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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/01/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 meshing point of the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear in claim 10 and the oil fill hole extends to the meshing point in claim 10 (Figure is not shown other end of the oil fill hole. See the discussion below) 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 § 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 10, 14 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 scope of claim 10 “…the oil fill hole extends from the front end housing to a meshing point of the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear” (emphasis added) is unclear. The drawing is not shown “a meshing point”. Looking at figure 5, there is no meshing point since the first transmission gear 141 drives the second transmission gear 142 (another word, both gears rotate; there is no specific point of the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear), therefore, it is unclear what a meshing point is referencing to. Moreover, the drawing does not show other end of the oil fill hole, therefore, it is not clear where it extends to. Looking at Figure 5, the oil fill hole appears extending into the inner chamber of the gearbox (transmission gears as discussed in Applicant’s specification, para. 55 “Lubricating oil is injected through the oil fill hole 1453 into the meshing point of the first transmission gear 141 and the second transmission gear 142”). Reading at Applicant’s specification, para. 57 recites “the pillar extends into the meshing point of the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear so that the oil fill hole extends to the meshing point of the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear”, but it is not clear what and where the meshing point is. Is the meshing point a region or an area between the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear?
Claim 14, the last line recites “a front end housing” that is unclear whether the front end housing is an additional front end housing or the front end housing in lines 1-2 of claim 14. For examination purposes, as best understood, Examiner is interpreting the oil fill hole extends from the from the front end housing to the gearbox or an area of the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 1-3, 6-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaoka (CN214430378U and Translation) in view of Goran (US 2007/0017105).
Regarding claim 1, Yamaoka shows a pole chain saw (Figures 1-5), comprising: a connecting rod (140, Figure 1); and
a front end assembly (200), disposed at a front end of the connecting rod, comprising an electric motor (110, Figure 3), an output device (120) comprising a guide plate (121) and a chain (122) wound around the guide plate, a transmission assembly (150, Figure 3) connecting the electric motor to the output device, and a gearbox (160) supporting and accommodating at least part of the transmission assembly (Page 3 of Translation, the 3rd paragraph “the gear box 160 is used to support the transmission assembly 150”).
However, it is unclear whether at least part of the gearbox is made of metal or not.
a gearbox (gear housing or gear casing) made of metal is well-known in the art, for an example, Goran shows a gear box (gear housing 17, Para. 6 recites that “the gear housing … is preferably made of light metal” and see Goran’s claim 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the gearbox of Yamaoka to be made of metal, as taught by Goran, in order to offer greater strength (reinforcement) and durability of the gear box for protecting and supporting the transmission assembly.
Regarding claim 2, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the front end assembly further comprises a front end housing (130, Figures 1-2 of Yamaoka) for supporting the connecting rod, the front end housing comprises a first housing (134) and a second housing (133, Figure 7 of Yamaoka), and a first accommodation chamber and a second accommodation chamber are formed between the first housing and the second housing (see there are two-half housings, Figure 9 of Yamaoka forming a chamber to receive the rod 140).
Regarding claim 3, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the first accommodation chamber is used for accommodating the electric motor (Figure 11 of Yamaoka), and the second accommodation chamber is used for accommodating the gearbox (Figure 12 of Yamaoka. Please note that both housing halves accommodate the gearbox and the motor as seen Figures 11-12’s Yamaoka).
Regarding claim 6, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows an air hole (1312, Figure 7 of Yamaoka) is formed on the front end housing at a position relative to the gearbox (see a position of the hole 1312 relative to the gearbox 160 as seen in Figure 12 of Yamaoka).
Regarding claim 7, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the gearbox comprises a first box lid (at the reference 160, Figure 4 of Yamaoka) and a second box lid (a bracket 190, the translation, page 5 at the last paragraph “the gear box 160 forms a groove, and when the motor bracket 190 is installed on the gear box 160, the second bracket portion 193 is embedded in the groove”) and, after being mounted, the first box lid and the second box lid form an accommodation space to accommodate at least part of the transmission assembly (the translation of Yamaoka, page 1 at the middle paragraph “a gear box generates a gear chamber for accommodating the transmission gear”).
Regarding claim 8, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the transmission assembly (150 of Yamaoka) comprises a first transmission gear (151), a second transmission gear (the translation of Yamaoka, page 3 at the 3rd paragraph recites “The transmission gear 151 can be configured as a bevel gear, and the end of the motor shaft 111 is configured to be matched with the transmission gear 151 conical structure and the transmission gear 151 meshes with the end of the motor shaft 111 of the motor 110” that means there is inherently has a gear structure for meshing with the bevel gear), an output shaft (152), and a chainwheel (153), a motor shaft (111) of the electric motor drives the first transmission gear to rotate, the first transmission gear meshes with the second transmission gear to drive the second transmission gear to rotate, the second transmission gear drives the output shaft to rotate, and the output shaft drives the chainwheel to rotate to drive the chain to rotate (the translation of Yamaoka, page 3 at the 3rd paragraph).
Regarding claim 9, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that an extension direction of the motor shaft is perpendicular to an extension direction of the output shaft (152, Figures 3 and 5 of Yamaoka shows this configuration the motor shalt 111 is perpendicular to the sprocket shaft 152).
Regarding claim 10, as best understood, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows the front end assembly further comprises a front end housing (a first housing 130, Figure 2 of Yamaoka) for supporting the connecting rod, an oil fill hole (see an oil tank or can 136 inherently having a hole for flowing the oil to the transmission assembly 150 as discussed on the translation of Yamaoka, page 6 at the 1st paragraph “an oil can 136 is also provided on the first housing 130, and the oil can 136 is used to place oil for lubricating the transmission assembly 150” that means the can 136 inherently having a tube or hole for lubricating the transmission assembly 150) is further formed on the front end housing (130), and the oil fill hole extends from the front end housing to “a meshing point” or a region of the first transmission gear and the second transmission gear (see the issue discussion above and see claim 8 above for the 1st and 2nd transmission gears or the transmission assembly).
Regarding claim 11, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the oil fill hole is formed on the gearbox (there is inherently a hole in the gearbox in which the oil is entered to the gearbox as discussed in claim 10 above).
Regarding claims 12-13, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the transmission assembly further comprises a bearing (the translation of Yamaoka, page 5 at the 2nd last paragraph recites “a bearing to axially position the output shaft 152. The gear box 160 generates a bearing chamber accommodating the bearing” sleeved on the output shaft. However, Yamaoka does not discuss “an outer race of the bearing has an interference fit with the gearbox”; this is a common way to have an outer race of the bearing has an interference fit with the gearbox in order to firmly support the bearing. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have had the outer race of the bearing of Yamaoka to have an interference fit with the gearbox, in order to allow the gearbox firmly secure and support the bearing,
wherein an inner race of the bearing has a clearance fit with the output shaft (see the discussion above for “a bearing to axially position the output shaft 152”).
Regarding claim 14, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the front end assembly further comprises the front end housing (130 or 133/134, Figures 2 and 7 of Yamaoka) for supporting the connecting rod, and at least part of the gearbox (160) is integrally formed with the front end housing (see Figure 11 of Yamaoka).
Regarding claim 15, Yamaoka shows a pole chain saw (see the discussion in claim 1 above), comprising:
a connecting rod (140); and
a front end assembly (200, Figure 2 of Yamaoka), disposed at a front end of the connecting rod, comprising an electric motor (110); an output device (120) comprising a guide plate (121) and a chain (122) wound around the guide plate, a transmission assembly (150) connecting the electric motor to the output device, and
a front end housing (130) for supporting the electric motor and the transmission assembly, however, Yamaoka does not discuss that part of the front end housing for supporting the transmission assembly is made of metal.
Goran shows a saw head (12, Figure 2) and a gear box (gear housing 17, Para. 6 “the gear housing is an integrated part of saw head… is preferably made of light metal” and see Goran’s claim 4). Also, see MPEP 608.02, section IX, drawing symbols, the saw head housing is made by metal.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the front end housing of Yamaoka to be made of metal, as taught by Goran, in order to offer greater strength (reinforcement) and durability of the housing for protecting and supporting the transmission assembly.
Regarding claim 16, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the front end housing comprises a first housing and a second housing, and a first accommodation chamber and a second accommodation chamber are formed between the first housing and the second housing (see the discussion in claim 2 above).
Regarding claim 17, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the first accommodation chamber is used for accommodating the electric motor, and the second accommodation chamber is used for accommodating at least part of the transmission assembly (see the discussion in claim 3 above).
Regarding claim 18, Yamaoka shows a pole chain saw (see the discussion in claim 1 above), comprising:
a connecting rod (140); and
a front end assembly (200, Figure 1), disposed at a front end of the connecting rod, comprising:
a front end housing (130, 133/134), an electric motor (110) disposed in the front end housing, an output device (120) comprising a guide plate (121) and a chain (122) wound around the guide plate, a transmission assembly (150) connecting the electric motor to the output device, and a gearbox (160) supporting and accommodating at least part of the transmission assembly, wherein at least part of the gearbox is made of metal (see the modification in claim 1 above) and an air hole (an air inlet hole 1312, Figure 7) is formed on the front end housing and is opposite to the gearbox (160).
Claims 4-5, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaoka (CN214430378U and Translation) in view of Goran (US 2007/0017105) and Xi (CN 211729513U and Translation).
Regarding claim 4, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the front end housing is formed with at least one air inlet (131, Figure 2 of Yamaoka) and at least one air outlet (132), and an airflow flowing into the front end housing from the at least one air inlet flows through the electric motor and then flows out from the at least one air outlet (as discussed in the translation, page 4 at the middle paragraph “The operation of the fan guides the heat dissipating airflow from the air inlet 131 into the interior of the first housing 130, the heat-dissipating airflow flows through the motor 110, dissipates the motor 110, and then flows out from the air outlet 132”).
However, Yamaoka fails to discuss that the air from the at least one air inlet flows through the gearbox.
Xi shows a chain saw having a gearbox (12) and an air inlet (118 or 118a/118b) and an outlet (119), wherein a cold air from an air inlet (118a) flows through the gearbox (12) as discussed in the translation, page 7 at the 1st paragraph “the first air inlet 118a, it first flows through the first type electronic component 171. After passing the first type electronic component 171, the heat dissipation wind flows through the gearbox 12 and enters from the gearbox 12”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have had the air from the air inlet of Yamaoka to flow through the gearbox, as taught by Xi, in order to dissipate or remove heat from the gearbox or improve for heat dissipation as discussed the problem of a chain saw (see the background of Xi and its solution in the translation, page 2 at the middle paragraph).
Regarding claim 5, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows that the at least one air inlet is located at a rear side of the gearbox (see the inlet 131, Figure 2 of Yamaoka), and the at least one air outlet (see the outlet 132, Figure 2 of Yamaoka) is located radially outside a fan (the translation, page 2 at the 2nd paragraph “a fan that can be driven to rotate by a motor to generate a heat-dissipating airflow…, and the air outlet is arranged on the periphery of the fan”).
Regarding claims 19-20, the modified chain saw of Yamaoka shows all limitations as stated in claims 4-5 above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NHAT CHIEU Q DO whose telephone number is (571)270-1522. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM EST.
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/NHAT CHIEU Q DO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724 11/24/2025