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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Claim 29 Ln 4 states “a four way valve”. This component is not depicted in any Figure.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 4-5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 Ln 18, please amend to --sense [[said]] a charge pressure--.
Claim 1 Ln 23, please amend to --maintain [[a]] said charge pressure--.
Claim 4 Ln 4, please amend to --[[said]] a first control line--.
Claim 4 Ln 4-5, please amend to --and [[said]] a second control line--.
Claim 5 Ln 4-5, please amend to --between [[said]] first and second ports of [[said]] a housing--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 28-30, 32, 36 and 38-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1), 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Persson; Bengt-Goran et al. US 8720197 B2, hereinafter Persson.
Regarding claim 28, Hewitt discloses (Fig. 1f) a mobile machine (“excavator” [0001]) comprising:
an electric power source [0026];
an electric actuator motor (810, 820) connected to said electric power source and configured to be supplied with a current [0026];
an actuator pump (122, 222) driven by said actuator motor [0075];
a first hydraulic actuator (101) connected to said actuator pump;
said first hydraulic actuator configured to actuate a first object to be driven relative to said mobile machine within a first range of motion (fundamentally, the actuator is connected to an object to be moved through a range of motion);
a second hydraulic actuator (201) connected to said actuator pump;
said second hydraulic actuator configured to actuate a second object to be driven relative to said mobile machine within a second range of motion (fundamentally, the actuator is connected to an object to be moved through a range of motion);
a hydraulic control line (110, 210) between said actuator pump and both said first hydraulic actuator and said second hydraulic actuator; and
a valve (130, 701, 702) assembly in said hydraulic control line between said actuator pump and each of said first and second hydraulic actuators and configured to control flow between said actuator pump and each of said first and second hydraulic actuators [0059, 0072];
wherein actuation of said first object to be driven relative to said body portion of said mobile machine within said first range of motion is operatively controllable by said actuator motor and said valve assembly and alternatively actuation of said second object to be driven relative to said body portion of said mobile machine within said second range of motion is operatively controllable by said actuator motor and said valve assembly [0058, 0059, 0072, 0075].
Regarding claim 29, Hewitt discloses (Fig. 1f) said valve assembly comprises a four way valve (701, 702).
Regarding claim 30, Hewitt discloses (Fig. 1f, 5) said first hydraulic actuator (101) comprises a first housing (depicted cylinder housing) having a first port (depicted port connected to (105) hereinafter (105p)) and a second port (depicted port connected to (104) hereinafter (104p));
said control line (110, 210) comprises a first control line (110, 210) between said actuator pump (122, 222) and said first port and a second control line (111, 211) between said actuator pump and said second port;
said valve assembly (130, 701, 702) comprises a first valve (120) in said first control line between said actuator pump and said first port configured to control flow between said actuator pump and said first port [0090];
said valve assembly (130, 701, 702) comprises a second valve (121) in said second control line between said actuator pump and said second port configured to control flow between said actuator pump and said second port [0090];
said second hydraulic actuator (201) comprises a second housing having a third port (depicted port connected to (205), hereinafter (205p)) and a fourth port (depicted port connected to (204), hereinafter (204p));
said control line comprises a third control line (210, 310) between said actuator pump and said third port and a fourth control line (211, 311)) between said actuator pump and said fourth port;
said valve assembly comprises a third valve (320, 520) in said third control line between said actuator pump and said third port configured to control flow between said actuator pump and said third port [0091]; and
said valve assembly comprises a fourth valve (321, 521) in said fourth control line between said actuator pump and said fourth port configured to control flow between said actuator pump and said fourth port [0091].
Regarding claim 32, Hewitt discloses (Fig. 1f) said first hydraulic actuator comprises a linear hydraulic actuator; said first housing comprises a first hydraulic chamber (105) and a second hydraulic chamber )104); said first control line (111) is between said actuator pump and said first chamber and said second control line (110) is between said actuator pump and said second chamber; said first linear hydraulic actuator comprises a first hydraulic piston between said first hydraulic chamber and said second hydraulic chamber and an actuating rod connected to said piston and configured to translate along an axis with movement of said piston relative to said housing (as depicted, the actuator comprises a linear translating piston/rod); one of said housing or said actuating rod is connected to said mobile machine and the other of said housing or said actuating rod is connected to said object to be driven (fundamentally either one of each end of the actuator is connected to either the machine or the object to be moved);
said second hydraulic actuator (201, 501) comprises a rotary hydraulic actuator and said rotary hydraulic actuator comprises a hydraulic motor: and said hydraulic motor comprises a hydraulic rotary element between said third and fourth ports of said second housing and an actuating shaft connected to said rotary element and configured to rotate about an axis with movement of said rotary element relative to said housing; and one of said second housing or said actuating shaft is connected to said mobile machine and the other of said housing or said actuating shaft is connected to said object to be driven [0086].
Regarding claim 36, Hewitt discloses (Fig. 1f) comprising:
a third hydraulic actuator (601) connected to said actuator pump;
said third hydraulic actuator configured to actuate a third object to be driven relative to said mobile machine within a third range of motion (fundamentally, the actuator is connected to an object to be moved through a range of motion);s
aid third hydraulic actuator comprising a third housing (depicted housing) having a fifth port (depicted port connected to (520)) and a sixth port (depicted port connected to (521));
said control line comprising a fifth control line (510) between said actuator pump and said fifth port and a sixth control line (511) between said actuator pump and said sixth port;
said valve assembly comprises a fifth valve (520) in said fifth control line between said actuator pump and said fifth port configured to control flow between said actuator pump and said fifth port [0090]; and
said valve assembly comprises a sixth valve (521) in said sixth control line between said actuator pump and said sixth port configured to control flow between said actuator pump and said sixth port [0090];
wherein alternatively actuation of said third object to be driven relative to said body portion of said mobile machine within said third range of motion is operatively controllable by said actuator motor and said valve assembly [0058, 0059, 0072, 0075, 0090].
Regarding claim 38, Hewitt discloses (Fig. 1f) comprising:
a tank open (901) to atmosphere;
an electric charge motor (830) connected to said electric power source and configured to be supplied with a current [0075];
a charge pump (902) driven by said charge motor [0064-0075];
said charge pump connected to said tank and connected to said hydraulic control line by a charge line (212); and
wherein a charge pressure in said charge line is operatively controllable by said electric charge motor [0068].
Regarding claim 39, Hewitt discloses (Fig. 1f) comprising a hydraulic release (130) between said control line and said charge line.
Regarding claim 40, Hewitt discloses (Fig. 1f) comprising a controller (“controller (not shown)”, [0062]) that receives input signals and outputs command signals to said actuator motor to control actuation of said first object to be driven relative to said body portion of said mobile machine and said second object to be driven relative to said body portion of said mobile machine [0062, 0063, 0070].
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 of this title, 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 1-2, 4-5, 8-9, 11-12, 15-16 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Persson; Bengt-Goran et al. US 8720197 B2, hereinafter Persson, in view of KAJITA; Shigeo et al. US 20160002889 A1, hereinafter Kajita. The references is/are considered analogous art to the claimed invention because the references is/are from the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention (hydraulic circuits with multiple pumps); or the references is/are reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor (ensuring pressure in a charge line). MPEP2141.01(a) I.
Regarding claim 1, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) a mobile machine comprising:
an object (221) configured to be driven relative to a body portion (213) of said mobile machine (210) ;
an electric power source (313, 320);
an electric actuator motor (275) connected to said electric power source and configured to be supplied with a current (Col 15 Ln 35-40);
an actuator pump (276) driven by said actuator motor (Col 15 Ln 35-40);
a hydraulic actuator (225) connected said actuator pump by a hydraulic control line (278, 281);
said hydraulic actuator configured to actuate said object to be driven relative to said mobile machine within a range of motion (Col 13 Ln 34-42);
a tank (324) open to atmosphere;
an electric charge motor (319) connected to said electric power source and configured to be supplied with a current (Col 15 Ln 35-40);
a charge pump (315) driven by said charge motor (Col 15 Ln 35-40);
said charge pump connected to said tank and connected to said hydraulic control line by a charge line (316);
a controller (304) that receives input signals and outputs command signals to said electric charge motor(Col 15 Ln 35-50);
wherein actuation of said object to be driven relative to said body portion of said mobile machine within said range of motion is operatively controllable by said actuator motor (Col 14 Ln 7-15); and
wherein said electric charge motor is operatively controlled by said controller so as to operatively maintain a charge pressure in said charge line (Col 15 Ln 21-24, 35-50).
Persson fails to explicitly state that the mobile machine further comprises: a pressure sensor configured to sense said charge pressure of said charge line and to provide a charge pressure input signal to said controller, and said electric charge motor is operatively controlled by said controller based on said charge pressure input signal.
Kajita discloses (Fig. 1, 3) a mobile machine comprising:
an object (5) configured to be driven relative to a body portion (B) of said mobile machine (A) ;
an actuator pump (7);
a hydraulic actuator (3a) connected said actuator pump by a hydraulic control line (depicted lines connecting (3a & 7));
a tank (34) open to atmosphere;
a charge motor (6);
a charge pump (16) driven by said charge motor [0041];
said charge pump connected to said tank and connected to said hydraulic control line by a charge line (depicted line on which (49, 47) reside);
a controller (40) that receives input signals and outputs command signals to said electric charge motor(Col 15 Ln 35-50);
a pressure sensor (47, 49) configured to sense said charge pressure of said charge line and to provide a charge pressure input signal to said controller [0058];
wherein said electric charge motor is operatively controlled by said controller based on said charge pressure input signal so as to operatively maintain a charge pressure in said charge line [0087, 0093].
One of ordinary skill in the art could have applied the known "improvement" technique (providing a pressure sensor on the charge line) in the same way to the "base" device and the results (maintaining a charge pressure in the charge line) would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a pressure sensor on the charge line in the device of Persson to maintain a charge pressure in the charge line as taught by Kajita as the is a known technique amongst similar devices ready for improvement.
Stated another way, Persson already discloses maintaining a charge pressure in the charge line but leaves the technique up to one of ordinary skill to provide the means of doing so. The modification shows/provides a means of maintaining the charge pressure in the charge line by way of a pressure sensor.
Regarding claim 2, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) said hydraulic actuator comprises a housing (depicted housing) having a first hydraulic port (depicted port connected to (279), hereinafter (279p)) and a second hydraulic port (depicted port connected to (282), hereinafter (282p));
said control line comprises a first control line (278) between said actuator pump (276) and said first port and a second control line (281) between said actuator pump and said second port; and
said charge line (316) is connected to said first control line and said second control line (via at least (288, 288)).
Regarding claim 4, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) said hydraulic actuator (225) comprises a linear hydraulic actuator (depicted as a linear actuator);
said housing comprises a first hydraulic chamber (279) and a second hydraulic chamber (282);
said first control line (278) is between said actuator pump (276) and said first chamber and said second control line (281) is between said actuator pump and said second chamber;
said linear hydraulic actuator comprises a hydraulic piston (depicted piston therein) between said first hydraulic chamber and said second hydraulic chamber and an actuating rod (depicted rod therein) connected to said piston and configured to translate along an axis with movement of said piston relative to said housing; and
one of said housing or said actuating rod is connected to said mobile machine and the other of said housing or said actuating rod is connected to said object to be driven (see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 5, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) said hydraulic actuator comprises a rotary hydraulic actuator; said rotary hydraulic actuator comprises a hydraulic motor: said hydraulic motor comprises a hydraulic rotary element between said first and second ports of said housing and an actuating shaft connected to said rotary element and configured to rotate about an axis with movement of said rotary element relative to said housing (depicted in Fig. 10 is a rotary actuator (340) which could be used as stated above in place of (225)); and
one of said housing or said actuating shaft is connected to said mobile machine and the other of said housing or said actuating shaft is connected to said object to be driven (See Fig. 7)
Regarding claim 8, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) comprising a hydraulic release (287, 288) between said control line (278, 281) and said charge line (316) and between said actuator pump (276) and said hydraulic actuator (225) and said hydraulic release is operatively configured to release hydraulic fluid from said first control line or said second control line when a control pressure in said first control line or said second control line exceeds a threshold value (Col 14 Ln 21-29).
Regarding claim 9, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) said hydraulic release comprises:
a first release valve (287) between said first hydraulic port (279p) and said actuator pump (276) and between said first control line (278) and said charge line (316);
a second release valve (288) between said second hydraulic port (282p) and said actuator pump and between said second control line (281) and said charge line:
a first check valve between said first hydraulic port and said second release valve (Col 14 Ln 31-36); and
a second check valve between said second hydraulic port and said first release valve (Col 14 Ln 31-36).
Regarding claim 11, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) comprising a first check valve between said first control line (278) and said charge line (316) and a second check valve between said second control line (281) and said charge line (Col 14 Ln 31-36).
Regarding claim 12, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) comprising:
a first valve (287) between said first control line (278) and said charge line (316);
a second valve (288) between said second control line (281) and said charge line;
a third valve between said first control line and said charge line (Col 14 Ln 31-36);
a fourth valve between said second control line and said charge line (Col 14 Ln 31-36).
Regarding claim 15, Persson discloses (Fig. 8-10) comprising: a coolant input line connected to said actuator pump and connected to said charge line between said charge pump and said hydraulic control line; and a coolant output line connected to said actuator pump and connected to said tank (Col 16 Ln 63 - Col 17 Ln 35).
Regarding claim 16, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) comprising a relief valve (327) connected to said charge line (316) between said charge pump (301) and said hydraulic control line (278, 281) and connected to said tank (324).
Regarding claim 21, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) comprising:
a second electric actuator motor (275, right) connected to said electric power source (313) and configured to be supplied with a current;
a second pump (276, right) driven by said second actuator motor;
a second hydraulic actuator (227) connected to said second pump by a second hydraulic control line (278, 281, right);
said second hydraulic actuator configured to actuate a second object (222) to be driven relative to said mobile machine within a second range of motion;
said charge pump connected to said second hydraulic control line by said charge line (via at least (287, 288, right)); and
wherein actuation of said second object to be driven relative to said body portion of said mobile machine within said second range of motion is operatively controllable by said second actuator motor and powered via said electric power source (Col 14 Ln 7-15).
Regarding claim 22, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) said range of motion comprises rotational motion about a tilt axis and said second range of motion comprises translational motion along a lift axis (as depicted in Fig. 7, one of the actuators provides a bucket lifting motion and the other of the actuators provides a bucket rotational motion).
Claims 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Persson in view of DEMIRER SUAT et al. WO 2013112109 A1, hereinafter Demirer. The references is/are considered analogous art to the claimed invention because the references is/are from the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention (hydraulic circuits with multiple pumps); or the references is/are reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor (ensuring pressure in a charge line). MPEP2141.01(a) I.
Regarding claim 13, Persson discloses (Fig. 8) a mobile machine comprising:
an object (221) configured to be driven relative to a body portion (213) of said mobile machine (210) ;
an electric power source (313, 320);
an electric actuator motor (275) connected to said electric power source and configured to be supplied with a current (Col 15 Ln 35-40);
an actuator pump (276) driven by said actuator motor (Col 15 Ln 35-40);
a hydraulic actuator (225) connected said actuator pump by a hydraulic control line (278, 281);
said hydraulic actuator configured to actuate said object to be driven relative to said mobile machine within a range of motion (Col 13 Ln 34-42);
a tank (324) open to atmosphere;
an electric charge motor (319) connected to said electric power source and configured to be supplied with a current (Col 15 Ln 35-40);
a charge pump (315) driven by said charge motor (Col 15 Ln 35-40);
said charge pump connected to said tank and connected to said hydraulic control line by a charge line (316);
wherein actuation of said object to be driven relative to said body portion of said mobile machine within said range of motion is operatively controllable by said actuator motor (Col 14 Ln 7-15); and
wherein a charge pressure in said charge line is operatively controllable by said electric charge motor (Col 15 Ln 21-24, 35-50).
Persson fails to explicitly state that the mobile machine further comprises a hydraulic accumulator connected to said charge line between said charge pump and said hydraulic control line; and wherein a base pressure in said charge line is operatively controllable by said hydraulic accumulator.
Demirer discloses (Fig. 1) a mobile machine comprising:
an electric actuator motor (29);
an actuator pump (28) driven by said actuator motor (Pg 9 Ln 7-10);
a hydraulic actuator (1) connected said actuator pump by a hydraulic control line (6, 7);
a tank (32) open to atmosphere;
an electric charge motor (30);
a charge pump (31) driven by said charge motor (Pg 12 Ln 4);
said charge pump connected to said tank and connected to said hydraulic control line by a charge line (15);
a hydraulic accumulator (8) connected to said charge line between said charge pump and said hydraulic control line (depicted as located therebetween); and
wherein a base pressure in said charge line is operatively controllable by said hydraulic accumulator (Pg 6 Ln 25-Pg 7 Ln 2).
Demirer further discloses that providing an accumulator in the charge line enables the charge pump to only operate intermittently.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Persson, by providing an accumulator in the charge line, as taught by Demirer, for the purpose of enabling the charge pump to only operate intermittently.
Regarding claim 14, Demirer discloses (Fig. 1) said hydraulic accumulator (8) is selected from a group consisting of a diaphragm type accumulator, a piston type accumulator, and a spring type accumulator ((8) is depicted/disclosed as either a diaphragm or piston type accumulator as indicated by the presence of a gas chamber (9) and a hydraulic chamber (10)).
Relevant Art
The following is a listing of relevant art:
US 20220074170 A1 discloses a hydraulic circuit comprising a control line with pressure sensor on control line.
US 20130312399 A1 discloses a hydraulic circuit comprising a plurality of pumps, actuators and an accumulator.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW WIBLIN whose telephone number is (571)272-9836. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NATHANIEL WIEHE can be reached on 571-272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW WIBLIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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