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 .
Amendment
The receipt of the amendment dated 03 September 2025 of the application 18/838,205, including amendments to the claims, cancellation of claims 3 and 11-18, and addition of new claim 19, is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: in claim 8, line 4, “pins (19d) is” should be --pins (19d) are--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4-10, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 1, lines 4-5, it is not clear what aspect, position, or location of the accommodating space is being claimed by “the radial distance” of the accommodating space, which appears to be claiming something different than the radius of the accommodating space.
In claim 2, it is not clear what aspect, position, or location of the accommodating space is being claimed by “the radial distance” of the accommodating space. If “the radial distance” is meant to refer to the radius of the accommodating space, the overall diameter of the cycloidal transmission being smaller than the radius of the accommodating space does not accurately claim the disclosed invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1, 4-10, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki, U. S. Patent Application Publication 2011/0319219 in view of Saito et al., EP 1 719 656.
Suzuki shows two variations of an actuator, 41 in figures 3-5 and 61 in figures 6-9, each being an actuator in the sense of being a motor and transmission combination used to activate a vehicle wheel.
A motor A includes a stator 43,63, a rotor 44,64, a rotor hub (connecting 44 to the shaft 45),64b, rotor bearings 47,77, an actuator base 42a,62a (figs. 3, 6), an output shaft 56,68 and roller bearings 54,73. The rotor 44,64 is connected to the rotor hub (44),64b, the rotor hub and the output shaft defining an accommodating space (along with housing 42,62). A radial distance of the accommodating space (distance from the center of shaft 45,65 to the inner surface of housing 42,62) is smaller than an inner diameter of the rotor 44,64, the output shaft 56,68 operatively is connected to the actuator base 42a,62a via the rolling bearings 54,73.
A cycloidal transmission B is positioned within the accommodating space. The cycloidal transmission B comprises a cycloidal ring gear, a circular arrangement of pins 47,67; a cycloid disk 46a,66a; an input shaft 45,65; and a plurality of output pins 51,71.
The cycloid disk 46a,66a has an outer-face configured to roll within the cycloid ring gear 47,67 via a rolling interface, best shown in figures 4 and 7.
The input shaft 45,65 is connected to the rotor hub (44),64b. Responsive to the rotation of the rotor hub (44),64b, the input shaft 45,65 generates an eccentric motion by eccentric portion 45a,65a, causing motion of the cycloid disk 46a,66a.
The plurality of output pins 51,71 is positioned in corresponding openings 50a,70a of the cycloid disk 46a,66a, operatively connecting the cycloid disk 46a,66a to the output shaft 56,68, transferring torque from the rotor 44,64 to the output shaft 56,68.
(claim 1)
The rolling interface comprises roller pins 47,67.
(claim 4)
The rolling interface comprises corresponding protuberances formed between the cycloid disk 46a,66a and the cycloid ring gear 47,67. As shown in figures 4 and 7, the cycloid disk 46a,66a has protuberances corresponding to the pins of the ring gear 47,67.
(claim 5)
The rolling interface of the variation shown in figures 6-9 comprises rollers 67 having variable respective diameters (“large-diameter part 67a” and “small-diameter part 67b” [0100]), as best shown in figure 9.
(claim 6)
The rolling interface of the variation shown in figures 3-5 comprises bearings 47a ([0075]).
(claim 7)
The rolling interface of the variation shown in figures 3-5 comprises bearings 47a. The cycloidal transmission B further comprises rolling elements 51a correspondingly positioned within the openings 50a of the cycloid disk 46a. The output pins 51 are correspondingly positioned in the rolling elements 51a. ([0078])
(claim 8)
The actuator base 42a,62a forms a bottom part of an actuator housing 42,62, the actuator being enclosed within the actuator housing 42,62.
(claim 9)
The far right sides of figures 3 and 6 show a housing cover, the one in figure 6 including a seal member 74, securing the actuator within the actuator housing 42,62.
(claim 10)
Suzuki does not disclose that the actuator is a high-density actuator with the rotor hub and output shaft forming the accommodating space and the cycloidal transmission within the accommodating space formed by the rotor hub and output shaft, the rotor hub being configured to rotate around the cycloid ring gear, nor an opening of a recession of the rotor hub being substantially closed by the output shaft to form the accommodating space.
Saito et al. shows in figure 1 an actuator similar to that of Suzuki, being a motor and planetary transmission combination used to activate a vehicle wheel. Saito et al. uses a simple planetary gear set where Suzuki uses a cycloidal planetary gear set. The fixed ring gear 8d of Saito et al. corresponds to the fixed ring gear 47,67 of Suzuki, the rotating and revolving planetary gear 12 of Saito et al. corresponds to the rotating and revolving cycloid disk 46a,66a of Suzuki, and the input sun gear 3a of Sait et al. corresponds to the input eccentric 45a,65a of Suzuki.
Saito et al. shows in figure 1, similarly to Suzuki, a motor M including a stator 19, a rotor 18, a rotor hub 17, rotor bearings 22, an actuator base 8, an output shaft 13, and roller bearings 9. The output shaft 13 operatively is connected to the actuator base 8 via the rolling bearings 9. The transmission 2 comprises a ring gear 8d, a planetary gear 12, an input shaft 3, and a plurality of output pins 14. The planetary gear 12 has an outer-face configured to roll within the ring gear 8d via a rolling interface (also shown in fig. 2). The input shaft 3 is connected to the rotor hub 17. Responsive to the rotation of the rotor hub 17, the input shaft 3 generates a motion causing motion of the planetary gear 12. The plurality of output pins 14 is positioned in corresponding openings of the planetary gears 12, operatively connecting the planetary gears 12 to the output shaft 13, transferring torque from the rotor 18 to the output shaft 13.
The actuator of Saito et al. is a high-density actuator.
The rotor 18 is connected to the rotor hub 17, the rotor hub 17 and the output shaft 13 form an accommodating space. Since the accommodating space is radially within the rotor 18, a radial distance of the accommodating space is smaller than an inner diameter of the rotor 18.
The transmission 2 is positioned within the accommodating space.
The rotor hub 17 is configured to rotate around the ring gear 8d.
(claim 1)
Since the rotor hub 17 is cup shaped ([0030], lines 1-2), it has a recession with an opening, facing toward the left in figure 1, and the output shaft 13 substantially closes the opening to form the accommodating space.
(claim 19)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to position the cycloidal transmission of Suzuki in an accommodation space formed by a recession in the rotor hub substantially closed by the output shaft, such that the rotor hub is configured to rotate around the ring gear in view of Saito et al. to improve the durability of the bearings, reduce the weight and size of the actuator, and make it easy to assembly and disassemble (Saito et al. [0010]-[0011], discussing overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art shown in figure 8, which has a transmission adjacent to a motor, similar to Suzuki.)
Allowable Subject Matter
Due to the nature of the 35 U.S.C. 112 rejection of claim 2, the allowability of claim 2 over the prior art cannot be determined.
Response to Remarks
It is agreed that the amendments to the claims overcome the 35 U.S.C. §102 rejections over Ishikawa et al. and Saito et al. As detailed above, however, it is believed Suzuki in view of Saito et al. teaches the features of claim 1, with Suzuki teaching a cycloidal transmission used with a motor having a rotor hub, and Saito et al. teaching a motor rotor hub and an output shaft forming an accommodating space in which an analogous transmission is positioned, specifically as opposed to the prior art depicted in Saito et al. figure 8 in which the transmission is positioned adjacent to the motor.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 SHERRY LYNN ESTREMSKY whose telephone number is (571)272-7090. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30am-4:30pm.
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SLE
/SHERRY L ESTREMSKY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655