DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5-7, 9, 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Inagaki (U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,437).
Regarding claim 1 and 7, Inagaki discloses a vehicle, comprising:
a frame (24);
two drive elements coupled to the frame, wherein the two drive elements are configured to be driven independently of each other (abstract);
steering controls (6) configured to receive an operator input; and
a steering system, comprising: a first steerable wheel (1 on the right of fig. 5) coupled to a first wheel gear (shown between 2 and 1 in fig. 5 on the right) and a second steerable wheel (1 on the left of fig. 5) coupled to a second wheel gear (shown between 2 and 1 in fig. 5 on the left);
a steering motor (5) controller configured to receive an input signal based at least in part on the operator input and to generate a motor control signal based on the input signal; and
a steering motor (5) configured to rotate a driven steering gear (2 on the right) based on the motor control signal, wherein the driven steering gear is mechanically linked (3) to a linked steering gear (2 on the left) such that the linked steering gear is configured to rotate with the driven steering gear, wherein the driven steering gear is coupled to the first wheel gear (shown between 2 and 1 in fig. 5 on the right) such that rotation of the driven steering gear rotates the first wheel gear and the first steerable wheel to a first angle, and wherein the linked steering gear is coupled to the second wheel gear (shown between 2 and 1 in fig. 5 on the left) such that rotation of the linked steering gear rotates the second wheel gear and the second steerable wheel to a second angle.
Regarding claim 3 and 9 which depends from claim 1 and 7 respectively, Inagaki discloses wherein, when the first angle and the second angle are non-zero, the first angle is one of greater or lesser than the second angle (shown clearly in fig. 4 which is discussed as a possible combination in col. 5, lines 45-47).
Regarding claim 5 and 11 which depends from claim 1 and 7 respectively, Inagaki discloses wherein the driven steering gear is mechanically linked to the linked steering gear via a panhard bar (shown in fig. 5 3 is the bar which provides lateral movement which is the function of a panhard bar).
Regarding claim 6 and 12 which depends from claim 1 and 7 respectively, Inagaki discloses wherein the input signal is based at least in part on a speed of the vehicle (col. 4, lines 10-18).
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, 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) 2, 4, 8, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inagaki (U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,437) as applied to claims 1, 3, 7, 9 above, and in view of Schaedler (U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,659).
Regarding claim 2 and 8 which depends from claim 1 and 7 respectively, Inagaki does not disclose wherein the driven steering gear, the linked steering gear, the first wheel gear, and the second wheel gear are non-circular gears.
Schaedler, which deals in steering, teaches wherein the driven steering gear, the linked steering gear, the first wheel gear, and the second wheel gear are non-circular gears (col. 3, lines 46-53).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Inagaki with the gears of Schaedler because this allows for gears that define the desired turn radius (col. 3, liens 46-53).
Regarding claim 4 and 10 which depends from claim 3 and 9 respectively, Schaedler discloses wherein the combination of the first angle and the second angle provide Ackermann steering for the vehicle (col. 7, lines 64-67).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please review when considering a response to this office action.
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GONZALO LAGUARDA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3747 email: gonzalo.laguarda@uspto.gov
/GONZALO LAGUARDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747