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 ACTION
This is the first action on the merits for application 18/901540. Claims 19-38 are currently pending in this application.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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 23-26, 29 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 23 recites the limitation "the receiver of the rear derailleur" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 19, 22, 27, 30, 33, 34, 37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by VAN DRUTEN (2016/0362160).
Regarding Claim 19, VAN DRUTEN teaches A bicycle including: a frame with a fork (307), the fork having dropouts; a wheel axle (5) detachably mounted between the dropouts, wherein the wheel axle includes a switchable transmission having a switching mechanism (81) with a first electric actuator [0050]-[0052]; an electrically actuated rear derailleur (327) having a second electric actuator, wherein the first and second actuators are in electrical communication [0050]-[0052], [0054]-[0057].
Regarding Claims 22, 33, VAN DRUTEN teaches comprising a thru-axle (23), wherein the first actuator is connected via first electrical contacts on the thru-axle to second electrical contacts on the wheel axle (9)[0065].
Regarding Claim 27, VAN DRUTEN teaches comprising a battery (337) connected to supply power to the first and second electric actuator [0012][0015]-[0023].
Regarding Claim 30, VAN DRUTEN teaches A bicycle including: a frame with a fork (307), the fork having dropouts; a wheel axle (5) detachably mounted between the dropouts, wherein the wheel axle includes a switchable transmission having a switching mechanism (81) with a first electric actuator [0050]-[0052]; an electrically actuated rear derailleur (327) having a second electric actuator [0050]-[0052], [0054]-[0057]; and a battery (337) connected to supply power to the first and second electric actuator [0012][0015]-[0023].
Regarding Claim 34, VAN DRUTEN teaches wherein the battery (337) is included in or attached to the thru-axle (23).
Regarding Claim 37, VAN DRUTEN as modified teaches comprising a battery (337) connected to supply power to the receiver of the rear derailleur and the actuator control unit [0012][0015]-[0023].
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(s) 20, 28, 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over VAN DRUTEN (2016/0362160) in view of TACHIBANA (2017/0158285)
Regarding Claims 20, 31, VAN DRUTEN teaches wherein the rear derailleur (327) in communication with an actuator control unit (325) of the switching mechanism [0050]-[0052], [0054]-[0057].
VAN DRUTEN does not teach the rear derailleur comprises a receiver which is wiredly or wirelessly in communication.
TACHIBANA teaches the rear derailleur (48) comprises a receiver (AD2) which is wiredly or wirelessly in communication [0096].
It was obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to change the derailleur in VAN DRUTEN so it has the receiver in TACHIBANA so the derailleur can receive drive signals from the controller.
Regarding Claim 28, VAN DRUTEN as modified teaches comprising a battery (337) connected to supply power to the receiver of the rear derailleur and the actuator control unit [0012][0015]-[0023].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21, 32, 35, 36, 38 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.
The prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the receiver of the rear derailleur is placed in one housing together with the actuator control unit in Claims 21, 32.
The prior art does not teach or suggest comprising a first transmitter in communication with the receiver of the rear derailleur; wherein the wheel axle includes a first receiver in communication with the first actuator, the first transmitter being wirelessly in communication with the first receiver for transmitting a signal and/or electric power from the first transmitter to the first receiver with the other elements in Claim 35.
Claims 23-26, 29 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 prior art does not teach or suggest comprising a first transmitter in communication with the receiver of the rear derailleur; wherein the wheel axle includes a first receiver in communication with the first actuator, the first transmitter being wirelessly in communication with the first receiver for transmitting a signal and/or electric power from the first transmitter to the first receiver with the other elements in Claim 23.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENRY Y LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-7018. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30 ET.
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HENRY Y. LIU
Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/HENRY Y LIU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654