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 .
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.
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) 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HASEGAWA et al. (Pub NO. US 2021/0010719 A1; hereinafter Hasegawa) in view of HAMAZAKI et al. (Pub NO. US 2024/0035856 A1; hereinafter Hamazaki).
Regarding claim 1, Hasegawa teaches a position detecting device (position detecting device in Fig. 2 and Fig. below; See [0009]) configured
to detect a position of a moving member (moving member is shaft 15 in Fig. 2 and Fig. Below; See [0009], [028]-[0040]) in which a conductive portion (30A has coil in Fig. 3, therefore 30A is conductive in Fig. 2 and Fig. below; See [0036]) and a non-conductive portion (cooling fluid passes through 20A/20B, therefore 20A/20B is non-conductive in Fig. 2 and Fig. below; See [0051]) having greater electrical resistance than the conductive portion (it is inherent property of non-conductive portion; See Fig. 2 and Fig. below; See [0028]-[0040]) are provided side by side in a predetermined moving direction (See Fig. 2 and Fig. below), comprising:
an exciting coil and a detection coil (exciting coils 36 and detection coil 50 in Fig. 3; See [0042]-[0044]) that are arranged extending in the moving direction of the moving member (See [0042]),
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Hasegawa teaches exciting coil and detection coil (exciting coils 36 and detection coil 50 in Fig. 3),
However, Hasagawa is silent about wherein a voltage is induced in the detection coil by a current flowing in the conductive portion due to a magnetic field generated by the exciting coil, and wherein a magnitude of the voltage induced in the detection coil varies with a position in the moving direction of the moving member relative to the detection coil.
Hamazaki teaches regarding position sensing (See abstract) wherein a voltage is induced in the detection coil by a current flowing in the conductive portion due to a magnetic field generated by the exciting coil (See [0026, [0031]), and wherein a magnitude of the voltage induced in the detection coil varies with a position in the moving direction of the moving member relative to the detection coil (See varying magnitude of detection coil in Fig. 4A; See [0037]-[0041]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify the system of Hasegawa by using a voltage is induced in the detection coil by a current flowing in the conductive portion due to a magnetic field generated by the exciting coil, and wherein a magnitude of the voltage induced in the detection coil varies with a position in the moving direction of the moving member relative to the detection coil, as taught by Hamazaki in order to detect a rotation angle of a rotor with respect to a stator (Hamazaki; [0002]).
Regarding claim 2, Hasagawa in view of Hamazaki teaches the position detection device, according to claim 1. Hamazaki further teaches wherein the detection coil comprises a plurality of detection coils (See plurality of detection coils 21, 23, 25 in Fig. 1), and wherein a phase of the voltage induced in each of the plurality of detection coils during movement of the moving member is different from each other (See phases of signals are different in Fig. 4A; See [0005], [0007]).
Regarding claim 3, Hasagawa in view of Hamazaki teaches the position detection device, according to claim 2. Hamazaki further teaches wherein a magnitude of the voltage induced in each of the plurality of detection coils varies within a range of one cycle or less while the moving member moves from one moving end to an other moving end in an axial direction (magnitude varies in each coil group; See [0025]-[0030]).
Regarding claim 4, Hasagawa in view of Hamazaki teaches the position detection device, according to claim 2. Hamazaki further teaches wherein each of the plurality of detection coils comprises a combination of two sinusoidal-shaped conductor wires (two sinusoidal group for 11 and 21; See [0026], [0031]), whose shape as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the moving direction is symmetrical across a symmetry axis line parallel to the moving direction (all coils are symmetrical in Fig. 1; See [0027], [0029]).
Regarding claim 5, Hasagawa in view of Hamazaki teaches the position detection device, according to claim 1. Hamazaki further teaches the exciting coil and the plurality of detection coils are formed on a single substrate (all coils 11, 12, 21, 22 are on substrate 3 in Fig. 1), and the exciting coil is formed on the substrate to surround the plurality of detection coils (See Fig. 1; See [0025]-[0031]).
Regarding claim 6, Hasagawa in view of Hamazaki teaches the position detection device, according to claim 5. Hasagawa further teaches wherein, in the moving member, the conductive portion has a circular cross-sectional shape (See circular cross-section of 30A in Fig. 3), the non-conductive portion is a recessed portion formed in a portion in a circumferential direction of an outer circumference surface of the moving member (See the recessed portion of 20A/20B in Fig. 2 and Fig. below), and the substrate faces the recessed portion (substrate of 30A faces the recessed portion of 20A, 20B in Fig. 3).
Claim(s) 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe et al. (Pub NO. US 2005/0184726 A1; hereinafter Watanabe) in view of Hamazaki.
Regarding claim 7, Watanabe teaches a vehicle steering device (See [0018]), comprising:
a shaft comprising a conductive metal (conductive metal shaft S in Fig. 1; See [0007]) that moves axially forward and backward along a vehicle width direction (See [0004]-[0016]);
a housing comprising a conductive metal that houses the shaft (metal housing 822 in fig. 1; See [0032]); and
a position detecting device that detects a position of the shaft relative to the housing (See [0004]-[0005], [0015]),
wherein a wheel is steered by axial movement of the shaft (rotor is wheel; See [0008], [0015]),
wherein the shaft is provided with a recessed portion formed in a radial direction (shaft is in the recessed portion of 812a in Fig. 1),
wherein the position detection device comprises an exciting coil and a detection coil that are arranged extending in the vehicle width direction on the shaft (See exciting coil and detection coils 831 in fig. 1; See [0036]-[0041]),
Watanabe teaches position of the shaft relative to the housing (See [0004]-[0005]),
However, Watanabe is silent about wherein a voltage is induced in the detection coil by a current flowing in the shaft due to a magnetic field generated by the exciting coil, and wherein a magnitude of the voltage induced in the detection coil varies in accordance with a position of the shaft.
Hamazaki teaches regarding position sensing (See abstract) wherein a voltage is induced in the detection coil by a current flowing in the shaft due to a magnetic field generated by the exciting coil, (See [0026, [0031]), and wherein a magnitude of the voltage induced in the detection coil varies in accordance with a position of the shaft (See varying magnitude of detection coil in Fig. 4A; See [0037]-[0041]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify the system of Watanabe by using a voltage is induced in the detection coil by a current flowing in the shaft due to a magnetic field generated by the exciting coil, and wherein a magnitude of the voltage induced in the detection coil varies in accordance with a position of the shaft, as taught by Hamazaki in order to detect a rotation angle of a rotor with respect to a stator (Hamazaki; [0002]).
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe in view of Hamazaki further in view of Sugimura et al. (Pub NO. US 2023/0399814 A1; hereinafter Sugimura).
Regarding claim 8, Watanabe in view of Hamazaki teaches the vehicle steering device, according to claim 7. Hamazaki teaches the exciting coil and a plurality of detection coils are formed on a single substrate (See [0026]-[0041]).
Watanabe in view of Hamazaki is silent about wherein the housing comprises an opening extending in the vehicle width direction, and the vehicle steering device further comprises a lid member comprising a non-conductive material which closes the opening of the housing, and the substrate is attached to the lid member.
Sugimura teaches wherein the housing comprises an opening extending in the vehicle width direction (See the opening of housing in Fig. 2; See [0028]), and the vehicle steering device further comprises a lid member (lid member 46 in Fig. 2; See [0028]) comprising a non-conductive material which closes the opening of the housing (See non-conductive lid 46 closes opening of vehicle body in fig. 2; See ), and the substrate is attached to the lid member (substrate 42 is attached to lid member 46 in Fig. 2 See [0038]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify the system of Watanabe and Hamazaki by using housing comprises an opening extending in the vehicle width direction, and the vehicle steering device further comprises a lid member comprising a non-conductive material which closes the opening of the housing, and the substrate is attached to the lid member, as taught by Sugimura in order to provide a work vehicle capable of maintaining a stable posture even when a loaded object is loaded on a loading unit (Sugimura; [0005]).
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a. Soresen et al. (Pub NO. US 2019/0052159 A1) discloses Hydraulic Steering Arrangement.
b. TAKAHASHI et al. (Pub NO. US 2016/0046320 A1) discloses Steering Device.
c. Nazars et al. (Pub NO. US 2002/0079156 A1) discloses Hall Effect Torque Sensor.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZANNATUL FERDOUS whose telephone number is (571)270-0399. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm (PST).
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/ZANNATUL FERDOUS/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/LEE E RODAK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858