DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after May 19, 2022, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 11, line 6, “a pump operated by the engine to discharging pressure oil” should read “a pump operated by the engine to discharge pressure oil.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baek In Seon (KR 100542607 B1; hereinafter, ‘Seon’).
Regarding claim 1, Seon discloses: an emergency steering (“title’; figs. 1-6) for a wheeled excavator (‘vehicle’; para. 33), which is installed on the wheeled excavator including an engine (10, para. 33), a steering device (“power steering device”, fig. 3; para. 33) for steering wheels (“steering wheels”; para. 33), and a steering pump (73, para. 33) operated by the engine (10) to supply hydraulic oil (via supply line 32) to the steering device (“steering device”, para. 33)’), the system (“power steering system”; para. 33) comprising:
an emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) configured to selectively supply hydraulic oil (via auxiliary oil tank 31; para. 15) to the steering device [para. 33 further teaches: “auxiliary fluid supply means is used for emergency purposes, and when the fluid supply means driven by the power of the engine (10) fails to perform its normal function”; thus, configured to selectively supply hydraulic oil to the steering device.]
a display unit (“a display unit”; para. 33) that provides operating status (via text, warning light., etc.; para. 33; [para. 33 teaches: “display unit that alerts the driver with text. In addition, it is desirable that the above-mentioned speaker, warning light, or display unit be mounted on the instrument panel inside the vehicle so that the driver can easily identify danger”]) information (via alert) of the emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33); and
a control unit (8, [33]) that checks status of the emergency steering device (via low detection sensor 6; [33]) and causes the display unit (“display unit”) to output the status upon startup of the engine (10). See para. 33 for more details.
Regarding claim 2, Seon further discloses that the emergency steering device includes:
a pump (73, para. 33) operated by the engine (10) to discharge hydraulic oil (via auxiliary oil tank 31; para. 15; fig. 3); and
a switching valve (solenoid valve 5; para. 33) configured to selectively supply hydraulic oil (via tank 31) from the pump (73) to the steering device (fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3, Seon further discloses that the emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) further includes a first information unit (flow detection sensor 6) that provides information on hydraulic oil supplied from the pump (73) to the steering device (“steering device”) through the switching valve (5).
Regarding claim 4, Seon further discloses that the emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) further includes a second information unit (valve controller 51) that provides information on hydraulic oil supplied from (via oil discharge line 71) the steering pump (73) to the steering device (“steering device”; fig. 3).
Regarding claim 5, Seon further discloses that the control unit (8) determines whether the emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) is operating or not based on the information on the hydraulic oil (vial oil tank 71) received from the second information unit (valve controller 51).
Regarding claim 6, Seon further discloses that when the emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) is operated, the display unit (“display unit”; [33]) outputs that the emergency steering device is operating (without warning means 91, when not displayed, claim 4).
Regarding claim 7, Seon further discloses that the pump (73) is configured to supply hydraulic oil to an attachment drive unit (steering gearbox 1; [ para. 33 teaches: “a pump (73) including a motor (731) provided in the auxiliary fluid supply line (72) to supply fluid from the auxiliary oil tank (71) to the steering gearbox (1) through the main fluid supply line (32), and an auxiliary fluid discharge line (74) provided between the third solenoid valve (5) and the auxiliary oil tank (71)]).
Regarding claim 8, Seon further discloses that when checking the status (via text or warning light; [33]) of the emergency steering device, the control unit (8) determines whether the emergency steering device is operable based on the information from the first information unit (flow detection sensor 6; fig. 3 and para. 33).
Regarding claim 9, Seon further discloses that the emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) further includes a first check valve (51) that is opened in one direction (via the third solenoid valve controller (51) by the hydraulic oil supplied from the pump (73) to the steering device (“steering device”).
Regarding claim 10, Seon further discloses that the emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) further includes a second check valve (check valve 4) that is opened in one direction [para. 33 teaches: “in the power steering device, a check valve (4) that prevents backflow (equivalent to “in one direction”) is further provided in the middle of the main fluid supply line (32)], by the hydraulic oil supplied from the steering pump (73) to the steering device (“steering device”; [33]).
Regarding claim 11, Seon discloses: an emergency steering system (“a power steering system equipped with an emergency safety device”; [33]) for a wheeled excavator (“vehicle”; figs. 1-6), which is installed on the wheeled excavator including an engine (10), a steering device for steering wheels (“front wheels”; [33]), a steering pump (73) operated by the engine (10) to supply hydraulic oil (via supply line 32) to the steering device, and a steering hydraulic line that delivers hydraulic oil from the steering pump to the steering device (“steering device”, para. 33), the system (“power steering system”; para. 33) comprising:
a pump (73, [33]) operated by the engine (10) to discharging pressure oil (via “the hydraulic pressure”;[33]);
an emergency hydraulic line (“Auxiliary fluid supply line 73”; [24]) that supplies hydraulic oil discharged from (via oil tank 31; [15]) the pump (73) to the steering hydraulic line (32);
a switching valve (solenoid valve 5; para. 33) configured to selectively supply hydraulic oil passing through (via tank 31) the emergency hydraulic line (73) to the steering device (“steering device”, para. 33)’;
an emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) configured to selectively supply hydraulic oil (via pump 73 and tank 31) to the steering device (“steering device”, para. 33);
a first information unit (flow detection sensor 6) that senses information (via flow detection) on operating status (fig. 6) of the emergency steering device by sensing information (main fluid discharge line 33) on the hydraulic oil passing through the switching valve (check valve 4);
a second information unit (valve controller 51) that senses information on hydraulic oil passing through the steering hydraulic line (via oil discharge line 51);
a display unit (“display unit”; [33]) providing information on operating status (via text, warning lights;[33]) of the emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) and the steering device (“steering device”; [33]); and
a control unit (8) that determines the status of the emergency steering device and the steering device based on the information from the first information unit (sensor 6) and the second information unit (value controller 51) and transmits the determined status (figs. 3 and 6) to the display unit (“display unit”).
Regarding claim 11, Seon further discloses that the emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) includes:
a first check valve (51) disposed on the emergency hydraulic line (“fluid discharge line 33”;[33]) between the switching valve (5) and the steering hydraulic line (74), which opens the emergency hydraulic line in one direction (via the third solenoid valve controller (51)) by hydraulic oil discharged from the pump (73); and
a second check valve (check valve 4) disposed on the steering hydraulic line (32) to prevent hydraulic oil supplied from the emergency hydraulic line from flowing into the steering pump [para. 33 teaches: “in the power steering device, a check valve (4) that prevents backflow (equivalent to “in one direction”) is further provided in the middle of the main fluid supply line (32)”], by the hydraulic oil supplied from the steering pump (73) to the steering device (“steering device”)].
Regarding claim 11, Seon further discloses that the display unit (“a display unit”; para. 33) displays the information (pressure, text warning etc.) on operating status [para. 33 teaches: “display unit that alerts the driver with text. In addition, it is desirable that the above-mentioned speaker, warning light, or display unit be mounted on the instrument panel inside the vehicle so that the driver can easily identify danger”] of the emergency steering device (“emergency safety device”; para. 33) and the steering device (“steering device”; fig. 3) within a certain time after the engine is started (via warning means 91).
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20220186753 A1 to Gabriel discloses: in a hydraulic system, such as for a tractor or other agricultural vehicle, a main supply pump supplies fluid to a steering system through a steering circuit and a second pump supplies fluid to a cooling fan motor.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NABIN KUMAR SHARMA whose telephone number is (703)756-4619. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Friday: 8:00am - 5 PM EST.
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/NABIN KUMAR SHARMA/ Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/VIVEK D KOPPIKAR/ Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3612
August 18, 2026
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