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 .
Response to Amendment
Examiner acknowledges receipt of amendments to the claims dated 2/4/2026. By amendment, claims 2-4 remain pending and are discussed below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/1/2025 was filed after the mailing date of the non-final action on 11/6/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Allowable Subject Matter
The indicated allowability of claims 2-4 is withdrawn in view of the newly discovered reference(s) to DE 10 2021 213672 to Muller et al. (hereinafter Muller) and WO 2023/241971 to Muller-Linkowitsch et al. (hereinafter Muller-Link) that were provided on the IDS submitted by applicant on 12/1/2025. Rejections based on the newly cited reference(s) follow.
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.
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 10 2021 213672 to Muller-Linkowitsch et al. (hereinafter Muller).
Regarding claim 2, Muller discloses a vehicle drive device comprising: a rotating electric machine (1); a differential gear mechanism (3) being connected to left and right wheels (5) and transmitting driving force from the rotating electric machine (1) to the wheels (5); a first braking device (4) being placed between the differential gear mechanism (3) and the left wheel (5) on a power transmission path and generating braking force against rotation of the left wheel (5; see at least Figure 3); a second braking device (4) being placed between the differential gear mechanism (3) and the right wheel (5) on a power transmission path and generating braking force against rotation of the right wheel (5: see at least Figure 3); and a case supporting (9) the rotating electric machine (1), the differential gear mechanism (3), the first braking device (4), and the second braking device (4); a first speed reduction mechanism (2) being placed between the differential gear mechanism (3) and the left wheel (5) on a power transmission path and being supported by the case (9); and a second speed reduction mechanism (2) being placed between the differential gear mechanism (3) and the right wheel (5) on a power transmission path and being supported by the case (9), wherein the first braking device (4) is placed between the differential gear mechanism (3) and the first speed reduction mechanism (2) on a power transmission path (see configuration in Figure 3), and the second braking device (4) is placed between the differential gear mechanism (3) and the second speed reduction mechanism (2) on a power transmission path (see other side of configuration shown in Figure 3).
Regarding claim 3, Muller discloses a vehicle drive device comprising: a rotating electric machine (1); a differential gear mechanism (3) being connected to left and right wheels (5) and transmitting driving force from the rotating electric machine (1) to the wheels (5); a first braking device (4) being placed between the differential gear mechanism (3) and the left wheel (5) on a power transmission path and generating braking force against rotation of the left wheel (5; see at least Figure 3); a second braking device (4) being placed between the differential gear mechanism (3) and the right wheel (5) on a power transmission path and generating braking force against rotation of the right wheel (5: see at least Figure 3); and a case supporting (9) the rotating electric machine (1), the differential gear mechanism (3), the first braking device (4), and the second braking device (4); wherein the first braking device and second braking device (4) are placed outside of a rotor of the rotating electric machine (1) in a radial direction around a rotation shaft of the wheel (5; see at least Figure 3 showing the braking devices 4 outside of the rotor of rotating machine 1 in a radial direction around the shaft of the wheel 5).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WIPO/PCT WO 2023/241971 to Muller-Linkowitsch et al. (hereinafter Muller-Link; all references to written description are to the provided English translation).
Regarding claim 4, Muller-Link discloses a vehicle drive device comprising: a rotating electric machine (2); a differential gear mechanism (3) being connected to left and right wheels (5) and transmitting driving force from the rotating electric machine (2) to the wheels (5); a first braking device (6) being placed between the differential gear mechanism (3) and the left wheel (5) on a power transmission path and generating braking force against rotation of the left wheel (5; see at least Figure 1); a second braking device (6) being placed between the differential gear mechanism (3) and the right wheel (5) on a power transmission path and generating braking force against rotation of the right wheel (5: see at least Figure 1); and a case supporting (1) the rotating electric machine (2), the differential gear mechanism (3), the first braking device (6), and the second braking device (6); wherein the braking device is hydraulic (actuator 10; see Abstract), and the vehicle drive device further comprises: an electric oil pump (see Abstract; see also page 3, paragraph 2); a first oil passage (pressure oil system 9) guiding oil pressure-fed from the electric oil pump to the first braking device and the second braking device (see last paragraph of page 3 through paragraph 9 on page 4); and a second oil passage guiding oil pressure-fed from the electric oil pump to the rotating electric machine or the differential gear mechanism in the case (see page 4, paragraph 9 discussing the use of the oil circuits for the thermal management of the drive unit/differential/electric machine).
Response to Arguments
Applicant has not provided arguments due to the indication of allowable subject matter, however, due to the newly provided prior art, the grounds of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tiffany L. Webb whose telephone number is (571)272-3950. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8:30-5.
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/T.L.W./Examiner, Art Unit 3614
/JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614
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