DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to Applicant’s amendment received on March 25, 2026.
Claims 1-19 are pending in the application.
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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 1-11 and 13-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takayanagi (DE 11 2016 000 797 T5), hereinafter “Takayanagi”, in view of Swieter et al. (DE 10 2013 000 145 A1), hereinafter “Swieter”.
Regarding claim 1, Takayanagi discloses a steering system (Fig. 1 (power steering apparatus)) for a vehicle comprising: a steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)), wherein the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)) is linearly displaceable in a longitudinal direction of a central longitudinal axis of the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)), and having a detection device (Fig. 1 (16)) for detecting a position of the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)), the detection device (Fig. 1 (16)) having at least one rack section (Fig. 1 (8)) extending parallel to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the rack section (Fig. 1 (8)) is linearly displaceable together with the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)), and the detection device (Fig. 1 (16)) has at least one detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) and a permanent magnet (Fig. 2 (46)) is fastened to the detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)).
Takayanagi fails to disclose that the detection gear wheel is in direct toothed engagement with the rack section such that displacement of the steering element directly produces rotation of the detection gear wheel, and wherein the rotation of the detection gear wheel is used to determine an absolute position of the steering element.
However, Swieter discloses a detection gear wheel (Swieter (Fig. 2 (34))) that is in direct toothed engagement with the rack section (Swieter (Fig. 2 (32))) such that displacement of the steering element (Swieter (Fig. 2 (8))) directly produces rotation of the detection gear wheel (Swieter (Fig. 2 (34))), and wherein the rotation of the detection gear wheel (Swieter (Fig. 2 (34))) is used to determine an absolute position of the steering element (Swieter (Fig. 2 (8))).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Takayanagi by incorporating the teachings of Swieter in order to have a more direct and efficient response of the steering system allowing for a better maneuvering of the vehicle.
Regarding claim 2, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)) is displaceable relative to the detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)), and the detection device (Fig.1 (16)) has a magnetic sensor for detecting a rotational position of the detection gear wheel and a rotation counter for detecting a number of revolutions of the detection gear wheel (paragraph 131).
Regarding claim 3, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an evaluation unit and/or a control unit is connected to the detection device, wherein a position of the steering element can be or is determined by the evaluation unit and/or the control unit using data signals obtained from, a magnetic sensor and a rotation counter, the detection device, the magnetic sensor and the rotation counter being integrated in a common circuit (paragraphs 35, 106).
Regarding claim 4, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rack section (Fig. 1 (8)) is formed as a one-piece constituent part of the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)), or wherein the rack section (Fig. 1 (8)) is formed as an independent component, the rack section (Fig. 1 (8)) being firmly connected to the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)).
Regarding claim 5, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection device (Fig. 1 (16)) has a first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) with a first permanent magnet (Fig. 2 (46)), and a second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)) with a second permanent magnet (Fig. 2 (47)).
Regarding claim 6, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) and the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)) engage in the same rack section (Fig. 1 (8)) at different positions.
Regarding claim 7, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) engages in a first rack section (Fig. 1 (8)), and the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)) engages in a second rack section formed independently of the first rack section (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 5, wherein, in order to implement a redundancy, the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) is assigned a first magnetic sensor for detecting a rotational position of the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) (paragraph 131) and a first rotation counter for detecting a number of revolutions of the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)), and the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)) is assigned a second magnetic sensor for detecting the rotational position of the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)) (paragraph 131) and a second rotation counter for detecting a number of revolutions of the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)).
Regarding claim 9, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the Vernier principle is implemented by the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) and the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)), for which purpose the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) is designed differently from the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)), with regard to its external diameter and/or the number of teeth (paragraphs 130-140).
Regarding claim 10, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26, 27)) is displaceably mounted transversely or at right angles to the central longitudinal axis of the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)) by a guide device to compensate for tolerances (Fig. 2) , and wherein an axis of rotation of the detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26, 27)) is linearly displaceably guided in at least one guide groove of the guide device (Fig. 2 (24)), wherein the detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26, 27)) is preloaded and/or spring-mounted in the direction of the rack section (Fig. 1 (8)) by a spring element of the guide device.
Regarding claim 11, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26, 27)) and/or an axis of rotation of the detection gear wheel is rotatably mounted and/or guided in an at least one rotary holder (Fig. 2 (inside element 24)), wherein the rotary holder (Fig. 2 (inside element 24)) is formed as a constituent part of a housing, and wherein the rotary holder (Fig. 2 (inside element 24)) has a segment-like or polygonal contour.
Regarding claim 13, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26, 27)), the sensor (paragraphs 35, 106) and/or the rotation counter is assigned to a housing, wherein the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)) is displaceable relative to the housing.
Regarding claim 14, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 13, wherein an axis of rotation of the detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26, 27)) is connected to the housing (Fig. 2 (in the vicinity of element 24)).
Regarding claim 15, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 2, wherein an evaluation unit and/or a control unit is connected to the detection device, wherein a position of the steering element can be or is determined by the evaluation unit and/or the control unit using data signals obtained from, a magnetic sensor and a rotation counter, the detection device, the magnetic sensor and the rotation counter being integrated in a common circuit (paragraphs 35, 106).
Regarding claim 16, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rack section (Fig. 1 (8)) is formed as a one-piece constituent part of the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)), or wherein the rack section (Fig. 1 (8)) is formed as an independent component, the rack section (Fig. 1 (8)) being firmly connected to the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)).
Regarding claim 17, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) and the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)) are mounted in a housing (Fig. 2 (in the vicinity of element 24)) so as to be rotatable relative to each other without contact, wherein the steering element (Fig. 1 (8a)) is linearly displaceable relative to the housing (Fig. 2 (in the vicinity of element 24)).
Regarding claim 18, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 6, wherein, in order to implement a redundancy, the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) is assigned a first magnetic sensor for detecting a rotational position of the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) (paragraph 131) and a first rotation counter for detecting a number of revolutions of the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)), and the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)) is assigned a second magnetic sensor for detecting the rotational position of the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)) (paragraph 131) and a second rotation counter for detecting a number of revolutions of the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)).
Regarding claim 19, the modified invention of Takayanagi discloses the steering system as claimed in claim 7, wherein, in order to implement a redundancy, the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) is assigned a first magnetic sensor for detecting a rotational position of the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)) (paragraph 131) and a first rotation counter for detecting a number of revolutions of the first detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (26)), and the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)) is assigned a second magnetic sensor for detecting the rotational position of the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)) (paragraph 131) and a second rotation counter for detecting a number of revolutions of the second detection gear wheel (Fig. 2 (27)).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takayanagi, in view of Swieter as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Jeon (US PG Pub No. 2022/0348250), hereinafter “Jeon”.
The modified invention of Takayanagi discloses a steering system as claimed in claim 1.
The modified invention of Takayanagi fails to disclose a steer-by-wire steering.
However, Jeon discloses a steer-by-wire steering (Jeon (Abstract)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Takayanagi by incorporating the teachings of Jeon in order to have a system that provides greater design flexibility.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s remarks filed on March 25, 2026 have been fully considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to the current rejection.
Applicant’s amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Conclusion
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/O.M/Examiner, Art Unit 3747
/LINDSAY M LOW/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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