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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 14-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 14 recites the limitation " the at least four inlet valves.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims. Claims 15-26 are also rejected for being dependent on a rejected base claim.
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.
Claims 14- are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zimmermann (DE 102017216617)
Regarding Claim 14 Zimmermann teaches a brake system for a motor vehicle having at least four hydraulically actuatable wheel brakes (8a-d), said brake system comprising: a first electrically actuatable pressure source (5); a first electronic control device (A); a second electrically actuatable pressure source (2); wherein the first pressure source (5) and the second pressure source (2) are connected to a brake supply line (13a-b) to which the at least four inlet valves (6a-6d) are connected (Fig 1); an electrically actuatable inlet valve (6a-d) for each wheel brake (Fig 1); an electrically actuatable outlet valve (7a-d) for each wheel brake (Fig 1); a second electronic control device (B); and a pressure medium reservoir (4); an electrically actuatable circuit separation valve (62)arranged in the brake supply line (13a-b) in such a manner that, when the circuit separation valve (62) is closed, the brake supply line (13a-b) is hydraulically separated into a first line section (13b) and a second line section (13a), wherein the first line section (13b) is hydraulically connected to the second pressure source (2) and at least two (6a-b) of the at least four inlet valves (6a-6d), and the second line section (13a) is hydraulically connected to the first pressure source (5) and the other two (6c-6d) of the at least four inlet valves (6a-6d); wherein the first electronic control device (A) activates the first pressure source (5), the second electronic control device (B) activates the second pressure source (2) and the inlet and outlet valves (6a-d,7a-d) and the circuit separation valve (62) is activated by the second electronic control device (B) (see Fig 1, par.0063).
Regarding Claim 15 Zimmermann teaches a first electrical partition (collection of devices linked to controller A) and a second electrical partition (collection of devices linked to controller B) which are electrically independent of one another (Controllers A and B are separate and independent), wherein the first pressure source (5) and the first electronic control device (A) are assigned to the first electrical partition (Collection) and the second pressure source (5), the second electronic control device (B), the inlet and outlet valves(6-7a-b), and the circuit separation valve (62) are assigned to the second electrical partition (collection of devices linked to controller B) (Fig 1, Par.0059-0064).
Regarding Claim 16 Zimmermann teaches wherein the first pressure source (5) is activated exclusively by the first electronic control device (A) and the second pressure source (2), the inlet and outlet valves (6-7A-B), and the circuit separation valve (62) are activated exclusively by the second electronic control device (SEE Fig 1, Par.0063).
Regarding Claim 17 Zimmermann teaches further comprising: a first structural unit (housing of first control unit A) in which the first electrically actuatable pressure source (5) is arranged and which includes the first electronic control device (A); and a second structural unit (housing of second electronic unit B) in which the second electrically actuatable pressure source (2), the electrically actuatable inlet and outlet valves and the circuit separation valve (62) are arranged and which includes the second electronic control device (Fig 1 par.0008).
Regarding Claim 20 Zimmermann teaches wherein the first pressure source (5) is connected to the brake supply line (13a-b) via an electrically actuatable first separation valve (26), wherein the separation valve (62)is activated by the second electronic control device (B) (Fig 1 par.0065)
Regarding Claim 21 Zimmermann teaches wherein the first separation valve (26) is designed to be normally open (See Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 22 Zimmermann teaches wherein the first pressure source (5) is connected to the pressure medium reservoir (4) via an electrically actuatable second separation valve (27) (then via chamber 72 and check valve 22), wherein the second separation valve (27) is activated by the first electronic control device (A) (claim 1).
Regarding Claim 23 Zimmermann teaches wherein the second separation valve (27) is designed to be normally open (Claim 2).
Regarding Claim 24 Zimmermann teaches wherein the first pressure source (5) is connected to the pressure medium reservoir (4) via a check valve (22) (the low path is valve 26,61, 27, chamber72 and check valve 22) which opens in the direction of the first pressure source (5) (Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 25 Zimmermann teaches wherein, in addition to the first and second pressure source, the brake system does not include a further pressure source for building up a brake pressure for actuating the wheel brakes (Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 26 Zimmermann teaches further comprising an actuating unit (1) for a vehicle driver, wherein the actuating unit is connected to at least one electronic control device (25, 65) for transmitting a driver demand signal and wherein there is no mechanical-hydraulic connection from the actuating unit to the wheel brakes (8a-8d)
Allowable subject matter
Claims 18-19 are rejected but would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the above stated 112 rejection and including all the limitations of the base claims and all the intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/ABIY TEKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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