DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed on 1/6/2026 and 12/15/2023 have been fully considered.
Priority
The foreign priority claim to JP2023-007282 filed on 1/20/2023 is acknowledged.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-3, and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 as being unpatentable over Yoshizue (US 20210324951 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yoshizue teaches an in-wheel motor unit (1 “in-wheel motor drive device” taught by figure 1) that drives a wheel (2 “wheel” taught by figure 1) of a vehicle, the in-wheel motor unit comprising:
a motor (3 “motor” taught by figure 1);
a casing that accommodates the motor (6 “motor case” taught by figure 1);
a first rotating shaft that is driven by the motor (8 “first rotation shaft” taught by figure 1) and includes a first gear (12 “driving gear” taught by figure 1);
a pair of first bearings, each of which is located on each side of the first gear, and that supports the first rotating shaft with respect to the casing such that the first rotating shaft is rotatable (taught by first annotated figure 1 attached below);
a second rotating shaft (14 “a second rotation shaft” taught by figure 1) that is parallel to the first rotating shaft and includes a second gear meshing with the first gear (13 “driven gear” taught by figure 1); and
a pair of second bearings, each of which is located on each side of the second gear, and that supports the second rotating shaft with respect to the casing such that the second rotating shaft is rotatable (taught by first annotated figure 1 attached below), wherein:
the second bearings are located between the first bearings in an axial direction parallel to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft (taught by first annotated figure 1 attached below); and
each of the second bearings includes an outer ring fixed to the second gear from a radially inner side, an inner ring fixed to the casing from a radially outer side, and a rolling element located between the outer ring and the inner ring (taught by second annotated figure 1 attached below).
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Regarding claim 2, Yoshizue teaches the motor unit according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Yoshizue also teaches each end face in the axial direction of the second gear is provided with a groove for accommodating each of the second bearings (taught by the first annotated figure 1 attached above); and
the outer ring of each of the second bearings is fixed to an inner peripheral surface of the groove from the radially inner side (taught by the second annotated figure 1 attached above).
Regarding claim 3, Yoshizue teaches the motor unit according to claim 2, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Yoshizue also teaches wherein: the casing is provided with a pair of bosses, each of which projects toward each groove of the second gear (taught by the second annotated figure 1 attached above); and
the inner ring of each of the second bearings is fixed to an outer peripheral surface of the boss from the radially outer side (taught by the second annotated figure 1 attached above);.
Regarding claim 5, Yoshizue teaches the motor unit according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Yoshizue also teaches wherein: the first rotating shaft is coaxially connected to the motor (taught by figure 1); and the second rotating shaft is coaxially connected to the wheel (taught by figure 1).
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 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.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshizue (US 20210324951 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Yoshizue teaches the motor unit according to claim 1, as set forth in the anticipation rejection above.
Yoshizue does not explicitly teach wherein when viewed along the axial direction, the first bearings and the second bearings at least partially overlap.
However, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to make the different portions of the first and second bearings such that they at least partially overlap when viewed in the axial direction, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the proportions of components. A change in proportion is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Reese, 129 USPQ 402.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS KANDAS whose telephone number is (571)272-5628. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, James A Shriver can be reached at (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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/NICHOLAS R. KANDAS/Examiner, Art Unit 3613
/JAMES A SHRIVER II/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3613