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 .
This is the first action on the merits for application 18/694,222. Responsive to the preliminary amendment filed 3/21/2024, Claims 1-10 are currently pending in this application.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. PCT/JP2022/035911, filed on 9/27/2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/21/2024 and 1/8/2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: lines 10-11, “with second rotor” should be changed to - -with the second rotor- - for claim consistency (see, for reference, Claim 1, line 15, “a second rotor”). 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.
Claim(s) 1-5 and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ENGERMAN (US 2021/0252977 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, ENGERMAN discloses a vehicle (Figs. 1-3), comprising: a front-wheel drive unit (202; 302) configured to drive a pair of front wheels (203; 303); and a rear-wheel drive unit (204; 304) configured to drive a pair of rear wheels (205; 305), wherein the front-wheel drive unit includes a first rotary electric machine (306) including a first rotor (not-shown rotor attached to rotor shaft 213), a first differential gear assembly (230) configured to distribute a driving force transmitted to a first differential input gear (293, 294) to the pair of front wheels, a first transmission gear assembly (212) configured to transmit the driving force between the first rotor and the first differential input gear, and a first case (312) defining a first chamber accommodating the first rotary electric machine, the first differential gear assembly, and the first transmission gear assembly, the first rotor is located on a first axis (222), and the first differential input gear is located on a second axis (226) parallel to and different from the first axis, the rear-wheel drive unit includes a second rotary electric machine (308) including a second rotor (not-shown rotor attached to rotor shaft 257), a second differential gear assembly (260) configured to distribute a driving force transmitted to a second differential input gear (298; 299) to the pair of rear wheels, a second transmission gear assembly (250) configured to transmit the driving force between the second rotor and the second differential input gear, and a second case (314) defining a second chamber accommodating the second rotary electric machine, the second differential gear assembly, and the second transmission gear assembly, the second rotor is located on a third axis (unlabeled axis associated with rotor shaft 257), and the second differential input gear is located on a fourth axis (unlabeled axis associated with differential input gear 298/299) parallel to and different from the third axis, the front-wheel drive unit has the first axis in a front direction from the second axis and the first rotor in a first width direction from the first transmission gear assembly (Figs. 2 and 3), and the rear-wheel drive unit has the third axis in a rear direction from the fourth axis and the second rotor in a second width direction from the second transmission gear assembly (Figs. 2 and 3), where the front direction is a direction from the pair of rear wheels toward the pair of front wheels along an axis in a front-rear direction (Figs. 2 and 3), the rear direction is opposite to the front direction (Figs. 2 and 3), the first width direction is one direction along an axis in a width direction of the vehicle (Figs. 2 and 3), and the second width direction is opposite to the first width direction (Figs. 2 and 3), a wheelbase between the first axis and the second axis is equal to a wheelbase between the third axis and the fourth axis (Figs. 2 and 3; paragraphs [0043] and [0069]), and a rotation direction of the first rotor (266) when viewed from the first transmission gear assembly is reverse to a rotation direction of the second rotor (270) when viewed from the second transmission gear assembly while the vehicle is traveling.
Regarding Claim 2, ENGERMAN discloses the first transmission gear assembly includes a first counter gear assembly (gears 291, 292 and unlabeled gear behind 291 and meshing with 294 in Fig. 2) located on a fifth axis parallel to and different from the first axis and the second axis (Fig. 2), the second transmission gear assembly includes a second counter gear assembly (gears 296, 297 and unlabeled gear behind 296 and meshing with 298 in Fig. 2) located on a sixth axis parallel to and different from the third axis and the fourth axis, and wheelbases between the first and second axes, between the first and fifth axes, and between the second and fifth axes are equal to wheelbases between the third and fourth axes, between the third and sixth axes, and between the fourth and sixth axes (Figs. 2 and 3; paragraphs [0043] and [0069]).
Regarding Claim 3, ENGERMAN discloses an angle between a plane including the first axis and the second axis and a plane including the first axis and the fifth axis is equal to an angle between a plane including the third axis and the fourth axis and a plane including the third axis and the sixth axis (Figs. 2 and 3; paragraphs [0043] and [0069]), an angle between a plane including the second axis and the first axis and a plane including the second axis and the fifth axis is equal to an angle between a plane including the fourth axis and the third axis and a plane including the fourth axis and the sixth axis (Figs. 2 and 3; paragraphs [0043] and [0069]), and an angle between a plane including the fifth axis and the first axis and a plane including the fifth axis and the second axis is equal to an angle between a plane including the sixth axis and the third axis and a plane including the sixth axis and the fourth axis (Figs. 2 and 3; paragraphs [0043] and [0069]).
Regarding Claim 4, ENGERMAN discloses the first transmission gear assembly includes a first rotor output gear (290) and the first counter gear assembly, and the first rotor output gear is rotatable integrally with the first rotor (Fig. 2), the first counter gear assembly includes a first gear (291) and a second gear (unlabeled gear behind 291 and meshing with 294 in Fig. 2), and the second gear is rotatable integrally with the first gear (Fig. 2), the first gear and the first rotor output gear mesh with each other (Fig. 2), and the second gear and the first differential input gear mesh with each other (Fig. 2), the second transmission gear assembly includes a second rotor output gear (295) and the second counter gear assembly, and the second rotor output gear is rotatable integrally with second rotor (Fig. 2), the second counter gear assembly includes a third gear (296) and a fourth gear (297), and the fourth gear is rotatable integrally with the third gear (Fig. 2), the third gear and the second rotor output gear mesh with each other (Fig. 2), and the fourth gear and the second differential input gear mesh with each other (Fig. 2), and a position of the second gear relative to the first gear is reverse to a position of the fourth gear relative to the third gear in the width direction of vehicle (Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 5, ENGERMAN discloses a first controller (generally located at 307 associated with 306 in Fig. 3) configured to drive and control the first rotary electric machine; and a second controller (generally located at 307 associated with 308 in Fig. 3) configured to drive and control the second rotary electric machine, wherein the first controller and the second controller have a same circuit structure including circuit components with same electric characteristics (Figs. 2 and 3; paragraphs [0043] and [0069]), the first case includes a third chamber accommodating the first controller (Fig. 3), and the second case includes a fourth chamber accommodating the second controller (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 8, ENGERMAN discloses an angle between a horizontal plane and a plane including the first axis and the fifth axis is equal to an angle between the horizontal plane and a plane including the third axis and the sixth axis (Figs. 2 and 3; paragraphs [0043] and [0069]).
Regarding Claim 9, ENGERMAN discloses an angle between a horizontal plane and a plane including the first axis and the second axis is equal to an angle between the horizontal plane and a plane including the third axis and the fourth axis (Figs. 2 and 3; paragraphs [0043] and [0069]).
Regarding Claim 10, ENGERMAN discloses wherein the first case and the second case are cases cast with a mold (equivalent casings shown in Figs. 3 and 5; paragraph [0073], “cast”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 7 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
UDDIN et al. (US 2020/0094684 A1) discloses an electric differential motor assembly (see Fig. 1).
CHOI (US 2016/0375756 A1) discloses a four wheel drive power transmission system (see ABSTRACT).
SHIMIZU et al. (US 2012/0286607 A1) discloses a vehicle drive device (see Figs. 1-3).
KIM et al. (US 2009/0111641 A1) discloses a vehicle drive apparatus (see ABSTRACT).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWIN YOUNG whose telephone number is (571)272-4781. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm (CST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob S Scott can be reached at (571)270-3415. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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EDWIN YOUNG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3655
/Edwin A Young/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655