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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 6, 9-13, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huo et al (WO 2023093872).
Huo et al. disclose a snow plow, comprising: a housing (housing of 500 in figure 2), the housing provided with an opening (opening where 503 sets); an auger assembly (503), the auger assembly installed in the housing (see figure 2); and a driving assembly (see figure 5), the driving assembly installed on an outer side of the housing (see figure 5), comprising a motor (101) and a planetary reducer (103), a power input end of the planetary reducer connected with an output shaft of the motor (see figures 5 and 6), a power output end of the planetary reducer connected with the auger assembly
through a transmission structure (300, see figures 5 and 6), and the motor and the planetary reducer integrated in a same outer housing (both are in the housing 100, see last paragraph on page 6 and first paragraph on page 7, wherein the housing of the motor and the housing of the gear 1031 are also considered the claimed outer housing).
With respect to claim 2, Huo et al. disclose wherein, the planetary reducer comprises a sun gear (1037), a planetary carrier (1035), a planetary gear (1034) and a ring gear (1032), the sun gear is fixed to the output shaft of the motor (via 1034), the planetary carrier is rotatably connected with the outer housing (see figure paragraph page 7, “The first planet gear 1034 revolutionizes and drives the first planet carrier 1033 and the sun gear 1037 to rotate so as to drive the second planetary gear 1036 to rotate around the second spindle 10351 on the second planetary carrier 1035”) the ring gear is fixedly connected with the outer housing (see figure 6 and page 7 “inner ring 1032 is installed in the first reduction housing), the planetary gear is rotatably connected with the planetary carrier (see page 7), the planetary gear is respectively meshed with the sun gear and the ring gear (see figure 6 and page 7), and the planetary carrier comprises the power output end of the planetary reducer (see figure 6).
With respect to claim 4, Huo et al. disclose a cover (1038) is arranged at one end of the outer housing away from the motor, and the cover is connected with the outer housing through a first fastener (see page 7, “clamped on the first reduction housing 1031 through the protruding flange”).
With respect to claim 6, Huo et al. disclose a connecting part (protruding flange) is arranged on the cover, and the connecting part is connected with the housing through a second fastener (second clamp, wherein each flange has a clamp).
With respect to claim 9, Huo et al. disclose wherein, the auger assembly comprises a snow throwing impeller (400), the snow throwing impeller comprises a base (402) and at least two scrapers (401) arranged at intervals along a circumferential direction of the base, the transmission structure comprises a first transmission shaft (300), the first transmission shaft is synchronously rotatably connected with the planetary carrier (see figures 5 and 6), and the base is fixedly connected with the first transmission shaft (see figure 10).
With respect to claim 10, Huo et al. disclose wherein, the auger assembly further comprises an auger (501), the auger comprises an auger blade (see figure 2), the transmission structure further comprises a second transmission shaft (502), the auger blade is arranged around the second transmission shaft and is fixedly connected with the second transmission shaft (see figure 2), the second transmission shaft is rotatably connected with the housing, the second transmission shaft is arranged perpendicular to or at an angle to the first transmission shaft (see figures 2 and 4), the second transmission shaft is in a transmission connection with the first transmission shaft through a transmission joint (301), and the transmission joint is configured to be capable of converting a rotation motion of the first transmission shaft into a rotation motion of the second transmission shaft (see page 8 paragraphs 1 and 2).
With respect to claim 11, Huo et al. disclose wherein, the driving assembly is installed on a housing wall at a rear side of the housing (see figures 2, 5, and 6, the side it is installed on is considered a rear side).
With respect to claim 12, Huo et al. disclose a snow plow vehicle, comprising: a vehicle (200); and a snow plow (see the rejection of claim 1) attached to the vehicle, the snow plow including: a housing, the housing provided with an opening; an auger assembly, the auger assembly positioned within the housing; and a driving assembly, the driving assembly installed on an outer side of the housing, comprising a motor and a planetary reducer, a power input end of the planetary reducer connected with an output
shaft of the motor, a power output end of the planetary reducer connected with the auger assembly through a transmission structure, and the motor and the planetary reducer integrated in a same outer housing.
With respect to claim 13, Huo et al. disclose wherein, the planetary reducer comprises a sun gear (1037), a planetary carrier (1035), a planetary gear (1034) and a ring gear (1032), the sun gear is fixed to the output shaft of the motor (via 1034), the planetary carrier is rotatably connected with the outer housing (see figure paragraph page 7, “The first planet gear 1034 revolutionizes and drives the first planet carrier 1033 and the sun gear 1037 to rotate so as to drive the second planetary gear 1036 to rotate around the second spindle 10351 on the second planetary carrier 1035”) the ring gear is fixedly connected with the outer housing (see figure 6 and page 7 “inner ring 1032 is installed in the first reduction housing), the planetary gear is rotatably connected with the planetary carrier (see page 7), the planetary gear is respectively meshed with the sun gear and the ring gear (see figure 6 and page 7), and the planetary carrier comprises the power output end of the planetary reducer (see figure 6).
With respect to claim 15, Huo et al. disclose wherein the snow plow attached to the vehicle through an external carrier (400).
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.
Claim(s) 3, 5, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huo et al. in view of Floro et al. (USP 8,961,359).
With respect to claims 3 and 14, Huo et al. is silent as bearings. Floro et al. teaches that bearings are used to provide rotational support between parts such as shafts and gears (see figure 3 lines 16-36). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Huo et al. by including a first bearing arranged between the planetary carrier and the outer housing in order to provide rotational support.
With respect to claim 5, Huo et al. does not disclose a second bearing. Floro et al. teaches that bearings are used to provide rotational support between parts such as shafts and gears (see figure 3 lines 16-36). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Huo et al. by including a second bearing is arranged between the planetary carrier and the cover in order to provide rotational support.
Claim(s) 7 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huo et al. in view of Ritchie (USP 2,482,213).
With respect to claim 7, Huo et al. disclose the transmission structure comprises a first transmission shaft (300), the cover is provided with a first through hole (see figures 5, 6, and 9) for the first transmission shaft to pass through. Huo et al. does not disclose a sealing device. Ritchie disclose a sealing device 88 used to protect gears from snow, moisture or dirt (see column 9 lines 3-12). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Huo et al. by including a seal as taught by Ritchie being arranged between the cover and the first transmission shaft or between the cover and the planetary carrier in order to protect the gears from snow, moisture and dirt.
With respect to claim 8, Huo et al. disclose wherein, a separating board (1038) is arranged in the outer housing, the motor and the planetary reducer are placed on two sides of the separating board respectively (see figure 8), the separating board is provided with a second through hole for the output shaft of the motor to pass through (see figure 8). Huo et al. does not disclose a sealing device. Ritchie disclose a sealing device 88 used to protect gears from snow, moisture or dirt (see column 9 lines 3-12). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Huo et al. by including a seal as taught by Ritchie arranged between the second through hole and the output shaft of the motor in order to seal off the gear chamber to protect them from snow, moisture and dirt.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICOLE A COY whose telephone number is (571)272-5405. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6am-3:30pm.
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/Nicole Coy/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3672
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