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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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, 19-21 and 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Drennen et al (US# 2015/0115778).
Drennen et al disclose all the limitations of the instant claim including; a brake actuator unit for an electromechanical brake, comprising a spindle , a brake piston 225 coupled to the spindle 220, a spindle bearing 240, which receives the spindle and absorbs axial reaction forces of the spindle during the actuation of the brake, and a cup-shaped brake piston bearing section 200, which has a circumferential wall and a base (portion at 245), against which the spindle bearing is supported axially during the actuation of the brake, wherein the brake actuator unit has a strain sensor having at least one sensor element 277, which is arranged on an outer circumference of an axial section 280 of the circumferential wall and is configured to detect a strain of the axial section in a circumferential direction.
Regarding claim 2, the axial section 280 is adjacent to the base (portion at 245).
Regarding claim 3, the outer circumference of the axial section is formed by a circular-cylindrical lateral surface, at least in some section or sections. Figure 2.
Regarding claim 5, the strain sensor has an electrical terminal [0023], which is connected in a signal-transmitting manner to the at least one sensor element.
Regarding claim 19, the strain sensor 277 has a positioning contour (rectangular outline), which is in positive engagement with a complementary positioning contour 275 on the outer circumference of the axial section.
Regarding claim 20, Drennen et al disclose a strain sensor 277 for a brake actuator unit, comprising a spindle, a brake piston coupled to the spindle, a spindle bearing, which receives the spindle and absorbs axial reaction forces of the spindle during actuation of the brake, and a cup-shaped brake piston bearing section, which has a circumferential wall and a base, against which the spindle bearing is supported axially during the actuation of the brake, wherein the strain sensor has at least one sensor element 277, which is arranged on an outer circumference of an axial section 280 of the circumferential wall and is configured to detect a strain of the axial section in a circumferential direction.
Regarding claim 21, the strain sensor has an electrical terminal [0023], which is connected in a signal-transmitting manner to the at least one sensor element.
Regarding claim 27, Drennen et al disclose an electromechanical brake having an electric motor for actuating the brake [0012], which motor is coupled in a torque-transmitting manner to the spindle, having a brake actuator unit according to claim 1.
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 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Drennen et al (US# 2015/0115778) in view of Freshour (US# 2014/0157906).
Regarding claim 4, the at least one sensor element 275 is mounted on a surface 275 on the outer circumference of the axial section, which surface extends in an axial direction and in a tangential direction. Drennen et al lack the explicit disclosure of the surface being a flat surface. It is not clear from the drawings in the mounting surface is flat or curved. Freshour disclose a similar device and specifically teaches sensor elements mounted on flat surfaces [0010]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the recess 275 of Drennen et al to have a flat surface for mounting the sensor, as taught by Freshour, to simplify mounting and improve accuracy of the detection of axial forces.
Claims 9-14, 16, and 25-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Drennen et al (US# 2015/0115778) in view of Yasukawa (US# 2007/0199775).
Regarding claims 9 and 25, the strain sensor has a flexible cable section (at 285), which extends in the circumferential direction around the axial section, at least in some section or sections. Drennen et al lack the specific disclosure of electrical leads with electrical contacts, via which an electrical terminal is connected in a signal-transmitting manner to the at least one sensor element. Yasukawa discloses a similar brake device and further teaches electrical leads 119 with electrical contacts 217, via which an electrical terminal is connected in a signal-transmitting manner to the at least one sensor element 128. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use leads and contacts, such as taught by Yasukawa et al, in the device of Drennen et al, to provide a removable electrical connection which facilitates maintenance of the brake device.
Regarding claims 10 and 26, Yasukawa further teaches pin contacts and a complementary flat socket 404 with the electrical contacts, wherein the pin contacts and the flat socket form a plug-in connection [0053]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use pin and socket connection, such as taught by Yasukawa et al, for connection of the sensor and cable of Drennen et al, to provide a removable electrical connection which facilitates replacement of the sensor.
Regarding claim 11, Drennen et al lack the disclosure of the brake actuator unit having an electronics module having a circuit board and an electrical connecting device, which has electrical connecting leads, each electrical connecting lead having a first connecting contact and an opposite second connecting contact, wherein the connecting device is connected in a signal-transmitting manner via the first connecting contacts to the electrical terminal and via the second connecting contacts to the circuit board. Yasukawa disclose a similar brake device and further teach a brake actuator unit having an electronics module 140 having a circuit board 260 and an electrical connecting device, which has electrical connecting leads 119, each electrical connecting lead having a first connecting contact 217 and an opposite second connecting contact 404, wherein the connecting device is connected in a signal-transmitting manner via the first connecting contacts to the electrical terminal and via the second connecting contacts to the circuit board. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a module and connections such as taught by Yasukawa et al, with the brake of Drennen et al, to facilitate appropriate brake control in compact packaging.
Regarding claim 12, Yasukawa further teaches pin contacts and a complementary flat socket 404 with the electrical contacts, wherein the pin contacts and the flat socket form a plug-in connection [0053]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use pin and socket connection, such as taught by Yasukawa et al, for connection of the sensor and cable of Drennen et al, to provide a removable electrical connection which facilitates replacement of the sensor.
Regarding claim 13, Yasukawa further teaches the plug connector and the socket 404 form a plug-in connection with an axial plug-in direction(s).
Regarding claim 14, Yasukawa further teaches pin contacts and a complementary flat socket 404 with the electrical contacts, wherein the pin contacts and the flat socket form a plug-in connection which extend in the axial direction [0053]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use pin and socket connection, such as taught by Yasukawa et al, for the second connection of Drennon et al and Yasukawa et al, as an obvious alternative connection which provides a removable electrical connection to the circuit board.
Regarding claim 16, Yasukawa teaches the connecting device 219 has a step-shaped profile with axial sections 217/404 and radial sections 402. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a module and connections such as taught by Yasukawa et al, with the brake of Drennen et al, to facilitate appropriate brake control in compact packaging.
Claim 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Drennen et al (US# 2015/0115778) and Yasukawa (US# 2007/0199775), as applied to claim 11 above, in further view of Bayer et al (US# 2006/0102438).
Drennen et al and Yasukawa, as applied above, disclose all the limitations of the instant claims with exception to the disclosure of the connecting leads being formed by a punched grid. Bayer et al disclose a similar brake and further teach connecting leads formed by a punched grid [0016]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a punched grid, such as taught by Bayer et al, for the connection of Drennen et al, to provide economical means of forming the electrical connection.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8, 17-18 and 22-24 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRADLEY T KING whose telephone number is (571)272-7117. The examiner can normally be reached 10:30-5:00 PM.
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/BRADLEY T KING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
BTK
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