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 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, 9 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fukuda (U.S. 2020/0292045).
Fukuda discloses a vehicle axle for a two-track vehicle, comprising: an axle differential (1), having an input side (input member as described in paragraph 0021) and two output sides (both sides of shaft 15), the input side drivingly connected to a drive unit (engine or motor), and the two output sides each including a drive flange shaft (15) leading to a respective vehicle wheel; and at least two superposition gears (33, 35) for torque vectoring, each superposition gear (33, 35) of the at least two superposition gears having a multi-plate brake or clutch (7), each multi-plate brake or clutch having an actuator, each actuator (9) being a pressure mechanism and configured as a pair of disks (81, 83) comprising a rotationally fixed disk (83) and a coaxially rotatable disk (81), wherein each drive flange shaft (15) is configured to interact with a respective superposition gear (33, 35) of the at least two superposition gears, and wherein the rotationally fixed disk (83) of each actuator (9) forms a gear carrier on which at least one gear (see paragraph 0037) is rotatably mounted; a vehicle axle housing (11) in which the axle differential (1) and the at least two superposition gears (33, 35) are arranged, wherein each of the at least two superposition gears (33, 35) are arranged in a gear housing (11); wherein the gear housing (11) comprises the rotationally fixed disk (83) and an end shield (111).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8, and 10-18 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.
Regarding claims 2-8, the closest prior art as to Fukuda discloses every elements of the invention as discussed above except that a respective axis of rotation of each of the at least one gear is defined by a respective support bolt, each support bolt having one bolt end attached to the rotationally fixed disk of the respective pressure mechanism.
Regarding claim 10, the closest prior art as to Fukuda discloses every elements of the invention as discussed above except that an end shield is fixedly attached to the vehicle axle housing; and/or the end shield is configured to form a pivot bearing point for a hub section of the axle differential, wherein the hub section is mounted in a bearing opening of the end shield with the interposition of a pivot bearing; and/or the end shield and the rotationally fixed disk of the pressure mechanism are firmly connected to one another by way of a screw connection.
Regarding claims 11-12, the closest prior art as to Fukuda discloses every elements of the invention as discussed above except that the pressure mechanism has at least one ball-ramp unit with a ball configured to roll between mutually inclined ball tracks of the pair of disks, wherein when the rotatable disk rotates in a first direction, an axial spreading of the pair of disks along an axial spreading distance increases such that contact pressure is applied to respective the multi-plate brake or clutch, and wherein when the rotatable disk rotates in an opposite direction, the axial spreading of the pair of disks along an axial spreading distance decreases, such that the respective multi-plate brake or clutch is relieved of contact pressure.
Regarding claims 13-15, the closest prior art as to Fukuda discloses every elements of the invention as discussed above except that a coolant channel extends through an end shield and through the rotationally fixed disk of a respective pressure mechanism and crosses a joining surface between the end shield and the rotationally fixed disk.
Regarding claims 16-18, the closest prior art as to Fukuda discloses every elements of the invention as discussed above except that each superposition gear of the at least two superposition gears is configured as a planetary gear.
Conclusion
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/TOAN C TO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3614 March 7, 2026