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 § 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, 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2021/0324849 to Yang et al (Yang).
Regarding claim 1, Yang discloses a dual source motor pump, comprising:
a motor body (200, fig. 1; [41]), a steering oil pump (100, fig. 1; [42]), and a housing (400, 500, fig. 1; [41], [55]) provided outside the steering oil pump, wherein the steering oil pump and the housing are fixed on the motor body (fig. 1);
an accommodating chamber (inside of 400, fig. 1; [44], [55]) is provided between the housing and the steering oil pump, the accommodating chamber is in internal communication with the steering oil pump, and oil in the steering oil pump is capable of entering the accommodating chamber ([40]-[62]);
wherein the housing comprises an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface (inner surface of 500 and outer surface of 400, fig. 1), and at least one sound insulation gap layer (501, figs. 1) is provided between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface ([57]-[59]).
wherein the sound insulation gap layer is in a vacuum state, or filled with air, nitrogen or inert gas ([57]-[59]; porous material or sound absorbing cotton as disclosed will have air gaps. As such, the gap will have vacuum or is filled with air).
Regarding claim 4, Yang discloses the dual source motor pump of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a housing oil inlet and a housing oil outlet ([129]), the steering oil pump comprises an oil pump inlet and an oil pump outlet ([47]), the housing oil inlet is in communication with the oil pump inlet (fig. 1), and the housing oil outlet is in communication with the oil pump outlet; and the housing further comprises an oil return port, and the oil return port is in communication with an external oil pot (figs. 1, 6 show oil outlet connected to the port that takes the oil outside of the pump; one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the oil return port will be connected to an oil tank outside the pump).
Regarding claim 5, Yang discloses the dual source motor pump of claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with a housing mounting hole, and the housing mounting hole is connected to the motor body through a connecting piece ([46]).
Regarding claim 6, Yang discloses the dual source motor pump of claim 1, wherein material of the housing comprises non-metallic material ([56]).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of CN 211 731 541 to Xianen Liahen Jiulong New Energy Tech Co. Ltd. (Xianen).
Regarding claim 7, Yang discloses the dual source motor pump of claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose which Xianen discloses:
the dual source motor pump ([30]-[37]) further comprises a low-voltage controller (8, figs. 1-3; [30]-[37]), the motor body comprises a low-voltage steering winding (112, figs. 1-3), the low-voltage controller is connected to a power supply terminal and the low-voltage steering winding, respectively (figs. 1-3; [30]-[37]), the low-voltage controller comprises a cut-off module (fig. 2; [30]-[37]), and the cut-off module is configured to cut off electrical energy generated by coupling of the low-voltage steering winding during an operation of a high-voltage steering winding ([37]).
Regarding claim 8, Yang combined with Xianen discloses the dual source motor pump of claim 7, wherein the low-voltage controller further comprises a cut-off control module (fig. 2; [30]-[37]; Xianen), the cut-off control module communicates with the cut-off module, and the cut-off module comprises a cut-off circuit (fig. 2; [30]-[37]; Xianen); wherein the low-voltage controller is configured to send a control signal, and the cut-off control module is configured to receive the control signal and indicate the cut-off circuit to be turned off or turned on ([19], [23]-[25]; [30]-[40]; Xianen).
Regarding claim 9, Yang combined with Xianen discloses the dual source motor pump of claim 8, wherein the cut-off circuit comprises a cut-off unit, and the cut-off unit comprises an NMOS transistor or a relay ([9], [31], [39]; Xianen).
Regarding claim 10, Yang combined with Xianen discloses the dual source motor pump of claim 9, but neither explicitly disclose that the cut-off circuit further comprises a zener diode, a first resistor, and a second resistor; and
the NMOS transistor comprises a source, a gate, and a drain; wherein, the source of the NMOS transistor is electrically connected to an anode of the power supply terminal, an anode of the zener diode, and a first end of the first resistor, respectively; the gate of the NMOS transistor is electrically connected to a cathode of the zener diode, a second end of the first resistor, and a first end of the second resistor, respectively; the drain of the NMOS transistor is electrically connected to the low-voltage steering winding; and a second end of the second resistor communicates with the cut-off control module.
However, one of ordinary skill would recognize that these are part of a general circuit board used in the art and are well known in the art. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the cut-off circuit further comprises a zener diode, a first resistor, and a second resistor; and the NMOS transistor comprises a source, a gate, and a drain; wherein, the source of the NMOS transistor is electrically connected to an anode of the power supply terminal, an anode of the zener diode, and a first end of the first resistor, respectively; the gate of the NMOS transistor is electrically connected to a cathode of the zener diode, a second end of the first resistor, and a first end of the second resistor, respectively; the drain of the NMOS transistor is electrically connected to the low-voltage steering winding; and a second end of the second resistor communicates with the cut-off control module, since it has been held that omission of an element and its function in a combination where the remaining elements perform the same functions as before involves only routine skill in the art. In re Karlson, 136 USPQ 184.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/3/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Yang does not disclose “the housing comprises an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface, and at least one sound insulation gap layer is provided between the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface; wherein the sound insulation gap layer is in a vacuum state, or filled with air, nitrogen or inert gas” as required by claim 1. However, the office respectfully disagrees. Yang clearly shows in fig. 1 that there is a gap provided between the inner surface of 500 and the outer surface of 400 and is labeled as 501. As discloses in [59], this gap is filled with porous material or sound absorbing cotton. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that any porous material or cotton will have gaps and open space will be filled with air if not vacuumed out. As such, the gap will have vacuum or is filled with air. The claim does not require the gap to be filled with only air, inert gas or nitrogen or be only in vacuum state. Therefore, Yang reads on the claims as currently written.
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 DAPINDER SINGH whose telephone number is (571)270-1774. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached at (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DAPINDER SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746