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 .
Status of Claims
This office action is in response to the amendments/remarks filed on 04/21/2026. Claims 1-15, 18-20 are pending; claims 1,10- 12,18-20 have been amended; claims 16-17 are canceled, claims 1-11, 13-15 are withdrawn. Claims 12, 18-20 will be examined.
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.
Claim(s) 12, 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DONG (CN 111734796 A) in view of Tanae (US 20110039649 A1) and further in view of Oono (US 20050082096 A1)
Claim 12: Dong discloses a multi-speed electric beam axle (fig.2), comprising: a traction motor (6) rotationally coupled an input shaft (1);
a first gear (e.g. upper gear of gearset 9) coupled to the input shaft (1);
a second gear (e.g. bottom gear of gearset 9) meshing with the first gear (e.g. upper gear of gearset 9) and coupled to an intermediate shaft (see annotated Fig below);
a meshed planet compound planetary gear set (11) including:
a ring gear (see annotated fig. below), a carrier (see annotated fig. below), and a sun gear (see annotated fig. below) that is rotationally coupled to the intermediate shaft (see annotated Fig below);
a third gear (upper gear of 10) that is fixedly coupled to the ring gear (see annotated fig. below) via a shaft (3);
an input gear (lower gear of 10) of a differential (7);
one or more clutches (b1,c1) configured to:
selectively ground (b1) the carrier (see annotated fig. below) in the meshed planet compound planetary gear set in a lower speed mode (¶[0020]: “sun input, ring output and carrier is brake.” This confirms that when the b1 is engaged, carrier is ground to housing, this produces the reduction ratio of planetary gearset and corresponds to lower-speed/higher torque mode); and
selectively rotationally couple (c1) the sun gear (see annotated fig. below) and the carrier (see annotated fig. below) in a higher speed mode (when c1 is engaged, sun and carrier locked together, the planetary gearset become locked to create 1:1 ratio. This corresponds to higher speed/smaller torque mode. Also see ¶[0019]);
the one or more clutches (b1) are configured to selectively ground the carrier (¶[0014]);
Dong does not disclose a fifth gear fixedly coupled to an output shaft and meshing with an input gear of a differential; a fourth gear fixedly coupled to the output shaft and meshing with the third gear; a park gear that is fixedly coupled to the shaft and positioned between an outboard side of the third gear and the second gear in relation to a lateral axis; wherein the outboard side is opposite to a side of the third gear that is adjacent to the meshed planet compound planetary gear set; a park mechanism configured to selectively engage the park gear; wherein the park gear is arranged coaxial to the intermediate shaft; and wherein the park gear is positioned between the input shaft and output shaft along an axis that is arranged perpendicular to rotational axes of the input shaft and output shaft.
Tanae teaches a transmission (Fig.1) includes a planetary gear set (P) with a ring gear (r), a third gear (12) fixedly coupled that is fixedly coupled to the ring gear (r) via a shaft (12b) (¶[0076]); a fifth gear (16) fixedly coupled to an output shaft (15) and meshing with an input gear (17) of a differential (18); a fourth gear (14) fixedly coupled to the output shaft (15) and meshed with third gear (12); a park gear (63) that is fixedly coupled to the shaft (12b) and positioned between an outboard side (right side) of the third gear (12); wherein the outboard side (right side) is opposite to a side (left side) of the third gear (12) that is adjacent to the meshed planet compound planetary gear set (P); wherein the park gear (63) is arranged coaxial to an intermediate shaft (32).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include park gear, output shaft, fourth and fifth gear as taught by Tanae in the system of DONG for the purpose of providing parking lock capability and adding additional gear reduction stage.
Accordingly, the modified device of DONG would include a park gear (63-as taught by Tanae) between the shaft (2 of DONG) and shaft (3 of DONG); output shaft (15 as taught by Tanae), fourth (14 as taught by Tanae) and fifth gear (16 as taught by Tanae). Thus, the combination of DONG in view of Tanae discloses the park gear (63-Tanae) is positioned between the input shaft (1 of DONG) and output shaft (15-Tanae) along an axis (axis in vertical direction) that is arranged perpendicular to rotational axes of the input shaft (1-DONG) and output shaft (15-Tane).
Dong in view of Tanae does not disclose a park mechanism configured to selectively engage a park gear, however it is well known to include a mechanism to hold/brake the park gear from rotating.
Oono teaches a transmission (Fig.2) having a park mechanism (18) configured to selectively engage a park gear (Gp) (see ¶[0035]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include park mechanism (18-Oono) in the modified device of DONG in order to lock the vehicle when parked.
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Claim 18: Dong as modified by Tanae and Oono discloses the multi-speed electric beam axle of claim 12, wherein the park mechanism (18-Oono) is positioned between the meshed planet compound planetary gear set (11) and the second gear (lower gear of gearset 9) in relation to the lateral axis (axial axis).
Claim 19: Dong as modified by Tanae and Oono discloses the multi-speed electric beam axle of claim 12, a ratio spread between the higher speed mode and the lower speed mode is greater than 1.8 (¶[0019]-[0020]: when the b1 is engaged, carrier is ground to housing, this produces the reduction ratio of planetary gearset and corresponds to lower-speed/higher torque mode. And when c1 is engaged, sun and carrier locked together, the planetary gearset become locked to create 1:1 ratio. This corresponds to higher speed/smaller torque mode.).
Claim 20: Dong as modified by Tanae and Oono discloses the multi-speed electric beam axle of claim 12, third gear (upper gear of 10-DONG) is positioned between the compound planetary gear set (11) and the second gear (lower gear of gearset 9) in relation to the lateral axis (axis in axial direction -upper gear of 10 is between the compound planetary gearset (11) and second gear (lower gear of gearset 9-Dong) as shown in Fig.2).
Response to Arguments/Amendment
The previous objection to claim 19 has been withdrawn in light of the amendment to claim 19.
The previous rejection under 35 USC 112 have been considered and withdrawn in light of the amendment to claims 12 and 20.
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 10-11, with respect to the amendment to claim(s) 12 have been fully considered but are moot (see rejection above).
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Isomura (US-20140231213-A1) discloses park gear 54 mounted on sleeve 36
Shimizu (US-20070213907-A1) discloses park gear 94 arranged on output shaft.
Sada (US-20120329594-A1) discloses similar structure as Oono.
Janson (US-9809105-B1) discloses planetary gear with sprocket and park gear.
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 Lillian T Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-5404. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.
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/LILLIAN T NGUYEN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3655A
/ERNESTO A SUAREZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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