DETAILED ACTION
1. Claims 1-20 of U.S. Application 19/034408 filed on January 22, 2025 are presented for examination.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
4. The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on January 22, 2025 and August 8, 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
5. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
6. Claims 1, 3-15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, lines 16-18, “an angle between a line connecting a center point of the main shaft to a center point of the output shaft of the speed reducer and a horizontal plane is less than or equal to a preset angle on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the main shaft.” The claim does not specify what the value of the preset angle is and is therefore indefinite because the preset angle could potentially be any value. The examiner will interpret as -- the preset angle is any angle greater that zero --.
Claims 3-14 are rejected due to dependence on claim 1.
Regarding claim 15, lines 17-19, “an angle between a line connecting a center point of the main shaft to a center point of the output shaft of the speed reducer and a horizontal plane is less than or equal to a preset angle on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the main shaft.” The claim does not specify what the value of the preset angle is and is therefore indefinite because the preset angle could potentially be any value. The examiner will interpret as -- the preset angle is any angle greater that zero --.
Claims 17-20 are rejected due to dependence on claim 15.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 2 and 16 are allowed.
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Maughan (US 20210146781) teaches an integrated electric power train comprises an electric machine, a mechanical speed converter and a transfer shaft each mounted in a common housing. The mechanical speed reducer includes a plurality of wheels and an output shaft; the electric machine includes a stator and a rotor, the stator attached to one of the walls of the housing; and the rotor and one of the plurality of wheels are each mounted on the transfer shaft for the transfer of rotational power therethrough from the rotor to the output shaft.
Takenaka (US 20040226761) teaches a drive system including a plurality of electric power devices, a drive case having a plurality of case segments which are connected to each other, each of the electric power devices being contained in one of the case segments, and a plurality of inverters, one for each of the electric power devices. The inverters are collectively attached to one of the case segments, and a flow path of a coolant for cooling the inverters is positioned between the case segment to which the inverters are attached and the inverters. Accordingly, a cooling unit which performs heat insulation and cooling between the drive system and the inverters is positioned only on the outer surface of one of the case segments and does not extend across the connection interfaces between the case segments.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER A SINGH whose telephone number is (571)270-0243. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am to 5pm.
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/ALEXANDER A SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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