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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable over GARCIA(US10780849B1).
Regarding claim 1, Garcia teaches a drive device(114) for a vehicle(10), comprising: a motor case(motor chamber 141 of case 144) configured to house a motor(36); a first case(144, same as motor case) configured to house a gear unit(38) that is mechanically connected with the motor(36); and a second case(162) configured to house an electric power conversion unit(173,175,179; fig. 4) that is electrically connected(through busbar 191,193) with the motor(36), wherein the first case(144) and the second case(162) are fastened to the motor case(motor chamber 141 of case 144) by a plurality of fastening members(170,172); and the plurality of fastening members(170,172) includes at least one common fastening member(bolts passing through flange 161, 147) that concurrently fastens the first case(144) and the second case(162) to the motor case(Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 2/1, Garcia teaches the drive device according to claim 1.
Garcia further teaches wherein the second case(162) is disposed on the first case(144), at a position of the at least one common fastening member(Fig. 5, fasteners 170,172 pass through stacked flange regions where the second housing rests on the first housing).
Regarding claim 3/2, Garcia teaches the drive device according to claim 2.
Garcia further teaches wherein: the first case(144) includes a first flange(147) that extends along an outer periphery of the first case(144) and that is fixed to the motor case(motor chamber 141 of case 144) by some of the plurality of fastening members(170,172); the second case(162) includes a second flange(161) that extends along an outer periphery of the second case(162) and that is fixed to the motor case(motor chamber 141 of case 144) by some of the plurality of fastening members(170,172); a part of the first flange(147) includes an overlap section that is positioned between the motor case(motor chamber 141 of case 144) and the second flange(161); and the at least one common fastening member(170,172) includes at least one first common fastening member that is positioned at the overlap section(Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 4/3, Garcia teaches the drive device according to claim 3.
Garcia further teaches wherein: the first case(144) further includes an extension portion(peripheral EDU structure adjacent to and underlying the IPE flange) that extends between the motor case(motor chamber 141 of case 144) and the second flange(161), along an outer edge of the second case(162), from one end of the overlap section to the other end of the overlap section; and the at least one common fastening member(170,172) includes at least one second common fastening member that is positioned at the extension portion(Fig. 1-5, Para[0037-0045]).
Regarding claim 5/3, Garcia teaches the drive device according to claim 3.
Garcia further teaches wherein an average thickness of the second flange(161) is larger than an average thickness of the first flange(147) (Fig. 5, 161 is visibly thicker than 147).
Regarding claim 6/1, Garcia teaches the drive device according to claim 1.
Garcia further teaches wherein: the motor(36) includes a motor shaft(Para[0036]), output shaft of 36); and at least a part of the second case(162) overlaps with the first case(motor chamber 141 of case 144) in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the motor shaft(Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 7/6, Garcia teaches the drive device according to claim 6.
Garcia further teaches wherein at least a part of the second case(144) overlaps with the motor(36) in a central axis direction of the motor shaft(Figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 8/7, Garcia teaches the drive device according to claim 7.
Garcia further teaches wherein: the second case(162) is disposed along a part of a circumference around the motor shaft(Figs. 1-5), as viewed from the central axis direction of the motor shaft; and a disposition range of the second case(162) in a rotation direction of the motor is 180° or more around the motor shaft(Figs. 1-5, Para[0037-0045]).
Regarding claim 9/1, Garcia teaches the drive device according to claim 1.
Garcia further teaches wherein: the motor(36) includes a motor shaft(Para[0036]); each of the plurality of fastening members(170,172) includes a bolt(Para[0038]); and a longitudinal direction of the bolt is roughly parallel to a central axis of the motor shaft(Figs. 1-5, Para[0037-0045]).
Regarding claim 10/1, Garcia teaches the drive device according to claim 1.
Garcia further teaches wherein the first case(144) constitutes a first space(143) that houses the gear unit(38), between the motor case(motor chamber 141 of case 144) and the first case(144)(Figs. 1-5, Para[0033-0036]).
Regarding claim 11/1, Garcia teaches the drive device according to claim 1.
Garcia further teaches wherein the second case(162) constitutes a second space(PE Chamber) that houses the electric power conversion unit(173, 175, 179), between the motor case(144) and the second case(162)(Figs. 1-5, Para[0033-0036]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure.
BITSCHE(US5585681A) is an application with a similar drive unit for motor vehicle.
BAEUMEL(US6198183B1) is another application with a similar drive unit for motor vehicle
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)-272-8310. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas Patel can be reached on 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pairdirect. uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/MOHAMMED AHMED QURESHI/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834