Appeal No. 2004-0713 Page 2
Application No. 09/900,256
BACKGROUND
The appellants' invention is a power-assisted steering apparatus for turning
steerable wheels of a vehicle. The apparatus comprises a rack bar that is connectable
with the steerable wheels of the vehicle. Linear movement of the rack bar turns the
steerable wheels. The apparatus also includes a hydraulic motor for, when actuated,
moving the rack bar linearly and a one-piece monolithic component. The one-piece
monolithic component has a pinion gear portion for meshingly engaging the rack bar, a
valve sleeve portion for cooperating with a valve core for actuating the hydraulic motor,
and a torsion bar portion for connection with the valve core and twisting in response to
rotation of the valve core relative to the valve sleeve portion to actuate the hydraulic
motor (specification, pp. 1-2). A copy of the claims under appeal is set forth in the
appendix to the appellants' brief.
Claims 1 to 4 and 7 to 9 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being
unpatentable over U.S. Patent No. 6,021,6851 to Sonoda et al. (Sonoda).
Rather than reiterate the conflicting viewpoints advanced by the examiner and
the appellants regarding the above-noted rejection, we make reference to the answer
(Paper No. 12, mailed July 30, 2003) for the examiner's complete reasoning in support
1 Issued February 8, 2000.
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