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
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.
Claims 1-4 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brenninger (USPUB 2021/0252987).
As to Claim 1, Brenninger discloses an electric work vehicle comprising (Figure 1): a battery configured to store electric power (Figure 1, Element 22); a motor generator conductively connected to the battery (Figure 1, M1); a power transfer device having a power output shaft configured to transfer motive power from the motor generator (Figure 1, Element 30); and a controller configured to switch between (i) a first mode, in which the controller drives the motor generator with use of the electric power stored in the battery, and (ii) a second mode, in which the controller causes the motor generator to generate regenerative power while the motor generator rotates due to receiving motive power from a drive source connected to the power output shaft, and charge the battery with the regenerative power (Paragraph 10, 33, 34, and 36)
As to Claim 2, Brenninger discloses the electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller makes regenerative torque of the motor generator larger as time passes from a point in time at which the second mode starts until a point in time at which a preset time passes (Paragraph 35).
As to Claim 3, Brenninger discloses the electric work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the controller sets the regenerative torque to zero at a timing of starting the second mode (Paragraph 35).
As to Claim 4, Brenninger discloses the electric work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a voltage detector configured to detect an output voltage of the battery, wherein in the second mode, in response to the output voltage of the battery exceeding a preset first threshold, the controller controls the motor generator in such a manner that the regenerative power is smaller than the regenerative power exhibited at a point in time at which the output voltage of the battery reached the first threshold (Paragraphs 34-35).
As to Claim 6, Brenninger discloses the electric work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the power output shaft is a PTO shaft connectable to an input shaft of a work device (Figure 1, Element 30).
As to Claim 7, Brenninger discloses a charging method for charging a battery mounted in an electric work vehicle, the method comprising: connecting a drive source to a power output shaft of a power transfer device configured to transfer motive power from a motor generator conductively connected to the battery; rotating, with use of the drive source, the motor generator via the power transfer device to cause the motor generator to generate regenerative power; and charging the battery with the regenerative power (Figure 1, Paragraphs 10, 33, 34, 36).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brenninger in view of Kusumi (USPUB 2014/0097676).
As to Claim 5, Brenninger discloses the electric work vehicle according to claim 1, but does not expressly disclose further comprising: a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of heat generated by the battery, wherein in the second mode, in response to the temperature of heat generated exceeding a preset second threshold, the controller controls the motor generator in such a manner that the regenerative power is smaller than the regenerative power exhibited at a point in time at which the temperature of heat generated reached the second threshold. Kusumi discloses a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of heat generated by the battery, wherein in the second mode, in response to the temperature of heat generated exceeding a preset second threshold, the controller controls the motor generator in such a manner that the regenerative power is smaller than the regenerative power exhibited at a point in time at which the temperature of heat generated reached the second threshold (Paragraph 125 and 130). It would have been obvious to one hacving ordinary skill in the art at the time of this invention to take the teachings of Kusumi and monitor and control charging based on temperature, and add it to the device of Brenninger in order protect the battery from damage.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J GRANT whose telephone number is (571)270-5820. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am - 5:30pm.
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/ROBERT GRANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859