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 Objections
Claims 17-18 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 17, line 1 “a transmission” should say “the transmission”
Claim 18, line 1, “an electric drive train” should say “the electric drive train”
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.
Claim 11 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 11 says “The transmission according to claim 11”. For examination purposes “The transmission according to claim 11” is being interpreted as “The transmission according to claim 10”.
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) 10-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inoue (US 20200278020 A1) in view of Groschek (DE 102011085204 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Inoue discloses a transmission for an electric drive train of a motor vehicle (vehicle drive device 100 has transmission as seen in figures 1-2), comprising: a transmission input shaft (input member 2 has shaft portion 21, fig.1) for connection in a torsion-resistant manner to a rotor shaft (rotor shaft 13, fig.1) of an electric traction machine (rotor electric machine 1, fig.1), an intermediate shaft (counter gear mechanism 3 has shaft 31, fig.1) in engagement with the transmission input shaft, a transmission output shaft (differential gear device 4 has shaft, fig.1) in engagement with the intermediate shaft, and a transmission housing (case 5, fig.1) on which the intermediate shaft is rotatably mounted via two cylindrical roller bearings (bearings 95 and 96, fig.1) at its respective ends. Inoue fails to disclose a four-point bearing with the roller bearing.
However, Groschek discloses two cylindrical roller bearings (roller bearings 14 and 24, figs.1-2b) at ends of a shaft (shaft 21, figs.1-2b) and a four-point bearing (four-point bearing 13, figs.1-2b).
Inoue and Groschek are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of transmission shafts. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Inoue with the two roller bearings and four-point bearing on the shaft of Groschek with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have combined prior art elements yielding predictable results of maximizing radial load capacity from the roller bearing and add precise axial and moment load handling from the four‑point contact bearing
Regarding claim 11 as best understood based on the 35 U.S.C 112(b) issue discussed above, Inoue in combination with Groschek, Inoue discloses wherein: the transmission output shaft is part of a differential (differential gear device 4, fig.1).
Regarding claim 12, Inoue in combination with Groschek discloses wherein: the transmission output shaft and the intermediate shaft are each rotatably mounted on the transmission housing (Inoue, shaft 31 and shaft of the differential gear device 4 is rotatably mounted on the case 5, fig.1), in each instance via two cylindrical roller bearings (Inoue, bearings 95-98, fig.1; Groschek, roller bearings 14 and 24, figs.1-2b) at their respective ends and via a four-point bearing (Inoue, bearing 99, fig.1; Groschek, four-point bearing 13, figs.1-2b).
Regarding claim 13, Inoue in combination with Groschek, Groschek discloses wherein: the four-point bearing and one of the cylindrical roller bearings are arranged axially directly alongside one another and, as a result, constitute a bearing unit (radial-axial bearing 10, four-point bearing 13, roller bearing 14, figs.1-2b).
Regarding claim 14, Inoue in combination with Groschek, Groschek discloses wherein: the cylindrical roller bearings are arranged along the intermediate shaft axially further outside than the four-point bearing (roller bearing 14 is arranged axially further than the four-point bearing 13, figs.1-2b).
Regarding claim 15, Inoue in combination with Groschek disclose wherein: the intermediate shaft and the transmission output shaft are arranged parallel to one another (Inoue, shaft 31 and shaft of the differential gear device 4 are parallel as seen in figure 1), and the four-point bearings are assigned to the same ends of the shafts or to different ends of the shafts (Inoue, bearing 99, fig.1; Groschek, four-point bearing 13, figs.1-2b).
Regarding claim 16, Inoue in combination with Groschek, Inoue discloses wherein: the transmission input shaft is rotatably mounted on the transmission housing via at least one deep-groove ball bearing assigned to one of its ends (input bearings 93 and 94, fig.1).
Regarding claim 17, Inoue in combination with Groschek, Inoue discloses an electric drive train (vehicle drive device 100, fig.1) for a motor vehicle, with a transmission according to claim 10, and also with an electric traction machine (electric machine 1, fig.1), the rotor shaft of which is connected in torque-transmitting manner to the transmission input shaft of the transmission.
Regarding claim 18, Inoue in combination with Groschek a motor vehicle (vehicle having vehicle drive device 100, paragraph [0009]) with an electric drive train according to claim 17.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The prior art not relied upon but considered pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure is included in the 892 form. The art included has features related to claim limitations, the general structural of the invention, teachings, and other analogous art to the invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IAN BRYCE SHELTON whose telephone number is (571)272-6501. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen Shriver can be reached at (303)-297-4337. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/IAN BRYCE SHELTON/Examiner, Art Unit 3613
Prosecution Insights