DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-4 of U.S. Patent Application No. 19/079,380, filed on 13 March, 2025, were presented for examination, and are currently pending in the application.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 13 March, 2025, and 9 October, 2025, were filed before the mailing date of this Office Action. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Beyerl (US 2023/0061923 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Beyerl teaches a motor device [combined motor 300 and gear case 900 which includes gear case enclosure 920] (see title and ¶ 0090), comprising:
a motor case [front end cap 420] rotatably accommodating a rotation shaft [330] (see joint annotated excerpts of figs. 34A and 34C attached below, as well as ¶ 0090-0092);
a gear case [gear case enclosure 920] (see ¶ 0091) rotatably accommodating a planetary gear reducer [pinion gear 945 in combination with unlabeled ring gear teeth] (the Examiner has circumscribed the gear reducer with a thick black circle in the annotated excerpt of fig. 35C below – it is noted that the reference does not explicitly describe the planetary gears themselves – the ring gear teeth are shown, and labeled by the Examiner, in 34A and 35C below, while the sun gear 945 is amply shown and described – however, just as Beyerl does not explicitly teach the planetary gears, even though they are clearly part of its device, as anyone of ordinary skill in the art would instantly recognize, claim 1 does not directly claim them either, such that the term “planetary” gear reducer is, in this broadest reasonable interpretation, just a name that encompasses the configuration shown in figs. 34A and 35B of Beyerl), wherein the motor case [420] and the gear case [920] are arranged in an axial direction (left-to-right in figs. 34A and 34C) of the rotation shaft [330];
a bearing [520 including inner race 522 and outer race 524] rotatably supporting the rotation shaft [330] (see ¶ 0081); and
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a sun gear [pinion 945] mounted to an end part of the rotation shaft [330] (see ¶ 0092-0093 and fig. 34C excerpt above and fig. 35B excerpt below) and disposed at a center of the gear reducer (see ¶ 0035 and fig. 35B excerpt below, wherein the gear reducer has been circumscribed and labeled by the Examiner),
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wherein the motor case [420] is provided with a first bearing mounting part [L-channel 534] (see ¶ 0091 and annotated excerpt of fig. 34B attached below) that is disposed coaxially with respect to the rotation shaft [330],
the gear case [920] is provided with a second bearing mounting part [second L-channel 940] that is disposed coaxially with respect to the sun gear [945] (in fig. 34B the sun gear, although not shown, is adjacent to and stacked on inner race 522 as shown in fig. 34C and described in ¶ 0092), and
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both axial sides [left side and right side in figs. 34A-34C] of the bearing [520] are respectively mounted to the first bearing mounting part [534] and the second bearing mounting part [940] (see ¶ 0091 which recite “the L-channel 534 of the front end cap 420 and the second L-channel 940 of the gear case 900 together form a U-channel to retain the front bearing 520 axially between the gear case 900 and the rotor core 410…” and ¶ 0090 which recites “the gear case 900 receives the shaft 330 and shares the front bearing 520 with the motor 300…”).
With respect to claim 2/1, Beyerl teaches the device of claim 1, and further teaches wherein
the bearing [520] is a ball bearing comprising:
an outer race [524] disposed on a radially outer side (see enlarged snapshot of fig. 34B attached below, also ¶ 0090);
an inner race [522] disposed on a radially inner side; and
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a ball [labeled “BALL” by the Examiner] disposed between the outer race [524] and the inner race [522] (although the shown spherical object in fig. 34B is not explicitly described as a “ball”, the configuration depicted in the enlarged snapshot above is the universal symbol/profile of ball bearings in patent figures – especially since the races are explicitly defined and the races have corresponding annular grooves for the balls – and the Examiner takes Official Notice that the ball asserted to be the labeled object by the Examiner is sufficiently well-known and common enough knowledge in the art that no person of ordinary skill in the art could defy the interpretation of the round/spherical object in fig. 34B as indeed being a ball), and
both axial sides (labeled “side 1” and “side 2” by the Examiner in the excerpt above) of the outer race [524] are respectively fixed to the first bearing mounting part [534] and the second bearing mounting part [940] (see ¶ 0091 which recite “the L-channel 534 of the front end cap 420 and the second L-channel 940 of the gear case 900 together form a U-channel to retain the front bearing 520 axially between the gear case 900 and the rotor core 410…”).
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirokawa (US 2022/0381321 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Hirokawa teaches a motor device, comprising:
a motor case [bearing holding part 43 including bearing holding flange 432] rotatably accommodating a rotation shaft [21] (see ¶ 0016 and 0023 and annotated excerpt of fig. 3 attached below);
a gear case [combined base plate 41 and lower case 65] (see ¶ 0022 and 0030) rotatably accommodating a planetary gear reducer [planetary gear mechanism 60 including sun gear 61, planetary gear 62, carrier 64, and internal gear 63] , wherein the motor case [43/432] and the gear case [41/65] are arranged in an axial direction (along axis J1) of the rotation shaft [21];
a bearing [211, particularly the upper bearing 211 of the pair, in fig. 3] (the Examiner has circumscribed the upper bearing 211 that is the one of interest) rotatably supporting the rotation shaft (see ¶ 0025); and
a sun gear [61] mounted to an end part of the rotation shaft [21] and disposed at a center of the planetary gear reducer [60/61/62/64/63] (see fig. 4),
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wherein the motor case [43/432] is provided with a first bearing mounting part (labeled by the Examiner in the enlarged snapshot of fig. 3 provided below) that is disposed coaxially with respect to the rotation shaft [21],
the gear case [41/65] is provided with a second bearing mounting part (also labeled by the Examiner) that is disposed coaxially with respect to the sun gear [61], and
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both axial sides of the bearing (upper side and lower side labeled by the Examiner in the snapshot fig. 3) are respectively mounted to the first bearing mounting part and the second bearing mounting part (see ¶ 0023 which recites “the bearing holding part 43 includes the holding part tube 431 and a holding part flange 432…”, ¶ 0025 which recites “the shaft bearing 211 is attached to the holding part tube 431…” ).
With respect to claim 3/1, Hirokawa teaches the device of claim 1, and further teaches wherein
the gear case [41/65] comprises a case body [lower case 65] (referring now to the new joint annotated excerpt of figs. 3-4 attached below) that has an internal gear [lower internal gear 63] on a radially inner side (¶ 0035 recites “the lower internal gear 63 fixed to the lower case 65…”); and
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a plurality of planetary gears [62] that are rotatably supported by a carrier [64] are disposed between the internal gear [63] and the sun gear [61] (see ¶ 0034-0035).
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beyerl in view of Hirokawa.
With respect to claim 4/2/1, Beyerl teaches the device of claim 2, but omits explicitly teaching wherein the gear case comprises a case body that has an internal gear on a radially inner side, and a plurality of planetary gears that are rotatably supported by a carrier are disposed between the internal gear and the sun gear.
Hirokawa discloses a motor device, comprising a motor case [43] rotatably accommodating a rotation shaft [21], a gear case [41/65] rotatably accommodating a planetary gear reducer [60/61/62/64/63] , a bearing [211] rotatably supporting the rotation shaft, and a sun gear [61] mounted to an end part of the rotation shaft [21] and disposed at a center of the planetary gear reducer [60/61/62/64/63], wherein the motor case [43/432] is provided with a first bearing mounting part, the gear case [41/65] is provided with a second bearing mounting part that is disposed coaxially with respect to the sun gear [61], and both axial sides of the bearing are respectively mounted to the first bearing mounting part and the second bearing mounting part. Thus Hirokawa thus deemed analogous art.
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Hirokawa teaches wherein the gear case [41/65] comprises a case body [lower case 65] (referring now to the joint annotated excerpt of figs. 3-4 attached below) that has an internal gear [lower internal gear 63] on a radially inner side (¶ 0035 recites “the lower internal gear 63 fixed to the lower case 65…”); and
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a plurality of planetary gears [62] that are rotatably supported by a carrier [64] are disposed between the internal gear [63] and the sun gear [61] (see ¶ 0034-0035).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the device of Beyerl, while incorporating an internal gear, planetary gears, and a carrier supporting the planetary gears, as taught by Hirokawa, in order to complete the transmission that provides speed-reduction to the driven element (consumer), as is well known, in order to step-down the motor shaft’s high rotational rate, which is unusable by the consumer. Beyerl is clearly meant to include a planetary drive, and Hirokawa’s is the most common type, and the simplest (no reversing, no variable-speed, etc.). Beryl simply omits discussing the individual components of the transmission, its authors were clearly more focused on the inventive aspects and not the banal. Beyerl even shows (in fig. 35B, see above) the annular gap between the internal gear and the sun gear where the carrier, carrying the planet gears, belongs. One of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that Beyerl’s omission of the planetary set was only due to that the output side of the motor being superabundantly well-known in the art and therefore not worth including, and would use a set, particularly Hirokawa’s planetary set or one substantially identical thereto, to advantageously provide speed reduction such that the torque from the motor shaft could be used to drive a mechanical consumer, while keeping the speed reduction component compact and in-line with the motor and the consumer, as is well known in the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fig. 1 of KR 20150004116 A is relevant to the claimed invention.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL K SCHLAK whose telephone number is (703)756-1685. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270 - 5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Daniel K Schlak/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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