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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 06/23/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
(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.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saxon et al. (US 10,677,346).
Regarding Claim 17, Saxon discloses a park system to selectively brake an output shaft of a transmission, the park system comprising:
An electro-hydraulic valve assembly (30, 48, 54) including a solenoid (32), and a solenoid retainer clip (42) pivotally coupled to the solenoid for rotation therewith about a first rotational axis (see Fig. 8, showing an axis passing through fixing screw 92).
wherein the solenoid retainer clip is rotatable about the first rotational axis to a retention position in which direct contact between the solenoid retainer clip and an adjacent structure constrains the solenoid against rotation about the rotational axis and maintains spatial clearance between the solenoid and the adjacent structure (see Fig. 8, showing the clip in a retention position and an adjacent structure).
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saxon et al. (US 10,677,346) in view of Thibeault (US 5,179,868).
Regarding Claim 1, Saxon discloses a transmission comprising:
A park system (see Col. 5 Lines 31-36) to selectively brake the output shaft, the park system comprising an electro-hydraulic valve assembly (30, 48, 54) including a solenoid (32).
A solenoid retainer clip (42) pivotally coupled to the solenoid for rotation therewith about a first rotational axis (see Fig. 8, showing an axis passing through fixing screw 92).
Wherein the solenoid retainer clip is rotatable about the first rotational axis to a retention position in which the solenoid retainer clip interacts with an adjacent structure to maintain spatial clearance between the solenoid and the adjacent structure (see Fig. 8, showing the clip in a retention position and an adjacent structure).
Saxon does not disclose and input shaft and an output shaft for the transmission.
However, Thibeault discloses in a similar transmission having an input shaft to receive torque from a drive unit and an output shaft to transmit torque to a load that can be disconnected using a solenoid (see Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the transmission disclosed in Saxon with an input shaft and output shaft disconnectable by the solenoid as taught in Thibeault to act as a theft deterrent (see Thibeault Abstract).
Regarding Claim 2, Saxon further discloses the transmission of claim 1, wherein: the solenoid includes a housing (38) at least partially received in a valve body of the electro-hydraulic valve assembly (see Fig. 10, showing extension into body 34) and an electrical connector (40) coupled to the housing and disposed outside the valve body (see Fig. 8), and in the retention position, the solenoid retainer clip interacts with the adjacent structure to maintain spatial clearance between the electrical connector and the adjacent structure (see Fig. 8).
Regarding Claim 3, Saxon further discloses the transmission of claim 1, wherein in the retention position, direct contact between the solenoid retainer clip and the adjacent structure constrains the solenoid against rotation about the rotational axis to reduce contact between an electrical connector of the solenoid and the adjacent structure (see Fig. 8, showing contact with portion 90 of the adjacent structure).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-10 18-20 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 GREGORY WEBER whose telephone number is (571)272-3307. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM - 5PM M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MINNAH SEOH can be reached at (571) 270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GREGORY ROBERT WEBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618
