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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 – 4 and 8 – 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by patent application publication number US 2022/0314692 A1 to Yamazaki.
Regarding claims 1 – 4 and 8 – 11, Yamazaki discloses a hub assembly (hub 10) for a human powered vehicle, the hub assembly comprising:
[Claim 1] a hub axle (inner body 52) having a first axial end (the left end of inner body 52, as shown in Fig. 4), a second axial end (the right end of inner body 52, as shown in Fig. 4), a through bore (the opening through which central axis A1 extends, as shown in Fig. 4) extending between the first axial end and the second axial end, and a center axis (central axis A1, Fig. 4) defining an axial direction and a radial direction (See Fig. 4);
a hub body (hub body 14) rotatably mounted around the hub axle (hub body 14 is rotatably mounted around both inner body 52 and hub axle 12) and having an interior space (the space in hub body 14 holding internal axle 12 and motor 24);
a thru-axle (hub axle 12) configured to be disposed in the through bore of the hub axle, the thru-axle including a first axle part (main body 12a) and a second axle part (end piece 12b and restriction member 12c), the second axle part being detachably coupled to the first axle part in the axial direction (Paragraph [0101]); and
an electrical cable (electric cable 22) extending from the interior space of the hub body (hub body 14) through an opening in the hub axle and into the through bore, the electrical cable extending in the axial direction along a section of the first axle part;
[Claim 2] further comprising an electrical power storage device (first electric power storage device 44) configured to supply electricity to an electric component (electric component 20); and
wherein the electrical cable (electric cable 22) is electrically connected to the electrical power storage device and the electric component (Paragraph [0106]);
[Claim 3] wherein the electrical power storage device (first electric power storage device 44) configured to receive electricity from the electric component (electric component 20; Paragraph [0111]);
[Claim 4] further comprising an electrical connector (electrical cable 26) coupled to an axial end of the first axle part (main body 12a; the electrical cable 26 is coupled to main body 12a via hub axle 12, See Fig. 4); and
wherein the axial end of the first axle part is opposite to the second axle part (end piece 12b and restriction member 12c); and
the electrical connector is electrically connected to the electrical cable (electric cable 22; Paragraph [0107]);
[Claim 8] wherein the first axle part (main body 12a) has a first attachment end portion (the external threads on main body 12a, Fig. 4) and a first connection end portion (the internal threads on main body 12a, right side; Fig. 4), and the second axle part (end piece 12b and restriction member 12c) has a second attachment end portion (the smooth outer surface of end piece 12b, Fig. 4) and a second connection end portion (the external thread portion of end piece 12b), and the second connection end portion of the second axle part is detachably coupled to the first connection end portion of the first axle part (Paragraph [0101]);
[Claim 9] wherein the second connection end portion (the external thread portion of end piece 12b) of the second axle part (end piece 12b and restriction member 12c) is detachably coupled to the first connection end portion (the internal threads on main body 12a, right side; Fig. 4) of the first axle part (main body 12a) by a twist-lock connection, the twist-lock connection includes a male connector provided to one of the first connection end portion of the first axle part and the second connection end portion of the second axle part (the end piece 12b has threaded end that serves as a male connector, Fig. 4) and a female receptacle provided to the other of the first connection end portion of the first axle part and the second connection end portion of the second axle part (the internal threads on the right end of main body 12a, server as a female receptacle portion; See Fig. 4);
[Claim 10] wherein the first attachment end portion (the external threads on main body 12a, Fig. 4) includes an external thread configured to threadedly engage an internal thread of a fixing nut, or a fork or a frame (See Fig. 4 where one or two nuts threadingly engage a threaded, right hand, external portion of main body 12a);
[Claim 11] further comprising a frame attachment structure (rotation restriction member 12c) coupled to the second attachment end portion (the smooth outer surface of end piece 12b, Fig. 4) of the second axle part (end piece 12b and restriction member 12c).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 – 7 and 12 – 16 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.
Claim 27 and 28 are allowable.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 5, Yamazaki discloses the hub assembly (hub 10) according to claim 4, but does not further teach the electrical connector is at least partly disposed in a connector hole of the axial end of the first axle part. Claims 6 and 7 depend from claim 5, and therefore, are also allowed.
Claim 27 includes the allowable limitation of claim 5, and therefore, is also allowed.
Regarding claim 12, Yamazaki discloses the hub assembly (hub 10) according to claim 8, but does not disclose:
the first axle part includes an intermediate shaft portion having a radial width smaller than a radial width of the first attachment end portion and a radial width of the first connection end portion to define recessed area of the first axle part, and the electrical cable is partly disposed in the recessed area of the first axle part between an outer surface of the intermediate shaft portion and an inner surface of the hub axle that defines the through bore. Claims 13 – 15 depend from claim 12, and therefore, are also allowed.
Regarding claim 16, Yamazaki discloses the hub assembly (hub 10) according to claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the electrical cable includes a first cable portion electrically connected to a first terminal and a second terminal that are spaced apart in the axial direction, the first axle part includes an outer surface having a first electrode and a second electrode that are spaced apart in the axial direction, the electrical cable includes a second cable portion electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, the first terminal is in sliding contact with the first electrode and the second terminal is in sliding contact with the second electrode such that electrical contact is maintained between the first terminal and the first electrode and between the second terminal and the second electrode even in a case where the thru-axle moves in the axial direction.
Claim 28 includes the allowable subject matter of claim 12, and therefore, is also allowable.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed February 16, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicants have argued “Yamazaki fails to disclose or suggest a hub assembly comprising a hub body rotatably mounted around the hub axle”. Applicants also argue “Yamazaki teaches that its reference number 12 is a “hub axle””, and “Nowhere does Yamazaki teach or even suggest that is electric cable 22 extends through an opening in the hub axle”. (Remarks, Page 10). A bicycle hub has several components that can be considered part of its axle. Yamazaki’s inner body (52) is part of the overall hub and is an axle as defined by the claim because it has “a first axial end, a second axial end, a through bore extending between the first axial end and the second axial end, and a center axis defining an axial direction and a radial direction” as required by claim 1 (Applicants’ claim 1, Lines 3 – 5). Similarly, hub axle (12) of Yamazaki reads on applicants claimed thru axle. Finally, the cable (22) of Yamazaki extends through the longitudinal open end of inner body (52) as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, thus reading on Applicant’s claimed electrical cable. Therefore, Yamazaki does disclose the amended claim 1.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2013/0045281 A1 to Yoneda et al. Component Assembly for Human-Powered Vehicle;
US 2023/0286608 A1 to Sugimoto et al. Rear Hub Thru-Axle for Human Powered Vehicle.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Felicia L Brittman-Alabi whose telephone number is (313)446-6512. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at (571)272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Felicia L. Brittman-Alabi/ Examiner, Art Unit 3611
/VALENTIN NEACSU, Ph.D./ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611
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