DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/21/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstract is written in multiple sentences. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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 1-8, 12, 14-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Johann (DE 10202115785 B3).
Regarding claim 1, Johann discloses a vehicle drum brake (1 in fig. 1), comprising:
a drum (2) having an inner friction surface (21) formed circumferentially,
a brake carrier (13), which is arranged within the drum (2) in such a way that it can move in rotation relative to the drum about a drum axis,
a brake lining assembly (31-33), which is arranged on the brake carrier (13), wherein the brake lining assembly has a plurality of radially movable lining carriers (33), on each of which a brake lining segment (31-32) is provided, facing the friction surface (21),
an actuating ring (6, 7 in fig. 5), wherein the actuating ring (6, 7) is displaceable along the drum axis and rotatable about the drum axis (note figs. 10a-10d), wherein the actuating ring includes a displacement surface arrangement (6 in fig. 8), which is operatively connected to the lining carriers (33),
wherein the displacement surface arrangement (6) is sized and arranged such that both axial displacement and rotary movement of the actuating ring (6, 7) causes a respective synchronous radial movement of each of the lining carriers (33).
Re-claim 2, Johann discloses the actuating ring (6, 7) is coupled to a first actuator that causes the axial displacement of the actuating ring (note the ring 6 can be displaced parallel to the axis of rotation D of the brake drum 2 from a non-braking position into a braking position by displacing the service brake piston 42 of the brake cylinder arrangement 4), wherein the actuating ring (6, 7) is coupled to a second actuator (75-77) that causes out the rotary movement of the actuating ring, and wherein the first and second actuators are kinematically decoupled from one another.
Re-claim 3, Johann discloses the actuating ring (6, 7) is axially displaceable between a first, retracted, axial position and a second, extended, axial position, wherein the axial displacement from the first axial position to the second axial position is converted in a radial direction into a first stroke length of the brake lining assembly (note figs. 10c-10d), and wherein the actuating ring is rotatable between a first rotational position and a second rotational position, wherein the rotary movement from the first rotational position to the second rotational position is converted in a radial direction into a second stroke length of the brake lining assembly (note figs. 10a-10b).
Re-claim 4, Johann discloses the first stroke length and the second stroke length differ, wherein the larger of the two stroke lengths defines a range of movement for an application and release movement of a main braking function of the drum brake (note figs. 10c-10d), and the smaller of the two stroke lengths defines a range of movement for a release clearance adjustment of the drum brake (note figs. 10a-10b).
Re-claim 5, Johann discloses the first stroke length (note the displacement of the brake shoes 3 during service braking as shown in fig. 10c) is larger than the second stroke length (note the displacement of the brake shoes 3 during service braking as shown in fig. 10b).
Re-claim 6, Johann discloses the displacement surface arrangement (6 in fig. 8) has a displacement surface which faces the brake lining assembly (31-33) and which interacts with the brake lining assembly in such a way that a movement of the displacement surface is converted into the radial movement of the lining carriers (note figs. 10a-10d).
Re-claim 7, Johann discloses the displacement surface (6 in fig. 8) has a rising profile, relative to the drum axis, from the first axial position (note the displacement of the brake shoes 3 during service braking as shown in fig. 10b), along the drum axis, in the direction of the second axial position, which profile defines the first stroke length (note the displacement of the brake shoes 3 during the operation as shown in fig. 10c).
Re-claim 8, Johann discloses the displacement surface (6 in fig. 8) is divided into a plurality of surface segments, wherein each of the lining carriers (31-33) is assigned a dedicated surface segment.
Re-claim 12, Johann discloses the first actuator is a pneumatic actuator (note a first pressurized fluid inlet 81 and a second pressurized fluid inlet 82 for the supply/removal of compressed air into the service brake pressure chamber 45 and the parking brake pressure chamber 46 as shown in fig. 1).
Re-claim 14, Johann discloses the second actuator (75-77) is coupled to the actuating ring (6, 7) by way of a mechanism (77).
Re-claim 15, Johann discloses the actuating ring includes a plurality of gear teeth (74), and the mechanism (77) is a gear mechanism, wherein the gear mechanism (77) is coupled to the plurality of gear teeth (74).
Re-claim 16, Johann discloses the displacement surface (6 in fig. 8) is divided into a plurality of surface segments, wherein each of the lining carriers (31-33) is assigned a dedicated surface segment.
Re-claim 17, Johann discloses the surface segments (6) have a convex profile.
Re-claim 18, Johann discloses each of the surface segments (6) has a rising profile (note the displacement of the brake shoes 3 during service braking as shown in fig. 10b), relative to the drum axis, from the first axial position, along the drum axis, in the direction of the second axial position, which profile defines the first stroke length (note the displacement of the brake shoes 3 during service braking as shown in fig. 10c).
Re-claim 20, Johann discloses the displacement surface (6) is segmented such that, for a given rotary position of the actuating ring (6, 7) about the axis, an axial displacement (note figs. 10c-10d) of the actuating ring (6, 7) in the direction of the axis causes the same radial displacement of each of the lining carriers (31-33), wherein the rotary position (note figs. 10a-10b) of the actuating ring (6, 7) is adjustable to account for wear to the brake linings (31) over time, wherein axial movement of the ring (6, 7) translates the lining carriers (31-33) toward the friction surface during a braking operation (note the ring 6 can be displaced parallel to the axis of rotation D of the brake drum 2 from a non-braking position into a braking position by displacing the service brake piston 42 of the brake cylinder arrangement 4); wherein a first actuator effects the axial movement (note the displacement of the brake shoes 3 during service braking as shown in fig. 10b); wherein a second actuation, independent of the first actuator, effects the rotary movement (note the displacement of the brake shoes 3 during the operation as shown in fig. 10c), such that the rotary movement and the axial movement may separately and independently effected (note an individual representation of the arrangement of the brake shoes 3 on the wedge ring 6 and the arrangement of the wedge ring 6 on the threaded sleeve 71 of the adjustment device 7 as shown in figs. 8-9).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
Claims 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johann (DE 10202115785 B3) in view of Hoffmann (DE 10230008 A1).
Regarding claim 13, Johann discloses all claimed limitations as set forth above including the second actuator (75) but fails to disclose the second actuator is being an electric motor actuator. However, Hoffman discloses a brake system comprising a first actuator (21-22) and a second actuator (36), wherein the second actuator is being an electric motor (38) coupled to a wedge (24) having friction brake lining (18). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the before the effective filing date of the present application was made to modify the brake system of Johann to use an electric motor as the second actuator as taught by Hoffman will provide more effective controllability of the brake lining and thus improving the braking operation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-11 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHBUBUR RASHID whose telephone number is (571)272-7218. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am to 10pm EST.
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/MAHBUBUR RASHID/Examiner, Art Unit 3616
/Robert A. Siconolfi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3616
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