DETAILED ACTION
The following is a first action on the merits of application serial no. 18/994784 filed 1/15/2025.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed 3/26/25 and 6/2/25 have been considered.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the implied phrase “The present disclosure” in line 2. Further, the term “which” should be inserted between terms “through” and “shafts” in line 3. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP3848214 (corresponds to IDS cited art JP2021110374) in view of Yamamoto et al 20130283972 (IDS cited art that corresponds to IDS cited art WO2012105482). As to claim 1, EP discloses a transmission device, comprising: a sun gear (41); a ring gear (43) arranged concentrically with the sun gear; planetary gears (50) meshing with the sun gear and with the ring gear; bearings (56, 57) through each of which a shaft (51) of a corresponding one of the planetary gears is inserted; a differential case (60 can be considered differential case due to [0035], lines 24-33 and [0038], lines 23-25 describing that 60 carries differential mechanism; 81) including bearing holders (71, 72) each holding a corresponding one of the bearings; a differential mechanism ([0038]) arranged inside the differential case; a first output shaft (2) and a second output shaft (4) that are coupled to the differential mechanism; and a gear case (11) supporting the differential case in a rotatable manner, wherein the bearing holders each include: a cylindrical part (71, 72) holding a corresponding one of the bearings, and a pocket (within 71 and 76; [0030], lines 53-55) that is recessed from a radially inner side toward a radially outer side of the sun gear to have an internal space (within 76) and that overlaps with the corresponding one of the bearings (56) in an axial direction of the sun gear; however, EP doesn’t disclose the gear case including a protrusion that is arranged to overlap with the pocket of each bearing holder from the radially inner side of the sun gear and that protrudes toward the bearings in the axial direction of the sun gear.
Yamamoto discloses a transmission device, comprising: a sun gear (42); a ring gear (41) arranged concentrically with the sun gear; planetary gears (44) meshing with the sun gear and with the ring gear; bearings (67) through each of which a shaft (45) of a corresponding one of the planetary gears is inserted; a differential mechanism (85) arranged inside a differential case; a first output shaft and a second output shaft (O) that are coupled to the differential mechanism; and a gear case (11, 21, [0052]) supporting the differential case in a rotatable manner, wherein Yamamoto shows that it is well known in the art to provide the gear case with a protrusion (Figure 9; 22 and 23) that is arranged to overlap with a pocket (57) of each bearing holder (43) from the radially inner side of the sun gear and that protrudes toward the bearings in the axial direction of the sun gear.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the gear case in EP with a pocket overlapping protrusion in view of Yamamoto to provide appropriate lubrication to bearings which reduces bearing wear and increase operating efficiency of transmission device.
As to claim 2, EP in view of Yamamoto discloses wherein the gear case further includes an inclined surface inclined (Figure 9, via 22a in Yamamoto), toward the protrusion, from a position that is farther from each bearing than the protrusion in the axial direction of the sun gear (22a is axially farther from bearings 67 than 23a in Yamamoto) and that is on an inner side relative to the protrusion in a radial direction of the sun gear (22a is within 23 in radial direction to sun gear 42).
As to claim 3, EP in view of Yamamoto discloses wherein the gear case further includes a recess (91 in Yamamoto, see annotated drawing below) that is arranged in a back surface of the protrusion on the radially outer side of the sun gear and that is recessed toward the radially inner side of the sun gear.
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As to claim 4, EP discloses wherein the cylindrical part and the pocket are integral with each other (71 is integral with 76).
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN109109640 (with machine translation) in view of Yamamoto et al 20130283972 (IDS cited art that corresponds to IDS cited art WO2012105482). As to claim 1, CN discloses a transmission device, comprising: a sun gear (51); a ring gear (52) arranged concentrically with the sun gear; planetary gears (55, 56) meshing with the sun gear and with the ring gear; bearings (102) through each of which a shaft (54) of a corresponding one of the planetary gears is inserted; a differential case (21) including bearing holders (532) each holding a corresponding one of the bearings; a differential mechanism (2) arranged inside the differential case; a first output shaft (3) and a second output shaft (4) that are coupled to the differential mechanism; and a gear case (6) supporting the differential case in a rotatable manner, wherein the bearing holders each include: a cylindrical part (532) holding a corresponding one of the bearings, and a pocket (within 532). But, CN doesn’t disclose that the pocket is recessed from a radially inner side toward a radially outer side of the sun gear to have an internal space and that overlaps with the corresponding one of the bearings in an axial direction of the sun gear; and the gear case includes a protrusion that is arranged to overlap with the pocket of each bearing holder from the radially inner side of the sun gear and that protrudes toward the bearings in the axial direction of the sun gear.
Yamamoto discloses a transmission device, comprising: a sun gear (42); a ring gear (41) arranged concentrically with the sun gear; planetary gears (44) meshing with the sun gear and with the ring gear; bearings (67) through each of which a shaft (45) of a corresponding one of the planetary gears is inserted; a differential mechanism (85) arranged inside a differential case; a first output shaft and a second output shaft (O) that are coupled to the differential mechanism; and a gear case (11, 21, [0052]) supporting the differential case in a rotatable manner, wherein Yamamoto shows that it is well known in the art to provide a pocket (57) recessed from a radially inner side toward a radially outer side of the sun gear to have an internal space and that overlaps with the corresponding one of the bearings in an axial direction of the sun gear and the gear case with a protrusion (Figure 9; 22 and 23) that is arranged to overlap with a pocket (57) of each bearing holder (43) from the radially inner side of the sun gear and that protrudes toward the bearings in the axial direction of the sun gear.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the pocket in CN with a recess as recited in view of Yamamoto and modify the gear case in CN with a pocket overlapping protrusion in view of Yamamoto to provide appropriate lubrication to bearings which reduces bearing wear and increase operating efficiency of transmission device.
As to claim 2, CN in view of Yamamoto discloses wherein the gear case further includes an inclined surface inclined (Figure 9, via 22a in Yamamoto), toward the protrusion, from a position that is farther from each bearing than the protrusion in the axial direction of the sun gear (22a is axially farther from bearings 67 than 23a in Yamamoto) and that is on an inner side relative to the protrusion in a radial direction of the sun gear (22a is within 23 in radial direction to sun gear 42).
As to claim 3, CN in view of Yamamoto discloses wherein the gear case further includes a recess (91 in Yamamoto, see annotated drawing below) that is arranged in a back surface of the protrusion on the radially outer side of the sun gear and that is recessed toward the radially inner side of the sun gear.
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As to claim 4, CN discloses wherein the cylindrical part and the pocket are integral with each other (532 is cylindrical part with pocket holding 102).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
-The examiner has reviewed the corresponding office actions as filed (PCT/JP2022027906 and JP2024533484 only two in IDS that corresponds to present invention) and agrees that the prior art cited meets the limitations of the present invention accordingly. Note: the examiner did use the opposite bearing side in JP2021110374 in present rejection due to the parking gear 90 blocking any possibility for the gear case facing that side to have a protrusion axially overlapping the pocket within 72 (or pocket formed by connections between back side of 90, 62 and 72).
-JP201552374 discloses a transmission device and shows that it is well known in the art to provide a pocket (64) recessed from a radially inner side toward a radially outer side of the sun gear (18) to have an internal space and that overlaps with the corresponding one of bearings (32) in an axial direction of the sun gear and a gear case (24) with a protrusion (39) that is arranged to overlap with the pocket from the radially inner side of the sun gear and that protrudes toward the bearings in the axial direction of the sun gear.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TISHA D LEWIS whose telephone number is (571)272-7093. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri: 8:30am to 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Y Coupe can be reached at 571-270-3614. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Tdl
/TISHA D LEWIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619 November 13, 2025