Patent Application 18213635 - HYDRAULIC VEHICLE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT DEVICE - Rejection

Patent Application 18213635 - HYDRAULIC VEHICLE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT DEVICE

Title: HYDRAULIC VEHICLE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT DEVICE

Application Information

• Invention Title: HYDRAULIC VEHICLE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT DEVICE
• Application Number: 18213635
• Submission Date: 2025-05-15T00:00:00.000Z
• Effective Filing Date: 2023-06-23T00:00:00.000Z
• Filing Date: 2023-06-23T00:00:00.000Z
• National Class: 701
• National Sub-Class: 037000
• Examiner Employee Number: 89103
• Art Unit: 3747
• Tech Center: 3700

Rejection Summary

• 102 Rejections: 1
• 103 Rejections: 0

Cited Patents

The following patents were cited in the rejection:

• US 0081808🔗
• US 0081806🔗
• US 0081807🔗

Office Action Text

    DETAILED ACTION

The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This Office Action is sent in response to Applicant’s Communication received on June 23, 2023 for application number 18/213,635. This Office hereby acknowledges receipt of the following and placed of record in file: Specification, Drawings, Abstract, Oath/Declaration, and Claims.

Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on June 23, 2023 is noted. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is considered by the examiner.

Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Applications No. KR 10-2022-0081808 filed on July 4, 2022; KR 10-2022-0081806 filed on July 4, 2022 and KR 10-2022-0081807 filed on July 4, 2022.

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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hubert et al. (DE 199 21 648 A1), hereinafter “Hubert”.
Regarding claim 1, Hubert discloses a hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device (Abstract) comprising: a storage tank part (Fig. 1 (3)) configured to store a fluid (Abstract); a housing part (Fig. 1 (solid structure in the vicinity of element 14)) connected to the storage tank part (Fig. 1 (3)) and configured to define a flow path portion through which the fluid moves (Description section, paragraph 15); a gear pump part (Fig. 1 (2); Description section, paragraph 16) inserted into the housing part (Fig. 1 (solid structure in the vicinity of element 14)) and having gears (Description section, paragraph 16) configured to press the fluid; an electric motor part (Fig. 1 (16)) mounted on the housing part (Fig. 1 (solid structure in the vicinity of element 14)) and configured to operate the gear pump part when electric power is applied (Description section, paragraph 16-20); an adjustment part connected to the housing part and configured to change a height of a vehicle body by using hydraulic pressure (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20); and a pulsation reducing part inserted into the housing part (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20), connected to the flow path portion, and configured to maintain a constant movement amount of the fluid (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 2, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 1, wherein the housing part comprises: a block body portion; a tank port portion in an upper surface portion of the block body portion and configured to guide a connection with the storage tank part; an adjustment port portion in the upper surface portion of the block body portion and configured to guide a connection with the adjustment part; a pump port portion in a front surface portion of the block body portion and configured to guide the insertion of the gear pump part; and one or more pulsation port portions in the block body portion and configured to guide the insertion of the pulsation reducing part (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 3, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 2, further comprising a control part mounted on the housing part, wherein the housing part further comprises a connection port portion through the block body portion and configured to guide a direct connection between the electric motor part and the control part (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 4, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 1, wherein the gear pump part comprises: a pump body portion inserted into the housing part; a motor gear part rotatably mounted in the pump body portion and configured to rotate by being connected to the electric motor part; a connection gear part rotatably mounted in the pump body portion and configured to rotate while engaging with the motor gear part; a pump inlet portion in the pump body portion and configured to guide the fluid to the motor gear part and the connection gear part; and a pump outlet portion in the pump body portion and configured to guide the fluid discharged from the motor gear part and the connection gear part (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 5, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 4, wherein the gear pump part further comprises a pair of pumps sealing parts mounted on an outer portion of the pump body portion and configured to maintain sealability, and the pump outlet portion is disposed between the pair of pumps sealing parts (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 6, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 1, wherein the pulsation reducing part comprises: a reduction insertion part inserted into the housing part and configured to mitigate fluid impact while guiding the fluid, which is introduced into a pulsation inlet portion, to a pulsation outlet portion; and a reduction support part mounted on the housing part and configured to support the reduction insertion part (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 7, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 6, wherein the reduction insertion part comprises: an insertion pipe portion inserted into the housing part and configured to guide the fluid, which is introduced from the pulsation inlet portion, into the insertion pipe portion; an insertion catching portion protruding outward from the insertion pipe portion and caught in the housing part; and one or more insertion discharge portions in the insertion pipe portion and configured to allow the fluid, which is introduced into the insertion pipe portion, to pass through the insertion pipe portion to the outside of the insertion pipe portion (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 8, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 7, wherein an inner diameter of the insertion pipe portion is designed to be larger than a hole diameter of the pulsation inlet portion (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 9, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more insertion discharge portions is opposite to the pulsation outlet portion (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 10, Hubert discloses a hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device (Abstract) comprising: a storage tank part (Fig. 1 (3)) configured to store a fluid (Abstract); a gear pump part (Fig. 1 (2); Description section, paragraph 16) connected to the storage tank part (Fig. 1 (3)) and having gears configured to operate to press the fluid (Description section, paragraph 16); a pulsation reducing part configured to maintain a constant movement amount of the fluid discharged from the gear pump part (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20); and an adjustment valve part connected to the pulsation reducing part and configured to control a movement amount of the fluid to an adjustment part for changing a height of a vehicle body (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 11, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 10, wherein the pulsation reducing part is provided as a plurality of pulsation reducing parts connected in series (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 12, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 10, further comprising: a check valve part disposed between the pulsation reducing part and the gear pump part and configured to control the movement amount of the fluid (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 13, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 12, further comprising: a recovery portion configured to guide the fluid, which has passed through the pulsation reducing part, to the storage tank part; and a vehicle height valve part configured to open or close the recovery portion (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 14, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 13, wherein in a vehicle height raising mode, the vehicle height valve part restricts the movement of the fluid, and the check valve part and the adjustment valve part allow the movement of the fluid (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 15, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 13, wherein in a vehicle height lowering mode, the check valve part restricts the movement of the fluid, and the vehicle height valve part and the adjustment valve part allow the movement of the fluid (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 16, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 13, wherein in a vehicle height maintaining mode, the check valve part and the vehicle height valve part allow the movement of the fluid, and the adjustment valve part restricts the movement of the fluid (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 17, Hubert discloses a hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device (Abstract) comprising: a storage tank part (Fig. 1 (3)) configured to store a fluid; a housing part (Fig. 1 (solid structure in the vicinity of element 14)) connected to the storage tank part (Fig. 1 (3)) and having a flow path portion through which the fluid moves (Description section, paragraph 15); a gear pump part (Fig. 1 (2); Description section, paragraph 16) inserted into the housing part (Fig. 1 (solid structure in the vicinity of element 14)) and having gears (Description section, paragraph 16) configured to press the fluid; an electric motor part (Fig. 1 (16)) mounted on the housing part (Fig. 1 (solid structure in the vicinity of element 14)) and configured to operate the gear pump part (Fig. 1 (2) when electric power is applied; a valve part inserted into the housing part and configured to open or close the flow path portion (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20); and a control part mounted on the housing part and configured to operate the valve part (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 18, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 17, wherein the housing part comprises: a block body portion; a tank port portion in an upper surface portion of the block body portion and configured to guide a connection with the storage tank part; an adjustment port portion in the upper surface portion of the block body portion; a pump port portion in a front surface portion of the block body portion and configured to guide the insertion of the gear pump part; one or more valve port portions in the block body portion and configured to guide the insertion of the valve part; and a connection port portion through the block body portion and configured to guide a direct connection between the electric motor part and the control part (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 19, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 17, wherein the gear pump part comprises: a pump body portion inserted into the housing part; a motor gear part rotatably mounted in the pump body portion and configured to rotate by being connected to the electric motor part; a connection gear part rotatably mounted in the pump body portion and configured to rotate while engaging with the motor gear part; a pump inlet portion in the pump body portion and configured to guide the fluid to the motor gear part and the connection gear part; a pump outlet portion in the pump body portion and configured to guide the fluid discharged from the motor gear part and the connection gear part; and a pair of pump sealing parts mounted on an outer portion of the pump body portion and configured to maintain sealability, and wherein the pump outlet portion is disposed between the pair of pump sealing parts (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).
Regarding claim 20, Hubert discloses the hydraulic vehicle height adjustment device of claim 18, further comprising: an adjustment part connected to the housing part and configured to change a height of a vehicle body by using hydraulic pressure, wherein the adjustment port portion is configured to guide a connection with the adjustment part (Abstract; Description section, paragraph 16-20).

Conclusion
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/O.M/Examiner, Art Unit 3747

/LINDSAY M LOW/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3747