 3), the damper connection block 29 and the line connection block 19 restrict a fluid passage 53 that is restricted by the line shutoff member 41 and the damper shutoff member 43 when the line shutoff member 41 and the damper shutoff member 43 assume closed positions (see page 4 of the examiner provided translation, seventh paragraph).
Regarding Claim 8, Beilner et al disclose a motor vehicle comprising the hydraulic system of Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 9, see Claim 1 above and further note that Beilner et al further disclose prefilling with a hydraulic medium of a hydraulic line volume of the hydraulic line 39 and a hydraulic damper volume of the damper 1 before the damper 1 and/or the hydraulic line 39 are assembled (see page 4 of the examiner provided translation, seventh paragraph).
Regarding Claim 10, Beilner et al further disclose that the hydraulic line volume of the hydraulic line 39 and the hydraulic damper volume of the damper 1 are filled with a hydraulic medium only after preassembly or assembly of the damper 1 and/or the hydraulic line 39 (see page 4 of the examiner provided translation, seventh paragraph).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 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.
PG Publication No. 2015/0191069 to Zuleger et al., PG Publication No. 2019/0389271 to Zanziger, and PG Publication No. 2023/0113777 to Vandersmissen et al all disclose hydraulic systems for active damping control of motor vehicles 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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
PAMELA RODRIGUEZ
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
/PAMELA RODRIGUEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616 02/24/26