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 .
DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
This is the first Office Action on the merits of Application 18/868,556 filed on 11/22/24. Claims 1-4 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/22/24 & 3/9/26 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-4 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1
Line 23: “assuming that an axial direction” should be amended as -- wherein an direction --.
Claim 4
Line 22: “assuming that a first axis” should be amended as -- wherein a first axis --.
Claims 2 & 3 are also objected to for being dependent upon an objected base claim.
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 1-4 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.
Claim 1
Line 12: “the non-rotary member”
There is insufficient antecedent basis for the claimed limitation.
Claim 3
Lines 33 & 34: “the first friction engagement device….of the second transmission device are common to each other”
It is unclear if the engagement devices are of the same type or that both the first and second transmissions share a common friction engagement device.
Lines 35 & 36: “the second friction engagement device….of the second transmission device are common to each other”
It is unclear if the engagement devices are of the same type or that both the first and second transmissions share a common friction engagement device.
Claims 2 & 4 are also rejected for being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Holmes ‘114 teaches an electric motor transaxle but lacks a fixed gear with coaxial fixing device and being parallel with another fixed gear and fixing device.
Chen ‘954 teaches a torque split differential but lacks a fixed gear with coaxial fixing device and being parallel with another fixed gear and fixing device.
Sakaguchi ‘745 teaches a slip differential but lacks a fixed gear with coaxial fixing device and being parallel with another fixed gear and fixing device.
Casey ‘614 teaches an electric drive differential but lacks a fixed gear with coaxial fixing device and being parallel with another fixed gear and fixing device.
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/HUAN LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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