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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-13 are pending herein.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election without traverse of Species B (Fig.1, 2, 3B, 6, 7A, 7B) in the reply filed on 11/04/2025 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/02/2023 and 9/09/2024, was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the limitation: “on one side and the other side” (line 9) is unclear and should be rewritten as “on one side and another side”. 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 1-13 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Regarding claim 1/2/3/4, the claim recites the limitations: “arranged to draw out" (Claim 1/2) and “drawn out from” (Claim 3/4) which is unclear and therefore renders the claims indefinite. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 5, 6, 12, and 13 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Regarding claims 5/6, the claim recites the limitations: “the power wiring space" which is of unclear antecedent basis and therefore renders the claims indefinite. Appropriate correction is required
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mita et al. (US 6,598,691).
[Claim 1] Regarding Claim 1, Mita discloses: A vehicle driving apparatus (See, e.g. Fig.1-8), integrating an electric motor (See, e.g. Fig.1-8, 5) that is a drive source of a vehicle (See, e.g. Fig.1-8, V), a power conversion device (See, e.g. Fig.1-8, 12’) that is electrically connected to the electric motor (See, e.g. Fig.1-8) and converts electric power supplied to the electric motor and electric power supplied from the electric motor (See, e.g. Fig.1-8), and a power transmission mechanism (See, e.g. Fig.1-8, 7+6) for transmitting rotation of power from the electric motor to a drive wheel side of the vehicle (See, e.g. Fig.1-8), wherein an axial direction of a rotating shaft of the electric motor is arranged in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle (See, e.g. Fig.1-8), the power conversion device and the power transmission mechanism are respectively arranged on one side and the other side of the electric motor in the vehicle width direction (See, e.g. Fig.1-8), the power conversion device is provided with a connector part to which power wiring is connected (See, e.g. Fig.1-8, a1+a2+a3+61+62), and the connector part is arranged to draw out the power wiring from the power conversion device in the vehicle width direction (See, e.g. Fig.1-8).
[Claim 2] Regarding Claim 2, Mita discloses: wherein the connector part is arranged to draw out the power wiring from the power conversion device toward the side of the electric motor in the vehicle width direction (See, e.g. Fig.1-8).
[Claim 3/4] Regarding Claim 3/4, Mita discloses: wherein at least a part of a peripheral edge of the power transmission mechanism is provided with a power wiring space for wiring the power wiring drawn out from the connector part (See, e.g. Fig.1-8, a1+a2+a3+61+62).
[Claim 5/6] Regarding Claim 5/6, Mita discloses: wherein the power wiring space is a space formed by a chamfered part that is formed by chamfering at least a part of an upper end of the power transmission mechanism (See, e.g. Fig.1-8, a1+a2+a3+61+62).
[Claim 7/8] Regarding Claim 7/8, Mita discloses: wherein the power transmission mechanism comprises a final shaft (See, e.g. Fig.1-8, 44+45+40+48) that transmits rotation generated by power of the electric motor to a drive wheel of the vehicle (See, e.g. Fig.1-8, W), and the power wiring space is arranged above the final shaft in the power transmission mechanism (See, e.g. Fig.1-8).
[Claim 9/10/11/12/13] Regarding Claim 9/10/11/12/13, Mita discloses: wherein the power transmission mechanism integrally comprises a component of a parking mechanism for performing parking lock of the vehicle (See, e.g. Fig.1-8, 52), and the component of the parking mechanism is provided on one side of the power transmission mechanism in a front-rear direction of the vehicle (See, e.g. Fig.1-8).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, and can be found on the attached Notice of References Cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES M DOLAK whose telephone number is (571)270-7757. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-530 EST Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, J ALLEN SHRIVER can be reached on 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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/JAMES M DOLAK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613