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 § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 6, 9 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Severinsson (US 10,337,572) in view of Heneveld et al. (US 10,610,429)
Severinsson discloses and shows at Fig. 1 a disconnect module for engaging and disengaging a first shaft (1) with and from a first component (further shaft/axle), the disconnect module comprising:
a connecting shaft (2) arranged coaxially with the first shaft, a first end of the connecting shaft is rotatably supported on the first shaft, and a second end of the connecting shaft is fixedly connected to the first component;
a sliding sleeve (3) separately sleeved on outer sides of the first shaft and the connecting shaft, the sliding sleeve is rotatably and fixedly connected to the first shaft and is capable of reciprocating axially by an axial distance to engage with or disengage from the connecting shaft, the first shaft rotates together with the first component in an engaged state (Fig. 1), the first shaft is independent of the first component in a disengaged state (col. 3:38-42), and the sliding sleeve is provided with a circumferential groove (col. 5:5) open to an outside;
an electric motor (4) for outputting a torque;
a speed reducer (Figs. 4-5) connected to the electric motor and comprising an output shaft (7); and
a drive block (5) fixedly connected to the output shaft and extending into the circumferential groove of the sliding sleeve to be driven by the speed reducer to rotate, thereby driving the sliding sleeve to reciprocate axially, a mechanical position-limiting mechanism is provided on the output shaft, so that the output shaft can only rotate by a set angle corresponding to the axial distance (Figs. 5, 8-9, for example),
wherein the speed reducer comprises a corresponding mechanism that cooperates with the mechanical position-limiting mechanism, one of the mechanical position-limiting mechanism and the corresponding mechanism is a protrusion (Fig. 9, 40,40’), and the other is a recess (13) allowing the protrusion to slide therein, and
wherein the speed reducer is a planetary gear speed reducer (Fig. 5) comprising:
a housing (10);
a sun gear (16) as an input shaft, wherein a plurality of transmission pins (18) are provided; and
a support plate (13) for supporting the plurality of transmission pins, wherein the output shaft (7) comprises a gear ring (20) arranged around the sun gear.
Severinsson does not include a cycloidal gear. Heneveld discloses and shows a cycloidal gear speed reducer for its relatively small size compared to other, conventional actuators…which promotes a reduced packaging size of the actuator and affords opportunities for advantageous positioning (col. 5:39-48).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Severinsson disconnect module such that the speed reducer is a cycloidal gear reducer for the same benefits as noted by Heneveld.
Cl. 6 – the motor and the speed reducer are coupled so that when the mechanical position-limiting mechanism acts, the motor maintains a first rotation direction to maintain one of the engaged state or the disengaged state, and when the motor needs to be switched to the other state, the motor rotates reversely relative to the first rotation direction (Severinsson, Abstract).
Cl. 9 – Severinsson does not specify a speed reducing ratio. Such is deemed to have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention in accordance with MPEP 2144.05 which states, “[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation” in citing In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
Cls. 10 & 12 – Severinsson discloses and shows a power transmission system for a vehicle, the power transmission system comprising: a drive motor including a drive shaft; a reduction including at least one transmission shaft; and the disconnect module, wherein the first shaft is the drive shaft or the at least one transmission shaft (col. 4:38-52).
Cls. 11 & 13 – Severinsson discloses and shows a synchronization mechanism for a vehicle, the synchronization mechanism comprising: a differential including a differential output shaft; and the disconnect module, wherein the first shaft is the differential output shaft and the first component is operatively connected to a wheel.
Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Severinsson in view of Heneveld as applied to claim 1 and further in view of Eder et al. (DE 102021207495).
Severinsson and Heneveld disclose and show the invention of claim 1 as described elsewhere above to include a splined connection between the sliding sleeve and connecting shaft. neither Severinsson nor Heneveld specify a segmented spline connection.
Regarding claims 7 and 8, Eder discloses and shows a disconnect module for engaging and disengaging a first shaft with and from a first component to include a sliding sleeve (3) connected to a connecting shaft (5) through a segmented spline (see Figs. 3-4), the segmented spline is a plurality of pairs of splines axially spaced apart from each other, and the plurality of pairs of splines comprise a first pair of splines (axial end at right) that meet earlier than other pairs of splines in an engagement process, wherein the first pair of splines are provided with end face chamfers that can abut against each other when meeting, respectively.
Such an assembly provides faster, smoother and improved shifting with reduced wear and tear. As such, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Severinsson/Heneveld disconnect module to where the sliding sleeve and connecting shaft are engaged/disengaged through a segmented splines with end face chamfers that can abut against each other when meeting for faster, smoother and improved shifting with reduced wear and tear.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5 and 20 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 Arguments
Applicant' s arguments with respect to the rejected claims have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BOBBY RUSHING, JR whose telephone number is (571)270-0501. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8AM-5PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached at (571) 270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BOBBY RUSHING, JR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618