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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 5 shown in Fig. 8 in the reply filed on March 2, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 4-6, 15-17 and 19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on March 2, 2026.
Claims 1-3, 7-14 and 18 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on August 11, 2025 has been considered by the examiner.
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 1-3, 7-14 and 18 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 1, line 5, the term “at least two planetary gears” is used, it is unclear as to what is being claimed as in Fig. 8 there is only one planetary gear set shown, it is unclear if applicant is claiming that the at least two planetary gears refers to two planetary gear sets, which is not shown in Fig. 8 (only one gear set is shown), or if the element is claiming two gears as part of a single planetary gear set which is shown in Fig. 8. Clarification is needed.
In claims 7-9 and 14, there is claimed “a second gear train”, this is unclear as there is only one gear train shown in Fig. 8 and in claim 8 a second planetary gear is claimed which appears to be a second planetary gear set which is not shown or supported in Fig. 8. Clarification is needed.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 7-9 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Japanese Patent No. JP2008105475 to Maeda et al. (A machine translation is included with this action and referred to herein).
Regarding claim 1, as best understood by the examiner, the Maeda patent teaches a powertrain system, comprising: an output 22; a first electric motor m2 connected to the output; a second electric motor m1 connected to the output; at least two planetary gears, this is interpreted as there are either two planetary gear sets 26 and 28, or is interpreted as gear set 28 having at least two pieces, r3, ca3 s3; a clutch (either c1-c3), wherein the clutch includes a one-way clutch F; wherein the second electric motor is configured to supply power to the output via the planetary gears 28 and the clutch; and wherein the at least two planetary gears and the clutch are located downstream from the first electric motor and the second electric motor. See Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 3, as best understood by the examiner, the second electric motor is connected to the output via a two-speed gear train arrangement. See Fig. 1.
Regarding claims 7 and 8, as best understood by the examiner, a second gear train connecting the second electric motor to the output. The second gear train is interpreted as the planetary gear set 26. See Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 9, as best understood by the examiner, the second planetary gear 26 includes a sun gear s2, a ring gear r2, and one or more planet gears engaged between the sun gear and the ring gear; the second planetary gear has a carrier ca2 that is coupled to the first gear train; and the ring gear surrounds the carrier. See Fig. 1.
Regarding claim 14, as best understood by the examiner, the clutch c1-c3 is configured to shift gears in the second gear train. See Fig. 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 10-13 and 18 would be allowable if 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chinese Patent No. CN106915241 to Ling et al teaches two planetary gears.
Japanese Patent No. JP2005061498 to Komada et al. teaches two planetary gear sets with a one way clutch.
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/JUSTIN HOLMES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655