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 Objections
Claims 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 12, line 1 recites, “An electric vehicle, comprising:”, which should be corrected to, “An electric vehicle comprising:” Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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 1-4, 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hobelsberger et al. (US 2005/0184751).
Regarding Claim 1, Hobelsberger discloses an electric driving system (Figure 1), comprising:
a motor, comprising a motor housing (comprising motor 4 and its housing, Figure 1), a bearing (comprising 3, Figure 1) and a rotating shaft provided in the motor housing (comprising 2, Figure 1); and
an apparatus for suppressing electric corrosion of the bearing (comprising 5, 6, Figure 1), comprising a capacitance module (comprising 19) and a first resistance module connected in series (comprising 12);
wherein an input end of the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing is electrically connected to the rotating shaft, input of 5, 6 connected to 2) and an output end of the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing is grounded (output of 5 connected to ground 8).
Regarding Claim 2, Hobelsberger discloses the electric driving system according to Claim 1, wherein the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing further comprises:
a reactance module (comprising 17, Figure 1), wherein an input end of the reactance module is connected to the first resistance module (output end of 17 connected to the rotating shaft, as the input end of 5, Figure 1), and an output end of the reactance module is grounded (output end of 17 is grounded at 18, Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 3, Hobelsberger discloses the electric driving system according to Claim 2, wherein the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing further comprises:
a second resistance module (comprising 13, Figure 1), wherein the second resistance module is connected in parallel with the capacitance module (13 connected in parallel with 19, Figure 1) and the first resistance module connected in series (12 in series with 19, 13, Figure 1, the first one of the alternative limitation).
Regarding Claim 4, Hobelsberger discloses the electric driving system according to Claim 3, wherein the capacitance module comprises a plurality of capacitances electrically connected (comprising 19, 17, Figure 1), and the first resistance module comprises a plurality of resistances electrically connected (comprising 12, 18, Figure 1); the reactance module comprises a plurality of inductances electrically connected (wire inductances between capacitances and resistances, Figure 1), and the second resistance module comprises a plurality of resistances electrically connected (comprising 13, 14, Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 6, Hobelsberger discloses the electric driving system according to Claim 1, further comprising: an insulation member (Paragraph 33, “The oil films in the bearings 3 insulate the shaft 2 ….”); wherein the bearing is provided in the motor housing and sleeved at an outer side of the rotating shaft, and the insulation member is provided between the bearing and an end cover of the motor (bearing 3 and rotating shaft 2 located as shown in Figure 1, Paragraph 33).
Regarding Claim 7, Hobelsberger discloses the electric driving system according to Claim 1, wherein the input end of the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing is electrically connected to the rotating shaft through a conductive bypass member (input end of 5, 6 connected to 2 through conductive bypass member comprising 10, 11, Figure 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 5, 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hobelsberger et al. (US 2005/0184751) in view of Cheong et al. (US 2017/0166193).
Regarding Claim 5, Hobelsberger discloses the electric driving system according to Claim 1, wherein the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing is provided at the motor (5 provided at 4, Figure 1).
Hobelsberger does not specifically disclose a motor controller electrically connected to the motor, and a decelerator.
Cheong discloses an electric driving system (Figures 1-3), comprising:
a motor, comprising a motor housing (comprising motor 20 and its housing, Figure 1), a rotating shaft provided in the motor housing (Figure 1, Paragraph 37); a motor controller electrically connected to the motor (100, Figure 1), and a decelerator (comprising 70, Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the electric driving system of Hobelsberger, a motor controller and a decelerator as taught by Cheong, to control the speed and safely and efficiently operate the electric driving system and to provide the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing at any moving component subject to electric corrosion such as motor controller and decelerator.
Regarding Claim 8, Hobelsberger discloses the electric driving system according to Claim 1, wherein the input end of the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing is electrically connected to the rotating shaft through a conductive bypass member (input end of 5, 6 connected to 2 through conductive bypass member comprising 10, 11, Figure 1).
Hobelsberger does not specifically disclose a decelerator electrically connected to the motor, wherein the decelerator comprises a decelerator shaft connected to the rotating shaft.
Cheong discloses an electric driving system (Figures 1-3), comprising:
a motor, comprising a motor housing (comprising motor 20 and its housing, Figure 1), a rotating shaft provided in the motor housing (Figure 1, Paragraph 37); a decelerator electrically connected to the motor (comprising 70 electrically connected to 20, Figure 1), wherein the decelerator comprises a decelerator shaft connected to the rotating shaft (shat of 70 connected rotating shaft/motor shaft via 44, Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the electric driving system of Hobelsberger, a decelerator comprising a decelerator shaft as taught by Cheong, to safely and efficiently operate the electric driving system.
Regarding Claims 9, 10, Hobelsberger does not specifically disclose the electric driving system according to Claim 1, further comprising: a motor controller electrically connected to the motor, wherein the output end of the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing is electrically connected to (Claim 9) the motor housing, and the motor housing is grounded or (Claim 10) a motor controller housing, and the motor controller housing is grounded.
Cheong discloses an electric driving system (Figures 1-3), comprising:
a motor, comprising a motor housing (comprising motor 20 and its housing, Figure 1), a rotating shaft provided in the motor housing (Figure 1, Paragraph 37); a motor controller electrically connected to the motor (controller connected to 20, Figure 1), the motor housing and the motor controller housing being grounded (housing grounded connected to vehicle chassis).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide in the electric driving system of Hobelsberger, a motor controller including a motor controller housing as taught by Cheong, and the motor housing or motor controller housing as grounding point for the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing, to safely and efficiently operate the electric driving system.
Regarding Claim 11, combination of Hobelsberger and Cheong discloses the electric driving system according to Claim 5, wherein the output end of the apparatus for suppressing the electric corrosion of the bearing is electrically connected to a decelerator housing, and the decelerator housing is grounded (in the combination having vehicle chassis/housing as grounding point).
Claims 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hobelsberger et al. (US 2005/0184751) in view of Ogino et al. (US 2018/0287467).
Regarding Claim 12, Hobelsberger discloses a battery; and the electric driving system according to Claim 1as discussed above in the rejection of Claim 1.
Hobelsberger does not disclose an electric vehicle, comprising: a battery; and the electric driving system according to claim 1; wherein the battery is configured to supply electrical energy to the electric driving system.
Ogino disclose an electric vehicle (1, Figure 1, details in Figures 3-4), comprising: a battery (2, Figure 1); and the electric driving system (10, Figures 1-4), comprising a motor (comprising 4, Figure 1), a shaft (SC, Figures 2-3), an apparatus for suppressing electric corrosion (comprising 8, Figures 2-3) with an input connected to the shaft and an output grounded (input of 8 connected to SC and output grounded, Figures 2-3, Paragraph 84); wherein the battery is configured to supply electrical energy to the electric driving system (Figure 1, Paragraph 24). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the electric driving system of Hobelsberger in a vehicle requiring an apparatus for suppressing electric corrosion as taught by Ogino.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kumano et al. (US 2022/0106902) disclose an electric vehicle (100, Figure 1), comprising: a battery (16, Figure 1); and electric driving system comprising a motor (16, Figure 1), a shaft (Paragraph 31), a motor controller (comprising 5, 17, Figure 1), and a decelerator (comprising 19, Figure 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUCY M THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-6002. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Crystal L Hammond can be reached at (571)270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUCY M THOMAS/Examiner, Art Unit 2838, 9/24/2026
/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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