Appeal No. 2006-0259
Application No. 09/220,462
belt and a intermediate drive gear can be replaced
by the elevator drive motor of Aulanko et al.
Assuming that Aulanko et al could be combined with
Yoshikawa there is only a suggestion that the drive
motor, located on top of the car, and intermediate
gear could be replaced.
The examiner responds (answer, page 7) that "Aulanko et al
contemplates in its discussion of the prior art a separate motor
driving a drive sheave via a drive train (e.g., col. 1, lines
10-16). This represents the state of the art over which Aulanko
et al wish to improve. Aulanko et al explicitly teaches that
this configuration can be replaced by a flat motor integrated
onto a sheave (col. 2, lines 42-46)." The examiner further
asserts that Aulanko explicitly states the space savings as a
motivation.
From our review of Yoshikawa, we find (page 2) that the
motor 9a is located on fixed member 2, which is arranged on the
upper edge of entrance 1 of the elevator. As shown in figure 1,
motor 9a drives endless transmission rope 13 which is looped
around rope pulleys 12 (page 4). Driving mechanism 9 includes,
in addition to motor 9a and toothed belt 9d, large toothed-belt
pulley 9c that is arranged coaxially with toothed-belt pulley 14
and rotates together with toothed-belt pulley 14. Thus, although
Yoshikawa includes a motor-driven rope for opening and closing
6
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