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 § 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, 2, 7-12, 21, 23, and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. (102) as being anticipated by Neag et al (US 6,722,226).
Neag et al disclose a movable pedal apparatus of a vehicle for driving a remotely mounted actuator, the movable pedal apparatus comprising: a pedal (10); a connection member (54); a first joint (56) through which the pedal (10) is coupled to the connection member (54), the first joint (56) permitting transfer of rotation of the pedal to the connection member (54) to cause rotation of the connection member (54); and a second joint (20) through which the connection member (54) is couplable to the remotely mounted actuator (60), the second joint (20) permitting rotation of the connection member (54) to cause an input to the remotely mounted actuator (60); wherein connection member (54) has a variable length between the first joint (56) and the second joint (20) so as to permit translational movement of the first joint (56) relative to the second joint (20) so that the pedal (10) is movable between an initial position and a subsequent position (see Fig 2).
Re claim 2, the actuator (60); a connection member (54); a first joint (56) through which a pedal (10) is couplable to the connection member (54), the first joint (56) permitting transfer of rotation of the pedal (10) to the connection member (54) to cause rotation of the connection member (54); and a second joint (20) through which the connection member (54) is coupled to the actuator (60), the second joint (20) permitting rotation of the connection member (54) to cause an input to the actuator (60); wherein connection member (54) has a variable length between the first joint (56) and the second joint (20) so as to permit translational movement of the first joint (56) relative to the second joint (20) so that the actuator (60) is movable between an initial position and a subsequent position (see Fig 2).
Re claim 7, the first joint (56) comprises a cardanic joint or a homokinetic joint and/or the second joint (20) comprises a cardanic joint or homokinetic joint.
Re claim 8, a pedal box (64), the pedal (10) being mounted to the pedal box (64).
Re claim 9, the pedal (10) is constrained to translate along a linear path between the initial position and the subsequent position (see Fig 2).
Re claim 10, a pedal box (64), the pedal (10) being mounted to the pedal box (64), and wherein pedal (10) is slidably mounted to the pedal box (64) so that the pedal box (64) defines the linear path (see Fig 2).
Re claim 11, the pedal box (64) comprises: a mounting part (60) on which the pedal (10) is mounted; and a base part (70) on which the mounting part (60) is slidable.
Re claim 12, the pedal (10) is constrained to rotate about a pedal axis (see Fig 2).
Re claim 13, a pedal box (64), the pedal (10) being mounted to the pedal box (64), and wherein the pedal (10) is rotatably mounted to the pedal box (64) at a pedal joint (56) so that the pedal joint (56) defines the pedal axis.
Re claim 21, the pedal (10) is a brake pedal of the vehicle (col. 1 lines 5-12).
Re claim 23, comprising the pedal (10) and the actuator (60).
Re claim 24, the vehicle comprising the movable pedal apparatus
according to claim 1 (col. 1 lines 5-12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6, 14, 16-18 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICKY A JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7106. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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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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/VICKY A JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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