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 Objections
In claim 11, line 12, “the first and the second hydraulic pump” should be “the first and the second hydraulic pumps”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4 – 6, 8 and 10 – 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over patent number US 4, 618,017 to Liebert et al. (hereinafter referred to as Liebert), in view of patent number US 7,510,044 B2 to Williams.
Regarding claims 1, Liebert discloses a hydraulic power steering system (Fig. 1) for a vehicle having an engine (vehicle engine 2) for propelling the vehicle and a transmission output shaft (“gear shaft”, see for example column 2, Line 65) for carrying power generated by the engine to drive driving wheels of the vehicle, the system comprising:
a first hydraulic pump (second pump 4) arranged to be mechanically driven by the transmission output shaft such that the first hydraulic pump is driven by a rotation of the driving wheels when the vehicle is in motion such that a first hydraulic pressure is generated (“driven by vehicle movement”; Col. 2, Lns. 60 – 63);
a second hydraulic pump (first pump 3) arranged to be mechanically driven by power provided by the engine such that a second hydraulic pressure is generated (“driven by the vehicle engine 2”; Col. 2, Lns. 60 – 63);
a hydraulic power steering arrangement (steering control valve 1, booster valve 23) in fluid connection with the first and the second hydraulic pump;
wherein the hydraulic power steering arrangement is arranged to be connected to a steering system of the vehicle to amplify steering input exerted by a driver of the vehicle to a steering wheel of the steering system by applying a hydraulic pressure provided by the first and/or second hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic power steering arrangement (Col. 5, Lns. 12 – 16).
However, Liebert does not disclose:
a clutch arrangement for mechanically connecting the second hydraulic pump with the engine, the clutch arrangement being switchable between an engaged state in which the clutch arrangement is arranged to transmit power from the engine to drive the second hydraulic pump, and a disengaged state in which the clutch arrangement is arranged to disengage power transmission from the engine to the second hydraulic pump.
Williams discloses a power steering apparatus comprising:
a clutch arrangement (clutch 36) for mechanically connecting a second hydraulic pump (second pump 32) with the engine, the clutch arrangement being switchable between an engaged state (engaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 60 – 62) in which the clutch arrangement is arranged to transmit power from the engine to drive the second hydraulic pump, and a disengaged state (disengaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 47 – 50) in which the clutch arrangement is arranged to disengage power transmission from the engine to the second hydraulic pump. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date to modify Liebert, to include a clutch as taught by Williams, to control the magnitude of power delivered to the power steering apparatus.
Regarding claim 2, Liebert, modified by Williams, discloses the hydraulic power steering system (Fig. 1) of claim 1, but does not disclose the engine is a combustion engine. Liebert does not explicitly disclose the type of engine used. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to include a combustion engine in Liebert’s system as combustion engines are commonly available.
Regarding claims 4 and 5, Liebert, modified by Williams, discloses the hydraulic power steering system (Fig. 1) of claim 1, buy does not disclose:
[Claim 4] wherein the hydraulic power steering system further comprises an engine control system arranged to control the switching between the engaged state and the disengaged state; and
[Claim 5] wherein the engine control system is arranged to receive a control signal from a control system of the vehicle, wherein the control signal is based on sensor data pertaining to a state of the vehicle and/or position data pertaining to a position of the vehicle and wherein the point in time for switching of state of the clutch arrangement is based on the control signal.
However, Williams further discloses:
[Claim 4] the hydraulic power steering system (Fig. 1) further comprises an engine control system (such as by drive train 92, Col. 4, Lns. 3 – 13) arranged control the switching between the engaged state (engaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 60 - 62) and the disengaged state (disengaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 47 - 50);
[Claim 5] wherein the engine control system (drive train 92) is arranged to receive a control signal from a control system (the engine 30) of the vehicle, wherein the control signal is based on sensor data pertaining to a state of the vehicle and/or position data pertaining to a position of the vehicle and wherein the point in time for switching of state of the clutch arrangement is based on the control signal (Col. 4, Lns. 36 – 41). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to provide a control system and sensor to that of Liebert to automatically control the power steering system.
Regarding claims 6 and 8, Liebert, modified by Williams, discloses the hydraulic power steering system (Fig. 1) of claim 1. Liebert does not teach:
[Claim 6] wherein the clutch arrangement is in the disengaged state, and wherein the hydraulic pressure is solely caused by the first hydraulic pressure generated by the first hydraulic pump when the vehicle is in motion; and
[Claim 8] wherein the clutch arrangement is in the engaged state, and wherein the engine is in operation, wherein the hydraulic pressure is combinedly caused by the first and second hydraulic pressure generated respectively by the first and second hydraulic pump when the vehicle is in motion.
However, Williams further discloses:
[Claim 6] wherein the clutch arrangement (clutch 36) is in the disengaged state (disengaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 47 - 50), and wherein the hydraulic pressure is solely caused by the first hydraulic pressure generated by the first hydraulic pump (second pump 4) when the vehicle is in motion (“efficient vehicle operation”; Col. 2; Lns. 55 – 59); and
[Claim 8] wherein the clutch arrangement (clutch 36) is in the engaged state (engaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 60 - 62), and wherein the engine (vehicle engine 2) is in operation, wherein the hydraulic pressure is combinedly caused by the first and second hydraulic pressure generated respectively by the first and second hydraulic pump (second pump 32 and first pump 3) when the vehicle is in motion (Col. 2, Lns. 60 thru Col. 3, Lns. 1 – 3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to configure Liebert’s hydraulic power steering system to be configured as described above, to improve vehicle operation at relatively low speeds.
Regarding claim 10, Liebert, modified by Williams, discloses claim 1, and Liebert further discloses a vehicle (Abstract) comprising the hydraulic power steering system (Fig. 1) of claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, Liebert discloses a method for operating a hydraulic power steering system (Fig. 1) of a vehicle, the vehicle having an engine (vehicle engine 2) for propelling the vehicle and a transmission output shaft (“gear shaft”, see for example column 2, Line 65) for carrying power generated by the engine to drive driving wheels of the vehicle, the method comprising;
generating a first pressure by driving, when the vehicle is in motion, a first hydraulic pump (second pump 4), the first hydraulic pump being arranged to be mechanically driven by the transmission output shaft such that the first hydraulic pump is driven by a rotation of the driving wheels (“driven by vehicle movement”; Col. 2, Lns. 60 – 63);
generating a second hydraulic pressure by driving a second hydraulic pump (first pump 3), the second hydraulic pump being mechanically driven by power provided by the engine (“driven by the vehicle engine 2”; Col. 2, Lns. 60 – 63); and
amplifying steering input exerted to a steering wheel of the vehicle by a driver of the vehicle, by applying a hydraulic pressure caused by the first and/or second hydraulic pressure to a hydraulic power steering arrangement (steering control valve 1, booster valve 23), the hydraulic power steering arrangement being in fluid connection with the first and the second hydraulic pumps (first pump 3).
However Liebert does not disclose wherein the hydraulic power steering system further comprises a clutch arrangement for mechanically connecting the second hydraulic pump with the engine, wherein the clutch arrangement is switchable between an engaged state in which the clutch arrangement is arranged to transmit power from the engine to drive the second hydraulic pump, and a disengaged state in which the clutch arrangement is arranged to disengage power transmission from the engine to the second hydraulic pump; and
wherein the method further comprises:
switching the clutch arrangement between the engaged state and the disengaged state.
Williams discloses a power steering apparatus:
wherein a hydraulic power steering system further comprises a clutch arrangement (clutch 36) for mechanically connecting a second hydraulic pump (second pump 32) with an engine (vehicle engine 2), wherein the clutch arrangement is switchable between an engaged state (engaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 60 – 62) in which the clutch arrangement is arranged to transmit power from the engine to drive the second hydraulic pump, and a disengaged state (disengaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 47 – 50) in which the clutch arrangement is arranged to disengage power transmission from the engine to the second hydraulic pump; and
wherein the method further comprises:
switching the clutch arrangement (clutch 36) between the engaged state (engaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 60 – 62) and the disengaged state (disengaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 47 – 50). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date to modify Liebert, to include a clutch as taught by Williams, to control the magnitude of power delivered to the power steering apparatus.
Regarding claims 12 and 13, Liebert, modified by Williams, discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the hydraulic power steering system (Fig. 1) further comprises an engine control system. Liebert does not disclose the method further comprising:
[Claim 12] receiving, a control signal from a control system of the vehicle, wherein the control signal is based on sensor data pertaining to a state of the vehicle and/or position data pertaining to a position of the vehicle by the engine control system; and switching the state of the clutch arrangement based on the control signal; and
[Claim 13] the method further comprising:
switching, when the vehicle is in motion, the clutch arrangement to the disengaged state such that the hydraulic pressure is solely caused by the first hydraulic pressure generated by the first hydraulic pump.
However, Williams further discloses:
[Claim 12] receiving, a control signal from a control system (the engine 30) of the vehicle, wherein the control signal is based on sensor data pertaining to a state of the vehicle and/or position data pertaining to a position of the vehicle by the engine control system; and switching the state of the clutch arrangement based on the control signal (Col. 4, Lns. 36 – 41); and
[Claim 13] the method further comprising:
switching, when the vehicle is in motion, the clutch arrangement (clutch 36) to the disengaged state (disengaged condition, Col. 2, Lns. 47 – 50) such that the hydraulic pressure is solely caused by the first hydraulic pressure generated by the first hydraulic pump (“occurrence of a predetermined vehicle operating condition”; Col. 3, Lns. 24 – 26). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to provide a control system and sensor to that of Liebert to automatically control the power steering system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 7, 9, 14 and 15 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.
Regarding claim 3, Liebert, modified by Williams, discloses the hydraulic power steering system of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the clutch arrangement is a bi-stable clutch arrangement.
Regarding claim 7, Liebert, modified by Williams, discloses the hydraulic power steering system of claim 1, but they do not teach wherein the clutch arrangement is in the disengaged state, and wherein the hydraulic pressure is solely caused by the first hydraulic pressure generated by the first hydraulic pump when the vehicle is in motion while the engine is turned off.
Regarding claim 9, Liebert, modified by Williams, discloses the hydraulic power steering system of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the vehicle further comprises a transmission clutch arrangement, in mechanical contact with the engine and the transmission output shaft, the transmission clutch arrangement being arranged to switch between an engaged state in which the engine and the transmission output shaft are in mechanical contact such that power from the engine is transmitted to the transmission output shaft and a disengaged state in which the transmission clutch arrangement is arranged to disengage power transmission from the engine to the transmission output shaft.
Regarding claim 14, Liebert, modified by Williams, discloses the method of claim 11, but does not disclose the method further comprising:
switching, when the vehicle is in motion, and the engine is turned off, the clutch arrangement to the disengaged state such that the hydraulic pressure is solely caused by the first hydraulic pressure generated by the first hydraulic pump.
Regarding claim 15, Liebert, modified by William, the method of claim 11. Neither Liebert nor William disclose the vehicle further comprises a transmission clutch arrangement, in mechanical contact with the engine and the transmission output shaft, wherein the method further comprises:
switching the transmission clutch arrangement being switch between an engaged state in which the engine and the transmission output shaft are in mechanical contact such that power from the engine is transmitted to the transmission output shaft and a disengaged state in which the transmission clutch arrangement is arranged to disengage power transmission from the engine to the transmission output shaft.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2024/0092419 A1 to Lang et al. Steering system for a vehicle in particular a utility vehicle
US 2022/0135122 A1 to Schacht et al. Vehicle steering system for a vehicle including a mechanical interface coupled to an auxiliary hydraulic steering pump
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Felicia L Brittman-Alabi whose telephone number is (313)446-6512. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9-6.
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/Felicia L. Brittman-Alabi/ Examiner, Art Unit 3611
/VALENTIN NEACSU/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611