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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: “B” in Figure 7. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Double Patenting
Claim 1 is provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 2 of copending Application No. 19,280,584 (reference application). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 2 of the copending application (in italics) recites all of the features of instant claim 1.
A steering feedback actuator, comprising: (A steering feedback actuator, comprising:)
a housing part (a housing part);
a steering column configured to be rotatably accommodated within the housing part and arranged in a first direction (a steering column part rotatably accommodated in the housing part, Claim 2: wherein a first central axis of the steering column part is disposed in a first direction);
a first gear part coupled to the steering column and configured to rotate with the steering column; and (a first gear part coupled to the steering column part, the first gear part being configured to rotate along with the steering column part);
an electric motor comprising (an electric motor comprising):
a motor housing coupled to the housing part configured to cover an opening of the housing part; and (a motor housing, the motor housing being configured to be movably coupled to the housing part and to cover an opening of the housing part; and)
a motor shaft rotatably coupled to the motor housing, the motor shaft comprising a second gear part configured to engage with the first gear part (a motor shaft, the motor shaft being configured to be rotatably coupled to the motor housing and comprising a second gear part, the second gear part configured to engage the first gear part).
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
6. Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wilson-Jones (US 2020/0377142 A1) in view of Ueno (US 7591204 B2).
In regards to claim 1: Wilson-Jones teaches a steering feedback actuator (100), comprising:
a housing part (132);
a steering column (102) configured to be rotatably accommodated within the housing part (Claim 1: “a feedback device operable to provide a variable level of resistance to rotation of the handwheel shaft”) and arranged in a first direction (left to right direction shown best in Figure 4);
a first gear part (110) coupled to the steering column and configured to rotate with the steering column (Paragraph 0019: “Rotationally coupling the motor shaft gear and handwheel shaft gear ensures that the gears and their associated shafts rotate together”); and
an electric motor part (104) comprising:
a motor shaft (106) rotatably coupled to the motor (See quote above from paragraph 0019 for rotation), the motor shaft comprising a second gear part (108) configured to engage with the first gear part (Paragraph 0056: “A motor gear 108 fixed to the motor shaft 106 is meshed with a handwheel gear 110 fixed to the handwheel shaft 102”).
Wilson-Jones appears to show a motor housing in Figures 1, 2, and 4, coupled to the housing part and configured to cover an opening of the housing part (See Figures 2 and 4 where motor housing appears to cover an opening in the back portion of housing 132 where motor shaft 106 comes through from motor housing into housing 132 for rotation) but does not explicitly label or teach such a housing. Nevertheless, Ueno teaches a motor housing (305 in Figure 38) on a steering column assembly wherein the motor housing has a flange (307) with circumferentially spaced elongated through holes (367 and 368) that receive fasteners (369 and 370) which also fasten into smaller tap holes in a housing part (Shown in Figure 40 where at least bolt 370 is inserted through smaller hole in front of long hole 368 on motor flange, view partially obstructed on flange portion 365) so as to allow the motor housing to pivot relative to the housing (Column 31 lines 45-46: “ the motor flange 307 is made to be pivotable by constituting the fulcrum C by a bolt 371.”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art with a reasonable expectation of success before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a motor housing with the flange and through hole arrangement of Ueno for the motor of Wilson-Jones where the motor shaft is rotatably coupled to the motor housing and the motor housing covers the opening in the housing part of Wilson-Jones where the motor shaft enters, to protect the motor components, shaft, and gears from dust and debris, prevent dust and debris from entering the housing part through the opening for the motor shaft, and allow pivoting between the motor housing and the housing part so as to reduce noise and vibration between the two thereby increasing the long term durability of the motor and steering column assembly.
In regards to claim 2: The steering feedback actuator of claim 1 is taught by Wilson-Jones in view of Ueno. The combination further teaches wherein the motor shaft is arranged in the first direction alongside the steering column (See Figure 4 of Wilson-Jones where motor shaft 106 and steering column 102 are both arranged in the same left to right direction and are parallel to each other).
In regards to claim 3: The steering feedback actuator of claim 1 is taught by Wilson-Jones in view of Ueno. The combination further teaches wherein the electric motor part further comprises: a flange (307 of Ueno) provided in the motor housing, the flange configured to abut the housing part (See Figure 38 of Ueno where flange 307 abuts a housing 311) and having a first through-hole (368 of Ueno) defined therein; and a fastening member (370 of Ueno),
wherein the first through-hole is configured to receive the fastening member (See Figure 39 of Ueno), the fastening member being configured to be fastened to a tapped hole (Shown in Figure 40) defined within the housing part and to extend through the first through-hole (Column 31 of Ueno lines 43-46: “By inserting bolts 369 and 370 through the long holes 367 and 368 of the two flanges 365 and 366 to screw to the gear housing 311, the motor flange 307 is made to be pivotable by constituting the fulcrum C by a bolt 371”).
In regards to claim 4: The steering feedback actuator of claim 3 is taught by Wilson-Jones in view of Ueno. The combination further teaches wherein the first through-hole is provided as an elongated opening in a second direction intersecting the first direction (See elongated hole 368 of Ueno, elongated in a perpendicular plane to the motor shaft arrangement of Ueno (See Figure 38 of Ueno for direction of motor shaft as well as Figure 4 of Wilson-Jones, examiner notes that adding the motor housing and flange arrangement to the motor of Wilson-Jones, the combination would have the elongated through holes of Ueno in a perpendicular plane to the motor shaft of Wilson-Jones as it is to the motor shaft of Ueno).
In regards to claim 5: The steering feedback actuator of claim 4 is taught by Wilson-Jones in view of Ueno. The combination further teaches wherein a first diameter of the first through-hole is larger than a second diameter of the tapped hole (See Figures 39 and 40 of Ueno where the long holes 367 and 368 are shown in a front view in Figure 39 and a rear view in Figure 40, the long diameter of the long holes being longer than the diameter of the hole where the fasteners 369 and 370 are screwed into the gear housing to allow for relative movement between the motor housing and the gear housing).
In regards to claim 6: The steering feedback actuator of claim 4 is taught by Wilson-Jones in view of Ueno. The combination further teaches wherein the flange further includes a plurality of the first through-holes (367 and 368 of Ueno) defined therein, and wherein the plurality of first through-holes are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the flange (Shown in Figures 39 and 40 of Ueno).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wilson-Jones in view of Ueno and further in view of Forte (US 2022/0073127 A1). The steering feedback actuator of claim 1 is taught by Wilson-Jones in view of Ueno. The combination is silent as to the materials making up the first and second gear parts. However, Forte teaches a steering column (2) utilizing plastic gears to allow for smooth running and low wear operation (Paragraph 0023: “The plastic toothing system provides a high level of smooth running and low-wear operation”). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art with a reasonable expectation of success before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use plastic as in Forte for the first and second gears of the combination of Wilson-Jones and Ueno so as to provide smooth running and low wear operation between the gears as in Forte thereby creating a more durable and longer lasting gear arrangement.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10 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 7 recites wherein the electric motor part further comprises a guide protrusion that protrudes from the motor housing and is inserted into the housing part. Neither Wilson-Jones nor Ueno teaches a guide protrusion from the motor housing that is inserted into a housing part. It would not be obvious, nor would there be any motivation to modify the motor housing and connection arrangement relied upon in the Ueno reference to add a guide protrusion. Claims 8-10 depend from claim 7 and are therefore considered to contain allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Soderlind (US 2023/0033934 A1) and Delmarco (US 2019/0118853) teach feedback actuators for a steer by wire systems. Namgung (US 2008/0035415 A1) teaches an electric steering apparatus with a motor housing movably connected to the gear housing via bolts and elongated holes on the gear housing.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABIGAIL R HYMEL whose telephone number is (571)272-0389. The examiner can normally be reached Generally M-F 7:30-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at (571)272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABIGAIL R HYMEL/Examiner, Art Unit 3611
Prosecution Insights