DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Status of Claims
This office action is in response to a request for continued examination filed on 12/26/2025. Claims 1-4, 7, 9-10, 13 are pending; claim 1 has been amended; claims 5-6, 8, 11-12, 14 are canceled.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/26/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-4, 7, 9-10, 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “a first gear wheel connected to the output shaft”. It is unclear if the output shaft referring to the output shaft extends from planetary gearbox or the output shaft of the transmission unit.
Claims 2-4, 7, 9-10, 13 are also rejected due to their dependency from claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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(s) 1-4, 7, 9 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BACHMANN (DE102019205510 A1) in view of BERGSTRÖM (WO 2021073748 A1 previously cited by examiner on 3/31/2025)
Claim 1 BACHMANN discloses a transmission arrangement (40; Fig.4) for a vehicle powertrain (5, Fig.1), the transmission arrangement (40) comprising:
a transmission arrangement unit (see annotated Fig. 4 below) including:
a first transmission shaft (input shaft from EM or see annotated Fig below) configured to function as an input shaft of the transmission unit, the first transmission shaft (input shaft from EM or see annotated Fig below) comprising a first gear wheel (34);
a second transmission shaft (22) comprising a second gear wheel (16) and a third gear wheel (18), the second gear wheel (16) being arranged to cooperate with the first gear wheel (34) of the first transmission shaft;
a third transmission shaft (24) configured to function as an output shaft of the transmission unit (24), the third transmission shaft comprising a fourth gear wheel (28), the fourth gear wheel (28) being arranged to cooperate with the third gear wheel (18) of the second transmission shaft;
the third transmission shaft (24) further comprising a fifth gear wheel (26) arranged to be selectively connectable (s2) to the third transmission shaft for rotation with the third transmission shaft, the fifth gear (26) wheel being arranged to cooperate with the second gear wheel (16) of the second transmission shaft (22),
wherein the transmission unit (see annotated Fig below) comprises only two gear rows that are capable of transferring driving torque from a propulsion unit (EM) to driving wheels (6, 7; Fig.1) of the vehicle powertrain (5; Fig.1) when the transmission unit is arranged in the vehicle powertrain (5),
wherein the first gear row (e.g. row on the right side) of the two gear rows is defined by the first gear wheel (34), the second gear wheel (16) and the fifth gear wheel (26), and
the second gear row (e.g. row on the left side) of the two gear rows is defined by the third gear wheel (18) and the fourth gear wheel (28); a final gear set (30 and input gear of the differential 32); a second gear wheel (input gear of the differential 32) configured to connect to a differential (32) of a wheel axle of the vehicle powertrain.
BACHMANN does not disclose a planetary gearbox unit connected to the third transmission shaft of the transmission unit; the planetary gearbox unit including: a sun wheel; a ring gear connected to the sun wheel; and a locking device and a locking gear wheel configured to allow selective locking of at least the ring gear such that the ring gear and the sun wheel rotate together when the ring gear is connected to the locking gear wheel by the locking device; and a final gear set directly connected to the planetary gearbox unit by an output shaft extending out from the planetary gearbox unit on a first side of the planetary gearbox unit opposite a second side of the planetary gearbox unit to which the third transmission shaft is connected, the final gear set including: a first gear wheel connected to the output shaft.
BERGSTRÖM teaches a powertrain (1; Fig.2) having a transmission arrangement unit (13, 22, 14, 19, 16, 26, 27) similar to BACHMANN with a third transmission (22) configured to function as an output shaft of the transmission unit (13, 22, 14, 19, 16, 26, 27); a planetary gearbox unit (23) connected to the third transmission shaft (22) of the transmission unit (13, 22, 14, 19, 16, 26, 27);
the planetary gearbox unit (23) including: a sun wheel (28); a ring gear (31) connected to the sun wheel (28); and a locking device (auxiliary shifting device (not shown); see page 11, lines 21-22) and a locking gear wheel (33) configured to allow selective locking of at least the ring gear (31) such that the ring gear (31) and the sun wheel (28) rotate together when the ring gear (31) is connected to the locking gear wheel (33) by the locking device (auxiliary shifting device (not shown)); and planetary gearbox unit (23) having an output shaft (15) extending out from the planetary gearbox unit (23).
As a result of combination of BACHMANN in view of BERGSTRÖM yields “a final gear set (30 and input gear of the differential 32 as taught by BACHMANN) directly connected to the planetary gearbox unit (23- BERGSTRÖM) by an output shaft (15- BERGSTRÖM) extending out from the planetary gearbox unit (23- BERGSTRÖM) on a first side (left side) of the planetary gearbox unit (23- BERGSTRÖM) opposite a second side (right side) of the planetary gearbox unit (23- BERGSTRÖM) to which the third transmission shaft (24-BACHMANN) is connected, the final gear set (30 and input gear of the differential 32 as taught by BACHMANN) including: a first gear wheel (30) connected to the output shaft (15- BERGSTRÖM)” which satisfies the claimed limitation.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include planetary gearbox unit (23- BERGSTRÖM) as taught by BERGSTRÖM between the third transmission shaft (24-BACHMANN) and final gear set (30 and input gear of the differential 32 as taught by BACHMANN) in the transmission arrangement of BACHMANN to provide additional reduction stages and operating modes while preserving the compact two row transmission architecture.
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Claim 2: BACHMANN as modified by BERGSTRÖM discloses the transmission arrangement (40) according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling device (s2-BACHMANN) configured to selectively couple the fifth gear wheel (26- BACHMANN) to the third transmission shaft (24- BACHMANN) (see ¶0068] of translation).
Claim 3: BACHMANN as modified by BERGSTRÖM discloses the transmission arrangement (40) according to claim 2, wherein the coupling device further is configured to selectively couple the fourth gear wheel (28- BACHMANN) to the third transmission shaft (24- BACHMANN) (see ¶[0068] of translation).
Claim 4: BACHMANN as modified by BERGSTRÖM discloses the transmission arrangement (40) according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission shaft (as shown in annotated fig above) and the third transmission shaft (24- BACHMANN) are arranged such that the input shaft and the output shaft (24- BACHMANN) of the transmission unit extend out of the transmission unit in the same direction (see annotated Fig below).
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Claim 7: BACHMANN as modified by BERGSTRÖM discloses a vehicle powertrain (5; Fig.1) comprising:
the transmission arrangement (40) according to claim 1;
and the propulsion unit (EM-BACHMANN), wherein the propulsion unit (EM-BACHMANN) is connected to the first transmission shaft (see annotated Fig below rejection of claim 1 above) of the transmission unit.
Claim 9: BACHMANN as modified by BERGSTRÖM discloses the vehicle powertrain according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit (see annotated Fig.4 below) has a central longitudinal plane (see annotated Fig below) transversal to the rotational axis of the first transmission shaft (e.g. input shaft from EM) and a central transversal plane (see annotated Fig below) parallel with the rotational axis of the first transmission shaft (e.g. input shaft from EM), and wherein the propulsion unit (EM) and the planetary gearbox unit (23 as taught by BERGSTRÖM) are arranged on the same side of the central longitudinal plane of the transmission unit (as shown in annotated fig below: EM and planetary gearbox would arranged on the same side of the central longitudinal plane) and opposite sides of the central transversal plane of the transmission unit (as shown in annotated Fig below: planetary gearbox is positioned more at lower side relative to the transversal plane; wherein EM is positioned at upper side of the transversal plane).
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Claim 13: BACHMANN as modified by BERGSTRÖM discloses a vehicle (Fig.1) comprising the vehicle powertrain (5- BACHMANN) according to claim 7.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BACHMANN (DE102019205510 A1) in view of BERGSTRÖM (WO 2021073748 A1) and further in view of KALTENBACH (US 20160017968 A1)
Claim 10: BACHMANN as modified by HAN discloses the vehicle powertrain according to claim 7, further comprising a wheel axle (e.g. one of half shafts that are directly connected to differential 32) connected to one of the driving wheels (6, 7) of the vehicle powertrain.
BACHMANN as modified by BERGSTRÖM does not disclose wherein the propulsion unit is arranged between the transmission unit and the wheel axle as seen in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle powertrain.
KALTENBACH teaches a propulsion unit (EM; Fig.2) is positioned to the left of a transmission unit (see annotated fig.2 below) in axial direction.
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As the result, a final structure of BACHMANN as modified by BERGSTRÖM in view of KALTENBACH would arrange the modified transmission unit of BACHMANN toward right side such that the propulsion unit would be between the transmission unit and the wheel axle as seen in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle powertrain (5) .
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange the transmission unit such that the propulsion unit is arranged between the transmission unit and the wheel axle as seen in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle powertrain as taught by KALTENBACH in the modified powertrain of BACHMANN in order to maintain a balanced front-rear weight distribution of powertrain, thus improve stability and performance of vehicle.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Lillian T Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-5404. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at (571)270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERNESTO A SUAREZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
/LILLIAN T NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3655A