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 .
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it exceeds 150 words. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 1-4, 6-7, 9-12, 15, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura (JP Patent JP H11342716 A) in view of Ohta (US Patent Publication US 20150276003 A1).
With regards to Claim 1: Fig 2 of Nakamura teaches a hydraulic actuator (39) for a spring preload adjustment system for a shock absorber, the hydraulic actuator comprising: a fluid chamber (45); a piston (23) slidably arranged within the fluid chamber in a first direction for moving hydraulic fluid out of the fluid chamber to increase spring preload of a shock absorber connected to the hydraulic actuator, and in a second, opposite, direction for allowing hydraulic fluid to enter the fluid chamber to decrease spring preload of the shock absorber; and a drive assembly operatively engageable with the piston, comprising: a drive unit (32); a lead screw (30) operatively connected to the drive unit; and a gear element (29) engaged with the lead screw and arrangeable to abut the piston, wherein the drive assembly is operable to actuate the piston to slide in the first direction and is operable to allow the piston to slide in the second direction.
Nakamura does not teach the drive assembly is operable to allow the piston to slide in the second direction without the drive unit being actuated.
Ohta teaches a shock absorber comprising a fluid chamber (S1), a piston (12), and a drive unit (34) operatively connected to the piston to extend and compress the fluid chamber wherein the drive unit is operable to actuate the piston to slide in a first direction and is operable to allow the piston to slide in a second direction without the drive unit being actuated (para [0060]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the hydraulic actuator disclosed in Nakamura with the drive unit operable to allow the piston to slide in a second direction without the drive unit being actuated as taught in Ohta with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have prevented damage to the drive unit and the threaded mechanism as taught by Ohta (para [0060]).
With regards to Claim 2: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit (Nakamura 32) is arranged to provide power transmission via an axis thereof, and the lead screw (Nakamura 30) is operatively connected to the drive unit and extending therefrom along the axis, such that when the drive unit is operated, the lead screw is rotated around the axis, thereby transmitting power from the drive unit along the axis, and the gear element (Nakamura 29) is threadedly engaged with the lead screw such that rotation of the lead screw in a first rotational direction around the axis generates a linear motion of the gear element in the first direction and rotation of the lead screw in a second rotation direction around the axis generates a linear motion of the gear element in the second direction.
With regards to Claim 3: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 1 further comprising a valve arrangement (Nakamura 47 and/or 49) operable between a closed mode for preventing flow of hydraulic fluid into the fluid chamber (Nakamura 45) and an open mode for allowing flow of hydraulic fluid into the fluid chamber.
With regards to Claim 4: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 1,wherein the gear element (Nakamura 29) is movable in the second direction relative to the piston (Nakamura 23).
With regards to Claim 6: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (39) according to claim 3, further comprising a housing (41) which houses the fluid chamber (45), the piston(23), and the drive assembly, wherein the valve arrangement (47 and/or 49) is arranged external to the housing.
With regards to Claim 7: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 3, further comprising a housing (Nakamura 41) which houses the fluid chamber (Nakamura 45), the piston (Nakamura 23), the drive assembly (Nakamura 32).
Nakamura does not teach the housing houses the valve arrangement (47 and/or 49).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made such that the housing houses the valve arrangement to protect the valve arrangement from dust and debris. Furthermore, it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
With regards to Claim 9: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 3, wherein the valve arrangement (Nakamura 47 and/or 49) comprises a first valve (Nakamura 47) for regulating a first fluid flow path for moving hydraulic fluid out of the fluid chamber (Nakamura 45) to increase spring preload of the shock absorber and a second valve (Nakamura 49) for regulating a second fluid flow path for moving hydraulic fluid into the fluid chamber to decrease spring preload of the shock absorber.
With regards to Claim 10: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 9, wherein the first valve (Nakamura 47) is a check valve (Nakamura page 7 para 11).
With regards to Claim 11: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 9, wherein the second valve (Nakamura 49) is controlled by the gear element (Nakamura 29, via pressure change on Nakamura page 7 para 14).
With regards to Claim 12: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 9, wherein the second valve (Nakamura 49) is a spool valve (Nakamura page 7 para 12-13).
With regards to Claim 15: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit (Nakamura 32) has a longitudinal extension along the axis (seen by Nakamura 33 and 34 in Nakamura Fig 2) and the fluid chamber (Nakamura 45) has a longitudinal extension along or in parallel with the axis (seen by Nakamura 33 and 34 in Nakamura Fig 2) which longitudinal extension of the fluid chamber is at least partly overlapping with the longitudinal extension of the drive unit.
With regards to Claim 17: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches a method for adjusting preload of a shock absorber, the method comprising: - Providing a hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 1; - operatively disengaging the drive unit (Nakamura 32) from the piston (Nakamura 23); - allowing hydraulic fluid into the fluid chamber (Nakamura 45) such that the piston slides in the second direction for rapidly reducing preload of the shock absorber without the drive unit being actuated (Ohta para [0060]); and, optionally, - Actuating the piston in the first direction for increasing preload of the shock absorber.
With regards to Claim 18: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the method according to claim 17, wherein the step of operatively disengaging the drive unit (Nakamura 32) comprises: - preventing flow of hydraulic fluid into the fluid chamber (Nakamura 45); - moving the gear element (Nakamura 29) relative to the piston (Nakamura 23) in the second direction; and - allowing flow of hydraulic fluid to enter the fluid chamber.
With regards to Claim 19: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the method according to claim 18, wherein moving the gear element (Nakamura 29) comprises: - moving the gear element relative to the piston (Nakamura 23) in the second direction into engagement with a valve member (Nakamura 50) of the hydraulic actuator;-and - moving the gear element relative to the piston in the second direction for moving the valve member into the second position for allowing flow of hydraulic fluid to enter the fluid chamber.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura (JP Patent JP H11342716 A) in view of Ohta (US Patent Publication US 20150276003 A1) and in further view of Kato (EP Patent EP 0143983 A2).
With regards to Claim 5: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches the hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 3, but does not teach the valve arrangement (Nakamura 47 and/or 49) comprises a solenoid valve.
Kato teaches a hydraulic actuator with a check valve (23A) to control the flow of hydraulics that is a solenoid valve (page 5 lines 7-10).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the hydraulic actuator disclosed in the combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta with the solenoid check valve taught in Kato with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have allowed controlled flow of the hydraulic fluid in the desired manner.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura (JP Patent JP H11342716 A) in view of Ohta (US Patent Publication US 20150276003 A1) and in further view of Thomas (US Patent US 8262100 B2).
With regards to Claim 16: The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta teaches a system for spring preload adjustment of a shock absorber (Nakamura 2 and 7), the system comprising a hydraulic actuator (Nakamura 39) according to claim 1, a preload adjuster comprising an adjuster piston (Nakamura 42), and a connector (Nakamura 48) defining a fluid flow connection between the hydraulic actuator and the preload adjuster, wherein the adjuster piston is operable by the hydraulic actuator to move in an axial direction of a shock absorber cylinder (Nakamura 2) onto which it is mounted.
The combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta does not teach a spring of the shock absorber.
Thomas teaches a shock absorber (10) comprising a spring (60) acting upon the shock absorber piston (46) and cylinder (64).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the hydraulic actuator disclosed in the combination of Fig 2 of Nakamura and Ohta with the spring taught in Thomas with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have allowed for the desired movement of the shock absorber upon when varying forces act upon it.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 13-14 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.
The prior art of record neither shows nor teaches a hydraulic actuator as claimed in claims 8 and 13-14 comprising, in combination with the recited limitations: “a valve body, a valve member adapted to be movable relative to the valve body” and “gear element is arrangeable to engage the valve member”
It would not lead to compact prosecution to make a combination of the prior art without impermissible hindsight or destroying the primary reference.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Murakami (JP Patent JP 6479276 B1) and Foley (US Patent US 4830395 A) teach adjustable shock absorbers.
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/MATTHEW JOSEPH GANCI/Examiner, Art Unit 3614
/JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614
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