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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/30/2024 and 5/2/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase “the notch, which is defined in a portion of the frame housing, opposes the inverter” are render the claim in indefinite, because it is not clear, which side of the notch opposes the inverter.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 15-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bruneau et al. (2023/0223825) in view of Zhang (CN 113016124) and Downs et al. (11,863,046).
Bruneau et al. in figures 1-6, discloses a vehicle (10) comprising an electric motor (16), a frame housing or a motor housing (20) including a notch, a motor bracket or a mounting structure (30) and an inverter (18). Bruneau also disclose the motor housing at least partially surrounds the electric motor. Bruneau fail to disclose a notch and the motor bracket positioned between the motor and the housing. The motor bracket is provided; the frame housing at least partially surrounds the electric motor; and the notch, which is defined in a portion of the frame housing, opposes the inverter.
Zhang in figures 1-8, disclose a driving motor comprising a motor bracket (30), a housing (20), a motor (10). The motor bracket is provided between the electric motor and the frame housing and fixes the electric motor to the frame housing. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Bruneau by further comprising the motor bracket disclosed by Zhang in order to improve the integration degree of the multiple components in the same space in the vehicle.
Downs et al. in figures 1-8, disclose an electric drive unit comprising a housing (12) having recesses or notch formed in the housing (not number, col. 7, lines 58-60). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Bruneau by further comprising the housing having a notch disclosed by Downs et al. in order to house a motor and other components within a confined space.
Claim(s) 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bruneau et al. (2023/0223825) as applied to claim above, and further in view of Zhang (CN 113016124) and Downs et al. (11,863,046) further in view of Lopez (2012/0181095).
Regarding claim 15, Bruneau disclose the motor, the inverter, but fail to show an on board battery charger.
Lopez in figures 1-6, disclose a tractor having a motor (12), an onboard battery charger (63), a chassis (48R). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Bruneau, Zhang and Downs et al. by further comprising the onboard charger disclosed by Lopez in order to charge a standard electric service.
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Bruneau, Zhang, Downs and Lopez disclose the electric motor, the inverter, and the OBC are arranged along a straight line which extends from a front of the vehicle to a rear of the vehicle.
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Bruneau, Zhang, Downs and Lopez disclose a chassis including a pair of frame rails and a front wheel support frame; and the frame housing is supported in the vehicle between the pair of frame rails such that an outer surface of the frame housing is laterally outside of an outer surface of the chassis when the vehicle is viewed from a front of the vehicle.
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Bruneau, Zhang, Downs and Lopez disclose the frame housing is fixed to the pair of frame rails by chassis attachment bolts; and the chassis attachment bolts extend through a portion of the frame housing into both of the pair of frame rails.
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Bruneau, Zhang, Downs and Lopez disclose the electric motor is located farther from a front of the vehicle than the inverter is.
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Bruneau, Zhang, Downs and Lopez disclose at least a portion of the electric motor is located to a rear of the front wheel support frame; and at least a portion of the inverter is located to a front of the front wheel support frame.
Regarding claim 21, the combination of Bruneau, Zhang, Downs and Lopez disclose the pair of frame rails extend from a front of the vehicle, past the front wheel support frame, and to the frame housing.
Regarding claim 22, the combination of Bruneau, Zhang, Downs and Lopez disclose the vehicle is an electric powered agricultural machine.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record don’t disclose a vehicle having a frame housing including a first upper side plate and a second upper side plate, which are located above lower side plates.
Conclusion
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/HAU V PHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615