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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-5, 10, 19, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Adachi et al. WO 2019/177001 Wang discloses a drive assembly of a vehicle which is operated by of muscle power and/or motor power, the drive assembly comprising: a drive unit 5; and an L-shaped frame interface 41 including a base, a lateral wall, and an open face lying opposite the base (see Fig. 9B), wherein the drive unit is mountable over the open face, and is detachably secured to the base; wherein the base is arranged on an output side of the drive unit and is substantially orthogonal to a bottom bracket axle of the drive unit, and the lateral wall is arranged substantially perpendicular to the base; further comprising a fixed bearing assembly 571 configured to releasably secure the drive unit to the base; wherein the base is screwed to at least one threaded bolt 571; wherein in a fully secured screwed, state, at least one holding region 57 of the drive unit between a holding element and the base is stressed by tension or pressure; wherein the holding element is a lid abutting a front face of the lateral wall;; wherein the lateral wall circumferentially completely surrounds the base.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9, and 11-18 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.
Response to Amendment
The affidavit under 37 CFR 1130(a) filed 27 July 2026 is sufficient to overcome the rejection of claims 1-8, 10, 12, 19, and 21 based upon Want TW 607783U.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-8, 10, 12, 19, and 21 have been 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Hurley whose telephone number is (571)272-6646. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9 am-5:30 pm Kevin.Hurley@USPTO.GOV.
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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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/KEVIN HURLEY/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3611
August 26, 2026
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