Office Action 1: Notice of Allowance (2025-09-18)

CLAIMS:
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

Client Ref.: OPP-2022-0073-US; 22LWW145US02

1\. A system configured to drive a washing machine, the system comprising:
a housing;
a motor disposed at a side of the housing;
a rotor shaft coupled to the motor and the housing;
an output shaft coupled to the housing, at least a part of the output shaft being disposed in the rotor shaft;
a planetary gear set comprising (i) a first portion coupled to the rotor shaft and (ii) a second portion coupled to the output shaft; and
an actuator configured to move the planetary gear set along a vertical direction,
wherein the planetary gear set is configured to:based on the actuator moving the planetary gear set to a first side along the vertical direction to thereby couple a part of the planetary gear set to the rotor shaft, transmit a rotational force of the rotor shaft to the output shaft with a first gear ratio, and
based on the actuator moving the planetary gear set to a second side along the vertical direction to thereby couple another part of the planetary gear set to the housing, reduce and transmit the rotational force of the rotor shaft to the output shaft with a second gear ratio different from the first gear ratio.

2\. The system of claim 1, wherein the planetary gear set comprises:a sun gear coupled to the rotor shaft;
a plurality of pinion gears spaced apart from one another in a circumferential

direction and coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the sun gear;a ring gear having an inner circumferential surface coupled to the plurality of pinion gears; and
a carrier coupled to the plurality of pinion gears.

3\. The system of claim 2, wherein the ring gear comprises a first clutch portion disposed at an upper surface of the ring gear, and
wherein the housing comprises a second clutch portion configured to couple to the first clutch portion based on the planetary gear set being moved to the second side.

4\. The system of claim 2, wherein the carrier comprises:a first carrier disposed at the plurality of pinion gears;
a second carrier disposed below the plurality of pinion gears in the vertical direction; and
a plurality of connecting portions that connect each of the plurality of pinion gears to the first carrier and the second carrier.

5\. The system of claim 4, wherein the first carrier comprises a first spline portion disposed at an inner circumferential surface of the first carrier, and
wherein the output shaft comprises a second spline portion disposed at an outer circumferential surface of the output shaft and coupled to the first spline portion.

6\. The system of claim 4, wherein the second carrier comprises a third clutch portion disposed at a lower surface of the second carrier, and

Client Ref.: OPP-2022-0073-US; 22LWW145US02 wherein the rotor shaft comprises a fourth clutch portion configured to couple to the third clutch portion based on the planetary gear set being moved to the first side.

7\. The system of claim 2, wherein the sun gear comprises a third spline portion disposed at an inner circumferential surface of the sun gear, and
wherein the rotor shaft comprises a fourth spline portion disposed at an outer circumferential surface of the rotor shaft and connected to the third spline portion.

8\. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the sun gear, the plurality of pinion gears, and the ring gear comprises one or more helical gears.

9\. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a first bearing disposed between the output shaft and the housing; and
a second bearing spaced apart from the first bearing in the vertical direction and disposed between the rotor shaft and the housing,
wherein the planetary gear set is disposed between the first bearing and the second bearing.

10\. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bushing disposed between at least the part of the output shaft and the rotor shaft.

11\. A system configured to drive a washing machine, the system comprising:
a housing;
a motor disposed at a side of the housing;

Client Ref.: OPP-2022-0073-US; 22LWW145US02 a rotor coupled to the motor;
an output shaft coupled to the housing, at least a part of the output shaft being disposed within the rotor;
a planetary gear set comprising (i) a first portion coupled to the rotor and (ii) a second portion coupled to the output shaft; and
an actuator configured to move the planetary gear set along a vertical direction,
wherein the planetary gear set is configured to:based on the actuator moving the planetary gear set to a first side along the vertical direction to thereby couple a part of the planetary gear set to the rotor, transmit a rotational force of the rotor to the output shaft with a first gear ratio, and
based on the actuator moving the planetary gear set to a second side along the vertical direction to thereby couple another part of the planetary gear set to the housing, reduce and transmit the rotational force of the rotor to the output shaft with a second gear ratio different from the first gear ratio.

12\. The system of claim 11, wherein the planetary gear set comprises:
a sun gear coupled to the rotor;
a plurality of pinion gears spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction and coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the sun gear;
a ring gear having an inner circumferential surface coupled to the plurality of pinion gears; and
a carrier coupled to the plurality of pinion gears.

Client Ref.: OPP-2022-0073-US; 22LWW145US02

13\. The system of claim 12, wherein the ring gear comprises a fifth clutch portion that is disposed at an upper surface of the ring gear, and
wherein the housing comprises a sixth clutch portion that is configured to couple to the fifth clutch portion based on the planetary gear set being moved to the second side.

14\. The system of claim 12, wherein the carrier comprises:
a third carrier disposed at the plurality of pinion gears;
a fourth carrier disposed below the plurality of pinion gears; and
a plurality of connecting portions that connect each of the plurality of pinion gears to the third carrier and the fourth carrier.

15\. The system of claim 14, wherein the third carrier comprises a fifth spline portion disposed at an outer circumferential surface of the third carrier, and
wherein the output shaft comprises:a first region disposed at the planetary gear set;
a second region disposed at the first region;
a protrusion that protrudes downward from a lower surface of the second region and is spaced apart from the first region; and
a sixth spline portion disposed at an inner circumferential surface of the protrusion and coupled to the fifth spline portion.

16\. The system of claim 15, further comprising:
a third bearing disposed between the second region and the housing; and

a fourth bearing disposed between the protrusion and the housing,
wherein the planetary gear set is disposed below the fourth bearing.

17\. The system of claim 14, wherein the ring gear comprises a seventh clutch portion disposed at a lower surface of the ring gear, and
wherein the rotor comprises an eighth clutch portion configured to couple to the seventh clutch portion based on the planetary gear set being moved to the first side.

18\. The system of claim 12, wherein the sun gear comprises a seventh spline portion disposed at an outer circumferential surface of the ring gear, and
Wherein the rotor comprises an eighth spline portion disposed at an inner circumferential surface of the rotor and connected to the seventh spline portion.

19\. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the sun gear, the plurality of pinion gears, and the ring gear comprises one or more helical gears.

20\. The system of claim 12, wherein the ring gear defines a groove at an outer circumferential surface of the ring gear, and
wherein the actuator is disposed in the groove.

OFFICE 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 .
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art does not appear to teach or make obvious the claimed system configured to drive a washing machine, the system comprising a motor; rotor shaft; output shaft; planetary gear set and actuator as claimed. In particularly, the planetary gear moving in the vertical direction as claimed does not appear to be taught.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion



CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref KR101885203B1: Claims:
A turbine driving apparatus comprising a tub, a stator assembly coupled to the tub, and a rotor assembly located outside the stator assembly, Further comprising a reduction coupling unit located in a central space of the stator assembly, Wherein the reduction coupling unit includes a carrier, the carrier having a shaft receiving portion provided with a plurality of planetary gears and having a carrier spline inwardly, The reduction coupling unit further includes a coupling housing having the carrier therein and having an internal gear portion that meshes with an outer portion of the plurality of planetary gears, And a lever unit is coupled to the insulator of the stator assembly to cause the lever unit to move the coupling housing forward and backward.
The driving device for a washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a shaft passing through the carrier and the rotor assembly, wherein the shaft has a shaft spline formed at a position corresponding to the carrier spline.
The driving device for a washing machine according to claim 3, wherein the shaft passes through a shaft penetration portion of a sun gear portion protruding forward from the rotor assembly.
The driving apparatus for a washing machine according to claim 6, wherein an outer gear shape of the sun gear portion is engaged with an inner portion of the plurality of planetary gears.
Ref KR1020010100438A: [content unavailable]