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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 5, filed 11/10/2025, with respect to Objections to the Specification have been fully considered and are persuasive. The Objection of the Specification has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEN (US 20230024959) in view of MILLER (US 20070142161; previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, CHEN discloses a hub motor, suitable to be mounted on a bicycle (see para [0001]), the hub motor comprising:
an axle (10), fixed to a frame of the bicycle (2) and having a first end (22) and a second end (21) opposite to the first end (22) (see Fig. 3);
a stator (4), fixed to the axle (10) and near the first end (22) (see Fig. 3);
a rotor (3), rotatably sleeved on the axle (10) and suitable for rotating around the stator (4);
a planetary gear set (5,6,7,8), having
a ring gear (7) (see para [0029] and Fig. 3);
a casing (23), rotatably sleeved on the axle (10), connected to the rotor (3) through the planetary gear set (5,6,7,8) and driven by the rotor (3), and suitable for rotating around the rotor (3) and the axle (10), wherein the casing (23) has an accommodating space, an axle hole, and an opening (see Fig. 3), the accommodating space accommodates the stator (4) and the rotor (3) and is communicated with the opening (see Fig. 3), the axle (10) is arranged to pass through the accommodating space, the axle hole, and the opening along an axial direction of a rotating axis;
and a sleeve (24), fixed in the accommodating space by the casing (23) wherein an outer surface of the sleeve (24) has a screwing part (unlabeled: a plurality of screw holes; see Fig. 3 and 5), the screwing part screws a threaded part (of the axle; see para [0029]) located on a side of the accommodating space near the second end (21), an inner surface of the sleeve (24) has an engaging part (see Fig. 3), and the engaging part is engaged with the ring gear (7).
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However, CHEN does not disclose the threaded part located on the casing.
MILLER discloses a hub motor with a planetary transmission 100 inside a casing 40 having a sleeve 67 with a set of threads on the sleeve and a threaded part on the casing (see para [0084] and [0110]).
It 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 to provide the motor of CHEN with the threaded part on the casing similar to that of MILLER.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to provide an aperture through which machinery can be passed during assembly, require fewer parts and fewer thread-cutting operations, and as MILLER teaches is a known alternative to attaching with fasteners (see para [0084]).
Regarding claim 2, CHEN in view of MILLER teaches the hub motor according to claim 1, wherein
CHEN discloses the sleeve (24) has a first section and a second section, the first section is near the first end (22), the second section is near the second end (21), the screwing part is in the first section, the engaging part is in the second section, and an outer diameter of the second section is greater than an outer diameter of the first section (see Fig. 3).
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Regarding claim 3, CHEN in view of MILLER teaches the hub motor according to claim 2, wherein
CHEN in view of MILLER teaches the opening has a major diameter section (flange) and a threaded section (as taught above), the major diameter section is closer to an outer side of an axial direction of the casing (23) than the threaded section, and an inner diameter of the major diameter section is greater than an inner diameter of the threaded section and an outer diameter of the first section or the second section of the sleeve (24) (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, CHEN in view of MILLER teaches the hub motor according to claim 2, wherein
CHEN discloses the outer surface of the sleeve (24) has a first push-against part (unlabeled; see annotated Fig. 3, below) in a direction from the second section to the first section, and the first push-against part is suitable for pushing against the casing (23) when the sleeve (24) is screwed to the casing (102/502).
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Regarding claim 5, CHEN in view of MILLER teaches the hub motor according to claim 4, wherein
CHEN discloses the casing (23) comprises a front cover (9) covering the opening, and the front cover (9) has a first against part against the second section screwed to the threaded part (see Fig. 3 and 5).
Regarding claim 6, CHEN in view of MILLER teaches the hub motor according to claim 2, wherein
CHEN discloses the inner surface of the sleeve (24) has a second push-against part (unlabeled) in a direction from the first section to the second section, and the second push-against part pushes against the ring gear (7)(see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 7, CHEN in view of MILLER teaches the hub motor according to claim 6, wherein
CHEN discloses the casing (23) comprises a front cover (9) covering the opening, and
the front cover (9) has a second against part (unlabeled) against the ring gear (7)(see Fig. 3).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEN in view of MILLER and further in view of POHL (US 20100137094; previously cited).
Regarding claim 8, CHEN in view of MILLER teaches the hub motor according to claim 1, wherein
CHEN discloses the ring gear (7) is engaged with the sleeve (24)(see Fig. 3)
However, CHEN does not disclose these parts engaged through interference fit.
POHL does not specify the attachment between its actuator (536) and the carrier assembly (540), but that it prevents axial translation and rotates about a center. POHL teaches the use of interference fit for several parts, including the sun gear and the drive shaft (para [0152]), the shift rod nut and bearing races (para [0157]), and the rotor backiron to drive shaft (para [0167]).
It 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 to provide the ring gear of CHEN in view of MILLER with an interference fit at the sleeve, similar to POHL, thereby engaging the ring gear with the sleeve through interference fit.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to fix the ring gear in place with respect to the sleeve assembly, as POHL teaches interference fit is a well-known means of affixing parts and preventing relative rotation in electric hub motors with planetary drives.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-6672418-B1 Makino discloses a bicycle crank motor with a ring gear connected to a casing via a sleeve; US-20050264111-A1 Tanaka discloses a hub motor with a ring gear connected to a casing via a sleeve; US-20150133253-A1 Huang discloses a hub motor with a ring gear connected to a casing via a sleeve; US-20210123325-A1 CHURCH discloses a motor with a planetary gearbox wherein a ring gear connected to a casing via a threaded sleeve.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN STEFANON whose telephone number is (703)756-4648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternate Fridays 8AM - 5PM EDT.
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/JUSTIN STEFANON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834