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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 27 – 29, 32 – 35, 37, and 40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frohnmayer et al. (US 2016/0229289 A1) in view of Son (KR 20050060873 A).
For claim 27, Frohnmayer et al. discloses a system comprising:
a housing 810 [configured to house a gearset 823, 825, 826, 828 and to interface to an electric motor 880 having a motor shaft 822] (fig. 8);
a motor bearing 844 [engaged with the motor shaft] (page 4, paragraph [0048]); but does not explicitly disclose
a retention plate comprising a semi-circular shape extending partially around the motor shaft to retain the motor bearing against the housing.
Son discloses a bush 20; [a semicircular fixing ring 40 that supports both sides of the bush and has a fixing ball 41 formed on both ends to be caught on a groove 11 of a stabilizer bar 10] (page 5, lines 13 – 15).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the semicircular fixing rings and grooves of Son with the system of Frohnmayer et al. with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for reducing overall unwanted movement of the bearing, thus reducing overall vibration and replacement costs.
For claim 28, Frohnmayer et al. modified as above discloses the system [wherein the retention plate is affixed to the housing] (indirectly).
For claims 29 and 35, Frohnmayer et al. modified as above discloses the system [wherein the retention plate maintains a position of the motor bearing and reacts axial loads on the motor shaft] (page 5, lines 13 – 15, of Son).
For claim 32, Frohnmayer et al. modified as above discloses the system wherein:
the gearset comprises [a motor gear 823 affixed to the motor shaft] (page 4, paragraph [0042]), an intermediate gear 825, 826, and a drive gear 828; and
[the retention plate allows an axial stack up of the intermediate gear and the motor gear to be reduced relative to a four-bearing arrangement 840, 840] (intended use, capable).
For claim 33, Frohnmayer et al. modified as above discloses the system [wherein the retention plate forms an azimuthal open area] (fig. 1 of Son).
For claim 34, Frohnmayer et al. modified as above discloses a system comprising:
a motor gear 823 [affixed to a motor shaft 822] (page 4, paragraph [0042]) [engaged with a motor bearing 844] (page, paragraph [0048]);
an intermediate gear 825, 826 [engaged with the motor gear] (page 4, paragraph [0042]); but does not explicitly disclose
a retention plate that retains the motor bearing, wherein the retention plate comprises a semi-circular shape extending partially around the motor shaft.
Son discloses a bush 20; [a semicircular fixing ring 40 that supports both sides of the bush and has a fixing ball 41 formed on both ends to be caught on a groove 11 of a stabilizer bar 10] (page 5, lines 13 – 15).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the semicircular fixing rings and grooves of Son with the system of Frohnmayer et al. with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for reducing overall unwanted movement of the bearing, thus reducing overall vibration and replacement costs.
For claim 37, Frohnmayer et al. modified as above discloses the system [wherein the retention plate maintains alignment of the motor bearing] (page 5, lines 13 – 15, via groove and fixing ball of Son).
For claim 40, Frohnmayer et al. modified as above discloses the system wherein a motor 880 comprises the motor shaft, and [wherein the retention plate is affixed to a housing 810 to which the motor is affixed] (indirectly).
Claims 30, 31, and 36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frohnmayer et al. (US 2016/0229289 A1) in view of Son (KR 20050060873 A), and further in view of Nishikawa et al. (CN 109515143 A).
For claim 30, Frohnmayer et al. modified as above does not explicitly disclose the system wherein the motor bearing is a mid-bearing along the motor shaft.
Nishikawa et al. discloses a motor/generator 12 comprising a motor shaft 34; [three groups of bearings 36, 38, 40 supporting the motor shaft] (fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to alternatively use the three bearings of Nishikawa et al. in place of the two bearings of Frohnmayer et al. modified as above with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for improved support of the motor shaft and providing low friction under fluctuating speeds, thus reducing overall maintenance and replacement costs.
For claim 31, Frohnmayer et al. modified as above discloses the system [wherein the mid-bearing is one of three and only three bearings along the motor shaft] (in view of the modification above, fig. 2 of Ito et al.).
For claim 36, Frohnmayer et al. modified as above does not explicitly disclose the system wherein the motor bearing is a mid-bearing along the motor shaft, and wherein the mid-bearing is one of three and only three bearings along the motor shaft.
Nishikawa et al. discloses a motor/generator 12 comprising a motor shaft 34; [three groups of bearings 36, 38, 40 supporting the motor shaft] (fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to alternatively use the three bearings of Nishikawa et al. in place of the two bearings of Frohnmayer et al. modified as above with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for improved support of the motor shaft and providing low friction under fluctuating speeds, thus reducing overall maintenance and replacement costs.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 21 – 26 are allowed.
Claim 38 and 39 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to disclose:
For claim 21 – 26: a portion of a wheel gear is within the inner radius of the semi-circular shape;
For claim 38 – 39: the semi-circular shape forms an open area; and a portion of the intermediate gear is within the open area.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jacob D. Knutson whose telephone number is (571)270-5576. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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/JACOB D KNUTSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3611