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 .
DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
This is in response to the amendment filed 07/15/2026 for Application No. 18/502,282. By the amendment, claims 1-7 are pending with claim 1 being amended and claim 6 remain withdrawn.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yaguchi in view of Yamaguchi, both cited in the prior Office action, and further in view of Matano et al. (US 2015/0084412 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yaguchi discloses an electrified vehicle (par [0035]) comprising:
a battery for drive (par [0039], not shown);
a charger (par [0039], i.e., battery can be chargeable by an external power supply) configured to charge the battery using power supplied from an external power source;
an electric motor (MG2) configured to function as a power source;
a transfer device (i.e., includes counter gear mechanism CM and other components associated therewith, hereinafter “CM_TD”) configured to transfer power from the electric motor;
a differential device (DF) configured to distribute the power transferred via the transfer device (CM_TD) to wheels (W) on right and left sides with respect to a forward-rearward travel direction (par [0043]); and
a power control circuit (10) configured to control power exchanged between the battery and the electric motor,
wherein a drive device (1) that includes the electric motor (MG2), the transfer device (CM_TD), and the differential device (DF) and the power control circuit (10) are housed in an identical case (par [0036], i.e., transaxle case 2) as an integrated electromechanical unit (i.e., as an integrated unit shown in Fig 3; noted this arrangement is the same as applicant’s disclosure on Figure 3), with the drive device mounted on the electrified vehicle,
a rotational axis (A2) of the electric motor (MG2), a rotational axis (Annotated Fig. 8 below, rotational axis A3) of the transfer device (CM_TD), and a rotational axis (A4) of the differential device (DF) are disposed in parallel with a horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the forward-rearward travel direction of the electrified vehicle (Fig. 1), and
the respective rotational axes (Figs. 3, 5 and 8, i.e., rotational axes A2, A3 and A4) are positioned such that the electric motor, the transfer device (CM_TD), and the differential device are arranged in this order from an upper side toward a lower side in a vertical direction (Figs. 3, 5 and 8) and
the power control circuit (10) mounted on the electrified vehicle, the power control circuit (10) is disposed vertically above the drive device (Figs. 3, 5 and 8), and
a vertically lower portion (20c) of the power control circuit (10) is disposed at a position overlapping a vertically upper portion of the electric motor (MG2) as seen in the forward-rearward travel direction (Fig. 3).
Yaguchi further teaches that the axes (A2, A4) of the differential device and the electric motor are aligned in a vertical direction and the transfer device (CM_TD) is arranged in the front side both of the differential device DF and electric motor MG2 in the forward-rearward travel direction, see Figure 5. However, Yaguchi does not specifically teach that the transfer device, the differential device, and the electric motor are arranged in this order in the forward-rearward travel direction and an internal charger device.
Yamaguchi discloses a similar hybrid vehicle powertrain arrangement includes a transfer device (i.e., includes transfer gear 15 aligned on axis SH1 and fixed to output shaft 14), a differential device (i.e., differential unit 36 aligned on axis SH4) and an electric motor (i.e., motor 25 aligned on axis SH2) that are arranged in this order in the forward-rearward travel direction, see Figure 2.
It would have been obvious to one of an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention for the electrified vehicle of Yaguchi to have the differential mounted between the transfer device and the electric motor in a forward-rearward travel direction, i.e., slightly tilted toward the front side of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction instead of having the differential and the electric motor aligned in the same vertical position as taught by Yamguchi, doing so would provide enhanced maneuverability and control of the devices during installation and/or maintenance, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP 2144.04 VI. (C). In addition, it is noted that applicant has not disclosed that having any specific order construction of the devices solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that having the devices mounted in any order does not change the way of the vehicle perform or functions.
As modified above, Yaguchi further teaches that each electric machine MG1/MG2 can function as an electric power generator by torque of the internal combustion engine EG or inertial force of the vehicle to charge the battery or supply electric power for driving the other rotary electric machine (par [0040]) but does not specifically teach an internal charger device. Internal chargers or power conversion devices are well recognized to a skilled person in the art for charging or recharging the battery of the hybrid and electric vehicles during driving to improve efficiency and provide longer driving range.
Matano discloses a similar harness routing structure for an electric vehicle includes a high-voltage module 17 having a DC/DC converter and battery charger accommodated within a module housing 17a mounted immediately above the inverter 16 unit or power control circuit of the integrated electromechanical unit (16, 13) and a reduction gear 13. See Figure 3; Paragraphs [0038] and [0041].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention for the modified electrified vehicle of Yamaguchi and Yaguchi, with reasonable expectation of success, to include the internal charger device and disposed vertically above the power control circuit of the integrated electromechanical unit as taught by Matano in order to conveniently recharge the vehicle battery during traveling or during regenerative driving mode as the predictable results of improvement in efficiency and driving range.
Regarding claim 2, the modified electrified vehicle according to claim 1,
Matano further teaches wherein a charge port (30) to be connected to the external power source (para. [0043]) is provided in an outer plate (i.e., charging port bracket 33 fixed to front cross member 4B) that forms a power source chamber (figs. 2 and 3) that houses the integrated electromechanical unit (13,16) and the charger (fig. 3, paras. [0038] – [0043], i.e., battery charger).
Regarding claim 3, the modified electrified vehicle according to claim 1, Yaguchi further teaches comprising:
an engine (EG) configured to function as a power source (par [0040]); and
an electric transmission mechanism (i.e., includes MG1 and power distribution device PT) that includes a differential mechanism (PT), to which the engine is coupled so as to be able to transfer power, and
a differential electric motor (MG1) coupled to the differential mechanism (PT) so as to be able to transfer power, the electric transmission mechanism being configured such that a differential state of the differential mechanism is controlled by controlling an operation state of the differential electric motor,
wherein the electric transmission mechanism (MG1, PT) constitutes a part of the drive device, and
an output rotary member (i.e., output member disposed between differential mechanism PT and output gear G) of the electric transmission mechanism is disposed coaxially with the differential electric motor (MG1), the transfer device (CM_TD) is configured to transfer power from the output rotary member of the electric transmission mechanism to the differential device (DF), the power control circuit (10) is configured to control power exchanged between the battery and the differential electric motor (MG1), and with the drive device mounted on the electrified vehicle, a rotational axis (A1) of the differential electric motor, the rotational axis (A2) of the electric motor, the rotational axis (A3) of the transfer device (CM_TD), and the rotational axis (A4) of the differential device are disposed in parallel with the horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the forward-rearward travel direction (Fig. 1), and
the respective rotational axes (A2, A3, A1, A4) are positioned such that the electric motor (MG2), the transfer device (CM_TD), the differential electric motor (MG1), and the differential device (DF) are arranged in this order from the upper side toward the lower side in the vertical direction (Figs. 3, 5 and 8 and annotated Figure 8 below) and such that the differential electric motor (MG1), the transfer device (CM_TD), the differential device (DF), and the electric motor (MG2) are arranged in this order in the forward-rearward travel direction (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, the modified electrified vehicle according to claim 3, Yaguchi further teaches wherein with the power control circuit (10) mounted on the electrified vehicle, the vertically lower portion (i.e., bottom wall portion 20c or 220c on Figure 8) of the power control circuit (10) is disposed vertically above the differential electric motor (MG1; Figs. 3, 5 and 8).
Regarding claim 5, the modified electrified vehicle according to claim 4, Yaguchi further teaches wherein:
the power control circuit (10) includes a voltage boosting converter (paragraphs [0048] – [0052]), the voltage boosting converter being configured to include a reactor (14) and boost a voltage of direct current power from the battery (par. [0049]), and the vertically lower portion (20c or 220c on Figure 8) of the power control circuit (10) includes the reactor (14); and
an inverter (Yamaguchi, i.e., inverters 40-1,40-2 and converter ECU 2) and the inverter being configured to convert the direct current power from the voltage boosting converter into alternating current power and supply the alternating current power to the electric motor (paragraphs [0071] - [0073]).
Regarding claim 7, the modified electrified vehicle according to claim 1, Yaguchi further teaches comprising:
an engine (EG) configured to function as a power source; and
a power supply electric motor (MG1) coupled to the engine so as to be able to transfer power, wherein the power supply electric motor is disposed on an axis (A1) that is different from an axis (A2) of the electric motor (MG2).
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Annotated Figure 8
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 07/15/2026 has been entered. Applicant’s amendments have been fully considered and have overcome the rejection of claims 1-5 and 7 under 35 USC §103 over Yaguchi in view of Yamaguchi and Suzuki set forth in the previous action, mailed 04/16/2026. The rejections of the claims have been withdrawn. However, applicant’s amendments have raised new issues indicated above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection of the claims mentioned above have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Moreover, Applicant’s arguments with respect to the objections to the drawings and claim 1 mentioned above, particularly, the term “identical” being referred to as the same casing or housing 18 is persuasive. See the lower portion of page 6 of the Remarks 07/15/2026. Accordingly, the drawings and claim objections have been withdrawn.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tinh T Dang whose telephone number is (571)270-1776. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9AM - 5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at Mon-Friday from 8AM-4:30PM at (571) 270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TINH T DANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655 August 5, 2026
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