DETAILED ACTION
This is the first Office action on the merits of Application No. 18/872,309. The preliminary amendment filed December 6, 2024 has been entered. Claims 1-13 are currently pending.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on December 6, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
The information disclosure statement filed May 3, 2026 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. Specifically, while an English language translation of JP 2009090785 A was submitted, no copy of the Japanese patent document was provided. Accordingly, this item has been lined through on the form PTO/SB/08a. However, please note that the examiner has placed a copy of the Japanese patent document in the image file and listed it on the attached form PTO-892.
Drawings
The drawings were received on December 6, 2024. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Objections
Claim 13 is objected to under 37 CFR 1.75(c) as being in improper form because a multiple dependent claim should refer to other claims in the alternative only. See MPEP § 608.01(n). Accordingly, the claim has not been further treated on the merits.
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 2 and 8-12 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.
Claims 2 and 8-10 and 12 each recite the limitation “the input shaft”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims. It is assumed that the input shaft recited in these claims is the same element as the “drive shaft” recited in line 2 of claim 1. If this is the case, the claims should be amended so that the terminology is consistent.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 3-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2025/0137518 A1 (Rehr).
Regarding claim 1, Rehr discloses a drive module (12) of a motor vehicle in Fig. 10, comprising at least a drive unit (electric machine “EM”) with a drive shaft (27) and an axle of the motor vehicle with a first output shaft (one of the shafts 23) and a second output shaft (the other one of the shafts 23), which can be connected to the drive shaft in a torque-transmitting manner via at least one clutch or in each case via a clutch (a respective one of the clutches 19); the first output shaft being brakable by means of a first brake (the respective brake 81) and the second output shaft being brakable by means of a second brake (the other one of the brakes 81); at least one of the brakes (81) and the at least one clutch (19) being actuatable by means of a common actuating unit (hydraulic cylinder 15 and/or control unit 8 shown in Fig. 8, see paragraphs [0070] - 0071]).
Regarding claim 3, the drive module (12) has a first clutch (19) and a second clutch (19), wherein the first brake and the first clutch can be actuated via a first actuation unit (15) and the second brake (81) and the second clutch 81) can be actuated via a second actuation unit (15).
Regarding claim 4, the actuating units (15) are in each case hydraulic actuating units which actuate the brake (81) and the clutch (19), the actuating units having a common pump (included in the control unit 8 shown in Fig. 5) by means of which the fluid can be pressurized.
Regarding claim 5, the at least one clutch is a slip-controlled clutch (multi-disk friction clutch 19), by means of which, by providing a slip, torque provided by the drive unit (EM) can be transmitted in a controllable manner to the output shaft (23) connected to the drive unit via the clutch (see Figs. 11 and 12 and paragraphs [0071] - [0073]).
Regarding claim 6, the brakes (81) are supported on a housing (the portion of the housing of the transmission 14 defining the outer disk carrier 85) of the drive module (12).
Regarding claim 7, the drive module (12) of Rehr at least comprises a housing (the housing of the transmission 14) in which at least the at least one clutch (19) and the brakes (81) as well as the at least one actuating unit (15) are arranged.
Regarding claim 8, the output shafts (23) are connected to the input shaft (27) via a gearbox (14) with a constant or variable transmission ratio.
Regarding claim 9, Rehr further discloses a method for actuating a brake and a clutch of a drive module according to claim 1, wherein at least one brake (81) and at least one clutch (19) are actuated by the at least one common actuation unit (hydraulic cylinder 15 and/or control unit 8 shown in Fig. 8) and thus the operation of at least one of the output shafts (23) is controlled; at least comprising the following steps: a) actuating the brake (81) by means of the actuating unit so that the output shaft (23) is braked; b) operating the clutch (19) with the actuating unit so that at least one of the output shafts is adjustably connected to the input shaft (27) of the drive unit (EM) or is adjustable by the input shaft of the drive unit (see paragraphs [0071] – [0073]).
Regarding claim 10, steps a) and b) are carried out at different time intervals from one another, so that when the clutch (8, 9) regulates a connection between the input shaft (4) and the at least one output shaft (6, 7), the brake (10, 11) is open and is not actuated (see Figs. 11 and 12 and paragraphs [0071] - [0073]).
Regarding claim 11, wherein steps a) and b) are carried out at least partially in parallel in time (see Figs. 11 and 12 and paragraphs [0071] - [0073].
Regarding claim 12, the at least one clutch is a slip-controlled clutch (multi-disk friction clutch 19); wherein, when controlling a torque to be transmitted between the input shaft (27) and at least the one output shaft (23), a rotational speed difference between the input shaft and the at least one output shaft of more than zero revolutions per minute and of at most 50 revolutions per minute is set (see Figs. 11 and 12 and paragraphs [0071] - [0073]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Neither Rehr nor any of the other prior art taken alone or in combination discloses or renders obvious a drive module having only one clutch and the output shafts and the clutch are connected to the input shaft via a common differential as set forth in dependent claim 2 wherein the clutch and at least one of the two brakes are actuatable by means of a common actuating unit as required by claim 1. While the drive module of Rehr includes a differential 39 connecting the input shaft 27 to the output shafts 23, it includes two clutches 19 rather than “only one clutch” as set forth in claim 2.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Patent No. 5,569,109 discloses a geared steering device 30 in Fig. 1 including a drive unit 83 having a drive shaft 83a; first and second output shafts 32L, 32R; clutches 36, 44, 46; and brakes 38L, 38R.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Richard M. Lorence whose telephone number is 571-272-7094. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday-Thursday from 11:00 AM-7:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John R. Olszewski can be reached at 571-272-2706. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICHARD M LORENCE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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