DETAILED ACTION
This is on the merits of Application No. 18/959138, filed on 11/25/2024. Claims 1-8 are pending. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 11/25/2024 and 01/30/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
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 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 60-148774 to Sasaki et al (cited in applicant’s IDS).
Sasaki discloses:
(Claim 1) An electric drive device (Figs. 3-7) that is applied to a vehicle having drive wheels (21 22) and that rotates the drive wheels about a rotation central axis extending in a horizontal direction to drive the vehicle, the electric drive device, comprising: a drive unit (19 20) provided below a base portion (10) of the vehicle, the drive unit having a motor (19 20) and a transmission mechanism connected to the drive wheels and transmitting a rotational power of the motor to the drive wheels; and a steering mechanism having a steering center shaft (17) extending in a vertical direction and provided below the base portion; wherein the steering mechanism supports the drive unit rotatably about the steering center shaft relative to the base portion while maintaining a rotation central axis of the drive wheels in a horizontal state, and the steering mechanism is configured such that a position of the steering center shaft is offset in the horizontal direction from a contact area of the drive wheels with a driving road surface (see Figs. 3-7).
(Claim 2) wherein the steering mechanism includes a restricting member (15) movable between a position that allows rotation of the drive unit about the steering center shaft and a position that restricts the rotation of the drive unit about the steering center shaft, and an actuator (13a-13d) for operating the restricting member.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not disclose nor render obvious the limitations of claim 3. Particularly, the actuator including a long linear motion section extending in a direction perpendicular to the steering center shaft, and a drive section provided on a base end side of the linear motion section and fixed to the base portion, and configured to reciprocate the linear motion section in a longitudinal direction of the linear motion section, the restricting member has an elongated shape, the restricting member is arranged in parallel with the linear motion section with a first end facing the steering center shaft and a longitudinal direction of the restricting member and a longitudinal direction of the linear motion section being the same direction, a rotation restricting portion into which a first end of the restricting member is fitted to restrict rotation of the fixed portion around the steering center shaft is provided on a side surface of the fixed portion, and an interlocking mechanism is provided on the base portion and links an operation of the linear motion section with an operation of the restricting member.
Sasaki is the closest prior art of record. Sasaki does not disclose the above limitation. It would not have been obvious to modify Sasaki without improper hindsight reasoning as none of the prior art of record disclose nor render obvious the claimed actuator.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Holmberg et al (US 6491127) discloses a powered caster wheel module for use on omnidireciton drive systems.
Degen et al (US 2023/0166793) discloses a mobile transport system.
Kim (US 2021/0394610) discloses a corner module of vehicle.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY HANNON whose telephone number is (571)270-1943. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at (571) 270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TIMOTHY HANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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