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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraph [0028] of the published application discloses “for each gear of the first planetary gear mechanism 12, there is a gear in the first planetary gear mechanism 12 arranged with respect to the gear of the first planetary gear mechanism 12 in a positionally symmetrical manner.” There appears to be several typos in this paragraph that should be corrected.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 2, 8, 10, 13 and 19 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.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “one gear of the first planetary gear mechanism” in line 4. It is unclear if this “one gear” is from the group of “gears of the first planetary gear mechanism” disclosed in line 2 of the same claim.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “one gear of the second planetary gear mechanism” in line 5. It is unclear if this “one gear” is from the group of “gears of the second planetary gear mechanism” disclosed in lines 2-3 of the same claim.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “the second connector” in line 5. This appears to be a typo, and should recite –second motor--.
Claim 8 recites the limitations “a plurality of second planetary gears, a plurality of third planetary gears, a plurality of fourth planetary gears, a plurality of first rotary shafts, and a plurality of second rotary shafts” in lines 2-4. It is unclear if these elements are different than or include the elements disclosed in claim 6, lines 8, 9, 11, 18, 19, and 21. Specifically, the first planetary gear, the second planetary gear, the first rotary shaft, the third planetary gear, the fourth planetary gear, and the second rotary shaft.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “the first planetary gear mechanism has a different gear arrangement pattern” in line 2. It is unclear to the Examiner how this limitation constitutes a further limitation. Claim 1, from which claim 10 depends, recites “the first planetary gear mechanism has a different structure from the second planetary gear mechanism,” in lines 8-9.
Claim 13 recites the limitation “one gear of the first planetary gear mechanism” in line 4. It is unclear if this “one gear” is from the group of “gears of the first planetary gear mechanism” disclosed in line 2 of the same claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation “one gear of the second planetary gear mechanism” in line 5. It is unclear if this “one gear” is from the group of “gears of the second planetary gear mechanism” disclosed in lines 2-3 of the same claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation “the second connector” in line 5. This appears to be a typo, and should recite –second motor--.
Claim 19 recites the limitations “a plurality of second planetary gears, a plurality of third planetary gears, a plurality of fourth planetary gears, a plurality of first rotary shafts, and a plurality of second rotary shafts” in lines 2-4. It is unclear if these elements are different than or include the elements disclosed in claim 17, lines 8, 9, 11, 18, 19, and 21. Specifically, the first planetary gear, the second planetary gear, the first rotary shaft, the third planetary gear, the fourth planetary gear, and the second rotary shaft.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, and 10-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by YAMAUCHI et al. (US 7,442,141).
Regarding claim 1, YAMAUCHI discloses (Fig. 1) a double-motor electric drive assembly, comprising: a first drive mechanism and a second drive mechanism that are located at one drive axle, wherein: the first drive mechanism comprises a first motor (MG2), a first planetary gear mechanism (G3), and a first half shaft (OUT2) that are connected sequentially; and the second drive mechanism comprises a second motor (MG1), a second planetary gear mechanism (G1, G2), and a second half shaft (OUT1) that are connected sequentially, wherein the first planetary gear mechanism (G3) has a different structure from the second planetary gear mechanism (G1, G2).
Regarding claim 2, YAMAUCHI discloses gears (S3), P3) of the first planetary gear mechanism (G3) are arranged with respect to gears (S2), (P1) that is meshed with S2) of the second planetary gear mechanism in a positionally symmetrical manner (via a plane that is located midway between the center of (S1) and (S3); and the first motor is connected to one gear of the first planetary gear mechanism, and the second connector is connected to one gear of the second planetary gear mechanism, the one gear of the first planetary gear mechanism (R3) being arranged with respect to the one gear of the second planetary gear mechanism (R1) in a positionally dissymmetric manner (via a plane that is located midway between the center of (S1) and (S3). [It should be noted that the term “connected” is being interpreted to mean that the elements are connected even if there are numerous other elements between the two elements claims as “connected”.]
Regarding claim 3, YAMAUCHI discloses an inner gear ring (R3) of the first planetary gear mechanism is connected to a main shaft (7) of the first motor; and a sun gear (S1) of the second planetary gear mechanism is connected to a main shaft (9) of the second motor.
Regarding claim 10, YAMAUCHI discloses the first planetary gear mechanism has a different gear arrangement pattern from the second planetary gear mechanism (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 11, YAMAUCHI discloses a type of the first planetary gear mechanism is different from a type of the second planetary gear mechanism (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 12, YAMAUCHI discloses a vehicle, comprising the double-motor electric drive assembly according to claim 1.
Regarding claim 13, YAMAUCHI discloses gears (S3, P3) of the first planetary gear mechanism are arranged with respect to gears (S2, P1 meshing with S2) of the second planetary gear mechanism in a positionally symmetrical manner (via a plane that is located midway between the center of (S1) and (S3); and the first motor is connected to one gear (R3) of the first planetary gear mechanism, and the second connector is connected to one gear (R1) of the second planetary gear mechanism, the one gear of the first planetary gear mechanism being arranged with respect to the one gear of the second planetary gear mechanism in a positionally dissymmetric manner (via a plane that is located midway between the center of (S1) and (S3).
Regarding claim 14, YAMAUCHI discloses an inner gear ring (R3) of the first planetary gear mechanism is connected to a main shaft (3ri) of the first motor; and a sun gear of the second planetary gear mechanism (S1) is connected to a main shaft (3ro) of the second motor (MG1). (It should be noted that the term “connected” is being interpreted to mean that the elements are connected even if there are numerous other elements between the two elements claims as “connected”.)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, 9, 15-18, and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 8 and 19 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEREK D. KNIGHT whose telephone number is (571)272-7951. The examiner can normally be reached Telework: From 5:30am-1:30pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at 571-270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DEREK D KNIGHT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655