DETAILED ACTION
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
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yamagishi CN 117927616 A (page/line numbering used for foreign references below corresponds to the machine-translation preceding the original patent, as attached to the present Office Action – note page numbers of the translation are marked as TP-1, TP-2, etc.).
Regarding independent claim 1, Yamagishi discloses [a travel drive device 101 of an electric work vehicle,] (Fig. 4-6; Page 8, lines 29-35) the travel drive device comprising:
[a traveling electric motor 111 that generates traveling power;] (Fog. 4-6; Page 8, lines 29-35)
[a turning electric motor that generates turning power;] (Fig. 4-6; Page 8, lines 28-35) and
[a speed reduction mechanism disposed between the traveling electric motor and the turning electric motor.] (Annotated Fig. 6; As shown in the annotation of Fig. 6 below, Yamagishi illustrates wherein a speed reduction mechanism is disposed between the traveling electric motor 111 and the turning electric motor 112.)
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First Annotated Fig. 6 of Yamagishi
Regarding claim 2, Yamagishi further discloses [wherein the traveling electric motor 111 and the turning electric motor 112 are disposed to be distributed in a left-right direction with respect to the speed reduction mechanism.] (First Annotated Fig. 6; As shown in the annotation of Fig. 6 above, Yamagishi illustrates wherein the traveling electric motor 111 and the turning electric motor 112 are disposed in a left-right direction with respect to the speed reduction mechanism.)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamagishi in view of Wang et al. CN 107914770 B (page/line numbering used for foreign references below corresponds to the machine-translation preceding the original patent, as attached to the present Office Action – note page numbers of the translation are marked as TP-1, TP-2, etc.).
Regarding claim 3, Yamagishi further discloses [wherein a first motor shaft 111a of the traveling electric motor 111 is connected to the speed reduction mechanism] (Fig. 4; Page 8, lines 36-42) and [a second motor shaft 112a of the turning electric motor 112 is connected to the speed reduction mechanism;] (Fig. 4; Page 10, lines 23-26) [wherein the first motor shaft 111a and the second motor shaft 112a are rotatably held by a holding portion provided in a case 116 that covers the speed reduction mechanism.] (Fig. 4)
Yamagishi does not disclose wherein the first and second motor shafts are disposed on a same axis line.
Wang et al. teaches [wherein the first and second motor shafts are disposed on a same axis line.] (Fig. 1; As shown in Fig. 1; Wang et al. illustrates wherein the first and second motor shafts are disposed on a same axis line.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to alternatively use the coaxial arrangement of the first and second motor shafts of Wang et al. with the travel drive device of Yamagishi with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for a more compact drivetrain configuration while simplifying the transmission of power through the speed reduction mechanism by aligning the motor shafts along a common axis, thus improving the overall integration of the travel drive device without changing the intended operation of the motors or the speed reduction mechanism.
Regarding claim 4, Yamagishi, as modified, already discloses all of the claimed limitations, including the holding portion and case configuration recited in the rejection of claim 3 above.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamagishi in view of Zhang et al. US 20230108092 A1.
Regarding claim 5, Yamagishi further discloses [an output end portion 115L, 115R that outputs a driving force of the traveling electric motor 111 and the turning electric motor 112 to an outside of the traveling drive device 101.] (Fig. 7; Page 13, lines 5-9)
Yamagishi does not disclose a coupling portion that couples the speed reduction mechanism and the output end portion in a power transmittable manner,
wherein the coupling portion includes a first coupling portion extending in a left-right direction and having one end connected to the output end portion and a second coupling portion extending in a direction intersecting with the left-right direction and connected to the speed reduction mechanism and the first coupling portion.
Zhang teaches [a coupling portion that couples the speed reduction mechanism and the output end portion in a power transmittable manner,] (Annotation of Fig. 10; As shown in the annotation of Fig. 10 below, Zhang illustrates a coupling portion that couples the speed reduction mechanism and the output end portion in a power transmittable manner.)
[wherein the coupling portion includes a first coupling portion extending in a left-right direction and having one end connected to the output end portion and a second coupling portion extending in a direction intersecting with the left-right direction and connected to the speed reduction mechanism and the first coupling portion.] (Annotation of Fig. 10; As shown in the annotation of Fig. 10 below, Zhang illustrates first coupling portion extending in a left-right direction and having one end connected to the output end portion and a second coupling portion extending in a direction intersecting with the left-right direction and connected to the speed reduction mechanism (via the motor) and the first coupling portion.)
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Annotated Fig. 10 of Zhang et al.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the coupling portion of Zhang et al. with the travel drive device of Yamagishi with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for efficient transmission of driving power form the speed reduction mechanism of the output end portion while accommodating the orientation of the drivetrain components, thus providing a durable and space-efficient power transmission configuration.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamagishi.
Regarding claim 6, Yamagishi further discloses [a brake unit 152 that applies a brake to a power transmission element of the speed reduction mechanism;] (Fig. 4-7; Page 8, lines 36-42) [wherein an intermediate gear 193 is disposed between the power transmission element and the brake unit 152.] (Fig. 4-5 and 7; As shown in Fig. 4-5 and 7, Yamagishi illustrates wherein an intermediate gear 193 is positioned between the power transmission element and the brake unit 152.)
Yamagishi does not explicitly disclose wherein the brake unit is disposed on one of a front side and a rear side of the speed reduction mechanism. However, according to MPEP 2144.04 (VI)(C) (In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950); In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975)), the rearrangement of know elements does not confer patentability when such a modification does not alter the function or operation of the system. In this case, rearranging the brake unit of Yamagishi to position it on one of a front side and a rear side of the speed reduction mechanism would have been an obvious design choice for one of ordinary skill in the art is it merely reconfigures the known system without yielding an unexpected result.
Regarding claim 7, Yamagishi already discloses all of the claimed limitations above, including the intermediate gear arrangement recited in the rejection of claim 6 above.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamagishi in view of Wang et al.
Regarding claim 8, Yamagishi, as modified, discloses a differential mechanism interlocking with the turning electric motor,
[wherein a first axis line of the traveling electric motor 111 and the turning electric motor 112,] (Second Annotated Fig. 6 of Yamagishi; As shown in the second annotation of Fig. 6 below, Yamagishi illustrates an axis line for either one of the traveling electric motor 111 and the turning electric motor 112.) [a second axis line that is an axis line of an output shaft 114L, 114R of the differential mechanism,] (Second Annotated Fig. 6 of Yamagishi; As shown in the second annotation of Fig. 6 below, Yamagishi illustrates a second axis line that is an axis line of an output shaft 114L, 114R of the different mechanism.) and [a third axis line that is an axis line of a brake shaft 157 of the brake unit all extend in the left-right direction,] (Second Annotated Fig. 6 of Yamagishi; As shown in the second annotation of Fig. 6 below, Yamagishi illustrates a third axis line that is an axis line of a brake shaft 157 of the brake unit all extend in the left-right direction.) and
[wherein, in a side view, the third axis line is positioned between the first axis line and the second axis line in a direction in which a virtual line connecting the first axis line and the second axis line extends.] (Second Annotated Fig. 6 of Yamagishi; As shown in the second annotation of Fig. 6 below, Yamagishi illustrates wherein, in a side view, the third axis line is positioned between the first axis line and the second axis line in a direction in which a virtual line connecting the first axis line and the second axis line extends.)
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Second Annotation of Fig. 6 of Yamagishi
Yamagishi, as modified, does not disclose wherein the first axis line of the traveling electric motor and turning electric motor are on the same line.
Wang et al. teaches [wherein the first axis line of the traveling electric motor and turning electric motor are on the same line.] (Fig. 1; As shown in Fig. 1; Wang et al. illustrates wherein the first and second motor shafts are disposed on a same axis line.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to alternatively use the coaxial arrangement of the first and second motor shafts of Wang et al. with the travel drive device of Yamagishi, as modified, with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for a more compact drivetrain configuration while simplifying the transmission of power through the speed reduction mechanism by aligning the motor shafts along a common axis, thus improving the overall integration of the travel drive device without changing the intended operation of the motors or the speed reduction mechanism.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Oshima et al. US 20020170764 A1 – comprises an electric vehicle including two driving operation blocks with the same appearance are provided at both the front and rear ends of the body of the vehicle symmetrically around a point. The vehicle employs a collapsible driver's seat. The vehicle has four driving and steering block. Each of the driving and steering block contains a wheel, a drive motor that rotates the wheel and steering gear motor that changes the direction of the wheel. The service floor of the vehicle does not have a wall and floor height is extremely low for easy access by a senior citizen or a person in a wheel chair.
Kumeuchi et al. EP 2460941 B1 – comprises a revolving drive device for supporting a revolving body on a travel frame and causing the revolving body to revolve, and in particular relates to a revolving drive device applied in a construction machine.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mohamed Medani whose telephone number is (703)756-1917. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 11:00 am - 7:30 pm.
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/Mohamed M Medani/Examiner, Art Unit 3611
/JACOB D KNUTSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3611
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