DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the communication filed July 9, 2026 for the above identified patent 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, 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) 16, 17, and 20-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Luttinen et al. (USP 8,864,153) in view of Leibl (USP 9,238,394).
Luttinen teaches a vehicle comprising: a rear axle mounted axial drive steering gear (20) positioned forward of a rear wheel center axis (Fig. 1); vehicle propulsion system component mounting means (22) for mounting a vehicle propulsion system component (14), wherein the vehicle propulsion system component mounting means are configured to locate a pitch axis (at 34) of the vehicle propulsion system component, forward of the rear wheel center axis; and a vehicle propulsion system component, wherein the vehicle propulsion system component is a differential (14).
Luttinen does not teach the vehicle having a rear axle mounted active roll control unit positioned forward of the rear wheel center axis. However, it was known to configure a vehicle with the claimed active roll control unit. For example, Leibl teaches a vehicle having a rear axle mounted active roll control unit (37, or 51) positioned forward of the rear wheel center axis (Fig. 1), and positioned below a differential (26, Fig, 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed device to provide the vehicle arrangement of Luttinen with a rear axle mounted active roll control unit positioned forward of the rear wheel axis and below the differential, as taught by Leibl, motivation being to provide a compact stabilizer arrangement for controlling the pitch and/or roll movements of the vehicle
Claim 17: Luttinen teaches the vehicle propulsion system component mounting means comprises four independent vibration isolators (34), two vibration isolators located at a front of the vehicle propulsion system component and two vibration isolators located at a rear of the vehicle propulsion system component.
Claim 20: Luttinen modified with Leibl inherently teaches at least a portion of differential extends between the axial drive steering gear and the active roll control unit such that each one of said at least a portion of the differential, at least a portion of the axial drive steering gear and at least a portion of the active roll unit overlap in a vertical plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
Claim 21: Luttinen illustrates (Fig. 1) the axial drive steering gear is positioned above (at least portions thereof) the active roll control unit.
Claim 22: Luttinen illustrates (Fig. 1) the axial drive steering gear converts linear motion to torque about a kingpin axis (52), the axial drive steering gear being positioned forward of the kingpin axis.
Claims 23-26: Leibl illustrates (Fig. 4) the vehicle having a left side suspension unit and a right side suspension unit, an active roll control unit (51) positioned between a vehicle centerline and one of the left side suspension unit or right side suspension unit, on a first side of the vehicle centerline, to which a first end of the active roll control unit is coupled; a second end of the active roll control unit is coupled to the other of the left side suspension unit or right side suspension unit on a second side of the vehicle centerline, a cranked bar (39); the cranked bar provides space for one or more vehicle components to be located beneath the cranked bar, within a vertical extent of the vehicle rear axle arrangement defined by the axial drive steering gear and the active roll control unit; the active roll control unit is an electric active roll control unit.
Claim 27: Luttinen teaches the vehicle comprises an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft (column 3, lines 31-42, and elsewhere), which is located along the vehicle centerline.
Claim 28: Luttinen does not teach the vehicle comprises vehicle loadspace with a substantially horizontal floor capable of receiving a third row of passenger seats, the third row of passenger seats providing a passenger foot well positioned vertically above the rear axle mounted axial drive steering gear. However, providing the claimed loadspace would have been within the skill of one in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed device to provide the vehicle of Luttinen with a substantially horizontal floor capable of receiving a third row of passenger seats, the third row of passenger seats providing a passenger foot well positioned vertically above the rear axle mounted axial drive steering gear, motivation being to provide a vehicle compartment capable of accommodating a predetermined number of passengers.
Claim 29: The combination of Luttinen modified with Leibl teaches the claimed positioning of the axial drive steering gear and the active roll control unit. More specifically, Luttinen illustrates the axial drive steering gear (20) positioned above the vehicle differential (14), and Leibl illustrates the active roll control unit (37 or 51) positioned below the vehicle differential (26). When the teachings of Luttinen and Leibl are combined, the result is a suspension arrangement with the axial drive steering gear and the active roll control unit being separated by a vertical distance along at least a central portion of their respective widthwise extents, the widthwise extent of each of the axial drive steering gear and the active roll control unit being defined in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle centerline in a generally horizontal plane.
Claim 30: Luttinen teaches a frame cross-member (24,26) positioned within the vertical extent defined between the axial drive steering gear and the differential (14). Accordingly, the combination of Luttinen modified with Leibl would include a frame cross-member positioned within the vertical extent defined between the axial drive steering gear of Luttinen and the active roll control unit of Leibl.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18 and 19 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not teach a vehicle having the claimed arrangement of suspension components; including two vibration isolators at the front of the vehicle propulsion system component are of higher stiffness than the two vibration isolators at the rear of the vehicle propulsion system component.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 9, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues the combination of Luttinen modified with Leibl does not teach “"the axial drive steering gear and the active roll control unit are separated, at least in part, by a vertical distance sufficient for a front of the differential and/or a drive shaft connected to the differential, to be located between the axial drive steering gear and the active roll control unit." This argument is not persuasive because the suspension arrangement produced by combining the teachings of Luttinen and Leibl require the claimed positioning of components. More clearly, Luttinen illustrates the axial drive steering gear (20) positioned above the vehicle differential (14), and Leibl illustrates the active roll control unit (37 or 51) positioned below the vehicle differential (26). When the teachings of Luttinen and Leibl are combined, the result is a suspension arrangement with the axial drive steering gear and the active roll control unit being separated by the vertical distance, wherein the differential is positioned between the axial drive steering gear and the active roll control unit.
In view of the foregoing, the claims stand rejected as being anticipates by the combined teaching of Luttinen and Leibl.
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 inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM C JOYCE whose telephone number is (571)272-7107. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached at 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM C JOYCE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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