Appeal No. 2002-0882
Application 09/161,146
including an input shaft, an output shaft, and an acknowledgment
device for emitting an acknowledgment signal to a driver that re-
engagement of the clutch may be properly effected, the
synchronization equipment including at least one sliding bushing
movable along the input shaft by operation of actuating elements,
the improvement comprising:
distance sensors installed on at least one of said at least
one sliding bushing or the actuating elements of said at least
one sliding bushing for the recognition of a beginning of a
synchronization process by evaluation of a movement covered by
said at least one sliding bushing along the input shaft, thereby
permitting the acknowledgment signal to be emitted at a point in
time advance of completion of the synchronization process.
THE PRIOR ART
The prior art items relied on by the examiner to support the
appealed rejections are:
Holdeman 4,440,042 Apr. 3, 1984
Morscheck et al. (Morscheck) 4,676,115 Jun. 30, 1987
Asahara et al. (Asahara) 5,195,035 Mar. 16, 1993
Kojima et al. (Kojima) 5,612,880 Mar. 18, 1997
Showalter et al. (Showalter) 5,771,477 Jun. 23, 1998
The prior art discussed on pages 1 and 2 of the appellants’
specification (the admitted prior art).
THE REJECTIONS
Claims 1, 2, 10 through 12 and 14 through 16 stand rejected
under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being unpatentable over Showalter in
view of Morscheck and the admitted prior art.
Claims 3 through 5 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)
as being unpatentable over Showalter in view of Morscheck, the
admitted prior art and Kojima.
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