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 Objections
Claims 3 and 13 are objected to because of the following informalities: the acronym SAE is used in line 2 of claim 3 and line 3 of claim 13. Applicant is required to disclose what each letter in the acronym represents at least once. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 15 is objected to because it includes a reference character which is not enclosed within parentheses. On line 1 of claim 15, the first housing flange is referred to as “flange 83.”
Reference characters corresponding to elements recited in the detailed description of the drawings and used in conjunction with the recitation of the same element or group of elements in the claims should be enclosed within parentheses so as to avoid confusion with other numbers or characters which may appear in the claims. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication 2021/0355941 to Williamson.
Regarding claim 1, Williamson discloses a drive system for powering an appliance (power sources may be energized to operate pump 10; Para [0019], Fig. 1), the drive system comprising: an internal combustion engine (input torque may be provided to input shaft 14 via an internal combustion engine; Para [0040]); an electric motor (electric motor 16, Fig. 1); and a housing (housing piece 12 and housing piece 36; Fig. 4) that couples the electric motor to the internal combustion engine (pump 10 includes the multi-piece housing 12 with an externally accessible input shaft 14 extending from one end and electric motor 16 at an opposite end, the crankshaft or another driven member of the internal combustion engine is drivingly coupled to input shaft 14; Para [0019], Fig. 4); wherein the housing houses the electric motor (the housing contains the electric motor and the pump; Abstract) and aligns the electric motor with the internal combustion engine along an axis (central axis 46, Fig. 4) such that the internal combustion engine or the electric motor drives the appliance (either of the power sources individually, or both of the power sources concurrently, may be energized to operate pump 10; Para [0019], Fig. 1).
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Williamson, Figure 1
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Williamson, Figure 4
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Williamson as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 2026/0145504 to Morita et al. in the field of hybrid power system casings used for engine and motor combinations, and DE 102013113059 A1 to Schwarz in the field of internal combustion engines and transfer casings.
Regarding claim 2, Williamson does not teach the following which is taught by Morita:
wherein the housing extends between a first housing end (case 21; Fig. 2) and a second housing end (housing portion 35; Fig. 2), and the housing includes: a first housing flange at the first housing end (left portion of case 21; Fig. 2); and a second housing flange at the second housing end that is configured to couple to the appliance (hydraulic pump 6 shown coupled to right side protrusions of housing portion 35; Fig. 2).
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Morita, Figure 2
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to substitute the housing as disclosed by Williamson with the housing ends and flange members as taught by Morita for the purpose of insuring the pump remains aligned with the motor and engine during operation to allow for proper operation and reduce vibration.
The combination of Williamson in view of Morita does not teach that the first housing flange at the first housing end is coupled to the internal combustion engine.
However, Schwarz teaches a first housing flange (housing flange at the top portion of engine housing 6; Fig. 1) at the first housing end (housing end shown at element 46; Fig. 1) that is coupled to the internal combustion engine (bolts at top and bottom flange portions of housing 6 secure housing 6 to flywheel housing 1; Fig. 1).
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Schwarz, Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to substitute the housing as disclosed by Williamson with first housing flange taught by Schwarz in order to secure the engine components and insure the engine is aligned properly with the motor and pump to allow for proper operation of the hybrid drive system.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Williamson in view of US 2026/0145504 to Morita et al. and DE 102013113059 A1 to Schwarz as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of US 2024/0068456 A1 to Tomas et al. in the field of axial piston machines and flange configurations.
Regarding claim 3, the combined teachings of Williamson, Morita, and Schwarz do not teach nor suggest the following which is taught by Tomas:
wherein the first housing flange and the second housing flange are each configured to engage with a SAE standard component interface (the rear housing 18 may include an SAE Type A ready coupling surface for optional mounting of an auxiliary pump with an SAE Type A mounting flange; Para [0049], Fig 2A).
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Tomas, Figure 2A
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing flanges as disclosed by Williamson in view of Morita and Schwarz with an SAE standard interface as taught by Tomas for the purpose of easily replacing and modifying parts as may be needed for repairs.
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Williamson as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of DE 102013113059 A1 to Schwarz in the field of internal combustion engine and transfer casings.
Regarding claim 4, Williamson does not teach the following which is taught by Schwarz:
wherein the housing extends between a first housing end (first housing end, Fig. 1) and a second housing end (second housing end, Fig. 1), and wherein a first cutout at the first housing end receives the internal combustion engine (cutout at centering means 46, Fig. 1).
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Schwarz, Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing as disclosed by Williamson with the flange and cutout as taught by Schwarz for the purpose of precise alignment of the engine with the motor and pump in order to ensure proper operation (Schwarz, Para [0081]).
Regarding claim 5, Williamson does not teach the following which is taught by Schwarz:
wherein a first housing flange is at the first housing end (housing flange at the top portion of engine housing 6; Fig. 1) and the first housing flange is located closer to the second housing end (second housing end; Fig. 1) than the first cutout (first housing flange is shown located closer to second housing end than first cutout; see Fig. 1 below).
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Schwarz, Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing as disclosed by Williamson with the distance of the flange being closer to the second housing end than the first housing end as taught by Schwarz for the purpose of providing appropriate proximity between the flange and first housing end in order to allow for a cutout, to attach and secure the engine to the first housing end.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Williamson as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of CN 211343142 U to Jin in the field of gas turbine centering structures and motor shells/casings.
Regarding claim 6, Williamson does not teach the following which is taught by Jin:
wherein the housing defines a first cavity section in which the internal combustion engine is located (combustion engine sleeve 1; Fig. 1) and a second cavity section in which the electric motor is received (motor shell 2, Fig. 1), wherein the first cavity section has an inside housing diameter that is less than another inside housing diameter of the second cavity section (first cavity diameter shown at left side of Fig. 1 smaller than second cavity diameter shown to the right of first cavity diameter).
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Jin, Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to substitute the housing as disclosed by Williamson with housing as taught by Jin for the purpose of allowing adequate spacing for the motor while not requiring as larger diameter for the motor shaft.
Claims 7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Williamson as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 9,664,107 B2 to Saiki et al. in the field of driving devices for hybrid working machine housings.
Regarding claim 7, Williamson does not teach the following which is taught by Saiki:
wherein the electric motor has a flange (element 5 c; Fig. 1) that engages with a first projection surface (end portion 4 e; Fig. 1) such that the electric motor is aligned with the internal combustion engine (each of the first connection portion 5 c and the second connection portion 5 r corresponds to an alignment connection portion; Col. 3, Lns. 54-57. Motor and engine aligned along axis O c; see Fig. 1).
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Saiki, Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the motor as disclosed by Williamson with the motor flange and projection surface as taught by Saiki for the purpose of securing the motor thereby preventing movement and keeping it aligned with the internal combustion engine.
Regarding claim 10, Williamson does not teach the following which is taught by Saiki:
further including a coupler assembly configured to couple the appliance to the electric motor (a third connection portion 6 f of the rotor shaft 6 and the pump shaft 7 are spline-connected through a coupling 11 so as to allow the driving force of the generator motor to be transmitted; Col. 3, Lns. 46-50; Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing as disclosed by Williamson with housing as taught by Saiki for the purpose of securing the pump with the motor in order to ensure proper alignment of the pump and the motor with the internal combustion engine.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Williamson in view of Saiki as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of WO 2007034794 A1 to Aikawa et al. in the field of reduction drive device casings.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Williamson in view of Saiki does not teach the following which is taught by Aikawa:
wherein the housing includes a first projection (housing projection shown at 67 and at bottom portion of housing opposite element 67; Fig. 2) that is configured to align the flange of the electric motor on the first projection surface (flange and bolt 67 along with projection shown aligned; Fig. 2).
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Aikawa, Figure 3
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing as disclosed by Williamson with housing as taught by Aikawa for the purpose of securing the motor with the housing in order to ensure proper alignment of the motor with the pump and internal combustion engine.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Williamson as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US20190093648A1 to Ventrapragada in the field of motor housings and heat dissipating means such as gaps or holes.
Regarding claim 9, Williamson does not teach the following which is taught by Ventrapragada:
wherein the housing includes a slot configured to permit heat to dissipate from the electric motor (openings 21 may also be on the outer surface of motor housing 22, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B, enabling, e.g., a fan to blow on the compressor for cooling purposes (e.g., for cooling at least the motor and the area at the bearings; Para [0051], Fig. 2B).
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Ventrapragada, Figure 2B
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the motor housing as disclosed by Williamson with the motor housing with openings as taught by Ventrapragada for the purpose of allowing adequate ventilation and heat to dissipate to prevent motor overheating (Ventrapragada; Para [0051]).
Claims 11, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 9,664,107 B2 to Saiki et al. in the field of driving devices for hybrid working machine housings, in view of DE 102013113059 A1 to Schwarz in the field of internal combustion engine and transfer casings.
Regarding claim 11, Saiki discloses a housing for coupling an engine (engine 1 housing left side of Fig. 1) and an electric motor to an appliance (motor housing 8, Fig. 1), the housing comprising: a first housing end (first housing end, left side of Fig. 1) configured to couple to the engine (engine 1, Fig. 1); a second housing end (right side of motor housing 2; Fig. 1) configured to couple to the appliance (rotor shaft 6 and the pump shaft 7 are spline-connected through a coupling 11; Fig. 1); and a cavity extending between the first housing end and the second housing end (interior cavity of motor housing 2; Fig. 1), wherein the cavity is configured to receive the electric motor therein such that the housing aligns the electric motor with the engine and the appliance along an axis (engine 1, motor 2, and pump 3 aligned on common axis Oc; Fig. 1).
However, Saiki does not teach or suggest using an internal combustion engine.
Schwarz in the field of internal combustion engine and transfer casings teaches using an internal combustion engine (a flywheel housing 1 is shown, within which a flywheel 2 of an internal combustion engine of the drive train; Para [0042], Fig. 1).
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Schwarz, Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the engine of Saiki with the internal combustion engine as taught by Saiki for the purpose of providing a compact and efficient engine to fit within the housing (Schwarz; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14, Saiki does not teach the following which is taught by Schwarz:
wherein the housing includes; a sidewall (sidewall, right side of Fig. 1); a first housing flange that extends outwardly from the sidewall (flange extends out and away from sidewall; Fig. 1), the first housing flange having a first flange surface (first flange surface, left side of flange; Fig. 1); and a lip with a first lip surface (lip and lip surface to the left and bottom side of flange; Fig. 1); wherein the first flange surface and the first lip surface define a first cutout configured to receive the internal combustion engine (flywheel housing 1 is shown, within which a flywheel 2 of an internal combustion engine is located; Para [0042]; Fig. 1).
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Schwarz, Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing of Saiki and add the sidewall, flange, and lip of Schwarz for the purpose of securing the engine so as to prevent it from moving laterally in order for precise alignment with the motor and pump.
Regarding claim 15, Saiki does not teach the following which is taught by Schwarz:
wherein the first housing flange 83 is located closer to the second housing end than the first cutout (first housing flange is shown located closer to second housing end than first cutout; see Fig. 1 below).
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Schwarz, Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing as disclosed by Williamson with the distance of the flange being closer to the second housing end than the first housing end as taught by Schwarz for the purpose of providing appropriate proximity between the flange and first housing end in order to allow for a cutout to attach and secure the engine to the first housing end.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 9,664,107 B2 to Saiki et al. in view of DE 102013113059 A1 to Schwarz as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of WO 2007034794 A1 to Aikawa et al. in the field of reduction drive devices and motor casings.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Saiki in view of Schwarz does not teach the following which is taught by Aikawa:
wherein the housing defines a cutout configured to receive a portion of the electric motor and thereby align the electric motor with the internal combustion engine (cutout shown in Fig. 3 below allowing for motor to be partially received).
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Aikawa, Figure 3
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify housing of Saiki with the housing cutout configuration of Aikawa in order to insure the motor does not move in the lateral direction and remain aligned with the engine during operation.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 9,664,107 B2 to Saiki et al. in view of DE 102013113059 A1 to Schwarz as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of US 2022/0185092 A1 to Payne in the field of electric motor assemblies and US 2024/0068456 A1 to Tomas et al. in the field of axial piston machines.
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Saiki in view of Schwarz does not teach the following which is taught by Payne:
comprising a first housing flange at the first housing end (left side flange at housing end; Fig. 18) and a second housing flange at the second housing end (right side flange at housing end; Fig. 18).
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Payne, Figure 18
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing of Saiki with the housing and flanges of Payne for the purpose of preventing movement of the components such as a motor, engine, or pump in order to ensure proper alignment.
The combination of Saiki in view of Schwarz and further in view of Payne does not teach the following which is taught by Tomas:
and wherein each of the first housing flange and the second housing flange are configured to interface with a SAE standard component interface (the rear housing 18 may include an SAE Type A ready coupling surface for optional mounting of an auxiliary pump with an SAE Type A mounting flange; Para [0049], Fig 2A).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing flanges as disclosed by Saiki in view of Schwarz and further in view of Payne with the SAE standard interface as taught by Tomas for the purpose of easily replacing and modifying parts as may be needed for repairs.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saiki et al. in view of Schwarz as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of CN 211343142 U to Jin in the field of gas turbine centering structures and motor shells/casings.
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Saiki in view of Schwarz does not teach the following which is taught by Jin:
wherein the housing defines a first cavity section in which the internal combustion engine is located (combustion engine sleeve 1; Fig. 1) and a second cavity section in which the electric motor is received (motor shell 2, Fig. 1), and wherein the first cavity section has an inside housing diameter that is less than another inside housing diameter of the second cavity section (first cavity diameter shown at left side of Fig. 1 smaller than second cavity diameter shown to the right of first cavity diameter).
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Jin, Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to substitute the housing as disclosed by Williamson with housing as taught by Jin for the purpose of allowing adequate spacing for the motor while not requiring as larger diameter for the motor shaft.
Claims 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saiki et al. in view of Schwarz as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of WO 2007034794 A1 to Aikawa et al. in the field of reduction drive devices and motor casings.
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Saiki in view of Schwarz does not teach the following which is taught by Aikawa:
wherein the housing has a first projection surface that is configured to engage the electric motor when the electric motor is aligned with the internal combustion engine (first projection surface shown abutting motor cover 59; Fig. 4).
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Aikawa, Figure 4
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing as disclosed by Saiki et al. in view of Schwarz with housing projection surface as taught by Aikawa for the purpose of securing the motor with the housing by aiding in preventing longitudinal movement of the motor.
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Saiki in view of Schwarz does not teach the following which is taught by Aikawa:
wherein the housing includes a first projection that is configured to align the electric motor on the first projection surface (first projection shown as part of element 53; see Fig. 4 above).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing as disclosed by Saiki et al. in view of Schwarz with the housing projection as taught by Aikawa for the purpose of directing the motor onto the first projection surface in order to aid in proper axial alignment.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saiki et al. in view of Schwarz as applied to claim 11 above.
Regarding claim 18, Saiki does not teach the following which is taught by Schwarz:
wherein the housing includes; a sidewall (sidewall, right side of Fig. 1); a first housing flange that extends outwardly from the sidewall (flange extends out and away from sidewall; Fig. 1), the first housing flange having a first flange surface (first flange surface, left side of flange; Fig. 1); and a lip with a first lip surface (lip and lip surface to the left and bottom side of flange; Fig. 1); wherein the first flange surface and the first lip surface define a first cutout configured to receive the internal combustion engine (flywheel housing 1 is shown, within which a flywheel 2 of an internal combustion engine is located; Para [0042]; Fig. 1).
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Schwarz, Figure 1
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention to modify the housing of Saiki and add the sidewall, flange, and lip of Schwarz for the purpose of securing the engine so as to prevent it from moving laterally in order for precise alignment with the motor and pump.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saiki et al. in view of Schwarz as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of US20190093648A1 to Ventrapragada in the field of motor housings and heat dissipating means such as gaps or holes.
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Saiki in view of Schwarz does not teach the following which is taught by Ventrapragada:
wherein the housing includes a slot configured to permit heat to dissipate from the electric motor (openings 21 may also be on the outer surface of motor housing 22, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B, enabling, e.g., a fan to blow on the compressor for cooling purposes (e.g., for cooling at least the motor and the area at the bearings; Para [0051], Fig. 2B).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
EP 4184761 A1 to Braasch is directed to a combination pump-motor housing structure and may be axially inserted into an engine compartment. Braasch further discloses a pump chamber and an engine chamber located in axial alignment with the pump chamber (Fig. 2).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SALIM JOSEPH ALAM whose telephone number is (571)270-3992. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8:30 am - 5 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivek Koppikar can be reached at (571) 272-5109. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SALIM JOSEPH ALAM/Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/VIVEK D KOPPIKAR/Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3612
September 4, 2026
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