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
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-7,9,10, 13 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IWABUCHI et al. (US 11,479,108) in view of AMEYE et al. (US 2022/0185096 A1).
Regarding claim 1, IWABUCHI discloses an in-wheel drive assembly comprising: a stator (inside 21) configured to form a non-rotatable connection with a spindle (12) of a vehicle; a stator retainer (21A) configured to extend in an interior of the spindle (12) and inhibit movement of the stator in an outboard direction relative to the spindle; a rotor rotatably supported by the stator; an output housing (15, 23) to be connected to a wheel hub (16); and a planetary gear assembly (25, 26) operatively connecting the rotor and the output housing, the planetary gear assembly configured to cause rotation of the output housing (15, 23) and wheel hub connected thereto in response to rotation of the rotor.
IWABUCHI does not disclose the stator positioned outboard of the spindle.
AMEYE teaches an in-wheel drive assembly that is mounted in such a way as to be rotated 360 degrees; therefor the outboard and inboard directions (in relation to the vehicle) can be reversed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to have the in-wheel drive assembly of IWBUCHI mounted on the rotatable interface taught by AMEYE such that the inboard and outboard directions of the assembly (in relation to the vehicle) could be reversed, allowing for improved mobility of the vehicle (AMEYE, [0005]).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of IWABUCHI-AMEYE discloses the stator has an inboard end portion configured to permit the stator to be advanced in an inboard direction onto the spindle and form the non-rotatable connection with the spindle.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of IWABUCHI-AMEYE discloses the stator, but does not disclose the stator comprises splines configured to form the non-rotatable connection with splines of the spindle.
IWABUCHI states in col. 6, lines 37-40 that motor casing is attached to the spindle using “bolts or the like”, meaning that other suitable alternatives could be used. IWABUCHI shows in Fig. 5 and describes in col. 10, lines 22-34, a spline connection with stop rings that together restrict axial and rotational movement.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the in-wheel drive assembly of IWABUCHI to use a spline connection to form the non-rotatable connection with splines of the spindle, as IWABUCHI discloses alternatives to bolted connections is acceptable, and teaches a spline connection that would yield the predictable result of restricting axial and rotational movement.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of IWABUCHI-AMEYE discloses the output housing (15, 23) extends about the rotor; and wherein the planetary gear assembly (25, 26) causes the output housing to rotate around the rotor in response to rotation of the rotor.
Regarding claim 6, the combination of IWABUCHI-AMEYE discloses the planetary gear assembly comprises planetary gears rotatably mounted to the output housing, the output housing and planetary gears configured to rotate together in response to the planetary gear assembly causing rotation of the output housing.
Regarding claim 7, the combination of IWABUCHI-AMEYE discloses the output housing is outboard of the rotor.
Regarding claim 9, the combination of IWABUCHI-AMEYE discloses the stator retainer (21A) includes an elongate member (extension between spindle and motor) having an end portion (@12F) configured to releasably connect to a mount (10) of the vehicle.
Regarding claim 10, the combination of IWABUCHI-AMEYE discloses the stator and the elongate member (extension between spindle and motor) have a releasable connection therebetween.
Regarding claim 13, the combination of IWABUCHI-AMEYE discloses the planetary gear assembly comprises planetary gears (29) and shafts (30) rotatably supporting the planetary gears, the shafts each having opposite end portions; and wherein the output housing includes support portions that support the opposite end portions of the shafts.
Regarding claim 14, the combination of IWABUCHI-AMEYE discloses the planetary gear assembly includes a sun gear (27) mounted to the rotor, the in-wheel drive assembly further comprising a pair of bearing assemblies (17,18) rotatably connecting the rotor and the stator, the bearing assemblies spaced apart from one another along an axis of rotation of the rotor.
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IWABUCHI et al. (US 11,479,108) in view of AMEYE et al. (US 2022/0185096 A1) as applied to claims 1-3, 5-7,9,10, 13 and 14 above, and further in view of SASAKI et al. (US 6,059,684)
Regarding claim 21, the combination of IWABUCHI-AMEYE discloses the in-wheel drive assembly but does not disclose a rotor position sensor comprising an inductive resolver.
SASAKI teaches a drive assembly with an electric motor having a rotor position sensor comprising an inductive resolver (6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the drive assembly of IWABUCHI-AMEYE to have a rotor position sensor comprising an inductive resolver, as taught by SASAKI “for detecting the polar position as the motor shaft 30 rotates to allow for motor control by an inverter,” (SASAKI, col. 4, lines 5-8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 8, 11, 12, 15-19, 22, and 23 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEREK D. KNIGHT whose telephone number is (571)272-7951. The examiner can normally be reached Telework: From 5:30am-1:30pm EST.
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/DEREK D KNIGHT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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