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
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) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morita et al., Us Pg. Pub. No. (2019/0283612) referred to hereinafter as Morita.
As per claim 1, Morita teaches an electrically-driven vehicle, comprising: drive wheels (see at least Para 91, figs.1-11); a powertrain including at least one electric power motor and a power transmission mechanism between said power motor and the drive wheels, the power transmission mechanism comprising a main reducer interposed between the power motor and the drive wheels (see at least Para 91, 93-95, 100-101, 104, 139, 149, , 113, 117, figs.1-11), said main reducer having an epicyclic train architecture with at least one stage, where each stage comprises: a planet carrier (see at least Para 93-95, figs.1-11); a central sun shaft centered about a reduction rotation axis (see at least Para 91, 93-95, 91-93, 91-96, 100-101, , figs.1-11); a peripheral sun shaft externally surrounding the central sun shaft, and being coaxial with the central sun shaft about the reduction rotation axis (see at least Para 91-96, 100-101figs.1-11); at least one planetary gear, disposed between the central sun shaft and the peripheral sun shaft, meshing with the central sun shaft and the peripheral sun shaft, and being configured to rotate about the reduction rotation axis; an accelerator pedal (see at least Para 91, 109); a regulating mechanism distinct from the powertrain, the regulating mechanism comprising: an electric regulating motor (see at least Para 91, 109 figs.1-11); an irreversible reduction mechanism interposed between the regulating motor and the power transmission mechanism, and acting on the power transmission mechanism in a manner making it possible to adjust, as a function of the rotational speed of the regulating motor, the reduction rate of the main reducer, to modulate a rotational speed of the power motor in order to adjust the value of the mechanical torque transmitted by the power transmission mechanism to the drive wheels (see at least Para 91, 93-95, 91-93, 91-96, 100-101, 104, 129, 131, 139, 149, , 113, 117, figs.1-11), the irreversible reduction mechanism preventing a transmission of mechanical forces from the regulating motor to the drive wheels and prohibiting a transmission of mechanical forces from the power transmission mechanism to the regulating motor, said irreversible reduction mechanism being a worm and wheel system whose worm is coupled in rotation with an output shaft of the regulating motor and whose wheel is coupled in rotation with the planet carrier of one stage of said at least one stage of the main reducer, a rotation of the wheel rotating said planet carrier in a direction making it possible to increase the overall reduction rate of the power transmission mechanism (see at least Para 91-96, 100-101, 129, 131, 139, 149, , , figs.1-11); an electronic control unit ensuring piloting of the power motor and of the regulating motor as a function of control laws recorded in a memory of the electronic control unit, said control laws being at least dependent on an action on the accelerator pedal of the electrically-driven vehicle (see at least Para 91, 93-95, 113, 117, figs.1-11).
As per claim 2, Morita teaches an electrically-driven vehicle according to claim 1, comprising at least one electric energy storage system configured to supply electric energy to at least one electric motor chosen from the power motor of the powertrain and the regulating motor (see at least Para 91, 93-95, 91-93, 91-96, 100-101, 104, 129, 131, 139, 149, , 113, 117, figs.1-11).
As per claim 3, Morita teaches an electrically-driven vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the main reducer of the power transmission mechanism comprises at least two stages mounted in series (see at least Para 91, 93-95, 91-93, 91-96, 100-101, 104, 129, 131, 139, 149, , 113, 117, figs.1-11).
As per claim 4, Morita teaches an electrically-driven vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each stage has a reduction rate, said reduction rate of each stage being chosen so that an overall reduction rate of the main reducer is comprised between ⅓ and ⅕ (see at least Para 91, 93-95, 91-93, 91-96, 100-101, 104, 129, 131, 139, 149, , 113, 117, figs.1-11).
As per claim 5, Morita teaches an electrically-driven vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a first gear and a second gear disposed between the wheel of the worm and wheel system and the planet carrier of one of the stages of the main reducer, said first and second gears being meshed with each other, the first gear being further meshed with the wheel of the worm and wheel system, and the second gear being secured in rotation to the planet carrier (see at least Para 91, 93-95, 91-93, 91-96, 100-101, 104, 129, 131, 139, 149, , 113, 117, figs.1-11).
As per claim 6, Morita teaches an electrically-driven vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the worm and wheel system is configured so as to have a reduction rate comprised between ⅛ and 1/12 (see at least Para 91, 93-95, 91-93, 91-96, 100-101, 104, 129, 131, 139, 149, , 113, 117, figs.1-11).
As per claim 7, Morita teaches an electrically-driven vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the worm comprises a thread having a thread angle less than or equal to 6° (see at least Para 91, 93-95, 91-93, 91-96, 100-101, 104, 129, 131, 139, 149, , 113, 117, figs.1-11).
As per claims 8-11, the limitations of claims 8-11 are similar to the limitations of claims 1-7, therefore they are rejected based on the same rationale.
Conclusion
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/MUSSA A SHAAWAT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3669