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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the ‘lower shaft’ in claim 17 and ‘ring’ in claim 18 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 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.
Claims 1-2 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. (US 2023/0055683) in view of Xiong et al. (US 2019/0097496), Schneider (US 9,163,700) and Biro et al. (US 2016/0160995).
With respect to claims 1-2 and 7, Chen et al. discloses a steering gearbox (1) for a robot for a robotics corner module (paragraph 3), comprising: a lower housing assembly (3, 31) comprising: a lower housing comprising: a first through bore (31); a second through bore; and a first counterbore; and a shaft portion; a center housing assembly (1) comprising a center housing (1); an electric motor (13), an output shaft assembly (11) and gear train (14, 15, 16, 17, 19). (Figs. 1-3, paragraphs 23-51.) Chen et al. does not specifically show the bore structure associated with the housing assemblies. Xiong et al. teaches of a lower housing assembly (13) comprising: a lower housing (13) comprising: a first through bore (Modified fig. 1, below); a second through bore (Mod. Fig. 1); and a shaft portion (Mod. Fig. 1); a center housing assembly (12) comprising a center housing (12), the center housing comprising: a third through bore (Mod. Fig. 1); a fourth through bore (Mod. Fig. 1); and a fifth through bore (Mod. Fig. 1); an electric motor (2) comprising: a stator assembly fixed in the first through bore (Mod. Fig. 1); and a rotor assembly comprising a rotor shaft (fig. 1, shaft that connects to 6) extending through the third through bore (Mod. Fig. 1); an output shaft assembly (4) extending parallel (fig. 1) to the rotor shaft (fig. 1, shaft that connects to 6), the output shaft assembly comprising an output gear (7); a gear train (54, 55) arranged for driving connection between the rotor shaft (fig. 1, shaft that connects to 6) and the output shaft assembly (7), the gear train comprising: a first shaft assembly comprising: a first shaft (53): extending parallel to the rotor shaft (fig. 1, shaft that connects to 6); and extending through the fourth through bore (Mod. Fig. 1); and a first gear (58); and a compound gear assembly (57) rotatably supported on the shaft portion, the compound gear assembly comprising: a first gear portion (top portion of 57) meshingly engaged with the output gear (7); and a second gear portion (bottom portion of 57) meshingly engaged with the first gear (58); and a first fastener (bottom 8) extending through the fifth through bore (Mod. Fig. 1) and into the shaft portion (Mod. Fig. 1) to secure the center housing (12) to the lower housing (13); wherein the output shaft assembly (4) is rotatably supported in the second through bore by a bushing (10) (claim 2); wherein the output gear (7), the first gear (58), and the compound gear assembly (57) are disposed axially between the lower housing (13) and the center housing (12). (claim 7). (Figs. 1-5, paragraphs 13-23.) It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the structure as described in Xiong et al. into the invention of Chen et al. with a reasonable expectation of success in order to saves the internal space and improves the transmission ratio of the servo. (Paragraph 23.) Chen et al., as modified, is silent regarding the first shaft at least partially disposed in the first counterbore. Biro et al. teaches of having a shaft (390) at least partially disposed in a counterbore (438, 440). (Figs. 9-10, paragraphs 241-242, 261.) It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the structure as described in Biro et al. into the invention of Chen et al., as modified, with a reasonable expectation of success in order support and restricted from axially downward motion of the shaft. (Paragraph 242.) Chen et al., as modified, is silent regarding an output shaft assembly rotatably supported in the second through bore. Schneider teaches of an output shaft assembly (53’’’) extending parallel (fig. 1) to the rotor shaft (5) and rotatably supported in the second through bore (at 62). (Figs. 1-2b, col. 5, lines 43-67, col. 6, lines 1-68.) It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the structure as described in Schneider into the invention of Chen et al., as modified, with a reasonable expectation of success in order support the gear wheel. (Col. 6, lines 1-2.)
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Fifth Through Bore)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Fourth Through Bore)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Third Through Bore)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Shaft Portion (where fasteners 8 extend through))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Second Through Bore)][AltContent: textbox (First Through Bore)][AltContent: arrow]
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6, 8-18 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: Claim 3 describes the first shaft (150) is: rotatably supported in the first counterbore (124) by a first needle bearing (160); and rotatably supported in the fourth through bore (132) by a first ball bearing (162). Claim 6 describes the center housing comprises a cylindrical protrusion (180) at least partially disposed in the first through bore. Claim 10 describes the first shaft assembly further comprises a second gear (184) secured to the first shaft (150) by a second fastener (186). Claim 14 describes an upper housing assembly (188) secured to the lower housing assembly, the upper housing assembly comprising: an upper housing with a seventh through bore (214); and a ball bearing (216) secured in the seventh through bore (214); and a bearing nut (218) threaded onto the output shaft to secure the ball bearing to the output shaft (150) (fig. 3). Claim 17 describes the output shaft assembly further comprises an internal spline portion (224) arranged for driving engagement with a lower shaft (fig. 3). The closest prior art, Xiong et al. (US 2019/0097496) does not reasonably disclose first shaft is: rotatably supported in the first counterbore by a first needle bearing; and rotatably supported in the fourth through bore by a first ball bearing; a cylindrical protrusion at least partially disposed in the first through bore
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references cited on the PTO-892 form disclose similar features of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES A ENGLISH whose telephone number is (571)270-7014. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Saturday.
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, Jason Shanske can be reached on 571-270-5985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES A ENGLISH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3614
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