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 § 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) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (US 11,571,966 B1) in view of Hayes et al. (US 2019/0128401 A1). Park discloses a driving device (fig. 13) comprising:
Re claim 1, a main body (15); a power source (M) mounted on the main body and configured to generate a rotational force; a sub-body (M, U) spaced apart from the main body and mounted such that the sub-body is capable of performing a relative movement with multiple degrees of freedom including a translational movement with respect to the main body within a predetermined range (fig. 12 shows the degrees of free differ from the left wheel to the right wheel), the sub-body being configured such that at least a portion of the sub-body is capable of being rotated by a rotational force transmitted from the power source of the main body (col 8 ln 51-55); a driving device (motor M) provided within the sub-body, the driving device being configured to shift the rotational force transmitted from the main body (col 8 ln 51- col 9 ln 7).
Park does not disclose:
Re claim 1, a lubrication structure comprising: an oil pump provided in the main body and configured to supply an oil to the driving device; a supply pipe mounted to traverse an external space between the main body and the sub- body and configured to undergo shape deformation such that the oil that the oil pump supplies is capable of being supplied to the sub-body while the relative movement of the sub-body with respect to the main body is capable of being performed; and a return pipe mounted to traverse the external space between the main body and the sub-body and configured to undergo shape deformation configured such that the oil in the sub-body is capable of being returned to the oil pump while the relative movement of the sub-body with respect to the main body is capable of being performed.
Re claim 2, wherein the supply pipe is mounted to connect the oil pump and the sub-body to each other at a position relatively higher than a position of the return pipe.
However, Hayes teaches a lubrication structure (fig. 9) comprising:
Re claim 1, an oil pump (270) provided in the main body (main body disclosed by Park) and configured to supply an oil (oil in 144) to the driving device (driving device disclosed by Park); a supply pipe (202) mounted to traverse an external space between the main body and the sub-body (202 is external to 14 and 12) and configured to undergo shape deformation such that the oil that the oil pump supplies is capable of being supplied to the sub-body while the relative movement of the sub-body with respect to the main body is capable of being performed (par [0051] ln 6-13); and a return pipe (200) mounted to traverse the external space between the main body and the sub-body (200 is external to 14 and 12) and configured to undergo shape deformation configured such that the oil in the sub-body is capable of being returned to the oil pump while the relative movement of the sub-body with respect to the main body is capable of being performed (par [0051] ln 6-13).
Re claim 2, wherein the supply pipe is mounted to connect the oil pump and the sub-body to each other at a position relatively higher than a position of the return pipe (fig. 9).
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the lubrication structure, as taught by Hayes, to provide lubricant to the driving device to cool and lubricant the components therein. The deformable pipes allow for relative movement between the inlet end and outlet end of the pipe during operation.
Claim(s) 3, 4, and 8-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (US 11,571,966 B1) in view of Hayes et al. (US 2019/0128401 A1) and Pedersen et al. (US 11,994,113 B2). Park as modified by Hayes discloses the driving device (as cited above):
Re claim 8, wherein a check valve (Hayes fig. 9: 240) that prevents an oil from flowing back toward the sub-body is provided at an inlet (34A) of the return pipe.
Re claim 9, wherein an oil filter is provided at a suction side of the oil pump, and the return pipe is mounted such that oil is capable of being returned to the oil pump through the oil filter (Examiner takes Official Notice that that placing a filter, such as a strainer, at the suction inlet upstream of the pump is known in the art).
Re claim 10, wherein the supply pipe and the return pipe are respectively formed of flexible hoses connecting the main body and the sub-body to each other (Hayes par [0051] ln 6-13).
Re claim 11, wherein the sub-body comprises: a carrier (C) mounted such that the carrier is capable of performing a relative movement with multiple degrees of freedom with respect to the main body (relative movement enabled by gear train 1), the carrier constituting the driving device; and a wheel (W) mounted such that the wheel is capable of being rotated with respect to the carrier by a rotational force transmitted from the driving device (col 7 ln 22-35).
Re claim 12, wherein the driving device comprises: a ring gear (R) which is mounted such that the ring gear is capable of being rotated with respect to the carrier and to which the wheel is connected; a sun gear (S) configured to receive a rotational force transmitted from the main body and mounted such that a distance between a rotation shaft of the sun gear and a rotation shaft of the ring gear is capable of being changed (abstract); and a gear train (1) provided such that a continuous power transmission state between the sun gear and the ring gear is maintained while the gear train allows the change in the distance between the rotation shaft of the sun gear and the rotation shaft of the ring gear (abstract), wherein, among gears constituting the gear train, a rotation shaft (shaft of 9) of a final gear (9) that is engaged with the ring gear is supported on the carrier (fig. 13 and col 8 ln 56-67).
Re claim 13, wherein the gear train is provided with a plurality of links (3,5) configured such that an angle at which the plurality of links is connected to each other is changed according to a relative movement between the rotation shaft of the sun gear and the rotation shaft of the ring gear (col 2 ln 3-6).
Re claim 14, wherein the plurality of links comprises a first link (3) connected to the rotation shaft of the sun gear and includes a second link (5) connected to the first link, and a joint gear (7) which constitutes the gear train and which has a same number of teeth as the sun gear and the final gear (col 5 ln 66 - col 6 ln 2) is mounted at a connection portion between the first link and the second link (fig. 6).
Re claim 15, wherein the gear train comprises: a first intermediate gear (11) having a rotation shaft supported on the first link such that the first intermediate gear connects the sun gear and the joint gear to each other; and a second intermediate gear (13) having a rotation shaft supported on the second link such that the second intermediate gear connects the joint gear and the final gear to each other.
Park as modified does not disclose:
Re claim 3, wherein the main body is provided with a reservoir such that the reservoir is capable of being in communication with the supply pipe, and a control valve capable of controlling a flow of the oil is provided between the reservoir and the supply pipe.
Re claim 4, wherein a pressure spring is mounted in the reservoir so that pressure is capable of being applied to the oil accommodated in the reservoir.
However, Pedersen teaches a lubrication assembly (fig. 3):
Re claim 3, wherein the main body is provided with a reservoir (52) such that the reservoir is capable of being in communication with the supply pipe (54), and a control valve (50) capable of controlling a flow of the oil is provided between the reservoir and the supply pipe.
Re claim 4, wherein a pressure spring (fig. 3 shows a spring is arrange din reservoir 52) is mounted in the reservoir so that pressure is capable of being applied to the oil accommodated in the reservoir.
Re claim 8, wherein a check valve (48) that prevents an oil from flowing back toward the sub-body is provided at an inlet of the return pipe.
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ a reservoir and a control valve, as taught by Pedersen, to supply and control the amount of flow supplied to the component for improved efficiency. The spring ensure lubricant is being pushed out of the reservoir in an event that the pump malfunction.
Regarding claim 9, Examiner takes Official Notice that placing a filter, such as a strainer, at the suction inlet upstream of the pump is known in the art. It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ a filter such as a strainer to prevent large debris from circulating in the circuit and damaging the components.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (US 11,571,966 B1) in view of Hayes et al. (US 2019/0128401 A1), Pedersen et al. (US 11,994,113 B2), and Yamauchi (US 2014/0041619 A1). Park as modified discloses the driving device (as cited above).
Park as modified does not disclose:
Re claim 16, wherein the supply pipe and the return pipe are mounted such that the supply pipe and the return pipe are in communication with a space inside a carrier housing that surrounds the carrier and the ring gear, and a wheel hub to which the wheel is coupled is spline-coupled to the ring gear, and the wheel hub is supported on the carrier housing by a wheel bearing.
However, Yamauchi teaches:
Re claim 16, wherein the supply pipe and the return pipe are mounted such that the supply pipe and the return pipe (supply pipe and return pipe disclosed by Hayes) are in communication with a space inside a carrier housing (1) that surrounds the carrier (15a,15b) and the ring gear (12), and a wheel hub (21) to which the wheel is coupled is spline-coupled (spline coupling shown between 9 and 21) to the ring gear, and the wheel hub is supported on the carrier housing by a wheel bearing (19).
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to supply oil around the carrier and ring gear, as taught by Yamauchi, to lubricate and cool the gears.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-16, previously objected to, are withdrawn from allowability in light of further search and consideration. Claims 12-16 are now rejected above.
Claims 5-7 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-4 and 8-16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH D TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-3014. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Hodge can be reached at (571) 272-2097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Minh Truong/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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