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, 12, 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;
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;
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.
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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 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 16 is 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 21, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The rejection in view of Besier has been withdrawn.
With regards to Iwasaki, as indicated in the annotated figure above, the check valve recited in now amended claim 11 is located between the mouth of the brake circuit connection line and the brake pressure buildup device (i.e. pump P1). This appears consistent with instant figure 2. It is unclear what limitations of now cancelled claim 14 were not addressed. In any event the rejection in view of Iwasaki is maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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 /THOMAS J WILLIAMS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
September 1, 2026
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