DETAILED ACTION
This is the first Office action on the merits of Application No. 18/871,168. The preliminary amendment filed December 3, 2024 has been entered. Claims 1-19 are currently pending.
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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on December 3, 2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on December 3, 2024. These drawings are acceptable.
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 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 106286631 A (hereinafter, Zhang) in view of GB 2095754 A (hereinafter, Webster).
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Zhang discloses a clutch unit (see Fig. 1) for reversibly coupling a drive side (2) to an output side (3) of a drive train. As best seen in Fig. 2, the clutch unit comprising a linearly moveable shift collar (202) which is sitting on a drive element (201) of the drive side and engages into an outer toothing (2012) of the drive element with an inner toothing (2022), and which can be shifted into a coupling position (the position shown in Fig. 2) from a decoupling position, along the outer toothing, via an output element (303) of the output side, by engaging the inner toothing also into an outer toothing (3031) of the output element, wherein an actuator (101 in Fig. 2) is provided for shifting the shift collar, the actuator comprising a linearly moveable piston (1012) and a shift rod (1014) coupled to the piston and coupled to the shift collar (via fork 102). The actuator of Zhang does not have a spring element supporting the piston axially on the shift rod via during a movement into the coupling position.
Webster discloses a clutch actuator in Fig. 3 comprising a linearly movable piston (35) and a shift rod (output member 40) coupled to the piston and to a shift collar (not numbered) via a fork (F) for reversibly coupling a toothed synchromesh device (56). The piston is axially supported on the shift rod by a spring element (Belleville washer 37).
Webster teaches that by supporting the piston via the spring element 37 (or the equivalent spring 8 in Fig. 1) a cushioning effect is achieved which avoids baulking and excessive wear of the toothed components of the synchronizer by compressing the cushioning spring until synchronism of the toothed synchronizer is achieved, after which the spring pushes the movable member of the clutch into full engagement. See page 2, lines 3-12 and 116-124. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to replace the actuator of Zhang with an actuator as shown in Webster wherein the piston 1012 is supported on the shift rod via a spring element in view of the teaching of Webster that such an arrangement prevents wear of the toothed clutch engagement members and pushes the teeth into engagement once synchronism is achieved.
Regarding claims 2 and 12, the spring element 8 or 37 in the actuator of Webster is a disc spring.
Regarding claims 3 and 13, the piston 35 of Webster is movable along the rod 40 between two stops 52, 53 provided on the rod.
Regarding claims 4 and 14, one side of the spring element 37 of Webster is supported on the piston 35 and the other side of the spring element is supported on the axial stop 53.
Regarding claims 5 and 16, the two axial stops 52, 53 in Webster are formed by respective retaining rings 52, 53 received in respective grooves of the shift rod 40.
Regarding claims 6 and 17, a supporting disk 38 or 39 arranged between the spring element 37 of Webster and the one of the two axial stops 52, 53.
Regarding claims 7 and 15, the piston 35 of Webster comprises an annular indentation; and the spring element 37 is supported by the annular indentation.
Regarding claims 8 and 18, the actuator in both Zhang and Webster is a hydraulically controllable actuator.
Regarding claims 9 and 19, a first sealing element (not numbered) is provided between the piston 35 and rod 40 of Webster and a second sealing element (not numbered) is provided between the piston and a wall 33 of cylinder 50.
Regarding claim 10, the clutch units of both Zhang and Webster are provided in a drive train comprising a drive element and an output element.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent No. 2,802,554 discloses a clutch unit comprising a drive element 188 having outer toothing 182, an output element 189 having outer toothing 192, a shift collar 184 having inner toothing 183 and an actuator having a piston 161, a shift rod 143 and a spring 165 or 166.
U.S. Patent No. 4,280,583 discloses a clutch unit 50 comprising an actuator 100 having a piston 120, a shift rod 110 and a spring 126 or 130.
U.S. Patent No. 6,202,812 discloses a clutch unit comprising a shift collar 28 and an actuator having a piston 46 or 52, a shift rod 49 and a spring 50.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Richard M. Lorence whose telephone number is 571-272-7094. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday-Thursday from 11:00 AM-7:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John R. Olszewski can be reached at 571-272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICHARD M LORENCE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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