BACKGROUND
The appellant's invention relates to a brake pad provided with a capacitive sensor for
determining brake pad thickness or degree of wear and to a method of determining brake pad thickness
using such capacitive sensor. A copy of the claims under appeal is set forth in the appendix to the
appellant's brie Claif. ms 1 and 11 are illustrative of the claimed invention and read as follows:
1. A brake pad for a vehicle, the brake pad comprising:
a base member;
a pad portion disposed on the base member, the pad portion bein g
constructed from a substantially non-conductive dielectric m aterial; and
a first pair of capacitive plates disposed in and in contact with the
pad portion and arranged such that wear of the pad portion changes the
capacitance between the first pair of capacitive plates.
11. A method of determining brake pad thickness in a vehicle, the method
c ing:ompris
measuring a capacitance between a pair of capacitive plates;
wherein the pair of capacitive plates are disposed in and incontact
with a portion of the brake pad subject to wear, and
wherein at least one of the pair of capacitive plates becomes
smaller as the brake pad wears, and in a manner that changes the
capacitance between the pair of plates.
The examiner relies upon the following as evidence of unpatentability:
Hanisko US 6,366,201 B1 Apr. 2, 2002
Paielli US 6,384,721 B1 May 7, 2002
Th e following rejection is before us for review.
Claims 1-13 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Paielli in view of
Hanisko.
Rather than reiterate the conflicting viewpoints advanced by the examiner and the appellant
regarding this appeal, we make reference to the examiner's answer (mailed August 2 4, 2005) for the
examiner's complete reasoning in support of the rejection and to the appellant's brief (filed June 8, 2005)
and reply brief (filed October 26, 2005) for the appellant's arguments thereagainst.
OPINION
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007