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.
Claims 11-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP-2019210977A as cited by applicant.
JP-2019210977 discloses a transmission assembly comprising: an input shaft assembly including an input shaft (11) extending between a first end and a second end; an output shaft assembly (12) including an output shaft; a power train gear assembly (see fig. 1) including at least one mechanism (51-53) for changing a gear ratio between the input shaft assembly (11) and the output shaft assembly (12), wherein the power train gear assembly includes a head set gear (36) connected directly to the input shaft (11) proximate the first end; and a bearing assembly (15, 24) including a first bearing assembly (15) supporting the head set gear (36) and a second bearing assembly (24) supporting the input shaft (11) proximate the second end, wherein the second bearing assembly (24) and the second end of the input shaft (11) are located within an internal cavity of the output shaft (12), wherein the head set gear (36) has a first connection interface and a second connection interface with the input shaft (11); wherein the first bearing assembly (15) is press fit onto the head set gear (36).
Claims 21-23 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Peterson (U.S. 2021/0162860as cited by applicant.
Peterson discloses a transmission assembly comprising: an input shaft assembly (23, 24) including an input shaft (23) extending between a first end and a second end; an output shaft assembly (30) including an output shaft; c) a power train gear assembly (33-38) including at least one mechanism for changing a gear ratio between the input shaft assembly (23) and the output shaft assembly (30), wherein the power train gear assembly (33-38) includes a head set gear (36) connected directly to the input shaft (23) proximate the first end; and a thrust mechanism (600) for neutralizing opposing axial loads generated between the input shaft (23) and a main shaft (24), wherein the thrust mechanism (600) is supported by one the input shaft (23), wherein the thrust mechanism (600) is located axially between a first bearing assembly (78) and a second bearing assembly (98) supporting the input shaft (23), wherein the thrust mechanism (600) includes a bearing (602) located about the input shaft (23).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP-2019210977 in view of Peterson (U.S. 2021/0162860) as cited by applicant.
JP-2019210977 discloses every element of the invention as discussed above except that the transmission assembly comprising: a power take-off (PTO) unit.
Peterson teaches the transmission assembly comprising: a power take-off (PTO) unit (260).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the transmission of JP-2019210977 by using teaching of Peterson in order to operate the vehicle when it is in mobile operation for any gear ratio.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13, 15-19 and 24-26 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 31-34 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 13, the closest prior art as to JP-2019210977 discloses every element of the invention as discussed above except that the first connection interface is a splined connection and the second connection interface is a press fit interface.
Regarding claims 15-19, the closest prior art as to JP-2019210977 discloses every element of the invention as discussed above except that a thrust mechanism for neutralizing opposing axial loads generated between the input shaft and a main shaft.
Regarding claim 24, the closest prior art as to Peterson discloses every element of the invention as discussed above except that the thrust mechanism is at least partially disposed in a cavity formed between the head set gear and the input shaft.
Regarding claim 26, the closest prior art as to Peterson discloses every element of the invention as discussed above except that the thrust mechanism includes a plurality of cylindrical rollers disposed between a pair of thrust washers.
Regarding claims 31-34, the closest prior art as to JP-2019210977 and Peterson fails to disclose, teach or suggest a transmission assembly comprising: an input shaft, an output shaft; and a geartrain assembly including: a head set gear fixed to the input shaft, the head set gear being intermeshed with a first countershaft gear and defining a first internal drive interface; a drive gear intermeshed with a second countershaft gear and defining a second internal drive interface; iii) a main shaft intermeshed with the output shaft, the main shaft defining a first external drive interface; and a clutch assembly including a sleeve member slidably disposed about the main shaft, the sleeve member defining a third internal drive interface engaged with the main shaft first external drive interface, the sleeve member defining a first external gear spline, wherein the first external gear spline has a first diameter and the second external gear spline has a second diameter different from the first diameter.
Conclusion
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/TOAN C TO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3614 July 20, 2026
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