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 .
Acknowledgment is made of the preliminary amendment filed on 24 December 2025, where:
Claims 1-20 have been cancelled;
Claims 21-40 have been added.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed April 17, 2024 and December 31, 2025 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
There is no copy of the Non-Patent Literature for the IDS filed on April 17, 2024.
The Non-Patent literate filed on December 31, 2025 is not legible; the photocopies are blurry and the details cannot be discerned.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 21-26, 28, 32-38 and 40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0247856 issued to Shinde et al.
Regarding Claim 21, Shinde et al. teach of an electric utility vehicle (1), comprising:
a vehicle frame (2, 3, 8, 9, 10) including a lower arm assembly (34);
a rear axle (40) assembly including a rear axle (40) coupled with a set of ground-engaging members (WR) and a rear axle housing (90) supported by the lower arm assembly (34); and
an electric propulsion system (M) mounted on the rear axle housing (90),
the electric propulsion system (M) including an electric motor controller (33) and an electric motor, the electric motor controller (33) being constructed and arranged to control delivery of electric power to the electric motor (M), the electric motor (M) being constructed and arranged to provide drive to the set of ground-engaging members (WR) via the rear axle (40) in response to the electric power.
Regarding Claim 22, Shinde et al. teach the vehicle frame further includes a rear frame section (9) defining a rear of the electric utility vehicle, and wherein the lower arm assembly includes: a swing arm framework (28) having a first end (28c) that pivotably couples with the rear frame section (9) and a second end that couples with the rear axle housing (see Figures 1 and 2).
Regarding Claim 23, Shinde et al. teach the electric propulsion system (M) is mounted to a central region (see Figure 6) of the rear axle housing (90), and wherein the swing arm framework (28) includes: a left arm member and a right arm member (element 34 is on left and right side) coupled with the rear axle housing (90) on opposite sides of the central region to support the electric propulsion system.
Regarding Claim 24, Shinde et al. teach the lower arm assembly further includes: a shock absorber (shown in Figure 1; see also paragraph [0044]) having a first shock absorber end coupled to the rear frame section (9) and a second shock absorber end adjacent the rear axle assembly (90).
Regarding Claim 25, Shinde et al. teach the first end of the swing arm framework (28) is coupled with the rear frame section (9) at a position forward (see Figure 1) of the first shock absorber end and lower (see Figure 1) than the first shock absorber end.
Regarding Claim 26, Shinde et al. teach a battery assembly (25) supported by the vehicle frame, the battery assembly (25) being constructed and arranged to store the electric power, wherein the first end of the swing arm framework (28) is coupled to the rear frame section below (compare Figures 3 and 4) a top of the battery assembly (25).
Regarding Claim 28, Shinde et al. teach the vehicle frame further includes a left frame member (10) and a right frame member (10) disposed on opposite sides (see Figure 4) of the battery assembly (25) to support the battery assembly (25).
Regarding Claim 32, Shinde et al. teach the vehicle frame is a golf car frame (the frame is capable of carrying golf equipment) and the set of ground-engaging members includes wheels (WF, WR).
Regarding Claim 33, Shinde et al. teach of a method of manufacturing an electric utility vehicle, comprising:
providing a vehicle frame (2, 3, 8, 9) including a lower arm assembly (34);
coupling a rear axle housing (90) of a rear axle assembly (40) to the lower arm assembly (34), the lower arm assembly (34) supporting (see Figures 1 and 2) the rear axle housing (90);
and mounting an electric propulsion system (M) on the rear axle housing,
the electric propulsion system including an electric motor controller (33) and an electric motor (M), the electric motor controller (33) being constructed and arranged to control delivery of electric power to the electric motor (M), the electric motor (M) being constructed and arranged to provide drive to a set of ground-engaging members (WR) via a rear axle (40) of the rear axle assembly in response to the electric power.
Regarding Claim 34, Shinde et al. teach the vehicle frame further includes a rear frame section (9) defining a rear of the electric utility vehicle, and wherein the lower arm assembly includes: a swing arm framework (28) having a first end (28c) that pivotably couples with the rear frame section (9,and wherein coupling the rear axle housing (90) to the lower arm assembly (34) includes: coupling the rear axle housing (90) to a second end of the swing arm framework (see Figures 1 and 2).
Regarding Claim 35, Shinde et al. teach wherein mounting the electric propulsion system (M) on the rear axle housing includes: mounting the electric propulsion system to a central region (see Figure 6) of the rear axle housing (90), and wherein coupling the rear axle housing (90) to the second end of the swing arm framework (28) includes: coupling the rear axle housing (90) to a left arm member and a right arm member (element 34 is on left and right side) of the swing arm framework (28) on opposite sides of the central region to support the electric propulsion system (M).
Regarding Claim 36, Shinde et al. teach installing a shock absorber (shown in Figure 1; see also paragraph [0044]) of the lower arm assembly (34), the shock absorber having a first shock absorber end coupled to the rear frame section (9) and a second shock absorber end adjacent the rear axle assembly (90).
Regarding Claim 37, Shinde et al. teach the first end of the swing arm framework (28) is coupled with the rear frame section (9) at a position forward (see Figure 1) of the first shock absorber end and lower (see Figure 1) than the first shock absorber end.
Regarding Claim 38, Shinde et al. teach the first end of the swing arm framework (28) is coupled (at pivot shaft 27) to the rear frame section (9) below a top of a battery assembly (25) supported by the vehicle frame, the battery assembly (25) being constructed and arranged to store the electric power.
Regarding Claim 40, Shinde et al. teach the vehicle frame further includes a left frame member (10) and a right frame member (10) disposed on opposite sides (see Figure 4) of the battery assembly (25) to support the battery assembly (25).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 27, 29, 30, 31 and 39 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 primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in this case is the inclusion of: in re claim 27 and 39 where the first shock absorber end is coupled to the rear frame section above the top of the battery assembly; in re claim 29 where the vehicle frame further includes at least one foot rest positioned higher than a bottom of the battery assembly; in re claim 30 where a propulsion system housing is constructed and arranged to house both the electric motor controller and the electric motor, the propulsion system housing being coupled with the rear axle housing and providing ingress protection to the electric motor controller and the electric motor, in combination with the other elements recited, not found in the prior art of record.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN L SWENSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5572. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday (9-5).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen Shriver can be reached at (303) 297-4337. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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BRIAN SWENSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3618
/BRIAN L SWENSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613