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 .
DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
This is the first Office Action on the merits of Application 18/717,707 filed on 6/7/24. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/7/24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains reference characters. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
Claims 7 & 9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 7
Line 1: “a drive system” should be amended as -- the drive system --.
Claim 9
Line 5: “in such a way” should be amended as -- such that --.
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.
Claims 1-5 & 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2020/157004 to Schmidt et al. (applicant cited reference).
Claim 1
Schmidt discloses in Figs 1-14,
A drive system comprising a drive unit (e.g.1) having a drive housing (e.g. 4 & 5) and a flow guide element (e.g. 25) mechanically fixed on an outside of the drive housing, which has at least a first cavity boundary (e.g. 32) for forming at least regions of a first fluid reservoir (e.g. 27),wherein a first cavity (e.g. formed by 32) which is delimited at least in regions by the first cavity boundary is or can be fluidically connected to a lubrication device (e.g. 31).
Claim 2
The drive system according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein the flow guide element has at least one second cavity boundary (e.g. see divider adjacent 45) for forming at least regions of a second fluid reservoir (e.g. 26), wherein a second cavity, which is delimited at least in regions by the second cavity boundary is or can be fluidically connected to the lubrication device.
Claim 3
The drive system according to claim 2, wherein the flow guide element forms a flow channel (see Fig 9 by at least 42) at least in regions for supplying fluid into at least one of the cavities.
Claim 4
The drive system according to claim 3, characterized in that wherein a flow bifurcation (e.g. 43) is formed in the flow channel for supplying fluid to the first cavity and to the second cavity.
Claim 5
The drive system according to claim 4, wherein the flow guide element has a baffle element (e.g. 45) for providing a baffle effect for a fluid impinging on the baffle element at above a limit velocity, for distributing the fluid through the flow bifurcation into the first cavity and into the second cavity.
Claim 11
A drive unit comprising: a drive housing (e.g. 4 & 5); and a flow guide element (e.g. 25) mechanically fixed to an outside of the drive housing, wherein the flow guide element comprises at least a first cavity boundary (e.g. 32) for forming one or more regions of a first fluid reservoir (e.g. 27), wherein the first cavity boundary defines a first cavity (e.g. formed by 32), wherein the first cavity is fluidically connectable to a lubrication device (e.g. 31).
Claim 12
The drive unit according to claim 11, wherein the flow guide element comprises a second cavity boundary (e.g. see divider adjacent 45) for forming one or more regions of a second fluid reservoir (e.g. 26), wherein the second cavity boundary defines a second cavity, wherein the second cavity is fluidically connectable to the lubrication device.
Claim 13
The drive unit according to claim 12, wherein the flow guide element forms a flow channel (see Fig 9 by at least 42) for supplying fluid into at least one of the first cavity or the second cavity.
Claim 14
The drive unit according to claim 13, wherein a flow bifurcation (e.g. 43) is formed in the flow channel for supplying fluid to the first cavity and to the second cavity.
Claim 15
The drive unit according to claim 14, wherein the flow guide element comprises a baffle element (e.g. 45) for providing a baffle effect for a fluid impinging on the baffle element for distributing the fluid through the flow bifurcation into the first cavity and into the second cavity.
Claims 1-3, 6-13 & 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP2020133880 to Miyazaki et al. (applicant cited reference).
Claim 1
Miyazaki discloses in Figs 1-8,
A drive system comprising a drive unit having a drive housing (e.g. 5) and a flow guide element (e.g. 48) mechanically fixed on an outside of the drive housing, which has at least a first cavity boundary (e.g. 48d) for forming at least regions of a first fluid reservoir (e.g. 48c), wherein a first cavity (e.g. formed by 48d) which is delimited at least in regions by the first cavity boundary is or can be fluidically connected to a lubrication device (e.g. 48b).
Claim 2
The drive system according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein the flow guide element has at least one second cavity boundary (e.g. see divider 48a) for forming at least regions of a second fluid reservoir (e.g. 48F), wherein a second cavity, which is delimited at least in regions by the second cavity boundary is or can be fluidically connected to the lubrication device.
Claim 3
The drive system according to claim 2, wherein the flow guide element forms a flow channel (see Figs 7 & 8) at least in regions for supplying fluid into at least one of the cavities.
Claim 6
The drive system according to claim 2,characterized in that wherein the second cavity has an overflow device, by way of which fluid can flow into the first cavity when a limit level in the second cavity is exceeded (see Fig 8, any excess fluid above 48F flows into 48C).
Claim 7
A drive transmission, comprising a drive system according to claim 1,wherein the drive transmission further comprises a transmission (e.g. 4 of Fig 5) with a transmission housing (Fig. 6), and at least one cavity (e.g. 48a), which is delimited at least in regions by a cavity boundary, is delimited axially on one side by the outside of the transmission housing (See Fig 6).
Claim 8
The drive transmission according to The drive transmission according to claim 7, wherein the lubrication device is formed in or on a differential gear shaft bearing and/or an intermediate gear shaft bearing (e.g. on top of 11) of the transmission connected to the drive unit.
Claim 9
The drive transmission according to claim 7, wherein the drive transmission comprises a differential transmission (e.g. 15) with a differential gear (e.g. 15a), wherein the differential gear has the function of a paddle wheel pump and is arranged and designed in such a way that a volumetric flow of fluid delivered by way of the differential gear can be supplied to the flow guide element (see Fig 7, differential provides flow of fluid to flow guide element 48).
Claim 10
The drive transmission according to claim 7, wherein the transmission housing has a raised structure (see Fig 6, 6e) on its outside, and in that the flow guide element is complementary to a shape and size of the structure (see 48 fitted onto 6e) in a contact region on the outside of the transmission housing.
Claim 11
A drive unit comprising: a drive housing (e.g. 5); and a flow guide element (e.g. 48) mechanically fixed to an outside of the drive housing, wherein the flow guide element comprises at least a first cavity boundary (e.g. 48d) for forming one or more regions of a first fluid reservoir (e.g. 48c), wherein the first cavity boundary defines a first cavity (e.g. formed by 48d), wherein the first cavity is fluidically connectable to a lubrication device (e.g. 48b).
Claim 12
The drive unit according to claim 11, wherein the flow guide element comprises a second cavity boundary (e.g. see divider 48a) for forming one or more regions of a second fluid reservoir (e.g. 48F), wherein the second cavity boundary defines a second cavity, wherein the second cavity is fluidically connectable to the lubrication device.
Claim 13
The drive unit according to claim 12, wherein the flow guide element forms a flow channel (see Figs 7 & 8) for supplying fluid into at least one of the first cavity or the second cavity.
Claim 16
The drive unit according to claim 12, wherein the second cavity comprises an overflow device configured to allow fluid to flow into the first cavity when a limit level in the second cavity is exceeded (see Fig 8, any excess fluid above 48F flows into 48C).
Claim 17
A drive system comprising: a transmission (e.g. 4 of Fig 5) comprising a transmission housing (Fig. 6) and at least one cavity (e.g. 48a) defined in one or more regions by a cavity boundary, a drive unit comprising a drive housing (e.g. 5) and a flow guide element (e.g. 48) mechanically fixed to an outside of the drive housing, wherein the flow guide element comprises at least a first cavity boundary (e.g. 48d) for forming one or more regions of a first fluid reservoir (e.g. 48c), wherein the first cavity boundary defines a first cavity (e.g. formed by 48d), wherein the first cavity is fluidically connectable to a lubrication device (e.g. 48b).
Claim 18
The drive transmission according to claim 17, wherein the lubrication device is formed in or on a differential gear shaft bearing and/or an intermediate gear shaft bearing (e.g. on top of 11) of the transmission connected to the drive unit.
Claim 19
The drive system according to claim 17, wherein the drive transmission comprises a differential transmission (e.g. 15) with a differential gear (e.g. 15a).
Claim 20
The drive transmission according to claim 17, wherein an exterior of the transmission housing includes a raised structure (see Fig 6, 6e), wherein the flow guide element is complementary to the raised structure in a contact region on the exterior of the transmission housing (see 48 fitted onto 6e).
Conclusion
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/HUAN LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655