DETAILED ACTION
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) 1,2,10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by CN 108105286 A.
Regarding claim 1 CN ‘286 shows in figures 1,2:
An electromechanical brake, comprising a first brake motor 40 and a second brake motor 50; a transmission device (71,91-94,110-112—see figs 2,6) linked to the first brake motor and the second brake motor; and a brake actuator 180,190 linked to the transmission device, with the transmission device configured to transmit a first brake torque from the first brake motor and a second brake torque from the second brake motor to the brake actuator; wherein the transmission device comprises a differential 110-112 coupled to the first brake motor and the second brake motor respectively to receive the first and second brake torques, and output an integrated torque to the brake actuator.
Regarding claim 2 the differential is a planetary differential (see elements 112+).
Regarding claim 10 these limitations are met.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 7,8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN ‘286 A.
Regarding claim 7 the first motor 40 is provided with an electromagnetic clutch 200 to lock the motor shaft 41. See figure 2.
Lacking is a specific showing of a second electromagnetic clutch to lock the motor shaft of the second motor 50.
However one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have provided a second electromagnetic clutch to lock the motor shaft of the second motor 50 simply for redundancy/safety purposes should the first clutch 200 fail.
Further to have used the same power source to power the clutches and motors 40,50 would have been obvious to reduce both weight and costs.
Regarding claim 8 note the construction of the electromagnetic clutch 200
shown in figure 4. This clutch appears to be identical to that as claimed, or simply an obvious variant.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6,9 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER P SCHWARTZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7123. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 A.M.-7:00P.M..
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/CHRISTOPHER P SCHWARTZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
1/11/26
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