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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (US 2023/0011733) in view of Daenzer et al (US 10,197,090). Park discloses:
With regard to claim 1 - A steer-by-wire system for a vehicle comprising:
a rack 320 moveable in an axial direction and defining a groove 330 extending in the axial direction of the rack 320;
a housing 100 surrounding at least a portion of the rack 320; and
an anti-rotation device 530 disposed proximate an outer surface of the rack 320 at the mounting location of the rack 320 and within the housing 100. Park fails to explicitly disclose the anti-rotation device as comprising a plurality of balls disposed in the groove defined by the rack; and a running plate having a radially inner surface disposed radially outward of the rack, wherein the plurality of balls are disposed between the plate and the rack.
Daenzer teaches system for a vehicle comprising:
a shaft 14 moveable in an axial direction and defining a groove 34 extending in the axial direction of the shaft 14;
a housing 18 surrounding at least a portion of the shaft 14; and
an anti-rotation device disposed proximate an outer surface of the shaft 14 at the mounting location of the shaft 14 and within the housing 18, the anti-rotation device comprising a plurality of balls 22 disposed in the groove 34 defined by the shaft 14; and
a running plate 24 having a radially inner surface disposed radially outward of the shaft 14, wherein the plurality of balls 22 are disposed between the plate 24 and the shaft 14.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the steer-by-wire system of Park with the teaching of Daenzer such that the anti-rotation device comprises a plurality of balls and a running plate, with a reasonable expectation of success, to allow for variable tolerances between the rack and housing.
With regard to claim 2, Daenzer teaches wherein the running plate 24 includes a first snap finger 42 located at a first end region of the running plate 24 and a second snap finger 44 located at a second end region of the running plate 24, wherein the first snap finger 42 and the second snap finger are coupled to the housing 18 to retain the running plate 24 to the housing 18.
With regard to claim 3, Daenzer teaches wherein the first snap finger 42 and the second snap finger 44 retain the running plate to the housing in an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction.
Claim(s) 4-9 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (US 2023/0011733) and Daenzer et al (US 10,197,090), as applied to claims 1-3 above, and further in view of Kakutani et al (US 8,157,659). With regard to claim 4, Park and Daenzer fail to explicitly disclose a carrier surrounding a portion of the rack, the carrier disposed between the rack and the running plate, wherein the carrier includes a plurality of fingers for retaining the plurality of balls disposed in the groove. Kakutani teaches a steering apparatus for a vehicle having a sliding shaft including an anti-rotation device disposed proximate an outer surface of the shaft 12 within a housing 13, the anti-rotation device comprising a plurality of balls 14 disposed in a groove 15 defined by the shaft 12; a running plate 18; and a carrier 17 surrounding a portion of the shaft 12, the carrier 17 disposed between the shaft 12 and the housing 13, wherein the carrier 17 includes a plurality of fingers 30 for retaining the plurality of balls 14 disposed in the groove 15. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the steer-by-wire system of Park and Daenzer with the teaching of Kakutani such that the anti-rotation device comprises a carrier, with a reasonable expectation of success, to prevent the rolling balls from dropping off from the axial grooves.
With regard to claim 5, Kakutani teaches wherein the carrier 17 includes a first lateral edge region and a second lateral edge region, wherein the first lateral edge region extends away from the plurality of fingers in a first axial direction of the rack, wherein the second lateral edge region extends away from the plurality of fingers in a second axial direction of the shaft. The claimed lateral edge regions are being treated as the axial ends of the fingers 30.
With regard to claim 6, Park discloses wherein the rack includes a first travel limit structure 610 positioned to contact the first lateral edge region to limit relative travel between the carrier and the rack in a first direction (see Fig. 7).
With regard to claim 7, Park discloses wherein the rack includes a second travel limit structure 620 positioned to contact the second lateral edge region to limit relative travel between the carrier and the rack in a second direction.
With regard to claim 8, Park discloses wherein at least one of the first travel limit structure and the second travel limit structure comprises a shoulder defined by a wall at an end of the groove (see Fig. 4).
With regard to claim 9, Park discloses a steer-by-wire system for a vehicle comprising:
a rack 320 moveable in an axial direction and defining a first groove 330 and a second groove 330 extending in the axial direction of the rack 320;
a housing 500 surrounding at least a portion of the rack 320; and
an anti-rotation device 530 disposed proximate an outer surface of the rack 320 at the mounting location of the rack 320 and within the housing 500. Park fails to explicitly disclose the anti-rotation device as comprising a plurality of balls disposed in the groove defined by the rack; and a running plate having a radially inner surface disposed radially outward of the rack, wherein the plurality of balls are disposed between the plate and the rack.
Daenzer teaches system for a vehicle comprising:
a shaft 14 moveable in an axial direction and defining a groove 34 extending in the axial direction of the shaft 14;
a housing 18 surrounding at least a portion of the shaft 14; and
an anti-rotation device disposed proximate an outer surface of the shaft 14 at the mounting location of the shaft 14 and within the housing 18, the anti-rotation device comprising:
a first plurality of balls 22 disposed in the first groove 34 defined by the shaft 14; and
a first running plate 24 having a radially inner surface disposed radially outward of the shaft 14, wherein the first plurality of balls 22 are disposed between the plate 24 and the shaft 14;
a second plurality of balls 22 disposed in the second groove 34 defined by the shaft 14; and
a second running plate 24 having a radially inner surface disposed radially outward of the shaft 14, wherein the second plurality of balls 22 are disposed between the plate 24 and the shaft 14.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the steer-by-wire system of Park with the teaching of Daenzer such that the anti-rotation device comprises a plurality of balls and a running plate, with a reasonable expectation of success, to allow for variable tolerances between the rack and housing.
Park and Daenzer further fail to explicitly disclose a carrier surrounding a portion of the rack, the carrier disposed between the rack and the running plate, wherein the carrier includes a plurality of fingers for retaining the plurality of balls disposed in the groove. Kakutani teaches a steering apparatus for a vehicle having a sliding shaft including an anti-rotation device disposed proximate an outer surface of the shaft 12 within a housing 13, the anti-rotation device comprising a plurality of balls 14 disposed in a groove 15 defined by the shaft 12; a running plate 18; and a carrier 17 surrounding a portion of the shaft 12, the carrier 17 disposed between the shaft 12 and the housing 13, wherein the carrier 17 includes a plurality of fingers 30 for retaining the plurality of balls 14 disposed in the groove 15. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the steer-by-wire system of Park and Daenzer with the teaching of Kakutani such that the anti-rotation device comprises a carrier, with a reasonable expectation of success, to prevent the rolling balls from dropping off from the axial grooves.
With regard to claim 13, Kakutani teaches wherein the carrier 17 comprises a main body extending around an outer surface of the rack, wherein the carrier supports the first plurality of balls 14 and the second plurality of balls 14. Daenzer teaches that the first plurality of balls and the second plurality of balls are to be positioned approximately 180 degrees from each other.
With regard to claim 14, Park discloses a first travel limiting structure 610 and a second travel limiting structure 620 to limit relative travel between the carrier and the rack, the first travel limiting structure 610 disposed proximate a first end of at least one of the first groove 330 and the second groove 330, the second travel limiting structure 620 disposed proximate a second end of at least one of the first groove 330 and the second groove 330.
With regard to claim 15, Park discloses further comprising a side cover operatively coupled to the housing 100 (see Fig. 1). The term side cover is vague and as such any portion of the cover of Park may correspond with said side cover.
With regard to claim 16, Park discloses wherein the side cover includes a pair of travel limiters. Due to the broadness of this limitation, including a lack of structure of the travel limiters or and description or definition of what component is having its travel limited, the walls of the housing are considered to be travel limiters in that they limit travel of any internal component.
With regard to claim 17, Daenzer teaches wherein the first running plate 24 and the second running plate 24 each include a first snap finger 42 located at a first end region of each running plate 24 and a second snap finger 44 located at a second end region of each running plate 24, wherein the first snap finger 42 and the second snap finger 44 are coupled to the housing to retain the running plates to the housing.
With regard to claim 18, Daenzer teaches wherein the first snap finger 42 and the second snap finger 44 retain the running plate 24 to the housing in an axial direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction.
With regard to claim 19, Kakutani teaches wherein the carrier 17 includes a first lateral edge region and a second lateral edge region, wherein the first lateral edge region extends away from the plurality of fingers in a first axial direction of the rack, wherein the second lateral edge region extends away from the plurality of fingers in a second axial direction of the shaft. The claimed lateral edge regions are being treated as the axial ends of the fingers 30.
With regard to claim 20, Park discloses wherein the rack includes a first travel limit structure 610 and a second travel limit structure 620, the first travel limit structure 610 positioned to contact the first lateral edge region to limit relative travel between the carrier and the rack in a first direction, the second travel limit structure 620 positioned to contact the second lateral edge region to limit relative travel between the carrier and the rack in a second direction.
Claim(s) 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (US 2023/0011733) in view of Kurokawa (US 10,330,141) and Kakutani et al (US 8,157,659). With regard to claim 9, Park discloses a steer-by-wire system for a vehicle comprising:
a rack 320 moveable in an axial direction and defining a first groove 330 and a second groove 330 extending in the axial direction of the rack 320;
a housing 500 surrounding at least a portion of the rack 320; and
an anti-rotation device 530 disposed proximate an outer surface of the rack 320 at the mounting location of the rack 320 and within the housing 500. Park fails to explicitly disclose the anti-rotation device as comprising a plurality of balls disposed in the groove defined by the rack; and a running plate having a radially inner surface disposed radially outward of the rack, wherein the plurality of balls are disposed between the plate and the rack.
Kurokawa teaches system for a vehicle comprising:
a shaft 9a moveable in an axial direction and defining a groove 13a extending in the axial direction of the shaft 9a;
a housing 10a surrounding at least a portion of the shaft 9a; and
an anti-rotation device disposed proximate an outer surface of the shaft 9a at the mounting location of the shaft 9a and within the housing 10a, the anti-rotation device comprising:
a first plurality of balls 11 disposed in the first groove 13a defined by the shaft 9a; and
a first running plate 14a having a radially inner surface disposed radially outward of the shaft 9a, wherein the first plurality of balls 11 are disposed between the plate 14a and the shaft 9a;
a second plurality of balls 11 disposed in the second groove 13a defined by the shaft 9a; and
a second running plate 14a having a radially inner surface disposed radially outward of the shaft 9a, wherein the second plurality of balls 11 are disposed between the plate 14a and the shaft 9a.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the steer-by-wire system of Park with the teaching of Kurokawa such that the anti-rotation device comprises a plurality of balls and a running plate, with a reasonable expectation of success, to implement an extensible rack having a structure capable of suppressing rattling of the extensible rack while preventing damage to a guide plate and wear of each part.
Park and Kurokawa further fail to explicitly disclose a carrier surrounding a portion of the rack, the carrier disposed between the rack and the running plate, wherein the carrier includes a plurality of fingers for retaining the plurality of balls disposed in the groove. Kakutani teaches a steering apparatus for a vehicle having a sliding shaft including an anti-rotation device disposed proximate an outer surface of the shaft 12 within a housing 13, the anti-rotation device comprising a plurality of balls 14 disposed in a groove 15 defined by the shaft 12; a running plate 18; and a carrier 17 surrounding a portion of the shaft 12, the carrier 17 disposed between the shaft 12 and the housing 13, wherein the carrier 17 includes a plurality of fingers 30 for retaining the plurality of balls 14 disposed in the groove 15. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the steer-by-wire system of Park and Kurokawa with the teaching of Kakutani such that the anti-rotation device comprises a carrier, with a reasonable expectation of success, to prevent the rolling balls from dropping off from the axial grooves.
With regard to claim 10, Kurokawa teaches at least one spring 18 coupling the first running plate 14a to the second running plate 14a (“The outside guide plate 18 is a metal plate of a stainless steel plate, a spring steel plate or the like” – column 9, lines 53-54).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11, 12, and 16 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.
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/TIMOTHY WILHELM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3614 February 7, 2026