DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
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 .
Status of Claims
This is the first office action on the merits of Application No. 18/845,204 filed on 09/09/2024. Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1 and 13 are independent claims.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim limitation “said pump means” in line 1 should be ---said pump--. Appropriate correction is required.
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 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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ENDERS et al. (WO 2021223799 A1)(hereinafter “ENDERS”)(English translation relied upon as attached).
Regarding claim 1, ENDERS discloses a hydraulic clutch assembly (e.g. 12, figs. 1-5), comprising:
a housing (not shown);
a cooling path (e.g. coolant line 14, fig. 2, para 26) within said housing;
a piston actuation path (e.g. actuation line 17, fig. 2) within said housing;
a pump (13) in selective communication with said cooling path (14) and said piston actuation path (17, para 28) for introducing pressurized hydraulic fluid into said cooling path and said piston actuation path; and
a single motor(22) interconnected with and driving said pump.
Regarding claim 2, ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly (fig. 2) as recited in claim 1, wherein said single motor (22) is a reversible motor. (please note: the pump 13 is reversible and driven by the motor 22, therefore, the motor is reversible, see para 29)
Regarding claim 3, ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly (fig. 2) as recited in claim 2, wherein said pump (13) comprises a single hydraulic pump mutually exclusively driving said cooling path (14) and said piston actuation path (17), dependent upon a direction of rotation of said reversible motor. (see paras 26-27)
Regarding claim 4, ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein said piston actuation path (17) comprises a proportional valve (e.g. 21) in communication with a piston cavity (18) maintaining a piston therein (has no character numeral, see fig. 2, abstract), and a check valve (has no character numeral, see fig. 2) interposed between said piston cavity (e.g. 18) and said single hydraulic pump (13).
Regarding claim 5, ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly (fig. 2) as recited in claim 4, wherein said proportional valve (21) is normally open and closes upon said piston cavity (18) reaching an actuating pressure.
Regarding claim 6, ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly (fig. 4b) as recited in claim 5, wherein said check valve and said proportional valve (21) hold said actuating pressure within said piston cavity (18) when said direction of rotation of said reversible motor drives said cooling path.
Regarding claim 7, ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly (fig. 2) as recited in claim 6, but fails to disclose wherein said cooling path comprises a cooler (heat exchanger 16, fig. 2) in communication with oil cooling passageways (14) within said housing.
Regarding claim 8, ENDERS discloses The hydraulic clutch assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said single motor is a unidirectional motor. (please note: motor 22 can also act as unidirectional motor)
Claims 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by LIANG (CN 110725869 A)(hereinafter “LIANG”).
Regarding claim 13, LIANG discloses a hydraulic clutch assembly (figs. 1-3) adaptable for implementation with alternative sources of hydraulic oil, comprising:
a housing (see fig. 2);
a piston (e.g. 13, fig. 1) operative within a piston cavity within said housing,
said cavity being in a first selective fluid communication (e.g. via oil passage 36, 38, P1) see fig. 2) with oil cooling passageways (e.g. 36, 37, 40, 41) within said housing;
an inlet in said housing in a second selective fluid communication (has no numerical character, via oil passage 37, 39, P2, see fig. 2) with said oil cooling passageways (36, 37); and
wherein said first and second selective fluid communications are mutually exclusive of each other. (see page 4, para 3 “The first connecting oil passage 36 communicates with the clutch cylinder and the first radial oil outlet, and the second connecting oil passage 37 communicates with the return spring 20 and the second Radial oil outlet;”)
Regarding claim 14, LIANG discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly adaptable for implementation with alternative sources of hydraulic oil according to claim 13, wherein said mutually exclusive communications are achieved by a selective interpositioning of plugs (e.g. 27, 26) within certain of said first and second selective fluid communications.
Regarding claim 15, LIANG discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly adaptable for implementation with alternative sources of hydraulic oil according to claim 14, wherein said plugs (e.g. throttle plug 27, ball plug 26) are taken from a group comprising solid plugs (e.g. ball plug 26) precluding fluid communication and orifice plugs (27) restricting fluid communication.
Regarding claim 16, LIANG discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly adaptable for implementation with alternative sources of hydraulic oil according to claim 15, wherein said orifice plugs (e.g. throttle plug 27) effect a pressure and flow of fluid through said oil cooling passageways.
Claims 1-3 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by BAHR et al. (US 20230287906 A1)(hereinafter “BAHR”).
Regarding claim 1, BAHR discloses a hydraulic clutch assembly (e.g. 10, figs. 1-3), comprising:
a housing (49, fig. 1, para 39);
a cooling path (e.g. 14, fig. 1) within said housing;
a piston actuation path (16, fig. 1, para 24) within said housing;
a pump (18, para 25) in selective communication with said cooling path (14) and said piston actuation path (16) for introducing pressurized hydraulic fluid into said cooling path and said piston actuation path; and
a single motor(24, fig. 1, para 26) interconnected with and driving said pump.
Regarding claim 2, BAHR discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly (fig. 1) as recited in claim 1, wherein said single motor (28) is a reversible motor. (see para 24)
Regarding claim 3, BAHR discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly (e.g. 10, fig. 1) as recited in claim 2, wherein said pump (18) comprises a single hydraulic pump mutually exclusively driving said cooling path (see fig. 3, para 57) and said piston actuation path (see fig. 2, para 50), dependent upon a direction of rotation of said reversible motor. (see fig. 3)
Regarding claim 8, BAHR discloses The hydraulic clutch assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said single motor is a unidirectional motor. (please note: motor 24 can also act as unidirectional motor)
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.
Claims 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ENDERS et al. (WO 2021223799 A1) in view of PAWLENKA et al. (DE 102014105160 A1)(hereinafter “PAWLENKA”).
Regarding claim 9, ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly as recited in claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein said pump means comprises a first hydraulic pump driving said cooling path and a second hydraulic pump driving said actuation path, said motor driving said hydraulic pumps in unison.
PAWLENKA teaches a similar kind of hydraulic clutch assembly (10A, fig. 4) wherein said pump means (24) comprises a first hydraulic pump (104) driving said cooling path (44A) and a second hydraulic pump (102) driving said actuation path (12), said motor driving said hydraulic pumps in unison. (see para 116)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify ENDERS by substituting said pump with two pumps as taught by PAWLENKA, such as a single motor can to be provided which provides cooling independently of the actuation of the clutch, therefore this results in considerable advantages in terms of cost, package or weight. (e.g. see para 16 of PAWLENKA)
Regarding claim 10, ENDERS/ PAWLENKA discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly as modified according to claim 9, PAWLENKA further discloses wherein said first hydraulic pump (104) operates at a higher flow rate and lower pressure than said second hydraulic pump (102). (see para 117 “The pumps 102, 104 can be optimized for their respective application purpose. Thus, the actuation pump 102 may be configured to establish high pressures in the first branch 30A. On the other hand, the cooling pump 104 may be configured to deliver high volume flows.”)
Regarding claim 11, ENDERS/ PAWLENKA discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly as modified according to claim 10, PAWLENKA further discloses wherein said actuation path (17) comprises a first valve (21) providing hydraulic fluid at a set pressure to a second valve (e.g. 31 and check valve) sufficient to ensure said second valve maintains actuation of a piston in said piston actuation path.
Regarding claim 12, ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly as recited in claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein said selective communication of said pump with said cooling path and said piston actuation path causes said hydraulic fluid to be introduced into said cooling path at a greater flow rate and less pressure than into said piston actuation path.
PAWLENKA teaches a similar kind of hydraulic clutch assembly (10A, fig. 4) wherein said selective communication of a pump assembly (24, fig. 4) with said cooling path (44a, 16) and a piston actuation path (e.g. 30A, 12) causes said hydraulic fluid to be introduced into said cooling path (16) at a greater flow rate and less pressure than into said piston actuation path (122). (see para 117 “The pumps 102, 104 can be optimized for their respective application purpose. Thus, the actuation pump 102 may be configured to establish high pressures in the first branch 30A. On the other hand, the cooling pump 104 may be configured to deliver high volume flows.”)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify ENDERS by adding said selective communication of said pump with said cooling path and said piston actuation path as taught by PAWLENKA, so that an improved method of actuating a clutch arrangement effectively and efficiently. (e.g. see para 13 of PAWLENKA)
Claims 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LIANG (CN 110725869 A) in view of ENDERS et al. (WO 2021223799 A1).
Regarding claim 17, LIANG discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly adaptable for implementation with alternative sources of hydraulic oil according to claim 16, but fails to disclose an oil filter interposed between said oil cooling passageways and said first and second selective fluid communications.
ENDERS teaches a similar kind of hydraulic clutch assembly (e.g. 5, figs. 1-5) wherein an oil filter (has no character numeral see fig. 2) interposed between said oil cooling passageways (e.g. 14, 17) and said first and second selective fluid communications.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify LIANG by adding an oil filter as taught by ENDERS, so that chocking effect can be avoided due to the foreign matter.
Regarding claim 18, LIANG / ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly adaptable for implementation with alternative sources of hydraulic oil as modified according to claim 17, LIANG further discloses wherein said first selective fluid communication is blocked by a solid plug (e.g. 26).
ENDERS further teaches said second selective fluid communication is open to a cooler (16, fig. 2), and further comprising a hydraulic control power unit (e.g. 23, 26, fig. 2) interposed between said cooler (16) and a piston cavity (18, fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify LIANG by adding a cooler as taught by ENDERS, in order to simultaneously bring about particularly efficient cooling during the lubrication of the transmission.
Regarding claim 19, LIANG / ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly adaptable for implementation with alternative sources of hydraulic oil as modified according to claim 18, LIANG further discloses a piston control path (P1, 38, 36), and cooling path (e.g. P2, 39, 37, 40, 41), but fails to disclose a hydraulic oil sump.
ENDERS further discloses wherein said hydraulic control power unit (23, 26) comprises a reversible motor (e.g. 22) interposed among a hydraulic oil sump (24), piston control path (17), and cooling path (14).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify LIANG by adding a reversible motor and a hydraulic oil sump as taught by ENDERS, in order to have a proper hydraulic fluid source so that the hydraulic fluid can be sucked in by the pump and the pump can be driven by a reversible motor.
Regarding claim 20, LIANG / ENDERS discloses the hydraulic clutch assembly adaptable for implementation with alternative sources of hydraulic oil as modified according to claim 19, ENDERS further discloses wherein a rotational direction of said motor (22, fig. 2 ENDERS) of controls passage of hydraulic oil alternatively between said piston control path (17) and cooling path (14).
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure.
Kubo et al. (US 20210324921 A1) discloses a clutch device including a set of control valves controlling a hydraulic fluid supplied from a pump to a corresponding one of cylinder chambers. An oil passage distributes the hydraulic fluid discharged from the pump to the control valves. The oil passage includes a split point at which the fluid splits. A check valve is provided between the split point and the control valve, where the check valve blocks a flow of the fluid in a direction from the valve toward the point. A positive clutch transmits torque by meshing, and a positive clutch is meshed with the positive clutch.
VAN DRUTEN et al. (US 20200378492 A1) discloses a similar kind of hydraulic clutch assembly (16, figs. 1-10) A hydraulic system for a vehicle transmission with at least two friction elements, the system comprising a first hydraulic circuit comprising a pump for supplying hydraulic fluid to the first hydraulic circuit. A flow restriction may be provided in the first hydraulic circuit between an output of the pump and a sump for providing leakage of hydraulic fluid into the sump. Further, a second hydraulic circuit comprising a second pump may be arranged, wherein the hydraulic pressure in the first circuit is higher compared to the second circuit.
Matsufuji (US 5669479 A) teaches a similar kind of hydraulic clutch assembly (e.g. 43, figs. 1-13) wherein an oil filter (64, fig. 5) interposed between said oil cooling passageways (e.g. 63, 47, 45,) and said first and second selective fluid communications.
Conclusion
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/F.P/Examiner, Art Unit 3655
/FARHANA PERVIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3655