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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 8-11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01/27/2026.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/30/2023 is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Para [0031], lines 5-6, refers to fasteners 78. Elsewhere, refnum 78 refers to the mating feature. There are numerous different fasteners disclosed but those in the connection flange 76 are elsewhere referred to by refnum 79 (see para [0027] and Fig. 2).
Para [0032], line 10, refers to generator 10. Elsewhere, the generator of the instant application is refnum 50 and the prior art generator is refnum 10 (see Fig. 3).
Para [0033], line 7, refers to opening 88. Elsewhere, second splines are refnum 88 and the opening is refnum 112 (see Fig. 2).
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-7 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.
The term “proximate” in claims 1, 2, and 5 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “proximate” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. For an element to be ‘proximate’ as claimed, is it required to be closer to the other proximate element than some third element, claimed or unclaimed? Is it sufficient that it be closer to the other proximate element than a claimed ‘distal’ element? What degree of proximity or relative proximity is being claimed?
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 and 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KNOWLES (US 20090000896).
Regarding claim 1, KNOWLES discloses a vehicle comprising:
an engine (see para [0017]) including a rotatable crankshaft (10);
a transfer shaft (88) attached to the crankshaft (10) so as to be rotatable with the rotatable crankshaft (10); and
a generator (see para [0017]) coupled to the engine via the transfer shaft (88), the generator including a rotor (12) attached to a rotor shaft (44) and a stator located proximate the rotor (12), the rotor shaft (44) being attached to the transfer shaft (88) so as to be rotatable along with the crankshaft (10) and the transfer shaft (88),
wherein the generator includes a casing (20) including a first end attached to the engine (via crankshaft 10) and an opposite second end that defines an opening positioned proximate a location where the rotor shaft (44) is attached to the transfer shaft (88); and
the opening is closed by a removable access panel (38).
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Regarding claim 2, KNOWLES discloses the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the crankshaft (10) includes a radially outwardly extending flange defining a first mating feature (95) and the transfer shaft (88) includes a proximate end that includes a connection flange defining a second mating feature (96) that corresponds to and mates with the first mating feature (95) (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, KNOWLES discloses the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the transfer shaft (88) includes a distal end defining a plurality of first splines that are configured to mate with a plurality of second splines (90) formed on the rotor shaft (44) (see para [0024] and Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, KNOWLES discloses the vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the rotor shaft (44) includes a first leg located proximate the connection flange (96) that extends axially away from the connection flange (96), an opposite second leg located proximate the distal end of the transfer shaft (88) that extends axially toward the connection flange (96), a first disc (15) extending radially outward from the first leg, a second disc extending radially outward from the second leg, and a cylindrical section that connects the first disc to the second disc, the second splines being located on the second leg (see annotated Fig. 1, below).
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Regarding claim 6, KNOWLES discloses the vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising an annular shaft seal (58) connected to the first leg between the first leg and the casing (20).
Regarding claim 7, KNOWLES discloses the vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising a static seal (58) between the first leg and the transfer shaft (88).
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KNOWLES in view of MATSUMOTO (US 20170070127).
Regarding claim 4, KNOWLES discloses the vehicle according to claim 3.
However, KNOWLES does not disclose a crimp nut that fixes the rotor shaft to the transfer shaft.
MATSUMOTO discloses a crimp nut 50 that fixes a rotor shaft 30 to a rotor core.
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 vehicle of KNOWLES with a crimp nut that fixes the rotor shaft to the transfer shaft, similar to that of MATSUMOTO.
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 a secure connection between the rotor shaft and transfer shaft, restrain the nut from loosening, and restrain deterioration of thread strength (see MATSUMOTO para [0029])
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-20140216841-A1 Winter discloses a vehicle with a crankshaft 43, a generator 50, and multiple shafts assembled by a nut 60 behind an access cover 54; US-20190190349-A1 ITO discloses a dual-rotor system connected by splines on the distal end of a transfer shaft 57; US-20220055471-A1 IDEUE discloses a crankshaft 12, transfer shaft 141, and numerous seals; US-20240253441-A1 JOHNSON discloses an electric drive unit with a removable access cover 258 and splines 220 on the distal end of a transfer shaft 204.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN STEFANON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834