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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 8/24/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8-10, 14-19, 23, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kitamura et al (US 2005/0285461). Kitamura discloses:
With regard to claim 1 - A hub assembly for a human powered vehicle, the hub assembly comprising:
a hub axle 5 having a first axial end 51, a second axial end 52 and a center axis defining an axial direction, a radial direction and a circumferential direction;
a hub body 6 rotatably disposed around the center axis;
a sprocket support body 10 configured to support a plurality of sprockets and configured to rotate around the center axis to transmit a driving force to the hub body 6 while rotating in a driving rotational direction around the center axis; and
an electrical power storage device 9 disposed radially outward of an outer surface of the hub axle 5 in an interior space between the hub axle and the hub body in the radial direction,
the electrical power storage device 9 surrounding and being in contact with the outer surface of the hub axle in the circumferential direction (“[0084] The charger part 9, as shown in FIG. 2, is rigidly attached to both the electrical generator mechanism 8 and the hub axle 5. Specifically, the charger part 9, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 10, includes a washer-shaped circuit board 60, where the circuit board 60 is non-rotatably attached to the hub axle 5 with an insulated washer 56 between the washer 23b and a nut 22b.”),
the electrical power storage device 9 being disposed axially inward of the sprocket attachment structure 10 of the sprocket support body,
the electrical power storage device 9 being disposed axially between a first spoke attachment structure and a second spoke attachment structure of the hub body (see Fig. 2), and
the electrical power storage device 9 configured to be fixed relative to the hub axle 5.
With regard to claim 2 - wherein at least a portion of the electrical power storage device 9 axially overlaps the hub body 6 (see Fig. 2).
With regard to claim 3 - wherein an entire axial length of the electrical power storage device 9 axially overlaps the hub body 6.
With regard to claim 4 - wherein the hub body 6 includes a first spoke attachment structure 12a and a second spoke attachment structure 12b, the first spoke attachment structure 12a is spaced from the second spoke attachment structure 12b in the axial direction, and at least a portion of the electrical power storage device 9 is axially disposed between the first spoke attachment structure 12a and the second spoke attachment structure 12b.
With regard to claim 5 - wherein an entire axial length of the electrical power storage device 9 is disposed between the first spoke attachment structure 12a and the second spoke attachment structure 12b in the axial direction (see Fig. 2).
With regard to claim 8 - wherein the electrical power storage device 9 surrounds at least half of the outer surface of the hub axle 5 in the circumferential direction.
With regard to claim 9 - wherein the electrical power storage device 9 includes a plurality of batteries 61 disposed to surround the hub axle in the circumferential direction.
With regard to claim 10 - wherein the electrical power storage device 9 includes a battery 61 surrounding the outer surface of the hub axle in the circumferential direction.
With regard to claim 14 - wherein the hub axle 5 has a through bore extending between the first axial end and the second axial end (see Fig. 2).
With regard to claim 15 - further comprising a thru-axle 53 configured to be disposed in the through bore of the hub axle 5.
With regard to claim 16 - A hub assembly for a human powered vehicle, the hub assembly comprising:
a hub axle 5 having a center axis defining an axial direction, a radial direction and a circumferential direction, the hub axle 5 including a through bore extending between a first axial end and a second axial end of the hub axle 5;
a thru-axle 53 configured to be disposed in the through bore of the hub axle 5;
a hub body 6 rotatably disposed around the center axis;
an electrical power storage device 9 disposed radially outward of an outer surface of the hub axle; and
an electrical cable 35a electrically connected to the electrical power storage device 9 and an electric component 97 (“[0091] The power output terminal 11 is attached non-rotatably to the hub axle 5 as mentioned above. In this example embodiment, the power output terminal 11 is used in order to use the connection cord 35b, which is wired through the cord wiring groove 5d, for use electrically at the rear derailleur 97. The direct-current electricity (i.e. electric energy or power) upon which the speed signal has been superimposed is outputted from the electric power output terminal 11.”),
the electrical power storage device 9 surrounding and being in contact with the outer surface of the hub axle in the circumferential direction,
and the electrical power storage device 9 being disposed in an interior space between the hub axle 5 and the hub body 6 in the radial direction.
With regard to claim 17 - wherein the electrical power storage device 9 at least surrounds half of the outer surface of the hub axle 5 in the circumferential direction.
With regard to claim 18 - wherein the electrical power storage device 9 includes a plurality of batteries 61 disposed to surround the hub axle in the circumferential direction.
With regard to claim 19 - wherein the electrical power storage device includes a battery 61 surrounding the outer surface of the hub axle in the circumferential direction.
With regard to claim 23 - further comprising a cable 35a that electrically connects the electrical power storage device 9 to the electric component 97.
With regard to claim 24 - wherein the electrical power storage device 9 surrounds an entirety of at least a portion of the outer surface of the hub axle 5 in the circumferential direction (see Fig. 10).
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 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kitamura. Kitamura discloses wherein the battery has a flat shape but fails to explicitly disclose the battery as having an elongated shape in the axial direction. It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to form the battery such that it has an elongated shape in the axial direction, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art.
Claims 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kitamura in view of Yamazaki (US 10,787,032). Kitamura discloses that the electrical storage device is a circuit board that comprises a battery 61. Kitamura fails to explicitly disclose wherein the electrical power storage device includes a casing. Yamazaki teaches a bicycle hub comprising a hub axle and a hub body and further comprising a circuit board 44 having a power storage device 47 and a casing 43, the casing is at least partly arc shaped and surrounds the outer surface of the hub axle in the circumferential direction. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the hub assembly of Kitamura with the teaching of Yamazaki such that the electrical power storage device includes a casing, with reasonable expectation of success, to help protect the electrical storage device.
With regard to claim 13, Kitamura discloses wherein the electrical power storage device 9 is configured to supply electricity to an electric component 97 that is different from the hub assembly; and
the electrical power storage device is configured to receive electricity from the electric component 97.
Claims 20-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kitamura in view of Van Druten et al (US 11,760,439). Kitamura discloses a hub assembly for a human powered vehicle, the hub assembly comprising:
a hub axle 5 having a first axial end, a second axial end and a center axis;
a hub body 6 rotatably disposed around the center axis;
an electrical power storage device 9 disposed in an interior space between the hub axle and the hub body in the radial direction,
the electrical power storage device 9 being disposed axially between a first spoke attachment 12a structure and a second spoke attachment structure 12b of the hub body. Kitamura fails to explicitly disclose the electrical power storage device being configured to wirelessly supply electricity to an electric component that is separate from the hub assembly.
With regard to claim 20, Van Druten teaches a hub assembly for a human powered vehicle, the hub assembly comprising:
a hub axle 7 having a first axial end, a second axial end and a center axis;
a hub body 8, 10 rotatably disposed around the center axis;
an electrical power storage device 28 configured to wirelessly supply electricity to an electric component that is separate from the hub assembly (“In case an electrically switching rear derailleur is used, the first transmitter of the short range wireless system can be placed close to an electric component, such as an actuator, of the rear derailleur. In case the rear derailleur is also actuated wirelessly, a third receiver of the rear derailleur can be placed in one housing together with the first transmitter of the short range wireless system. A battery used for the rear derailleur can then supply power to the third receiver of the rear derailleur, the actuator of the rear derailleur and the first transmitter of the short range wireless system. Hence, fewer batteries are required.” – column 4, line 60 – column 5, line 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the hub assembly of Kitamura with the teaching of Van Druten such the electrical power storage device is configured to wirelessly supply electricity to an electric component that is separate from the hub assembly to reduce the number of necessary wires further (see ¶[0020] of Kitamura).
With regard to claim 21, Kitamura fails to explicitly disclose wherein the electrical power storage device is configured to wirelessly receive electricity from the electric component. Van Druten teaches wherein the electrical power storage device 28 is configured to wirelessly receive electricity from the electric component. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the hub assembly of Kitamura with the teaching of Van Druten such the electrical power storage device is configured to wirelessly supply electricity to an electric component that is separate from the hub assembly to reduce the number of necessary wires further (see ¶[0020] of Kitamura).
With regard to claim 22, Van Druten teaches the human powered vehicle assembly comprising an electric rear derailleur 15 as the electric component.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Examiner agrees that the amendments to claims 1 and 16 help define the invention over the 102 rejection using Van Druten. The 102 rejection utilizing Kitamura is maintained because the circuit board 60, which is non-rotatably fixed to axle body 5 is part pf the charger part 9 (“[0084] The charger part 9, as shown in FIG. 2, is rigidly attached to both the electrical generator mechanism 8 and the hub axle 5. Specifically, the charger part 9, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 10, includes a washer-shaped circuit board 60, where the circuit board 60 is non-rotatably attached to the hub axle 5 with an insulated washer 56 between the washer 23b and a nut 22b. In particular, the circuit board has an eccentric opening that mates with the external shape of the hub axle 5 at the flat surfaces 55e.”). Thus, the electrical power storage device of Kitamura surrounds and is in contact with the hub axle. The claims do not require a larger-capacity battery as written but merely an electrical power storage device. Kitamura states “[t]he charger part 9 stores the electricity (i.e. electrical energy or power) that is generated by the electrical generator mechanism 8” (see ¶[0065]), thus meeting the limitation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY WILHELM whose telephone number is (571)272-6980. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30.
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/TIMOTHY WILHELM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617 September 2, 2026
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