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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 August 20, 2026 has been entered.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smetana (DE 10 2011 088 669) in view of Deng et al. (CN 108317248).
Smetana discloses and shows at Figs. 1 and 2 a transmission comprising:
an input shaft (2a) to receive torque from a drive unit (2);
an output shaft (29) to transmit torque to a load (5); and
a park system to selectively brake the output shaft that includes a nut (19) translatable along a first longitudinal axis (about spindle 18) that is driven by an actuator to cause the translation of the nut along the first longitudinal axis, a sleeve (11) coupled to the nut and translatable along a second longitudinal axis, and a lever (20) interconnecting the nut and the sleeve to coordinate movement of the nut along the first longitudinal axis with movement of the sleeve along the second longitudinal axis,
wherein a pair of stationary hangers (15) limit translation of the nut along the first longitudinal axis.
The actuator is disposed on an axis perpendicular to and vertically above the first longitudinal axis. Smetana also requires an angle drive which complicates the system and increases costs. Deng discloses and shows a park system including a nut (22) translatable along a first longitudinal axis that is driven by an actuator (10) also disposed on the first longitudinal axis to cause translation of the nut along the first longitudinal axis, the actuator disposed on the first longitudinal axis reduces axial space requirements, yielding a smaller gear case with a simple and cost effective actuator.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Smetana’s transmission to where the actuator is disposed on the same axis as the as spindle and nut, the arrangement reduces axial space requirements, yielding a smaller gear case with a simple and cost-effective actuator.
Cl. 2 – the first and second longitudinal axes are spaced apart from one another in a radial direction.
Cl. 3 – the lever extends at an angle to a vertical axis to interconnect the nut and the sleeve.
Cl. 4 – the lever is pivotally coupled to a stationary structure (21) at a pivot point disposed between the nut and the sleeve in the radial direction.
Cl. 5 – the lever includes a ring received by a post of the stationary structure.
Cl. 7 – the lever extends between the nut and the sleeve at an angle to each of the first and second longitudinal axes.
Cl. 8 – the lever extends between the nut and the sleeve at an angle to a vertical axis.
Cl. 9 – the lever is pivotally coupled to a stationary structure at a pivot point disposed between the nut and the sleeve in a radial direction.
Cl. 10 – Smetana discloses and shows at Figs. 1 and 2 a park system to selectively brake an output shaft of a transmission, the park system comprising:
a park actuation assembly having a park gear (37) in direct contact with the output shaft (2a),
an electric (2) actuator to supply rotational power, and
an actuation linkage coupled between the electric actuator and the park actuation assembly including a nut (19) translatable along a first longitudinal axis (about spindle 18), a sleeve (11) coupled to the nut and translatable along a second longitudinal axis, and a lever (20) interconnecting the nut and the sleeve to coordinate movement of the nut along the first longitudinal axis with movement of the sleeve along the second longitudinal axis.
wherein:
a pair of hangers (15) limit translation of the nut along the first longitudinal axis;
each of the pair of hangers is a stationary structure surrounding the first longitudinal axis.
The actuator is disposed on an axis perpendicular to and vertically above the first longitudinal axis. Smetana also requires an angle drive which complicates the system and increases costs. Deng discloses and shows a park system including a nut (22) translatable along a first longitudinal axis that is driven by an actuator (10) also disposed on the first longitudinal axis to cause translation of the nut along the first longitudinal axis, the actuator disposed on the first longitudinal axis reduces axial space requirements, yielding a smaller gear case with a simple and cost effective actuator.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Smetana’s transmission to where the actuator is disposed on the same axis as the as spindle and nut, the arrangement reduces axial space requirements, yielding a smaller gear case with a simple and cost-effective actuator.
Cl. 11 – the first and second longitudinal axes are parallel to one another.
Cl. 12 – the first and second longitudinal axes are spaced apart from one another in a radial direction.
Cl. 13 – the lever extends at an angle to a vertical axis to interconnect the nut and the sleeve.
Claims 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smetana in view Deng et al., as applied to claim 10, and further in view of Greb et al. (DE 10 2018 132 374).
Smetana and Dang disclose and show the invention of claim 10 as described elsewhere above. Regarding claims 14 and 15, neither Smetana nor Deng include a rod supporting the sleeve. Greb discloses and shows a park system where an actuation linkage further comprises a rod (44) supporting a sleeve (47) that is adapted for translation along the second longitudinal axis, the rod prevents lateral displacement and bending (pg. 10, 3rd full paragraph).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Smetana/Deng system to include a rod supporting the sleeve that is adapted for translation along the second longitudinal axis, the rod preventing against lateral displacement and bending as taught by Greb.
Cl. 15 – the actuation linkage further comprises a collar affixed to the rod for translation therewith along the second longitudinal axis (Greb, Fig. 2, flared end of rod, 44).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-20 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1 and 10 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds.
Conclusion
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/BOBBY RUSHING, JR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
