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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 27 recites the limitation "the truck-trailer valve" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 14-18 and 21-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2010/0237690 A1 to Forster et al.
Re-claim 14, Forster et al. disclose a braking system for an electronic park brake control system or a global scalable air treatment system of a trailer-vehicle combination, comprising:
at least one truck park brake chamber 33;
at least one truck park brake supply port 21/22;
at least one secondary supply port 7/8;
at least one secondary supply valve 27;
at least one control valve 30,
the control valve 30 comprises a fluid connection to the at least one truck park brake chamber 33 (via line 31 and connection 32), the at least one secondary supply valve 27 (via line 29) and the truck park brake supply port 21/22 (via line 15 and 37),
the at least one secondary supply valve 27 comprises a fluid connection to the secondary supply port and to the control valve (via line 28),
the at least one secondary supply 27 valve comprises a fluid connection to the at least one truck park brake chamber 33 via the control valve 30 such that the at least one truck park brake chamber 33 is providable with pressure fluid via the truck park brake supply port and/or the secondary supply port, to allow for pressure fluid to be provided from a primary pressure fluid source (from lines 19/20) via the truck park brake supply port and/or from a secondary pressure fluid source 3 or 4) via the secondary supply port to the at least one truck park brake chamber 33 (see at least paragraph 38).
Re-claim 15, the control valve 30 is a select high valve.
Re-claim 16, the truck park brake supply port and the secondary supply port are capable of providing pressure fluid to the truck park brake chamber from different, redundant, sources of pressure fluid. The fluid reservoirs constitute two sources of pressurized fluid, each of which can supply fluid to one supply port while the other can supply fluid to the other supply port.
Re-claim 17, the source of pressure fluid comprises the primary pressure fluid source and the secondary pressure fluid source (see reservoirs 3 and 4, as well as tank 84).
Re-claim 18, a trailer control line port for providing pressure fluid to a trailer service brake; and at least one truck-trailer valve, wherein a fluid connection between a primary pressure fluid source, the truck park brake supply port and/or the trailer control line port is providable via the at least one truck- trailer valve such that at least a comparable fluid pressure can be applied at the trailer control line port or at the truck park brake supply port or at both of them simultaneously.
Re-claim 21, a sensor unit 72 detects a fluid pressure in the fluid connection between the truck park brake supply port and the control valve. Forster et al. show various pressure sensor arrangements, one of which is disposed adjacent valve 2 and receives pressure from lines 15 and 37.
Re-claim 22, the secondary supply valve 27 is provided as an integral part of an electronic park brake control system 1.
Re-claim 23, the secondary supply port 7/8 comprises a fluid connection (such as 17) to a trailer tank (as part of a trailer supply line 16) as a secondary pressure fluid source. Trailers of a tractor trailer combination are known to have fluid pressure tanks.
Re-claim 24, the system is part of a truck-trailer combination.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 25, 26, 28 and 29 are allowed.
Claim 19 and 20 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.
Claim 27 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Bensch and Schnittger each teach a braking system having a control valve receiving plural input pressures. Kasper, Eberling and Ross each teach a trailer having a fluid pressure tank.
Any inquiries concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
examiner should be directed to Thomas Williams whose telephone number is 571-272-7128.
The examiner can normally be reached on Tuesday-Friday from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
supervisor, Robert Siconolfi, can be reached at 571-272-7124. The fax phone number for the
organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding
should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-6584.
TJW /THOMAS J WILLIAMS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616 September 24, 2026
