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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: inner tube 54A and outer tube 54B, recited in para [0035] of applicant’s detailed disclosure. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 9, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (USPN 12,115,859) in view of Lo (USPN 8,419,580).
Regarding claim 1, Yang teaches a hub motor (Figure 1; col. 1, lines 40-66) adapted to be mounted on a bicycle (a single-person scooter; col. 1, line 52), the hub motor comprising: an axle 60, fixed to a frame of the bicycle and having a first end and a second end opposite each other in an extension direction (seen in Figure 1); a rotor 43, sleeved on the axle and pivoting with the axle as an axis; a stator 41, fixed to the axle and adjacent to the rotor; and a casing 90, sleeved on the axle 60 and driven by the rotor to pivot with the axle as an axis, wherein the casing has an accommodating space, a first perforation, and a second perforation opposite to the first perforation (axle holes on lateral sides of casing 90, as seen in Figure 1), and the accommodating space accommodates the stator and the rotor.
Yang shows a one-piece axle rather than an axle formed from two components.
Lo shows a hub motor 30 (see Figure 8), having an axle 32 extending through lateral holes in casing 31 such that ends of the axle 32 are fixed to vehicle frame 60 (col. 3, lines 32-39). The axle 32 comprises a first component 321 and a second component 320. The first component 321 is sleeved on the second component 320 (see Figure 12). The first component is arranged to pass through the first perforation and comprises a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion located in the accommodating space, the second mounting portion is connected to the second component, the second component is arranged to pass through the second perforation and comprises a supporting portion and a connecting portion located in the accommodating space, the rotor is rotatably sleeved on the supporting portion, the second mounting portion is detachably sleeved on the connecting portion, and the first component and the second component cannot rotate relative to each other after being sleeved (see col. 5, lines 12-15 and 51-54; the axle 32 is divided into a first rod 320 and second rod 321 for easy and systematical assembly).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to divide the axle of Yang into two components that become fixed together when assembled in the hub motor, in view of the Lo, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to facilitate assembly of the drive arrangement.
Regarding claim 2, Lo lacks a radial-outer surface of the connecting portion provided with a groove recessed towards the axis of the axle in a radial direction, and the groove has a sliding-fit surface. However, the components taught by Lo are slide-fit and fixed relative to each other when assembled in the hub motor and interlocking grooved surfaces (such as keyways) are a well-known expedient for securing slide-fit members so as to prevent rotation and loosening of the interfit members. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the connecting portion of the second axle component of the combination groove, as is old and well known, in order to provide a more secure connection between the axle components.
Regarding claim 3, Lo teaches the first component 321 comprises a mounting section (end of component 321 that extends outside of casing 31, as seen in Figure 10) and a sleeve section (portion of component 321 that accepts part of second component 320; see Figures 10 and 12) in the extension direction, the mounting section is close to the first end and is adapted to be connected to the frame (see Lo, col. 3, lines 37-39), the casing 31 is rotatably sleeved on the sleeve section (see in Figure 12 of Lo, casing 31, 37, is rotatably connected to the sleeve section of axle component 321 via bearing 371 at the sleeve section). The first mounting portion of the combination device is arranged on a radial-outer side of the sleeve section, and the second mounting portion (connection to the second component) of the combination device is arranged on a radial-inner side of the sleeve section.
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Figure 1 of Yang shows a channel 61 recessed in the radial direction and extending in the extension direction, and the channel is adapted to accommodate a power line electrically connected to the stator. The channel of Yang extends along the end of axle 60. The axle of the combination includes a first component at the end of the axle such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the combination axle would include a channel having a first section and a second section, the first section is located in the mounting section, the second section is located in the sleeve section, and the second section in communication with an interior of the sleeve section to face the first component, in order to accommodate the wiring required to deliver power to the motor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Dodman, Lu, Murakami, and Hsu teach bicycle hub motors.
JP’966 shows a bicycle hub motor with a multi-part axle.
Chen’692, ‘568, and ‘566 are applicant’s related cases.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Anne Marie M. Boehler whose telephone number is (571)272-6641. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANNE MARIE M BOEHLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3611
/ab/