DETAILED ACTION
This is the First Office Action in response to the above identified patent
application filed on November 22, 2024.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lequis et al. (USP 5,609,072) in view of Koerner (WO 01/20195) and Spaniel (DE 199 32 118).
Referring to the annotated Fig. below, Lequis teaches a change-speed transmission comprising: an input shaft (4); a first clutch shaft (6); a second clutch shaft (5); a first clutch configured to selectively engage the first clutch shaft; a second clutch configured to selectively engage the input shaft; a third clutch configured to selectively engage the second clutch shaft; and an output shaft (supporting 12) coupled to the second clutch shaft (via 9,11).
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First Clutch)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Third Clutch)][AltContent: textbox (Second Clutch)]
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Lequis does not teach the output shaft positioned in one of a first and second position relative to the input shaft. Koerner teaches (Figs. 4.1-4.4) a vehicle having a transmission (1) driven by a motor (30), the transmission having an output shaft (A, 4.5), the output shaft can be positioned in one of a first and second position relative to the input shaft. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed device to configure the transmission of Lequis with an output shaft that can be repositioned in one of a first and second position, as taught by Koerner, motivation being to provide a transmission that can be used in multiple vehicles having different space/fitment requirements.
Lequis does not teach one (or two) electric motors coupled to the input shaft of the transmission system. The prior art to Spaniel teaches a transmission driven by a pair of electric motors (1,2), the motors connected to an input shaft (3) by a gear train (4), the motors providing a transmission with an electric drive device having optimal efficiency. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed device to drive the transmission of Lequis with a pair of electric motors, as taught by Spaniel, motivation being to provide an electric drive device having optimal efficiency.
Claim 2: The transmission of Lequis modified with Koerner teaches the first position is a short drop configuration wherein an axis (at least a portion thereof) of the output shaft is a first distance from an axis of the input shaft, and the second position is a long drop configuration wherein the axis of the output shaft is a second, further distance from the axis of the input shaft.
Claim 3: The transmission of Lequis modified with Spaniel teaches the input speed reduction gear train (Fig. 2 of Spaniel) comprises a first gear (4), a second gear (4), and a third gear (4) coupled in series, wherein the first gear couples to the first electric motor (1), the second gear rotationally couples to the input shaft (3), and the third gear couples to the second electric motor (2).
Claim 4: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) the input shaft (4) is selectively rotationally coupled to the first clutch shaft (6) via a first clutch gear of the first clutch when the first clutch is engaged and via a second clutch gear of the second clutch when the second clutch is engaged.
Claim 5: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) the input shaft is selectively rotationally coupled to the second clutch shaft via a third clutch gear of the third clutch when the third clutch is engaged.
Claim 6: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) the first clutch shaft (6) is rotationally coupled to the second clutch shaft via a first gear of the first clutch and a second gear of the third clutch, wherein the first gear and the second gear are meshed (indirectly via a gear on the input shaft).
Claim 7: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) when the first clutch is engaged and the second and third clutches are disengaged, the transmission system is in a first gear ratio, when the second clutch is engaged and the first and third clutches are disengaged, the transmission system is in a second gear ratio, and when the third clutch is engaged and the first and second clutches are disengaged, the transmission system is in a third gear ratio.
Claim 8: As described above, Lequis modified with Koerner and Spaniel teaches a transmission having the above described components, including a first gear train (gears 4 of Spaniel); a second gear train (Fig. 1 of Lequis), a third gear train (Fig. 1 of Lequis).
Claim 9: The transmission of Lequis modified with Spaniel teaches the first gear train (Fig. 2 of Spaniel) comprises a first gear (4), a second gear (4), and a third gear (4) coupled in series, wherein the first gear couples to the first electric motor (1), the second gear rotationally couples to the input shaft (3), and the third gear couples to the second electric motor (2).
Claim 10: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) the second gear train comprises a first gear fixedly rotationally coupled to the input shaft, a first clutch gear of the first clutch, and a second clutch gear of the third clutch, wherein the first gear meshes with the first clutch gear and the first clutch gear meshes (indirectly) with the second clutch gear.
Claim 11: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) the third gear train comprises a first gear of the first clutch, wherein the first gear is fixedly rotationally coupled to the first clutch shaft, and a second gear of the third clutch, wherein the second gear is fixedly rotationally coupled to the second clutch shaft, wherein the first gear meshes with the second gear (indirectly).
Claim 12: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) the fourth gear train comprises a third clutch gear of the second clutch and a gear fixedly rotationally coupled to the first clutch shaft, wherein the third clutch gear meshes with the gear.
Claim 13: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) the fifth gear train comprises a first gear fixedly rotationally coupled to the second clutch shaft and a second gear fixedly rotationally coupled to the output shaft, wherein the first gear meshes with the second gear.
Claim 14: The transmission of Lequis modified with Koerner teaches the first position is a short drop configuration wherein an axis (at least a portion thereof) of the output shaft is a first distance from an axis of the input shaft, and the second position is a long drop configuration wherein the axis of the output shaft is a second, further distance from the axis of the input shaft.
Claim 15: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) in a first gear ratio, the first clutch is selectively engaged with the first clutch shaft, in a second gear ratio, the second clutch is selectively engaged with the input shaft, and in a third gear ratio, the third clutch is selectively engaged with the second clutch shaft.
Claim 16: As described above, Lequis modified with Koerner and Spaniel teaches a transmission having the above described components.
Claim 17: The transmission of Lequis modified with Koerner teaches the first position is a short drop configuration wherein an axis (at least a portion thereof) of the output shaft is a first distance from an axis of the input shaft, and the second position is a long drop configuration wherein the axis of the output shaft is a second, further distance from the axis of the input shaft.
Claim 18: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) the input shaft is rotationally coupled to the first clutch shaft via the first clutch when the first clutch is engaged with the first clutch shaft.
Claim 19: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) the input shaft is rotationally coupled to the first clutch shaft via the second clutch when the second clutch is engaged with the input shaft.
Claim 20: Lequis illustrates (Fig. 1) the input shaft is rotationally coupled to the second clutch shaft via the third clutch when the third clutch is engaged with the second clutch shaft.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM C JOYCE whose telephone number is (571)272-7107. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00.
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/WILLIAM C JOYCE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618