DETAILED ACTION
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 § 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iino et al. (JP 2004196044 A) in view of Yamada et al. (US 2004/0239069 A1).
Re claim 1, Iino et al. teach a handwheel actuator for a steering system, the handwheel actuator comprising: a housing (5); a shaft (61) disposed within the housing, the shaft configured to be rotatably driven by a handwheel; a rotary damper (6, 62) rotatably driven by the shaft about a rotational axis, the rotary damper and the housing forming a first fluid chamber and a second fluid chamber (60, [0028]).
Iino et al. do not teach wherein rotation of the rotary damper in a first direction is configured to displace a fluid from the first fluid chamber to the second fluid chamber so as to apply a rotational resistance to the shaft; and rotation of the rotary damper in a second direction is configured to displace a fluid from the second fluid chamber to the first fluid chamber so as to apply a rotational resistance to the shaft.
Yamada et al. teach a rotary damper and the housing forming a first fluid chamber (74a) and a second fluid chamber (74b) wherein rotation of the rotary damper in a first direction is configured to displace a fluid from the first fluid chamber to the second fluid chamber so as to apply a rotational resistance to the shaft; and rotation of the rotary damper in a second direction is configured to displace a fluid from the second fluid chamber to the first fluid chamber so as to apply a rotational resistance to the shaft. (Fig. 11) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the first fluid chamber and second fluid chamber wherein rotation of the rotary damper in a first direction is configured to displace a fluid from the first fluid chamber to the second fluid chamber so as to apply a rotational resistance to the shaft; and rotation of the rotary damper in a second direction is configured to displace a fluid from the second fluid chamber to the first fluid chamber so as to apply a rotational resistance to the shaft in order to provide a greater damping range and condition based damping. ([0010] – [0014])
Re claim 2, Iino et al. as modified teaches a metered fluid passage (86) configured to fluidly connect the first fluid chamber (74a) to the second fluid chamber (74b). (Yamada et al. – Fig. 11)
Re claim 3, Iino et al. as modified teaches wherein the metered fluid passage (86) is arranged in a housing (52). (Yamada et al. – Fig. 11)
Re claim 4, Iino et al. as modified teaches wherein the metered fluid passage is electronically metered. (Yamada et al. – Fig. 11, [0054])
Re claim 5, Iino et al. as modified teaches wherein a fluid flow resistance of the metered fluid passage is controlled via an electronic fluid control valve (68). (Yamada et al. – Fig. 11, [0054])
Re claim 6, Iino et al. as modified teaches wherein the rotational resistance can be varied based on vehicle speed. (Iino et al. - [0025], Yamada et al. – Fig. 11, [0054])
Re claim 7, Iino et al. as modified teaches wherein the at least one of the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber is ring-shaped. Both Iino et al. ([0028] – see “circular cross section”) and Yamada et al. (Fig. 11) teach wherein each fluid chamber is at least partially ring-shaped to the same extent as Applicant’s invention.
Re claim 8, Iino et al. as modified teaches wherein rotary movement of the rotary damper (62) is configured to move the fluid about the rotational axis. (Iino et al. – Fig. 2)
Re claim 9, Iino et al. as modified teaches wherein the shaft is configured to be rotatably driven by the handwheel (2) about the rotational axis. (Iino et al. – Fig. 1)
Re claim 10, Iino et al. as modified teaches wherein the first fluid chamber (74a) is sealingly separated from the second fluid chamber (74b) via the rotary damper (75). (Yamada et al. – [0048])
Re claim 11, Iino et al. as modified does not explicitly teach wherein a rotational range of the shaft is greater than a rotational range of the rotary damper. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to allow for a greater rotational range of the shaft in order to allow effective turning of a vehicle.
Re claim 12, Iino et al. teach a reduction arrangement. ([0023]) Iino do not teach wherein the reduction is arranged within the housing. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a single housing for the steering components in order to reduce then number of parts and simplify the assembly.
Re claim 13, Iino et al. do not teach wherein the reduction is a planetary gearset. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide a planetary gearset as a reduction since planetary gearsets are well known means for providing speed reduction.
Re claim 14, Iino et al. teach wherein the reduction is arranged between the shaft (20) and the rotary damper (6, 62) such that the shaft drives the reduction and the reduction drives the rotary damper. ([0023])
Re claim 15, Iino et al. teach a handwheel actuator for a steering system, the handwheel actuator comprising: a housing (5); a rotary damper (6, 62) configured to be rotatably driven by a handwheel (2), the rotary damper and the housing defining a first fluid chamber and a second fluid chamber (60, [0028]).
Iino et al. do not teach a metered fluid passage arranged to fluidly connect the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber; and the first fluid chamber, the second fluid chamber, and the metered fluid passage define a variable resistance closed fluid system arranged within the housing; and rotation of the rotary damper is configured to displace a fluid within the variable resistance closed fluid system so as to apply a rotational resistance to the rotary damper.
Yamada et al. teach a metered fluid passage (86) arranged to fluidly connect the first fluid chamber (74a) and the second fluid chamber (74b); and the first fluid chamber, the second fluid chamber, and the metered fluid passage define a variable resistance closed fluid system arranged within the housing; and rotation of the rotary damper is configured to displace a fluid within the variable resistance closed fluid system so as to apply a rotational resistance to the rotary damper. (Yamada et al. – Fig. 11, [0014]) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the metered fluid passage as taught by Yamada et al. in order to provide a greater damping range and condition based damping. ([0010] – [0014])
Re claim 16, Iino et al. as modified teach wherein the first fluid chamber is defined by a first side of the rotary damper and the housing, and the second fluid chamber is defined by a second side of the rotary damper and the housing. (Iino et al. – [0028], Yamada et al. – Fig. 11)
Re claim 17, Iino et al. as modified teach a shaft (61) disposed within the housing, the shaft drivably connected to the rotary damper (6, 62).
Re claim 18, Iino et al. teach handwheel actuator for a steering system, the handwheel actuator comprising: a housing (5); a rotary damper (6, 61) configured to be rotatably driven by a handwheel, the rotary damper and the housing defining a first fluid chamber and a second fluid chamber (60, [0028]).
Iino et al. do no teach wherein rotation of the rotary damper is configured to exchange a fluid between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber so as to apply a rotational resistance to the rotary damper.
Yamada et al. teach wherein rotation of a rotary damper (75) is configured to exchange a fluid between the first fluid chamber (74a) and the second fluid chamber (74b) so as to apply a rotational resistance to the rotary damper. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art exchange a fluid between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber as taught by Yamada et al. in order to reduce the number of external components to the damper and simplify the system while providing damping.
Re claim 19, Iino et al. do not teach a metered fluid passage arranged between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber, and a flow area of the metered fluid passage is electronically variable so as to vary the rotational resistance. Yamada et al. teach a metered fluid passage (86) arranged between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber, and a flow area of the metered fluid passage is electronically variable so as to vary the rotational resistance. (Fig. 11) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the metered fluid passage as taught by Yamada et al. in order to provide a greater damping range and condition based damping. ([0010] – [0014])
Re claim 20, Iino et al. as modified teaches at least one spring arranged within the housing, the at least one spring configured to return the handwheel to a non-turning position. (Iino et al. – [0007])
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mishima et al., Inoue, Gustafsson, and Lutz teach similar actuators.
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/MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
MTWJuly 17, 2026
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