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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishikawa et al. (US 2013/0057048 A1). Ishikawa discloses a driving device lubrication structure comprising:
Re claim 1, a main body (vehicle body, including chassis 12 and motor 22a); a sub-body (fig. 3 and wheel 14) mounted such that the sub-body is capable of performing a relative movement with multiple degrees of freedom with respect to the main body within a predetermined range (the wheel 14 is able to rotate relative to the motor 22a and translate up and with respect to the chassis 12 due to a dampening suspension 81,82,83), the sub-body being configured such that at least a portion (gear train shown in fig. 3) of the sub-body is capable of being rotated by a rotational force transmitted from the main body (rotational force transmitted by motor shown in fig. 2); a driving device (fig. 3) provided within the sub-body, the driving device being configured to shift the rotational force transmitted from the main body; an oil pump (51) provided in the main body and configured to supply an oil to the driving device; a supply pipe (25g,25c) mounted 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 (25e, and par [0067] describes a flow path for oil to travel from 25f to pump 51) 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 (fig. 3).
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) 3 and 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishikawa et al. (US 2013/0057048 A1) in view of Suzuki et al. (US 2025/0164005 A1). Ishikawa discloses the driving device lubrication structure (as cited above):
Re claim 11, wherein the sub-body comprises: a carrier (26a,b) mounted such that the carrier is capable of performing a relative movement with multiple degrees of freedom with respect to the main body (rotation relative to the motor 22a and translate up and with respect to the chassis 12 due to a dampening suspension 81,82,83), the carrier constituting the driving device (fig. 3); and a wheel (14) mounted such that the wheel is capable of being rotated with respect to the carrier by a rotational force transmitted from the driving device.
Ishikawa 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 8, wherein a check valve that prevents an oil from flowing back toward the sub-body is provided at an inlet 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.
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.
However, Suzuki teaches a lubricating assembly (fig. 2):
Re claim 3, wherein the main body is provided with a reservoir (5) such that the reservoir is capable of being in communication with the supply pipe (9 extending from 5 to 1), and a control valve (6) capable of controlling a flow of the oil is provided between the reservoir and the supply pipe (par [0030]).
Regarding claim 3, 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 in the main body along with a control valve, as taught by Suzuki, to reduce the amount of fluid stored in the drive unit to prevent churning loss. The control valve provides better control of the oil flow to improve efficiency.
Regarding claim 8, Examiner takes Official Notice that a check valve is widely known in the art to prevent backflow. It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange the check valve at the inlet of the return pipe to prevent fluid from flowing back and keeping the pipe in a primed state for the pump, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding claim 9, Examiner takes Official Notice that an oil filter is widely known in the art for trapping harmful debris. It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange the filter on the suction side of the pump to prevent debris from entering and damaging the pump, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding claim 10, Examiner takes Official Notice that a flexible tube is widely known in the art as a medium for oil to travel therethrough. It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ flexible hoses for easier installation and allow for relative movement between the two components, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishikawa et al. (US 2013/0057048 A1) in view of Suzuki et al. (US 2025/0164005 A1) and Pedersen et al. (US 11,994,113 B2). Ishikawa discloses the driving device lubrication structure (as cited above). Ishikawa does not disclose:
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 lubricating assembly (fig. 3):
Re claim 4, wherein a pressure spring (fig. 3 shows a spring is arranged in reservoir 52) is mounted in the reservoir so that pressure is capable of being applied to the oil accommodated in the reservoir.
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 pressure spring, as taught by Pedersen, to ensure lubricant is being pushed out of the reservoir in an event that the pump malfunction.
Claim(s) 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishikawa et al. (US 2013/0057048 A1) in view of Suzuki et al. (US 2025/0164005 A1) and Gianone et al. (US 2010/0332089 A1). Ishikawa discloses the driving device lubrication structure (as cited above):
Re claim 7, wherein the main body is a vehicle body (12 is a body of a vehicle), the sub-body is mounted such that the sub-body is capable of performing the relative movement with multiple degrees of freedom with respect to the vehicle body through a suspension device (fig. 16), and the sub-body is provided with a wheel (14) that is configured to be rotated by receiving a rotational force transmitted from the vehicle body through the driving device.
Ishikawa does not disclose:
Re claim 5, wherein at least one of the main body and the sub-body is provided with: a sensor capable of measuring a movement state; and a controller configured to perform a control such that the control valve is opened and the oil is supplied to the sub-body when the controller receives a signal from the sensor and determines that there is a possibility of exposure of an inlet of the return pipe to air.
Re claim 6, wherein, in a situation of turning or uphill and downhill driving of the main body and the sub-body or in a situation in which the sub-body is raised to a position where the inlet of the return pipe is positioned higher than a position of an outlet of the return pipe, the controller is configured to determine that at least one of the situations as a case in which there is the possibility of exposure of the inlet of the return pipe to air.
However, Gianone teaches a lubricating assembly (fig. 2):
Re claim 5, wherein at least one of the main body and the sub-body is provided with: a sensor (par [0050]) capable of measuring a movement state; and a controller (50) configured to perform a control such that the control valve is opened and the oil is supplied to the sub-body when the controller receives a signal from the sensor and determines that there is a possibility of exposure of an inlet of the return pipe to air (par [0035], [0044]).
Re claim 6, wherein, in a situation of turning or uphill and downhill driving of the main body and the sub-body or in a situation in which the sub-body is raised to a position where the inlet of the return pipe is positioned higher than a position of an outlet of the return pipe, the controller is configured to determine that at least one of the situations as a case in which there is the possibility of exposure of the inlet of the return pipe to air (par [0035]).
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 controller and a sensor, as taught by Gianone, to better direct the flow of lubricant only when necessary to improve efficiency of the system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-16 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.
Conclusion
The cited prior art(s) made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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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/Minh Truong/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654