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 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: An article is missing between the phrases “in which” and “outer housing” in line 6 of the claim, and a comma is missing after the word “housing”. Alternatively, if Applicant intended to communicate “the/an outer housing of the rotation angle sensor…”, the claim should be amended to be distinct from the above suggested correction. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 3, 6, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pub. 2022/0379961 A1 to Malacci et al., hereinafter Malacci.
Regarding Claim 1, Malacci teaches a steering angle sensor device (“position sensor apparatus” 6, Figs. 1-2, [0048]) in a steering system (1, Fig. 1, [0041]) of a motor vehicle, comprising a rotation angle sensor (“electric rotation sensor” 61, Figs. 3-5, [0049]) which is connected to a gear (64, Figs. 3-5, [0052]) via a shaft (62, Figs. 3-5, [0049]) and detects a rotation of the gear ([0052]), wherein the gear is designed to mesh with a thread (“toothed rack” 46, Figs. 3-6, [0052]) on a steering rod (“actuator rod” 42, Figs. 1-6, [0045]), and wherein the steering angle sensor device (6) is designed as a preassembled unit with its own outer housing (portion of housing pointed to by label 6 and surrounding components of 6, Figs. 1-2) to be mounted on a steering housing (“actuator housing” 41, Fig. 1, [0044]), in which outer housing [sic] (portion of housing surrounding 6) the rotation angle sensor (61), the shaft (62) and the gear (64) are received.
Regarding Claim 3, Malacci further teaches wherein the outer housing (portion of housing surrounding 6) has a lateral opening (located at and permitting interface of 64 and 46, Figs. 3-5) in a thread-side end portion (right portion of 62, surrounded by 64 in Figs. 3-5) through which a toothing (toothing on gear 64, Figs. 3-5, [0056]) of the gear is accessible (interface depicted in Figs. 3-5).
Regarding Claim 6, Malacci further teaches wherein the shaft (62) has a sensor-side section (left portion of 62, surrounded by 61 in Figs. 3-5), a thread-side section (right portion of 62, surrounded by 64 in Figs. 3-5) and a middle section (middle portion of 62 between 61 and 64, Figs. 3-5), wherein the middle section connects the sensor-side section and the thread-side section (configuration depicted in Figs. 3-5) and has a flexible element (“compensation element” 66, Fig. 4, [0058]) which is designed to transmit a rotational movement from the thread side section (right portion of 62) to the sensor-side section (left portion of 62) and to allow tilting between the thread-side section and the sensor-side section (Fig. 4 and [0058]).
Regarding Claim 9, Malacci further teaches wherein the shaft (62) is received on the sensor side (leftmost side of Figs. 3-5) in a first bearing (63, Figs. 3-5, [0050]) holds the shaft (62) in a fixed position with respect to the outer housing ([0030, 0050]) and the second bearing (“compensation element” 67, Fig. 5, [0059]), wherein the first bearing (63) holds the shaft (62) in a fixed position with respect to the outer housing (in embodiments of Fig. 5, i.e., when lacking 66, [0058]) and the second bearing (67) is designed such that it offers a predetermined radial movement range for the shaft (62) with respect to the outer housing (41, [0059-0060]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Malacci in view of U.S. Pub. 2020/0406956 A1 to Watzlawek.
Regarding Claim 2, Malacci teaches the steering angle sensor device according to claim 1, but does not teach wherein the outer housing forms a cartridge which is designed to be inserted into a matching sensor receptacle of the steering housing.
In the same field of endeavor as steering angle sensors, Watzlawek teaches a steering angle sensor device (“torque sensor” 14, Fig. 2, [0041]) with an outer housing (12, Fig. 2, [0041]) forms a cartridge (bottom portion of 12 depicted in Figs. 3a-c) which is designed to be inserted into a matching sensor receptacle (“housing shoulder” 34, Figs. 8-9, [0043]) of the steering housing (assembly depicted in Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the steering angle sensor device of Malacci with the detachable cartridge sensor housing and matching receptacle of Watzlawek, yielding predictable results. One ordinarily skilled in the art would appreciate the ability to use a separable housing for sensor components to facilitate easier disassembly for maintenance and for cost-effectiveness (Watzlawek – [0006-0007]).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Malacci in view of U.S. Pub. 2022/0266891 A1 to Park.
Regarding Claim 10, Malacci teaches the steering angle sensor device according to claim 9, a second bearing (67), an outer housing (portion of housing surrounding 6), and in which the second bearing (67) can be displaced by a predetermined play in the radial direction with respect to the thread ([0056]), but does not teach a receptacle of the outer housing designed as an elongated hole.
In the same field of endeavor as steering angle sensors, Park teaches an analogous second bearing (“second bearing portion” 600, Figs. 3-5, [0044]), and an analogous housing (“first housing part” 20, Fig. 5, [0033]) having a receptacle (portion of 20 receiving 600, Fig. 5) designed as an elongated hole (depicted in Figs. 3-5).
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the steering angle sensor device and second bearing of Malacci with the housing receptacle geometry of Park, yielding predictable results. One ordinarily skilled in the art would readily understand the need to design the housing to accommodate a bearing as it would to accommodate other portions of the sensor assembly such as the first bearing ([0033-0035]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 7-8, and 11-12 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claims 4-5 (and similar Claim 12), the prior art does not teach that the sensor gear meshes with the spindle thread of the recirculating ball steering system, but meshes only a toothed rack distal to the recirculating ball mechanism.
Regarding Claims 7 and 8, the prior art does not teach that the shaft is formed as a single piece with a flexible element being part of the shaft.
Regarding Claim 11, the prior art does not teach a steering housing having a sensor receptacle into which the outer housing of the sensor can detachably insert into so that the sensor gear can mesh with the thread of the steering rod.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Pub. 2024/0149944 A1 to Span et al. discloses a substantially similar sensor arrangement having a housing (20) enclosing a rotational angle sensor (30) which interfaces with a spindle thread (16) via a meshing toothed wheel (34) attached to a shaft (26, all elements depicted in Fig. 2), but the housing is formed as a single part with steering housing (22), which differentiates it from the instant application. This disclosure is excepted as prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b)(2) (note effective filing date of November 9th, 2022) as disclosing subject matter obtained directly from the inventor, and is additionally subject to an obligation of assignment to the same entity (ZF Active Safety being a subsidiary of ZF Automotive).
U.S. Pub. 2024/0286675 A1 to Rouleau et al. discloses a steering sensor gear (100) having rounded, circular-arc-shaped gear teeth (106, Fig. 2) meshing with the steering rod (“driving component” 102), but is differentiated from the prior art by the interface being a rack and pinion type, rather than a recirculating ball spindle.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mitchell James Price whose telephone number is (571)272-3729. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thurs 8:00 - 5:00 Eastern, Fri 8:00 - 12:00 Eastern.
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/Mitchell James Price/ Examiner, Art Unit 3611 /VALENTIN NEACSU, Ph.D./Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611
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