DETAILED ACTION
The following is a response to the amendment filed 11/19/2025 which has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 4/8/24 has been considered.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-4 and 8-20 are pending in the application. Claims 5-7 are cancelled.
-The specification objection has been withdrawn due to applicant amending the abstract accordingly.
-The claim objection has been withdrawn due to applicant amending claim 20 accordingly.
-The 102 rejection has been withdrawn due to applicant amending 1 with limitations not disclosed by the prior art of record used in the rejection.
-The double patent rejection has been withdrawn due to applicant amending claim 1 with limitations not covered in scope by the limitations of the co-pending applications used in rejections.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
-Applicant’s argument that “Kasuya et al. only teaches that batteries are provided in the battery cases 15a and 15b, and Kasuya et al. does not teach or suggest any batteries located within a "main" housing of the vehicle. For example, the electrical systems disclosed in paragraphs [0036]-[0041] rely only upon power from the batteries 14a and 14b included in the battery cases 15a and 15b or upon power from a generator 11, and not from any power provided by further batteries located within a "main" housing of the vehicle……..That is, Kasuya et al. does not teach or suggest any further housings, except for the "side" housings (battery cases 15a and 15b) that also include battery modules. In contrast, Applicant's claimed invention includes: (i) a first housing to house one or more first battery modules, (ii) a second housing to house one or more second battery modules, and (iii) a side housing that includes one or more third battery modules and is spaced away from the first and second housings. Therefore, Kasuya et al. fails to cure the acknowledged deficiencies of Ito et al.” has been acknowledged. The examiner agrees that Kasuya doesn’t disclose a third battery module per se; however, the examiner used this prior art to show that it is well known in the art to provide Ito with a battery module in a side housing of a work vehicle as shown in Kasuya.
-Applicant’s argument that “Huff et al. teaches that the auxiliary battery pack 132 is only connected to a rear electric motor 204 and a front electric motor 202, in order to supply electric power to the rear electric motor 204 and/or the front electric motor 202 during replacement of the removable power source 104 (see, for example, paragraphs [0073], [0075], and [0076] of Huff et al.). As shown below in Fig. 3 of Huff et al., the only electrical connections from the auxiliary battery pack 132 are a power cable 210 to the rear electric motor 204 and a power cable 212 to the front electric motor 202 (see, for example, paragraph [0037] of Huff et al.)…… Huff et al. does not teach or suggest that the auxiliary battery pack 132 could or should have been electrically connected to either of the first battery pack 108 or the second battery pack 110. In contrast, Applicant's claimed invention recites that the third battery modules included in the first side housing are electrically connected to the second battery modules included in the second housing.” has been acknowledged. However, Huff does disclose that the auxiliary battery can be electrically connected to at least one of the first and second batteries as shown in Figure 8 and described in paragraph [0083].
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 8-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito ‘736 in view of JP ‘149 and Huff ‘500 (all previously cited). As to claim 1, Ito discloses a work vehicle comprising: a main body (2); at least one front wheel (11) supported by the main body; at least one rear wheel (12) supported by the main body; a first housing (61) to house one or more first battery modules; a second housing (62) to house one or more second battery modules; and a first side housing (30) that is separate from the first housing and the second housing (as shown in Figure 1); wherein the first housing at least partially overlaps the second housing viewed from a vertical direction (Figure 1 shows 61 overlapping 62) and the first side housing (30) is spaced away from the first housing and the second housing (as shown in Figure 1). However, Ito doesn’t disclose the first side housing includes one or more third battery modules; and the one or more third battery modules included in the first side housing are electrically connected to at least the one or more second battery modules included in the second housing as recited.
JP discloses a work vehicle having a main body (101, 102); at least one front wheel (103) supported by the main body; at least one rear wheel (105) supported by the main body; and shows that it is well known in the art to provide a first side housing (15a) including one or more battery modules (14a).
Huff discloses a work vehicle having a main body (Figure 2) with first and second housings having first and second battery modules (108, 110) and a side housing having a third battery module (132). Huff shows that it is well known in the art to have the batteries of all three housings electrically connected (Figure 3 shows the modules indirectly connected and Figure 8 shows at least one of the modules directly connected as described in [0083]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Ito with a first side housing including one or more battery modules in view of JP to enhance energy capacity, improve thermal management and increase power output efficiency during operation of vehicle.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Ito with electrically connected second and third battery modules further in view of Huff to enhance energy capacity, improve thermal management and increase power output efficiency during operation of vehicle.
As to claim 2, Ito discloses wherein the one or more first battery modules and the one or more second battery modules are a same type of battery module (column 6, lines 48-50).
As to claim 3, Ito discloses wherein the first housing includes one or more first openings that are configured to receive the one or more first battery modules; and the second housing includes one or more second openings that are configured to receive the one or more second battery modules (column 6, lines 59-65 and Figure 7).
As to claim 4, Ito discloses wherein: the one or more first openings and the one or more second openings face a width direction of the work vehicle (based on column 6, lines 59-65 and Figure 7 and in combination with column 3, lines 17-18); and the one or more first openings provide access to first sub-housings (53) that each receive a separate one of the one or more first battery modules, and the one or more second openings provide access to second sub-housings (53) that each receive a separate one of the one or more second battery modules.
As to claim 8, Ito in view of JP discloses wherein, in a plan view (Figure 2 in JP), an outer surface of the first side housing (15a in JP) is located closer to a center line of the work vehicle than an outer surface of the at least one front wheel (would be obvious that 15a outer surface is closer to center than front wheel 103 based on JP describing that 15a is mounted to vehicle frame which is disposed in between front and rear wheels).
As to claim 9, Ito in view of JP discloses wherein, in a plan view (Figure 2), an outer surface of the first side housing (15a) is located closer to a center line of the work vehicle than an outer surface of the at least one rear wheel (107).
As to claim 10, Ito in view of JP discloses wherein a line extending from an outer surface of the first side housing in a front-rear direction of the work vehicle passes through the at least one front wheel.
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As to claim 11, Ito in view of JP discloses wherein a line extending from an outer surface of the first side housing in a front-rear direction of the work vehicle passes through the at least one rear wheel (see drawing annotation above).
As to claim 12, Ito in view of JP discloses further comprising a second side housing (15b) that includes one or more of the third battery modules (14b).
As to claim 13, Ito in view of JP discloses wherein the second side housing is spaced away from the first housing, the second housing, and the first side housing (JP discloses 15b on side of vehicle which would be separate from the first and second housing in Ito).
As to claim 14, Ito in view of JP and Huff discloses wherein the one or more third battery modules included in the second side housing are electrically connected to at least the one or more second battery modules included in the second housing (Figure 3 shows the modules indirectly connected and Figure 8 shows at least one of the modules directly connected as described in [0083]).
As to claim 15, Ito in view of JP discloses wherein, in a plan view (Figure 2 in JP), an outer surface of the second side housing (15b in JP) is located closer to a center line of the work vehicle than an outer surface of the at least one front wheel (would be obvious that 15b outer surface is closer to center than front wheel 103 based on JP describing that 15b is mounted to vehicle frame which is disposed in between front and rear wheels).
As to claim 16, Ito in view of JP discloses wherein, in a plan view (Figure 2), an outer surface of the second side housing (15b) is located closer to a center line of the work vehicle than an outer surface of the at least one rear wheel (107).
As to claim 17, Ito in view of JP discloses wherein a line extending from an outer surface of the second side housing in a front-rear direction of the work vehicle passes through the at least one front wheel.
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As to claim 18, Ito in view of JP discloses wherein a line extending from an outer surface of the second side housing in a front-rear direction of the work vehicle passes through the at least one rear wheel (see drawing annotation above).
As to claim 19, Ito in view of JP discloses further comprising: a transmission (43, 44 in Ito and 13 in JP) driven by an electric motor (4 in Ito and 12 in JP) that drives one or more of the at least one front wheel and the at least one rear wheel; wherein the transmission (12 in JP) is mounted between the first side housing and the second side housing in width direction of the work vehicle (12 in JP is mounted in a width in fore and aft direction in JP as shown in Figure 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 20 is 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 which includes claims 1, 12 and 19. See previous reasons for allowance indicated filed 9/22/25.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 TISHA D LEWIS whose telephone number is (571)272-7093. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna M Momper can be reached at 571-270-5788. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Tdl
/TISHA D LEWIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619 February 27, 2026