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
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 11-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Sugata (US PG Pub No. 2013/0030636).
Regarding claim 1, Sugata teaches An electrified powertrain that generates and transfers drive torque to a driveline of an electrified vehicle including first and second drive wheels, the electrified powertrain comprising:
an electric drive module comprising:
a first electric motor (12 figure 13) having two first outputs (122 figure 14);
a second electric motor (13 figure 13) having a second output (132 figure 14);
a third electric motor (34 figure 13) having a third output (paragraph 74);
a first geartrain including:
a first planetary gear set (31 figure 13 paragraph 72) having a first sun gear (313 figure 17 paragraph 73) fixed for rotation with the second output (122 figure 14), a first carrier, and a first ring gear (311 figure 14) fixed for rotation with one of the first outputs; and
a first final gear reduction having a first final drive pinion fixed for rotation with the first carrier and a first final output that drives the first drive wheel; and (111L figure 14 paragraph 73)
a second geartrain including:
a second planetary gear set (32 figure 13 paragraph 72) having a second sun gear (323 figure 14 paragraph 73) fixed for rotation with the third output (132 figure 14), a second carrier, and a second ring gear (211 figure 14) fixed for rotation with the other of the first outputs; and
a second final gear reduction having a second final drive pinion fixed for rotation with the second carrier and a second final output that drives the second drive wheel.(111R figure 14 paragraph 72).
Regarding claim 2, Sugata teaches a controller that controls operation of the first, second and third electric motors to alter drive torque to the driveline based on operating conditions. (paragraph 77 figure 13)
Regarding claim 11, Sugata teaches wherein the first final drive pinion (111L figure 14) is floating on the second output shaft and the second final drive pinion (111R figure 14) is floating on the third output shaft.
Regarding claim 12, Sugata teaches wherein the first electric motor is positioned intermediate the second and third electric motors. (figure 13).
Regarding claim 13, Sugata teaches wherein the first, second and third electric motors are constructed similarly. (figure 13 paragraph 72)
Regarding claim 14, Sugata teaches wherein the first, second and third electric motors comprise 350kW electric motors. (figure 13 paragraph 72)
Regarding claim 15, Sugata teaches wherein the first electric motor is constructed differently than the second and third electric motors. (figure 13 paragraph 72)
Regarding claim 16, see the rejection to claim 1 as the limitations are substantially similar
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-10 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.
Conclusion
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/GEORGE C JIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747