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 .
Acknowledgment is made of the response filed on December 1, 2025, where:
Applicant’s election of Species II, Figure 3, is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
An action on the merits of Claims 1-6 and 17-20 follows below. (Claims 7-16 withdrawn.)
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 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0133480 issued to Donnelly (Citation No. 1 cited by Applicant in the IDS filed on 8/29/2023).
Regarding Claim 1, Donnelly teaches in Figures 1-9b an electric energy dissipating system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
an electric power system (30) configured to be electrically connected (see hash marks in Figures 5 and 7) to an electric traction motor (4) of the vehicle and configured to receive and store electric power generated by the electric traction motor (4) during braking (see at least paragraph [0020]),
a fluid conduit (the fluid path in Figures 5 and 7),
an air flow producing unit (23, 26) configured to provide a pressurized air flow through the fluid conduit,
an electric machine (starter motor 29),
a transmission arrangement (see the connection between the starter motor and the compressor 23 and the compressor and turbine),
wherein the electric machine (29) is configured to be powered by the electric power system (30) so as to drive the air flow producing unit (23, 26) via the transmission arrangement in order to dissipate energy from the electric machine,
wherein the transmission arrangement (the connection between the starter motor and the compressor 23 and the compressor 23 and turbine 26) comprises a first shaft (the connection between the starter motor and the compressor 23 and the compressor and turbine) and a second shaft (the connection between compressor 23 and turbine 26), wherein the first shaft is connected to (see Figures 5 and 7) and configured to be driven by the electric machine (23) and the second shaft is connected to and configured to drive the air flow producing unit (26), wherein the transmission arrangement is configured such that the second shaft rotates at higher speed than the first shaft (paragraph [0043] disclose the start motor is connected to a ring gear which would increase the second shaft relative to the first shaft).
Regarding Claim 17, Donnelly teaches the air flow producing unit is an air compressor (23) configured to compress the received air and transmit the compressed air along the fluid conduit (see Figures 5 and 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2-6 and 18-20 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 primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in this case is the inclusion of in re claim 2, where the transmission that drives the air flow producing unit arrangement has a variable transmission ratio; in re claim 3, where transmission arrangement that drive the air flow producing unit includes a gearbox with gears for transmitting the rotation of the first shaft to a rotation of the second shaft; in re claim 18, where the air received by the air flow producing unit is also guided to the electric machine in order to cool the electric machine; in re claim 19, where the air flow producing unit includes a liquid injector configured to inject liquid into the air flow in order to increase the mass flow of the pressurized air flow; in re claim 20, where the electric machine and the gearbox are noise-insulated, in combination with the other elements recited, not found in the prior art of record.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN L SWENSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5572. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday (9-5).
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BRIAN SWENSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3618
/BRIAN L SWENSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613 18