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 1-4 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Arrigoni [US Pub # 20180065469].
Regarding claim 1: Arrigoni shows a vehicle wheel drive device comprising: a rotary electric machine that is received on a radially inner side of a vehicle wheel shaped in a cylindrical tubular form, wherein the rotary electric machine is configured to rotate the vehicle wheel; and a brake device that includes a brake disc (7) and a brake caliper (8), wherein the brake device is configured to generate a braking force relative to the vehicle wheel, wherein: the rotary electric machine includes a rotor (5) and a stator (3) which are opposed to each other in a radial direction; a hollow space is formed on a radially inner side of a magnetic circuit unit (20) that is formed by the rotor (5) and the stator (3); and the brake device is installed in the hollow space in a state where the brake caliper (8) is fixed to an axial end surface of the stator (3) which faces in an axial direction, and the brake disc (7) is rotatable integrally with the rotor (5).
Regarding claim 2: Arrigoni shows wherein: the stator includes: a plurality of stator windings (17); and a holder member (15, see fig 7) that is shaped in a cylindrical tubular form and holds the plurality of stator windings (17); and the brake caliper (8) includes a fixing portion that is fixed to the axial end surface of the stator, and the brake caliper (8) is installed in a state where the brake caliper (8) is received in the hollow space and is fixed to the stator (3) through the fixing portion.
Regarding claim 3: Arrigoni shows wherein: the vehicle wheel includes a wheel frame, wherein the wheel frame includes: a hub (24) that forms a rotational center of the vehicle wheel; and a rim (see fig 6, “…motor vehicle fork connected to an electric motor mounted in the rim of the wheel…”) that is shaped in a cylindrical tubular form and surrounds the hub (24); the rotary electric machine is placed on a radially inner side of the rim in a state where the rotor is fixed to the hub; the vehicle wheel drive device comprises a shaft (6) that is coaxial with the hub (24); and the brake disc (7) is fixed to the shaft at the hollow space.
Regarding claim 4: Arrigoni shows comprising a hub bearing (10) that is fixed to the hub (24), wherein: the rotor includes: a rotor carrier (19) that is shaped in a cylindrical tubular form; and a magnetic flux generator (20) that is fixed to the rotor carrier (19); the rotor carrier has an end plate portion that is formed at an axial end portion of the rotor carrier; a stationary portion of the hub bearing is coupled to the stator; a rotatable portion of the hub (24) bearing is coupled to the end plate portion of the rotor carrier; and the end plate portion has two opposed surfaces which are opposed to each other, and the hub bearing (10) and the shaft are installed to one of the two opposed surfaces of the end plate portion which faces the hollow space.
Regarding claim 6: Arrigoni shows wherein: the brake caliper includes a first portion (12) and a second portion (13) which are respectively placed on one side and another side of the brake disc (7) in the axial direction; the first portion and the second portion (12, 13) are joined together through a connecting portion (bolt 34) at a location that is on a radially outer side of the brake disc; and in an installed state where the vehicle wheel drive device is installed to a vehicle, the vehicle wheel drive device is configured to satisfy one of the following conditions: the connecting portion (34) is placed above a horizontal line which passes through a rotational center of the vehicle wheel; and the connecting portion (34) does not intersect with a gravitational line, which passes through the rotational center of the vehicle wheel, in a state where at least a part of the connecting portion is placed below the horizontal line (see fig 1, 3and 5).
Regarding claim 9: Arrigoni shows wherein: the brake caliper includes a first portion (12) and a second portion (13) which are separable from each other in the axial direction; and the first portion and the second portion are independently fixed to the stator.
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.
Claims 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arrigoni [US Pub # 20180065469] in view Tamura [WO 2021/039736].
Regarding claims 5-8: Arrigoni does not explicitly show wherein: the stator includes a plurality of stator windings; at a first coil end portion of the plurality of stator windings which faces one side in the axial direction, an axial end portion of each corresponding one of the plurality of stator windings is radially inwardly bent, and at a second coil end portion of the plurality of stator windings which faces another side that is opposite to the one side in the axial direction, an axial end portion of each corresponding one of the plurality of stator windings is radially outwardly bent; the stator is installed in a state where the first coil end portion is placed closer to the hub in the axial direction than the second coil end portion, and the second coil end portion is placed farther from the hub in the axial direction than the first coil end portion; and the rotor is placed on a radially outer side of the stator, and the brake device is fixed in a state where the brake device is inserted on a radially inner side of the stator from a side of the stator where the second coil end portion is placed.
wherein: the stator includes: a plurality of stator windings; and a holder member that is shaped in a cylindrical tubular form and holds the plurality of stator windings; the vehicle wheel drive device comprises a winding connector member that is placed on one side of the plurality of stator windings which is opposite in the axial direction to another side of the plurality of stator windings where the brake caliper is fixed to the stator, wherein the winding connector member is electrically connected to each phase winding among the plurality of stator windings; at least one relay line, which extends from the winding connector member, extends in the axial direction along an inner peripheral surface of the holder member ; and the at least one relay line extends through the hollow space at a location that is spaced from the brake caliper in a circumferential direction.
wherein the inner peripheral surface of the holder member has a recess, through which the at least one relay line extends.
However Tamura shows show wherein: the stator includes a plurality of stator windings; at a first coil end portion of the plurality of stator windings (740, see fig 84) which faces one side in the axial direction, an axial end portion of each corresponding one of the plurality of stator windings (740) is radially inwardly bent, and at a second coil end portion of the plurality of stator windings which faces another side that is opposite to the one side in the axial direction (see fig 84), an axial end portion of each corresponding one of the plurality of stator windings (740) is radially outwardly bent; the stator is installed in a state where the first coil end portion (740A) is placed closer to the hub in the axial direction than the second coil end portion (745) , and the second coil end portion (745) is placed farther from the hub in the axial direction than the first coil end portion; and the rotor is placed on a radially outer side of the stator, and the brake device is fixed in a state where the brake device is inserted on a radially inner side of the stator from a side of the stator where the second coil end portion is placed.
wherein: the stator includes: a plurality of stator windings (740, 740) ; and a holder member (730) that is shaped in a cylindrical tubular form and holds the plurality of stator windings; the vehicle wheel drive device comprises a winding connector member (217) that is placed on one side of the plurality of stator windings (740) which is opposite in the axial direction to another side of the plurality of stator windings where the brake caliper (432) is fixed to the stator, wherein the winding connector member (217) is electrically connected to each phase winding among the plurality of stator windings; (740, 740) at least one relay line, which extends from the winding connector member, extends in the axial direction along an inner peripheral surface of the holder member (730); and the at least one relay line extends through the hollow space at a location that is spaced from the brake caliper in a circumferential direction.
wherein the inner peripheral surface of the holder member (730) has a recess, through which the at least one relay line extends.
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have design the stator winding with plurality of stator windings for motor efficiency, driving performance and minimizing energy losses.
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695
609
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Greyscale
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778
585
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Greyscale
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAKARIA ELAHMADI whose telephone number is (571)270-5324. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-6 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached on 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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