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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-12 in the reply filed on 1 December 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 1 December 2025.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 10 2006 005227
DE 10 2006 005227 discloses an electric power-assisted wheeled child carrier comprising:
a frame 13;
a plurality of wheels 3, 3’ joined to the frame; and
an electric drive mechanism for electrically powering rotation of at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels, the electric drive mechanism comprising:
a motor 4,
an output shaft 2’ coupled to the motor, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the output shaft,
a wheel shaft 2 coupled to the at least one wheel, and
a clutch 5 positioned between the output shaft and the wheel shaft, wherein the clutch is configured to move axially between an engaged state and a disengaged state, wherein in the engaged state, the output shaft powered by the motor drives rotation of the at least one wheel and in the disengaged state, the at least one wheel is configured to rotate without power from the motor; wherein the clutch is configured to move to the disengaged state when the motor is powered off (see paragraph [0017] of the machine translation); wherein the at least one wheel is a left rear wheel 3 and the plurality of wheels further includes a right rear wheel 3’; wherein the output shaft is a left output shaft, the wheel shaft is a left rear wheel shaft, and the clutch is a left clutch 5, wherein the electric drive mechanism further includes:
a right output shaft coupled to the motor and configured to be rotated by the motor, a right rear wheel shaft coupled to the right rear wheel, and a right clutch 5’ positioned between the right output shaft and the right rear wheel shaft, wherein the right clutch is configured to move axially between an engaged state and a disengaged state, wherein in the engaged state, the right output shaft powered by the motor drives rotation of the right rear wheel and in the disengaged state, the right rear wheel is configured to rotate without power from the motor; wherein when the electric power-assisted wheeled child carrier is turning left, the left clutch is in the engaged state and the right clutch is in the disengaged state (see paragraph [0014] of the machine translation); wherein when the electric power-assisted wheeled child carrier is turning right, the right clutch is in the engaged state and the left clutch is in the disengaged state; wherein the left clutch and the right clutch are each configured to move to the disengaged state when the motor is powered off and the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel are being rotated (see paragraph [0017] of the machine translation); further comprising a storage battery 7 for providing electric power to the motor; wherein the clutch is configured to move axially along the output shaft.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, and 11-12 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Hurley whose telephone number is (571)272-6646. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9 am-5:30 pm Kevin.Hurley@USPTO.GOV.
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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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/KEVIN HURLEY/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3611
December 30, 2025