DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on 12/12/2024, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/05/2026 has been entered.
The following is a Non-Final Office Action on the merits in response to applicant’s filing from 02/05/2026.
Claims 1-5 and 7-10 are pending and have been considered below.
Priority
The application claims foreign priority to IT 102023000026592, filed on 12/13/2023. The priority is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/12/2024, and 12/13/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments and arguments, filed 02/05/2026, with respect to the rejection of claim 1 under 35 USC 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of Sakamoto where the sleeve is now {1a+15} and the bracket is now {
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, and 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakamoto (US 4,690,432), as cited by Applicant.
Regarding claim 1, Sakamoto discloses a steering column assembly {Figs. 1-9} comprising:
- a support structure {5 (11): “the bracket structure 5 comprises a column support frame 11” (Col. 4, lines 40-41)} suitable for attachment to a vehicle frame {10: “the column support frame 11 has one end rigidly secured to one of the opposite lateral portions of a cab side body 10… column support frame 11 may be rigidly connected to the other of the lateral portions of the cab side body 10” (Col. 4, lines 48-50 and 57-58)};
- a sleeve {1a+15 (Fig. 5)} extending along a first axis {“longitudinal axis of the steering shaft 1” (Col. 4, lines 29-30)} and coupled to said support structure {5 (11): sleeve 1 is coupled to support structure 5 (11) via tilt mechanism 4: “tilt mechanism 4 being in turn supported by a bracket structure 5 rigid with an automobile body structure and having a physical strength sufficient to support the steering system, including the steering shaft 1 and the steering column 1a” (Col. 4, lines 30-34)} so as to be able to swing {“tilt”} about a second axis {about a tilt axis (pivot point axis): “a tilt mechanism 4 for movement together with the steering column in a direction generally parallel to the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft 1” (Col. 4, lines 27-30); “tilting motion of the steering column 1a” (Col. 6, line 50); “steering column 1a is to be tilted about the pivot point” (Col. 7, lines 35-36)}, extending horizontally and orthogonally with respect to said first axis {“perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft 1” (Col. 4, lines 29-30)};
- a steering column {1: “steering shaft 1” (col. 5, lines 34-35)} extending coaxially within said sleeve {1a (Fig. 7): “steering column 1a” (Col. 5, line 34)} and turnable {rotatable} about said first axis {5, “longitudinal axis of the steering shaft 1” (Col. 4, lines 29-30): the steering column (steering shaft 1) extends coaxially and rotatably within said sleeve (steering column 1a): “a steering column, having a steering shaft rotatably extending therein” (Claim 1)};
- an instrument cluster {2: “gauge cluster 2” (Col. 4, line 23)};
- a bracket {14+17+18 (Fig. 5)} carrying said instrument cluster {2: “the gauge cluster 2 mounted on the arm member 18” (Col. 7, lines 41-42)};
- a clamp system {16 (“tilt lever 16” and “a threaded member” (Col. 5, lines 56 and 57) are capable of applying “a clamping force”): “tilt lever 16 is utilized to unlock and lock the slide block 15 before and after the tilt adjustment of the steering wheel and is so designed and so operable in the illustrated embodiment that, when the tilt lever 16 is turned in either direction, a threaded member moves to protrude or retract, depending on the direction of turn of the tilt lever 16, to apply or release a clamping force necessary for the opposite wall portions of the bracket 14, respectively” (Col. 5, lines 52-60)} securing said bracket {14+17+18 (Fig. 5)} to said sleeve {1a+15: “a slide block 15 of a cross-sectional shape similar to the cross-sectional representation of the bracket 14 and rigidly mounted on, or integrally formed with, the steering column 1a so as to permit the steering shaft 1 to pass therethrough” (Col. 5, lines 31-35)}; wherein said clamp system {16 (“tilt lever 16” and “a threaded member” (Col. 5, lines 56 and 57) are capable of applying “a clamping force”)} comprises a lever {16} hinged to said bracket {14+17+18 (Fig. 5)} so as to rotate towards and away from a fastening condition {around a hinge point at the top of lever 16 (Fig. 5)}, and wherein in said fastening condition {around a hinge point at the top of lever 16 (Fig. 5)} an intermediate portion {portion of 16 right below where the label marking 16 is in Fig. 5} of the lever {16} is arranged in abutment against a shoulder {bottom portion of 15 (Fig. 5)} of said sleeve {1a+15} so as to directly exert a radial force onto said sleeve {1a+15 (Fig. 5): “tilt lever 16 having one end extending through one of the guide slots 17 and then fixedly through the slide block 15 and terminating within the other of the guide slots 17, and the other end bent to protrude towards the driver's seat for the access to the hand of the driver. This tilt lever 16 is utilized to unlock and lock the slide block 15 before and after the tilt adjustment of the steering wheel and is so designed and so operable in the illustrated embodiment that, when the tilt lever 16 is turned in either direction, a threaded member moves to protrude or retract, depending on the direction of turn of the tilt lever 16, to apply or release a clamping force necessary for the opposite wall portions of the bracket 14, respectively. Thus, when the steering column 1a is moved between the up and down positions, the first mentioned end of the tilt lever 16 is guided within the guide slots 17 and, therefore, the distance of movement of the slide block 15 within the space delimited within” (Col. 5, lines 47-65)}.
Regarding claim 2, Sakamoto discloses the steering column assembly according to claim 1, wherein said fixing means {16+“threaded member” (Col. 5, line 57)} comprise at least one screw {“threaded member” (Col. 5, line 57)}.
Regarding claim 4, Sakamoto discloses the steering column assembly according to claim 1, wherein said bracket {14+17+18 (Fig. 5)} has a first surface {radially inner surface of 14 contacting a left side of 15, opposite the hinge point of 16 in Fig. 5} arranged in contact with a second surface {radially outer left side surface of 15 in contact with the first surface (Fig. 5)}, forming part of said sleeve {1a+15}; and wherein said clamp system {16+“threaded member” (Col. 5, line 57)} is diametrically opposite in relation to a contact area between said first {radially inner surface of 14 contacting a left side of 15, opposite the hinge point of 16 in Fig. 5} and second {radially outer left side surface of 15 in contact with the first surface (Fig. 5)} surfaces.
Regarding claim 5, Sakamoto discloses the steering column assembly according to claim 4, wherein said clamp system {16+“threaded member” (Col. 5, line 57)} is arranged in an axial position that is different from said contact area {contact area between the radially inner surface of 14 contacting a left side of 15 (opposite the hinge point of 16 in Fig. 5)} along said sleeve {1a+15 (Fig. 5)}.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 7-10 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 3, Sakamoto does not disclose said fixing means comprise two screws. Skabrond (US 6,186,547) teaches a screw can actually comprise a first screw {42} and a second screw {43}. However, Skabrond does not teach that the two screws are axially spaced apart along said sleeve. Therefore, none of the prior art of record, either alone or in obvious combination disclose the steering column assembly according to claim 2, wherein said fixing means comprise two screws axially spaced apart along said sleeve.
Regarding claim 7, Sakamoto discloses the steering column assembly according to claim 6, wherein said bracket {14+15+17+18 (Fig. 5)} comprises a cradle {14+15+17+18 (Fig. 5)}, in turn comprising a first {18 (right)} and a second {18 (left)} wing, diametrically opposed to each other {Fig. 5}, and a central portion {14+15} arranged between said first {18 (right)} and second {18 (left)} wings {Fig. 5: “The slide block 15 rigid on the steering column 1a carries an arm member 18 rigidly secured, or otherwise welded, from below to the slide block 15 so as to extend laterally outwards therefrom in the opposite directions away from each other” (Col. 6, lines 23-27)}; and wherein said lever {16} comprises a first end {“one end” (Col. 5, line 48)} hinged to said first wing {lever 16 is hinged at a first end to the first and second wing 18 via 15: “tilt lever 16 having one end extending through one of the guide slots 17 and then fixedly through the slide block 15” (Col. 5, lines 47-49)}.
However, Sakamoto does not explicitly disclose an intermediate portion arranged against a shoulder of said sleeve, and a second end, which is opposite to said first end and is fixed to said second wing by a fastening element. None of the prior art of record remedy this deficiency.
Therefore, none of the prior art of record, either alone or in obvious combination disclose the steering column assembly according to claim 6, wherein said bracket comprises a cradle, in turn comprising a first and a second wing, diametrically opposed to each other, and a central portion arranged between said first and second wings; and wherein said lever comprises a first end hinged to said first wing, an intermediate portion arranged against a shoulder of said sleeve, and a second end, which is opposite to said first end and is fixed to said second wing by a fastening element (emphasis added).
Accordingly, claims 8-10 are allowable by virtue of dependence from claim 7.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daniel M Keck whose telephone number is (571)272-5947. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:00-4:00.
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/Daniel M. Keck/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614