DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
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 .
Status of Claims
This is the first office action on the merits of Application No. 19/105,685 filed on 02/21/2025. Claims 1-6 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. The certified copy has been filed with application no JP2022-150954, filed on 09/22/2022.
Examiner Note
Examiner would welcome an interview to clarify any of the various objections/rejections seen below in order to expedite prosecution of the instant application.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, a first connection member, an inner peripheral side of the gear device, and a second connection member in claim 4 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
The following title is suggested: An automatic transmission unit for an electric vehicle.
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 1-6 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the claim limitations “ rotational part” renders the claim indefinite. This term is not a recognized term in the transmission or planetary gear art, and it is not clearly defined in the specification. Although specification described the rotations parts in paragraph 34, it is not clear whether “rotational part” refers to a physical gear or some other structural element. Neither the claim nor the specification specifies the structural or functional boundaries of the claim limitation “rotational parts”. Clarification is required.
Claims 2-6 are rejected as they depend on claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bucknor et al. (US 20060111213 A1) in view of Oita et al. (US 20140371025 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Bucknor discloses a unit (e.g. 210, fig. 3a, para 111) comprising:
an input element (17);
an output element (19); and
a gear device (e.g. 214) including a first rotational part (138, 50C), a second rotational part (e.g. 132, 134, 50A, 52A), a third rotational part (52D, 52B), and a fourth rotational part (52C, 139) arranged in this order on an alignment chart (not shown), wherein
the input element (17) is connectable to the first rotational part (224) and connectable to the second rotational part (232 via clutch 250),
the output element (19) is connected to the third rotational part (226), (see para 115 “the transmission output member 19 is connected to the carrier 226.”)
the fourth rotational part (234) is switchable (via brake 254) between a rotating state and a non-rotating state, (see para 118” A third torque-transfer device, such as a brake 254, selectively connects the ring gear 234 of the planetary gear set 230 with the transmission housing 260.”)
the gear device includes
a first planetary gear mechanism (220, para 113) including a first rotational element (224), a second rotational element (227), and a third rotational element (222), and
a second planetary gear (230) mechanism including a fourth rotational element (234), a fifth rotational element (237), and a sixth rotational element (232), (see para 114)
the first rotational part is implemented by coupling the first rotational element (224) and the sixth rotational element (232),
the second rotational part is implemented by the fifth rotational element (237),
the third rotational part is implemented by the second rotational element (227), and
the fourth rotational part is implemented by coupling (via torque transfer device 252) the third rotational element (222) and the fourth rotational element (234).
But Mellet fails to disclose an alignment chart.
Oita teaches a similar kind of unit (e.g. 70, figs. 16-18) wherein an alignment chart (see fig. 18) and a first rotational part (S5), a second rotational part (R5), a third rotational part (CA5), and a fourth rotational part (S2) arranged in this order on an alignment chart.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Mellet by adding an alignment chart which shows as taught by Oita, such as the unit can be provided to simplify the processing in the manufacturing stage. and therefore, a robustness of the transmission can be achieved. (see para 109 of Oita)
As modified, the unit would have an alignment chart.
Please note: The claim limitation “connect or couple “ is defined as rotational elements being linked so they can rotate together or transmit torque between them either directly or indirectly via another member. The limitation alignment chart is considered as a graphical presentation or conceptual diagram to illustrate rotation-speed relationship based on the structural components of the gear device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6 are objected to as been dependent upon a rejected base claim 1, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and 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.
3Reasons for allowance, if applicable, will be the subject of a separate communication to the Applicant or patent owner, pursuant to 37 CFR § 1.104 and MPEP § 1302.14.
Prior Art
Mock et al. (US 20230392673 A1) discloses drive system for a vehicle that includes a transmission with three forward and three reverse gears. The transmission is optionally coupled with an electric motor as part of a fully electric or hybrid drive system. The transmission optionally includes a first and a second planetary gearset, a first and a second brake, and a clutch. The system may be configured to separately engage the first or second brakes, or the clutch, and may be arranged to provide separate gear ratios as each is engaged and disengaged separately. A single electric motor may be provided with a single transmission, or multiple electric motors may be included individually drive multiple separate tires, tracks, or other ground engaging elements. Single or multiple motors may be arranged upstream or downstream of the transmission, and they may be aligned parallel with or perpendicular to a drive axle.
HATTORI (US 5133697 A) teaches a planetary gear system that has seven members rotatable relative to one another, one stationary member, and five selective engaging devices each disposed between two of the members. Each member contains one or more elements which are input and output elements, a stationary element, and a number of active elements, such as sun gears, ring gears, and planet carriers, constituting a planetary gear arrangement connected between the input and output elements. This provides a number of forward gear ratios and at least one reverse gear ratio.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FARHANA PERVIN whose telephone number is (571)272-4644. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob S. Scott can be reached on 5712703415. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FARHANA PERVIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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