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 .
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 04/07/2026 has been entered. Claims 9-11 are canceled. Claims 1-8 and 12-20 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues the prior art fails to teach the amended limitations of claims 1, 8 and 14 as currently presented. The examiner agrees. However, up on further consideration a new ground of rejection is made in view of Vanni (US 20190178356 A1) as substantially presented below. Applicant’s amendments necessitated the new ground of rejection.
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, 5-7, 14 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vanni (US 2019/0178356 A1).
Regarding Claim 1 Vanni teaches a modular hybrid transmission comprising: an electric motor (Par.0008); a torque converter (105) driven by the electric motor (Par.0008); wherein the torque converter (105) includes a pump (Note: torque converters have pumps) and a cover (Par.0010) defining a housing and a pump (Fig 1); and wherein the housing of the torque converter includes a valve (perforations 107) for selectively restricting or allowing a flow of fluid from the housing of the torque converter to the electric motor (by selecting different sizes of perforations 107, the perforations allow selective control of flow restriction to the motor for cooling the motor see par.0010 and 0014).
Regarding Claims 5 and 18 Vanni teaches the fluid is directed to a stator (101) of the electric motor (par.0013)
Regarding Claims 6 and 19 Vanni teaches wherein the valve defines a flow passage extending at an oblique angle (ramps or tapered surface angle) with respect to a rotational axis of the torque converter (Fig 1 and Par.0012).
Regarding Claims 7 and 20 Vanni teaches he valve (perforations 107) restricts or allows the flow of fluid through the torque converter cover (Fig 1, par.0014).
Regarding Claim 14 Vanni teaches a method of cooling an electric motor of a modular hybrid transmission comprising: providing a modular hybrid transmission comprising: an electric motor(Par.0008); a torque converter (105) driven by the electric motor (par.0008); the torque converter including a pump (Note: torque converters have pumps) and a cover (par.0010) defining a housing and a pump (Fig 1); and wherein the housing of the torque converter (105) includes a valve (perforations 107) for selectively restricting or allowing a flow of fluid from the torque converter housing to the electric motor (by selecting different sizes of perforations 107, the perforations allow selective control of flow restriction to the motor for cooling the motor see par.0010 and 0014); operating the modular hybrid transmission to generate fluid pressure in the torque converter (Fig 1); and supplying fluid from the housing of the torque converter (105) to the electric motor (par.0008) via the valve (107) based at least in part on an operational characteristic of the modular hybrid transmission (based cooling characteristics see par.0014) .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 and 15-17 are objected to but would be allowable if rewritten to include all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claim. Claims 8 and 12-13 are allowed.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABIY TEKA whose telephone number is (571)272-9804. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 11-9 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel Wiehe can be reached at (571) 272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABIY TEKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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