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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: A preposition is missing between the phrases “an axis” and “the fourth motor” in line 2. To facilitate compact prosecution, Examiner interprets that the appropriate preposition should be “of”. 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 (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 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.
Claims 1, 9, 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brehmer et. al – DE 102021208174 A1, hereinafter referred to as Brehmer.
Regarding Claim 1, Brehmer teaches an electric work vehicle comprising:
a rear housing (Brehmer – element 22)
a first motor (3a “first electric machine”) to drive a first rear wheel (8a), the first motor being supported by the rear housing (Paragraph [0023] – “…the drive arrangement has a first housing section for accommodating the first electrical machine…”); and
a second motor (3b “second electric machine”) to drive a second rear wheel (8b), the second motor being supported by the rear housing (Paragraph [0023] – “…a second housing section for accommodating the second electrical machine.”); wherein
the first motor (3a) is connected to a first gearing drive (Abstract – “…a first electrical machine 3a, … drives a first drive shaft 5a…”, wherein the first gearing drive is the first drive shaft 5a) to drive the first rear wheel (8a);
the second motor (3b) is connected to a second gearing drive (Abstract – “a second electrical machine 3b, … drives a second drive shaft 5b…”, wherein the second gearing drive is the second drive shaft 5b) to the second rear wheel (8b);
an outermost portion of the first gearing (Fig. 1, leftmost side of planetary gear set carrier 12, additionally note that elements of the first and second gearing contained within 12 are separate, but use the same reference numbers in Brehmer due to medial symmetry) is located inside of the first motor (3a) in a left-right direction of the vehicle (leftmost side of 12 is disposed between leftmost and rightmost sides of 3a); and
an outermost portion of the second gearing (Fig. 1, rightmost side of 12) is located inside of the second motor (3b) in a left-right direction of the vehicle (rightmost side of 12 is disposed between rightmost and leftmost sides of 3b).
Regarding Claim 9, Brehmer teaches the electric work vehicle according to Claim 1, wherein
an axis (“common drive axis of rotation” element 100) of the second motor (3b) is collinear with an axis (100) of the first motor (3a, Fig. 1 spatial disposition of 3a and 3b along axis 100).
Regarding Claim 13, Brehmer teaches the electric work vehicle according to Claim 1, further comprising:
a gear casing (12) affixed to a portion of the rear housing (Fig. 2, gear housing 12 is integrated with motor housing 22); wherein
a portion of the first gearing (Fig. 1, leftmost “sun gear” 14) and a portion of the second gearing (rightmost 14) is located within the gear casing (Fig. 1, both symmetric instances of 14 are disposed within 12).
Regarding Claim 14, Brehmer teaches the electric work vehicle according to Claim 13, wherein
a width of the gear casing (12) in the left-right direction of the electric work vehicle is thinner than a width of the rear housing (22) in the left-right direction (Fig. 1, 12 is narrower than 22 relative to central symmetric axis).
Regarding Claim 15, Brehmer teaches the electric work vehicle according to Claim 13, wherein
the first rear wheel (8a) and the second rear wheel (8b) are connected to respective rear wheel hubs (“output shafts” 7a and 7b, respectively) which are mounted to the gear casing (Fig. 2, both shafts are integrated into gear casing 12).
Regarding Claim 16, Brehmer teaches the electric work vehicle according to Claim 13, wherein
the first gearing and the second gearing (both symmetrical instances of 14) each respectively include a plurality of interlinking gears (Fig. 1, 14 operably connected to “planetary gears” 13, “ring gear” 15, and “intermediate gear” 19) and extend from the rear housing into the gear casing (Fig. 1, the gear train 19, 15, 13 extends into 14 which is contained within 12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8, 10-11, 17-20 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:
Regarding Claim 2, the prior art does not teach a third motor to drive a first electric work vehicle component other than a wheel disposed below a portion of a gearing in an up-down direction of the vehicle, and a fourth motor supported in the rear housing to drive a second electric work vehicle component other than a wheel.
A pertinent reference, Ito et. al - US 20160297293 A1, hereinafter Ito, teaches an electric work vehicle with two motors (Ito – 4R and 4L) independently driving two respective wheels (12R and 12L), with an additional “work motor” (4W) disposed rearward of the drive motors for driving a liquid cooling system pump. However, the gearing (“transmission mechanisms” 44 and 43) are not disposed medially relative to the drive motors (Fig. 3) and the vertical displacement of the work motor relative to the gearing is not disclosed, therefore Ito does not completely anticipate the claimed invention as in Claim 1 or 2. Additionally, it would not have been possible to modify Brehmer in view of Ito by adding additional motors in the claimed configuration to arrive at the claimed invention without resorting to impermissible hindsight.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mitchell James Price whose telephone number is (571)272-3729. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thurs 8:00 - 5:00 Eastern, Fri 8:00 - 12:00 Eastern.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at (571)272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mitchell James Price/ Examiner, Art Unit 3611 /VALENTIN NEACSU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611