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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-22 are currently pending in this application.
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.
Claim(s) 1-12, 13, 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by MUKOHARA (2017/0276036).
Regarding Claim 1, MUKOHARA teaches A lubricant supply system for a motor vehicle comprising: at least one lubricant pump (71)(72) configured to convey a lubricant for lubricating engine components in a lubricant circuit of the motor vehicle, and a lubricant filter (80) configured to filter the lubricant conveyed in the lubricant circuit, wherein the lubricant filter (80) is directly attached to the lubricant pump (71)(72),
Regarding Claim 2, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the lubricant pump (71)(72) has a gear pump.
Regarding Claim 3, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the filter housing (81) of the lubricant filter (80) has a filter housing comprising an opening (112) of a crankcase.
Regarding Claim 4, MUKOHARA does not teach wherein the lubricant is positioned in an opening (area inside cover 8) of a crankcase (Fig. 5) of a crankcase.
Regarding Claim 5, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the lubricant pump and the lubricant filter (80) are connected fluidically through an opening (112).
Regarding Claim 6, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the lubricant pump is a first lubricant pump (71) of at least two lubricant pumps, the first lubricant pump being a low-pressure suction pump and a second lubricant pump (72) of the at least two lubricant pumps being a high-pressure suction pump.
Regarding Claim 7, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the lubricant pump (71) is configured to suck the lubricant out of a crankcase via a feed channel (103).
Regarding Claim 8, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the lubricant pump (71) is configured to pump the lubricant into a first supply channel (104) leading into a transmission housing.
Regarding Claim 9, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the lubricant pump is a first lubricant pump (71) of at least two lubricant pumps, a second lubricant pump (72) of the at least two lubricant pumps being configured to suck the lubricant out of a transmission housing via a feed channel (105).
Regarding Claim 10, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the first lubricant pump is further configured to pump the lubricant into a first supply channel leading into a transmission housing, and the second lubricant pump (72) is further configured to pump the lubricant into a second supply channel (111) leading into a crankcase.
Regarding Claim 11, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the lubricant pump is driven by a pump shaft (73).
Regarding Claim 12, MUKOHARA teaches a crankcase of a motor vehicle, comprising the lubricant supply system according to claim 1.
Regarding Claim 13, MUKOHARA teaches further comprising an opening (112) forming a housing (81) of the lubricant filter (80) and a lubricant filter cover (81) on the opening of the crankcase.
Regarding Claim 15, MUKOHARA teaches A motor vehicle comprising the lubricant supply system according to claim 1.
Regarding Claim 16, MUKOHARA teaches Wherein an imaginary continuation of a pump shaft (73) of the at least one lubricant pump crosses the lubricant filter (80).
Regarding Claim 17, MUKOHARA teaches Wherein the lubricant pump (71)(72) is one of at least two lubricant pumps, and the at least two lubricant pumps are driven by a common pump shaft (73).
Regarding Claim 18, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the gear pump is a trochoid pump (71)(72).
Regarding Claim 19, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the opening (112) is a hole in the crankcase (4).
Regarding Claim 20, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the pump shaft (73) is movement-coupled to a crankshaft via a single-stage gear train (76)(45). Part of the gear drive between the crankshaft 30 and the pump shaft 73 is a single stage gear train.
Regarding Claim 21, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the lubricant supply system (71)(72) is arranged underneath at least one of a piston-cylinder unit, a crankshaft, and a drive transmission of the motor vehicle.
Regarding Claim 22, MUKOHARA teaches wherein the lubricant pump (71)(72) is configured to pump the lubricant into a first supply channel (104) leading into a transmission housing, and the lubricant filter cover (81) is configured to transfer the lubricant filtered through the lubricant filter (80) from the lubricant filter into a second supply channel (111) of the crankcase.
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(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MUKOHARA (2017/0276036).in view of GATTI (2020/0300132).
Regarding Claim 14, MUKOHARA does not teach wherein the lubricant pump is configured to suck the lubricant out of a crankcase via a feed channel, and the feed channel is arranged in the crankcase such that lubricant is conveyed directly to the feed channel from a crankshaft by an oil scraper.
GATTI teaches wherein the lubricant pump (P1) is configured to suck the lubricant out of a crankcase (32)(60) via a feed channel (44), and the feed channel is arranged in the crankcase such that lubricant is conveyed directly to the feed channel from a crankshaft (12) by an oil scraper (64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to change the pump in MUKOHARA as modified to have the scraper and feed channel arrangement in GATTI so oil is more quickly available to the lubrication system.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues that MUKOHARA does not teach or suggest a lubricant filter directly attached to the lubricant pump in Claim 1 (Remarks pg. 8 para. 6).
Figs. 1-13 of the submitted drawings show a pump housing 6 contacting the oil filter 1 and does not show the oil filter in contact with the pump shaft or the pump rotors. The meaning of “the lubricant filter is directly attached to the at least one lubricant pump” is stated in the specification to include a housing of the lubricant pump is in direct contact with a housing of the lubricant filter (Spec. Pg. 7 para. 6). The MUKOHARU arrangement is the same as applicant’s drawings Figs. 1-13 and the specification definition is met by the housing (MUKOHARU 4) of the pump (MUKOHARU 70) being in direct contact with the oil filter casing (MUKOHARU 81, Figures 5, 12, and 13).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENRY Y LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-7018. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ROBERT W HODGE can be reached at 5712722097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HENRY Y. LIU
Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/HENRY Y LIU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654