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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 8, Lines 2-3, “a hydraulic signal line” should be --the hydraulic signal line--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the electric hydraulic pump" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 only introduces “at least one bidirectionally operable hydraulic pump” in lines 1-2. Claims 3-4, 6, & 9-11 are similarly rejected.
Claim 1 recites the ambiguous limitation “wherein the releasable hydraulic closing elements are configured to release, both an electric release signal and a hydraulic release signal applied to the releasable hydraulic closing elements”, which renders the scope of the claim indefinite.
Claim 7 recites the ambiguous limitation “the presence of a hydraulic system pressure of the electrohydraulic actuator is monitored as a hydraulic release signal” (emphasis added by Examiner), which renders the scope of the claim indefinite.
Claim 8 recites the ambiguous limitation “the hydraulic release signal input is connected to the store via a hydraulic signal line to monitor the hydraulic system pressure” (emphasis added by Examiner), which renders the scope of the claim indefinite.
Claim 9 recites the ambiguous limitation “the presence of a function signal ... is monitored as an electric release signal” (emphasis added by Examiner), which renders the scope of the claim indefinite.
Claims 2, 5, & 12-13 are rejected due to their dependence from Claim 1.
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.
Claims 1-7 & 9-13, as far as they are definite, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)&(a)(2) as being anticipated by Peterson et al (10344784).
Peterson et al disclose an electrohydraulic actuator (e.g. Figs. 1-2) comprising at least one bidirectionally operable hydraulic pump (e.g. 6) for conveying hydraulic fluid, said pump having two connection points (e.g. 78A,B), which are configured to alternately provide and/or remove hydraulic fluid, and having a hydraulic actuator (e.g. 26) component having two hydraulic fluid chambers (e.g. 58, 60), into which hydraulic fluid can be fed to actuate the hydraulic actuator component, wherein filling of one of the hydraulic fluid chambers with hydraulic fluid simultaneously causes hydraulic fluid to be displaced from the other hydraulic fluid chamber, a first connection point (e.g. 78C) of the electric hydraulic pump is connected by a first line (e.g. 70) to a first hydraulic fluid chamber (e.g. 58) of the hydraulic actuator component and a second connection point (e.g. 78B) of the hydraulic pump is connected by a second line (e.g. 72) to a second hydraulic fluid chamber (e.g. 60) of the hydraulic actuator component, wherein a first releasable hydraulic closing element (e.g. 84A) is arranged between the first hydraulic fluid chamber and the first line and a second releasable hydraulic closing element (e.g. 84B) is arranged between the second hydraulic fluid chamber and the second line, wherein the releasable hydraulic closing elements prevent an undesired flow of hydraulic fluid out of the hydraulic fluid chambers wherein the releasable hydraulic closing elements are configured to release, both an electric release signal and a hydraulic release signal applied to the releasable hydraulic closing elements.
Wherein: the releasable hydraulic closing elements are releasable non-return valves; the hydraulic actuator component has a displaceable element (e.g. 56) via which the hydraulic fluid chambers communicate with one another, and wherein the hydraulic actuator component with the lines and the electric hydraulic pump at least partially form a delivery circuit, so that hydraulic fluid emerging from one hydraulic fluid chamber flows directly into the other hydraulic fluid chamber via the lines and the electric hydraulic pump; the hydraulic fluid chambers of the hydraulic actuator component have hydraulic cross-sections which differ from one another (e.g. as shown in Fig. 2), so that a delta volume occurs as a change in the total volume of the hydraulic fluid chambers when the displaceable element is displaced, wherein the electric hydraulic pump has a two-part pump chamber and a first partial pump chamber (e.g. 68A) connects the lines to form the delivery circuit, and wherein a second partial pump (e.g. 68B) chamber is connected to the line to the hydraulic fluid chambers with the larger hydraulic cross-section and to a hydraulic fluid reservoir with which the delta volume can be compensated; the first line and the second line are each connected to a store (e.g. 90) for hydraulic fluid, which is set up to compensate for function-related fluctuations in a minimum system pressure in the closed hydraulic system (e.g. via 98, 100); and the store is connected to the first line and the second line via further hydraulic closing elements, wherein these further hydraulic closing elements (e.g. 98, 100) prevent a transmission of an operating pressure generated by the electric hydraulic pump in one of the two lines to the store. The releasable hydraulic closing elements have a hydraulic release signal input (e.g. at the pilot ports), to which a hydraulic signal line is connected, via which the presence of a hydraulic system pressure of the electrohydraulic actuator is monitored as a hydraulic release signal; and the releasable hydraulic closing elements have an electric release signal input (e.g. at the solenoid), to which an electric signal line is connected, via which the presence of a function signal of the electric hydraulic pump and/or a function signal of a drive power supply and/or a controller of the electric hydraulic pump is monitored as an electric release signal. Wherein the electric hydraulic pump is arranged to act as a generator to convert mechanical energy of a hydraulic fluid flow from the one connection point into the other connection point into electrical energy (e.g. Col. 6, Ln. 61 - Col. 7, Ln. 4); the electrohydraulic actuator is configured to transmit mechanical energy at the hydraulic actuator component through the lines and via the hydraulic fluid to the electric hydraulic pump and to recuperate it into electric energy with the electric hydraulic pump (e.g. Col. 6, Ln. 61 - Col. 7, Ln. 4); the hydraulic actuator component is a linear actuator (e.g. as shown in Figs. 1-2); and the at least one electrohydraulic actuator is employed in a mobile work-performing machine.
Claims 1-9 & 12-13, as far as they are definite, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)&(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zeller et al (10962032).
Zeller et al an electrohydraulic actuator (e.g. as shown in Fig. 1) comprising at least one bidirectionally operable hydraulic pump (e.g. 2) for conveying hydraulic fluid, said pump having two connection points (e.g. downstream of adjacent make-up check valves), which are configured to alternately provide and/or remove hydraulic fluid, and having a hydraulic actuator (e.g. 6) component having two hydraulic fluid chambers (e.g. as shown), into which hydraulic fluid can be fed to actuate the hydraulic actuator component, wherein filling of one of the hydraulic fluid chambers with hydraulic fluid simultaneously causes hydraulic fluid to be displaced from the other hydraulic fluid chamber, a first connection point (e.g. downstream of adjacent make-up check valve on the left) of the electric hydraulic pump is connected by a first line (e.g. including 81) to a first hydraulic fluid chamber (e.g. left of piston) of the hydraulic actuator component and a second connection point (e.g. downstream of adjacent make-up check valve on the right) of the hydraulic pump is connected by a second line (e.g. including 82) to a second hydraulic fluid chamber (e.g. right of the piston) of the hydraulic actuator component, wherein a first releasable hydraulic closing element (e.g. 81, 91) is arranged between the first hydraulic fluid chamber and the first line and a second releasable hydraulic closing element (e.g. 82, 92) is arranged between the second hydraulic fluid chamber and the second line, wherein the releasable hydraulic closing elements prevent an undesired flow of hydraulic fluid out of the hydraulic fluid chambers wherein the releasable hydraulic closing elements are configured to release, both an electric release signal and a hydraulic release signal applied to the releasable hydraulic closing elements
Wherein: the releasable hydraulic closing elements are releasable non-return valves; the hydraulic actuator component has a displaceable element (e.g. piston) via which the hydraulic fluid chambers communicate with one another, and wherein the hydraulic actuator component with the lines and the electric hydraulic pump at least partially form a delivery circuit, so that hydraulic fluid emerging from one hydraulic fluid chamber flows directly into the other hydraulic fluid chamber via the lines and the electric hydraulic pump; the hydraulic fluid chambers of the hydraulic actuator component have hydraulic cross-sections which differ from one another (e.g. as shown in Fig. 1 without optional left side piston rod), so that a delta volume occurs as a change in the total volume of the hydraulic fluid chambers when the displaceable element is displaced, wherein the electric hydraulic pump has a two-part pump chamber and a first partial pump chamber (e.g. lower portion of 2) connects the lines to form the delivery circuit, and wherein a second partial pump (e.g. upper portion of 2) chamber is connected to the line to the hydraulic fluid chambers with the larger hydraulic cross-section and to a hydraulic fluid reservoir with which the delta volume can be compensated; the first line and the second line are each connected to a store (e.g. 1, 5) for hydraulic fluid, which is set up to compensate for function-related fluctuations in a minimum system pressure in the closed hydraulic system; and the store is connected to the first line and the second line via further hydraulic closing elements, wherein these further hydraulic closing elements (e.g. via make-up check valves adjacent pump 2) prevent a transmission of an operating pressure generated by the electric hydraulic pump in one of the two lines to the store. The releasable hydraulic closing elements have a hydraulic release signal input (e.g. at pilot ports of 81, 82), to which a hydraulic signal line is connected, via which the presence of a hydraulic system pressure of the electrohydraulic actuator is monitored as a hydraulic release signal; the hydraulic release signal input is connected to the store via a hydraulic signal line (e.g. line including 91/92) to monitor the hydraulic system pressure; and the releasable hydraulic closing elements have an electric release signal input (e.g. at solenoids of 91, 92), to which an electric signal line is connected, via which the presence of a function signal of the electric hydraulic pump and/or a function signal of a drive power supply and/or a controller of the electric hydraulic pump is monitored as an electric release signal. Wherein the hydraulic actuator component is a linear actuator (e.g. as shown in Fig. 1); and the at least one electrohydraulic actuator can be employed in a mobile work-performing machine.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Additional references listed on form PTO-892 are cited for their relevance to the disclosed invention and demonstration of the state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL LESLIE whose telephone number is (571)272-4819. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 8 am - 4-30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel Wiehe can be reached at (571)272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHAEL LESLIE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
September 30, 2026
