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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on Jan. 8, 2025 has been considered by the Examiner.
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.
Claims 1-13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Smetana (DE 10 2011 088 669).
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 (28) 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), 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.
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. 6 – at least one hanger limits translation of the nut along the first longitudinal axis (to act as an end stop and prevent to the nut from traveling in the housing (15) and gear (17) at opposite ends of the spindle).
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.
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.
Cl. 16 – a pair of hangers limit translation of the nut along the first longitudinal axis (to act as an end stop and prevent to the nut from traveling in the housing (15) and gear (17) at opposite ends of the spindle).
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 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smetana (DE 10 2011 088 669) in view of Greb et al. (DE 10 2018 132 374 ).
Regarding claims 14 and 15, Smetana does not specify 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 against 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 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).
Claims 17-20 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).
Regarding claim 17, 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.
Smetana does not include a spring in direct contact with the sleeve. Deng discloses and shows a park system to selectively brake an output shaft of a transmission which includes a sleeve arranged parallel to an actuation unit included an actuator, screw and nut on a first axis to coordinate movement of the sleeve about a second, parallel axis, the sleeve is arranged in direct contact with a spring 33 to bias the sleeve away from movement along the second longitudinal axis toward the park actuation assembly (40), the spring provides a simple structure while allowing for stable and reliable movement (page 5, 6th 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 park system to where the sleeve is arranged in direct contact with a spring to bias the sleeve away from movement along the second longitudinal axis toward the park actuation assembly to provide a simple structure while allowing for stable and reliable movement as taught by Deng.
Cl. 18 – the sleeve includes two lobes (dashed lines at 11) arranged opposite one another and a core (at end of lever, 20) interconnecting the two lobes.
Cl. 19 – each of the two lobes has a diameter greater than a diameter of the core.
Cl. 20 – the lever is directly coupled to the nut at one end thereof, and the lever is directly coupled to the sleeve at another end thereof opposite the one end.
Conclusion
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/BOBBY RUSHING, JR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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