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
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 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) 11-15 and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2008/0234909 A1 to Iwasaki et al.
Re-claims 11 and 19, Iwasaki et al. disclose a brake system and method of use, comprising: a first axle unit (such as shown in figure 16) is installed on a first axle (i.e. front) of the vehicle, the first axle includes at least one motorized brake pressure buildup device (see pump units), a first wheel brake cylinder (W/C FL), a second wheel brake cylinder (W/C FR), operation of the at least one motorized brake pressure buildup device provides a first brake pressure in the first wheel brake cylinder and a second brake pressure in the second wheel brake cylinder (W/C FR) can be increased so that a first wheel FL of the first axle assigned to the first wheel brake cylinder and a second wheel FR of the first axle assigned to the second wheel brake cylinder can be braked (W/C FR); and
a second axle unit (see electric setup figure 1 or hydraulic setup figure 17) is installed on a second axle (rear axle) of the vehicle and is hydraulically separate from the first axle unit, so that, by operation of the second axle unit, a first wheel RL of the second axle a second wheel RR of the second axle are braked;
the first axle unit is a dual-circuit first axle unit which includes a first brake circuit FL having a first motorized brake pressure buildup device (P1 FL), the first wheel brake cylinder (W/C FL), and a first outlet valve (OUT/V FL), and a second brake circuit FR having a second motorized brake pressure buildup device (P1 FR), the second wheel brake cylinder (W/C FR), and a second outlet valve (OUT/V FR), operation of the first and second motorized brake pressure buildup devices in each circuit, will transfer brake fluid from a connected brake fluid reservoir (RSV) into the first and second wheel brake cylinder, respectively, and, via the first and second outlet valve, respectively, brake fluid can be discharged from the first and second wheel brake cylinder, respectively, into the connected brake fluid reservoir. The method is known in the art and is disclosed in at least paragraphs 212-234, which discuss various operations of the front axle fluid circuits.
Re-claim 12, the first axle unit is hydraulically separate from the second axle unit and connected to one another via at least one signal line and/or bus line, this is shown in at least figure 1. It is further noted that the second axle unit of figure 17 is hydraulically separate from the first axle unit, as no fluid is communicated between the two.
Re-claim 13, the first brake circuit FL and the second brake circuit FR of the first axle unit are connected to one another via a brake circuit connection line with a disconnect valve IS/V arranged therein, a first mouth of the brake circuit connection line is located at the first brake circuit between the first motorized brake pressure buildup device and the first wheel brake cylinder, and a second mouth of the brake circuit connection line is located at the second brake circuit between the second motorized brake pressure buildup device and the second wheel brake cylinder, see figure 16.
Re-claim 14, a first check valve OF is arranged between the first mouth of the connection line and the first pump P1-FL to prevent a flow of fluid toward the first pump, and a second check valve OF is arranged between the second mouth of the connection line and the second pump P1-FR to prevent a flow of fluid toward the second pump.
Re-claim 15, the first brake circuit FL has a first isolating valve IN/V-FL arranged between the first motorized pump P1-FL and the first wheel brake cylinder W/C-FL, and the second brake circuit FR and a second isolating valve IN/V-FR arranged between the second motorized pump P1-FR and the second wheel brake cylinder W/C-FR.
Re-claim 17, the first axle unit includes a master brake cylinder M/C to which a brake actuating element BP (brake pedal) of the vehicle is connected in such a way that at least one piston of the master brake cylinder delimiting at least one chamber of the master brake cylinder and is displaced by actuation of the brake actuating element by a driver of the vehicle, the at least one chamber of the master brake cylinder is hydraulically connected to the brake circuit connection line to the first brake circuit FL via valve G/V-OUT-FL and to the second brake circuit via valve G/V-OUT-FR.
Re-claim 18, the second axle unit (such as figure 17) is a dual- circuit second axle unit that includes a third brake circuit (RL) having a third motorized brake pressure buildup device (P2 RL), a third wheel brake cylinder (W/C RL) is assigned to the first wheel RL of the second axle, and a third outlet valve (OUT/V-RL), and a fourth brake circuit (RR) having a fourth motorized brake pressure buildup device (P2 RR), a fourth wheel brake cylinder (W/C RR) is assigned to the second wheel RR of the second axle, and a fourth outlet valve (OUT/V RR), wherein the third brake circuit and the fourth brake circuit are each configured that, by operation of the third and fourth motorized brake pressure buildup device, respectively, brake fluid can be transferred from a connected brake fluid reservoir RSV into the third and fourth wheel brake cylinder, respectively, and, via the third and fourth outlet valve, respectively, brake fluid can be discharged from the third and fourth wheel brake cylinder, respectively, into the connected brake fluid reservoir.
Re-claim 20, see paragraph 224, which discloses the operation of a connection line and a disconnect valve IS/V.
Claim(s) 11, 12, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2017/0274884 A1 to Besier et al.
Re-claims 11 and 19, Besier et al. disclose a brake system and method of use, comprising: a first axle unit (as part of pressure connections 30 and 31) is installed on a first axle (i.e. front as part of wheel cylinders 50 and 51) of the vehicle, the first axle includes at least one motorized brake pressure buildup device (see pump units 2 as part of control device 70, although noted that control device 60 is arranged in similar manner having dedicated pumps), a first wheel brake cylinder 50, a second wheel brake cylinder 51, operation of the at least one motorized brake pressure buildup device provides a first brake pressure in the first wheel brake cylinder and a second brake pressure in the second wheel brake cylinder can be increased so that a first wheel of the first axle assigned to the first wheel brake cylinder and a second wheel of the first axle assigned to the second wheel brake cylinder can be braked; and
a second axle unit (as part of pressure connections 32 and 33) is installed on a second axle (rear axle) of the vehicle and is hydraulically separate from the first axle unit, so that, by operation of the second axle unit, a first wheel RL of the second axle a second wheel RR of the second axle are braked;
the first axle unit is a dual-circuit first axle unit which includes a first brake circuit having a first motorized brake pressure buildup device 2, the first wheel brake cylinder 50, and a first outlet valve 6 (or 16), and a second brake circuit having a second motorized brake pressure buildup device 2, the second wheel brake cylinder 51, and a second outlet valve 6 (or 16), operation of the first and second motorized brake pressure buildup devices in each circuit, will transfer brake fluid from a connected brake fluid reservoir 80 into the first and second wheel brake cylinder, respectively, and, via the first and second outlet valve, respectively, brake fluid can be discharged from the first and second wheel brake cylinder, respectively, into the connected brake fluid reservoir. The method of operation is disclosed in at least paragraphs 50-59.
Re-claim 12, the first axle unit is hydraulically separate from the second axle unit and connected to one another via at least one signal line and/or bus line, this is shown in at least figure 3. It is further noted that the second axle unit of figures 1 and 2 are hydraulically separate from the first axle unit, as no fluid is communicated between the two.
Re-claim 18, the second axle unit (as part of pressure connections 32/33) is a dual- circuit second axle unit that includes a third brake circuit having a third motorized brake pressure buildup device 2, a third wheel brake cylinder 52 is assigned to the first wheel of the second axle, and a third outlet valve 6 (or 16), and a fourth brake circuit having a fourth motorized brake pressure buildup device 2, a fourth wheel brake cylinder 53 is assigned to the second wheel of the second axle, and a fourth outlet valve 6 (or 16), the third brake circuit and the fourth brake circuit are each configured that, by operation of the third and fourth motorized brake pressure buildup devices 2, respectively, brake fluid can be transferred from a connected brake fluid reservoir 80 into the third and fourth wheel brake cylinder, respectively, and, via the third and fourth outlet valve, respectively, brake fluid can be discharged from the third 52 and fourth 53 wheel brake cylinder, respectively, into the connected brake fluid reservoir.
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.
Claim(s) 13-17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Besier et al. in view of Iwasaki et al.
Re-claims 13 and 20, Besier et al. fail to teach the first brake circuit and the second brake circuit of the first axle connected to one another via a brake circuit connection line with a disconnect valve arranged therein, with a first mouth of the brake circuit connection line located at the first brake circuit between the first motorized brake pressure buildup device 2 and the first wheel brake cylinder 50, and a second mouth of the brake circuit connection line located at the second brake circuit between the second motorized brake pressure buildup device 2 and the second wheel brake cylinder 51; or the method of transferring fluid between the first and second brake circuits using one of the first and second brake pressure buildup devices 2.
Iwasaki et al. teach a brake circuit connection line and disconnect valve IS/V disposed therein between a first brake circuit (such as a FR) and a second brake circuit (such as a FL). This provides a fluid communication between the two circuits, such that during a failure of one pressure source, a fluid pressure can be transmitted to the wheel cylinder associated with the failed pressure source, through use of the still operating pressure source (see paragraph 224). Therefore, as per the teachings of Iwasaki et al., it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided an interconnection between the first brake circuit and the second brake circuit of Besier et al. as suggested by Iwasaki et al., so as to provide further redundant control of the vehicle brake system.
Re-claim 14, the first and second brake circuits of Besier et al. are provided with first and second check valves 9 that prevent a flow of fluid towards the motorized brake pressure buildup devices 2. The check valves are at the outlet of the pumps and thus arranged between any connection line and the pumps. Iwasaki et al. further teaches this arrangement, as this would prevent a flow of fluid to the disabled pump from the operating pump.
Re-claim 15, the first brake circuit has a first isolating valve 3 arranged between the first motorized pump (such as a pump from unit 60, assigned to pressure connection 30) and the first wheel brake cylinder 50, and the second brake circuit and a second isolating valve 3 arranged between the second motorized pump (such as a pump from unit 60, assigned to pressure connection 31) and the second wheel brake cylinder 51.
Re-claim 16, the first brake circuit (pressure connection 30) has a third check valve 8 arranged parallel to the first isolating valve 3 and is oriented in such a way that brake fluid transfer in a direction from the first wheel brake cylinder 50 to the first motorized brake pressure buildup device is prevented by the third check valve, and the second brake circuit (pressure connection 31) has a fourth check valve 8 arranged parallel to the second isolating valve and is oriented in such a way that brake fluid transfer in a direction from the second wheel brake cylinder 51 to the second motorized brake pressure buildup device is prevented by the fourth check valve.
Re-claim 17, the first axle unit includes a master brake cylinder to which a brake actuating element (brake pedal) of the vehicle is connected in such a way that at least one piston of the master brake cylinder delimiting at least one chamber of the master brake cylinder and is displaced by actuation of the brake actuating element by a driver of the vehicle, the at least one chamber of the master brake cylinder is hydraulically connected to the brake circuit connection line to the first brake circuit and second brake circuit via a valve or valveless connection (see paragraphs 53 and 62). Cut valves located between the master cylinder and brake circuits are common, as this prevents fluid form the master cylinder interfering with the fluid pressure buildup carried out by the pumps.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Harris and Campau each teach a connection line between two brake circuits. Reuter, Woll, Crombez, Linhoff, Drotleff, Miyazaki, Lee, Wang, Perez-Cuadro and Witte each teach a brake system having isolated brake circuits with pressure sources.
Any inquiries concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thomas Williams whose telephone number is 571-272-7128. The examiner can normally be reached on Tuesday-Friday from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
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.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-6584.
TJW
January 17, 2026
/THOMAS J WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616