Reply to Office Action of March 8, 2019
`
`Application No. 15/487,058
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`- 2 -
`
`MURASHIMA er a].
`
`Amendments to the Claims
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`This listing of claims will replace all prior versions, and listings, of claims in the application.
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`1. (Currently Amended) A hydraulic transaxle, comprising:
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`an—axial—pisten— a hydraulic pump having a variable displacement, wherein the hydraulic
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`pump includes a movable swash plate and a pair of trunnion shafts coaxial to each other, the pair of
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`trunnion shafts being joined to the swash plate separably from the swash plate,
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`wherein the swash plate is rotatable centered on a common axis of the trunnion
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`shafts to control the displacement of the hydraulic pump, the common axis of the trunnion
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`shafts defining an axial direction of the trunnion shafts perpendicular to a rotary axis of
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`the hydraulic pump, and
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`a transaxle casing incorporating the hydraulic pump,
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`wherein the transaxle casing includes a pair of side walls opposite each other in
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`the axial direction of the trunnion shafts with respect to the hydraulic pump,
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`wherein the transaxle casing includes a pair of casing holes each of which
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`penetrates each of the side walls between an inside of the transaxle casing and an outside
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`of the transaxle casing,
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`wherein the pair of trunnion shafts are passed through the respective casing holes
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`to be pivotally supported by the respective side walls of the transaxle casing,
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`wherein the swash plate is formed with a pair of side portions opposite each other
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`in the axial direction of the trunnion shafts, the pair of side portions facing the respective
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`side walls in the inside of the transaxle casing,
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`wherein the swash plate is formed with a pair of swash plate holes in the
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`respective side portions, the pair of swash plate holes being open to the pair of casing
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`holes, respectively
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`wherein proximal end portions of the respective trunnion shafts are inserted into
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`the respective swash plate holes to be engaged to the swash plate unrotatably, relative to
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`the swash plate, and
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`wherein a distal end portion of one of the trunnion shafts projects from the
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 06664980003
`
`

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`Reply to Office Action of March 8, 2019
`
`Application No. 15/487,058
`
`- 3 -
`
`MURASHIMA er a].
`
`corresponding casing hole to the outside of the transaxle casing so as to be operatively connected to
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`an operation device for controlling the displacement of the hydraulic pump.
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`2. (Original) The hydraulic transaxle according to claim 1, wherein the pair of side portions of the
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`swash plate are formed with respective distal end surfaces that are adjacent to inside surfaces of the
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`respective side walls of the transaxle casing so that a width of the swash plate between the distal
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`end surfaces in the axial direction of the trunnion shafts is equal to or slightly less than a distance
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`between the inside surfaces of the side walls of the transaxle casing in the axial direction of the
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`trunnion shafts.
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`3. (Original) The hydraulic transaxle according to claim 1,
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`wherein the transaxle casing includes at least two housing members joined to each other at a
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`joint plane parallel to the common axis of the trunnion shafts, and
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`wherein one of the at least two housing members is formed integrally with the pair
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`of side walls having the respective casing holes.
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`4. (Original) The hydraulic transaxle according to claim 1, further comprising:
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`a control arm provided on an outside end portion of a corresponding one of the
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`side walls of the transaxle casing to be fixed on the distal end portion of the one of the
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`trunnion shafts so as to operatively connect the swash plate to the operation device, and
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`a neutral biasing mechanism for biasing the swash plate to a neutral position for
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`the hydraulic pump,
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`wherein the trunnion shafts are identical in shape to each other, and
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`wherein the neutral biasing mechanism is provided on an outside end portion of
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`the other of the side walls of the transaxle casing to be provided on a distal end portion of
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`the other of the trunnion shafts.
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`5. (New) A hydraulic transaxle, comprising:
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 0666.4980003
`
`

`

`Reply to Office Action of March 8, 2019
`
`Application No. 15/487,058
`
`- 4 -
`
`MURASHIMA er a].
`
`a hydraulic pump having a variable displacement, wherein the hydraulic pump includes a
`
`movable swash plate and a pair of trunnion shafts coaxial to each other, the pair of trunnion shafts
`
`being joined to the swash plate separably from the swash plate,
`
`wherein the swash plate is rotatable centered on a common axis of the trunnion
`
`shafts to control the displacement of the hydraulic pump, the common axis of the trunnion
`
`shafts defining an axial direction of the trunnion shafts perpendicular to a rotary axis of
`
`the hydraulic pump, and
`
`a transaxle casing incorporating the hydraulic pump,
`
`wherein the transaxle casing includes a pair of side walls opposite each other in
`
`the axial direction of the trunnion shafts with respect to the hydraulic pump,
`
`wherein the transaxle casing includes a pair of casing holes each of which
`
`penetrates each of the side walls between an inside of the transaxle casing and an outside
`
`of the transaxle casing,
`
`wherein the pair of trunnion shafts are passed through the respective casing holes
`
`to be pivotally supported by the respective side walls of the transaxle casing,
`
`wherein the swash plate is formed with a pair of side portions opposite each other
`
`in the axial direction of the trunnion shafts, the pair of side portions facing the respective
`
`side walls in the inside of the transaxle casing,
`
`wherein the swash plate is formed with a pair of swash plate holes in the
`
`respective side portions, the pair of swash plate holes being open to the pair of casing
`
`holes, respectively
`
`wherein proximal end portions of the respective trunnion shafts are inserted into
`
`the respective swash plate holes to be engaged to the swash plate unrotatably, relative to
`
`the swash plate,
`
`wherein a distal end portion of one of the trunnion shafts projects from the
`
`corresponding casing hole to the outside of the transaxle casing so as to be operatively connected to
`
`an operation device for controlling the displacement of the hydraulic pump
`
`wherein the transaxle casing includes at least two housing members joined to each other at a
`
`joint plane parallel to the common axis of the trunnion shafts, and
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 06664980003
`
`

`

`Reply to Office Action of March 8, 2019
`
`Application No. 15/487,058
`
`- 5 -
`
`MURASHIMA er a].
`
`wherein one of the at least two housing members is formed integrally with the pair
`
`of side walls having the respective casing holes.
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`6. (New) The hydraulic transaxle according to claim 5, further comprising:
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`a control arm provided on an outside end portion of a corresponding one of the
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`side walls of the transaxle casing to be fixed on the distal end portion of the one of the
`
`trunnion shafts so as to operatively connect the swash plate to the operation device; and
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`a neutral biasing mechanism for biasing the swash plate to a neutral position for
`
`the hydraulic pump,
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`wherein the trunnion shafts are identical in shape to each other, and
`
`wherein the neutral biasing mechanism is provided on an outside end portion of
`
`the other of the side walls of the transaxle casing to be provided on a distal end portion of
`
`the other of the trunnion shafts.
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`7. (New) A hydraulic transaxle, comprising:
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`a hydraulic pump having a variable displacement,
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`a movable swash plate disposed in the hydraulic pump,
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`a transaxle casing including the hydraulic pump, and
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`a pair of trunnion shafts rotatably mounted to the transaxle casing in a pair of casing holes,
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`respectively, the pair of trunnion shafts being disposed coaxial to each other and being removably
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`fixed to the swash plate,
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`wherein the swash plate is rotatably centered on a common axis of the trunnion
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`shafts to control the displacement of the hydraulic pump, the common axis of the trunnion
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`shafts being perpendicular to a rotary axis of the hydraulic pump, and
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`wherein the casing holes penetrate a side wall of the transaxle case between an inside of the
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`transaxle casing and an outside of the transaxle casing such that the trunnion shafts are configured
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`to be removed through the casing holes to the exterior of the transaxle casing,
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`wherein a distal end portion of one of the trunnion shafts projects from the
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 0666.4980003
`
`

`

`Reply to Office Action of March 8, 2019
`
`Application No. 15/487,058
`
`- 6 -
`
`MURASHIMA er a].
`
`corresponding casing hole to the outside of the transaXle casing so as to be operatively connected to
`
`an operation deVice for controlling the displacement of the hydraulic pump, and
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`wherein the swash plate is configured to be removable from the transaXle casing in a
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`direction along the rotary aXis of the hydraulic pump after removal of the trunnion shafts.
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 0666.4980003
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