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 .
This office action is a response to the amendment filed on 9/3/2026.
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on 9/3/2026 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of 17/776,297 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1 and 3-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawasaki et al. (US PAT. 10,177,611) in view of Ito et al. (PGPub 2016/0056696 A1).
Kawasaki et al. teach a process of making a continuous winding for a stator of an electric machine, comprising steps of: bending on a plane at least one strip to make at least one strap in a single piece having two free ends (13, Fig. 6 (b), col. 8, lines 48-59), the at least one strap comprising a plurality of first sectors configured to be inserted inside closed slots of the stator and mutually connected by a plurality of second bending sectors configured to remain outside the closed slots of the stator as shown in Fig. 5 (col. 7, line 65 to col. 8, line 41); providing a first, internal stator part comprising a plurality of longitudinal teeth (11, Fig. 2, col. 6, lines 4-23), wherein each consecutive tooth of the plurality of longitudinal teeth is spaced by a space configured to make a lower part (11, a1, Fig. 2) of the closed slots of the stator, and wherein each tooth of the plurality of longitudinal teeth includes a first planar side, a second planar side, a first angled portion extending at a radially outward portion of the first planar side and a second angled portion extending at a radially outward portion of the second planar side to form a point with the first angled portion as shown in Fig. 3 (col. 6, line 26 to col. 7, line 3); winding the at least one strap on the first, internal stator part by placing the first sectors of the at least one strap straps into the spaces included between the teeth as shown in Fig. 5.
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However, Kawasaki et al. silent a process of connecting the two free ends of every the at least one strap. Ito et al. teach a process for making a continuous winding for a stator of an electric machine, comprising steps of: bending on a plane at least one strip (17, Fig. 4) to make at least one strap (11, Fig. 11) in a single piece (paragraph [0045]), wherein the at least one strap includes a plurality of first sectors (12) configured to be inserted inside closed slots of a stator (5, Fig. 8) and mutually connected by a plurality of second bending sectors (13, Fig. 5), paragraphs [0050] and [0054]) configured to remain outside the closed slots of the stator (i.e., Fig. 16 and Fig. 19); and connecting the two free ends (15) of at least one strap as shown in Fig. 1 (paragraph [0045]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify a process of making a continuous winding for a stator of an electric machine of Kawasaki et al. by connecting the two free ends of every the at least one strap as taught by Ito et al. in order to connect two end of the conductors to form a closed loop of the windings.
Re. claim 3: Ito et al. also teach that the first sectors are mutually parallel and alternated with one of the plurality of the second bending sectors as shown in Fig. 5, wherein every first sector is connected in at least one end every first sector to a second sector of the plurality of second bending sectors (paragraphs [0045] and [0050]).
Re. claim 4: Ito et al. also teach that the two ends of each first sector are connected to two different second sectors as shown in Figs 1, 5 and 7.
Re. claim 5: Ito et al. also teach that three straps are made and wound mutually alternated on the first, internal stator part as shown in Figs. 1 and 7.
Re. claim 6: Ito et al. also teach that the at least one strap handles a first electrical phase and the electric machine comprises a separate additional strap for every additional electric phase (paragraphs [0040] and [0072]).
Re. claim 7: Ito et al. also teach that the at least one strap is wound on the first stator part, in the spaces included between the teeth (Fig. 8), through a relative rotation of the first, internal stator part with respect to the at least one strap (Fig. 9, paragraph [0054]).
Re. claim 8: Ito et al. also teach that the section of the at least one strap has a shape of the section of the closed slots of the stator as shown in Fig. 10.
Re. claim 9: Ito et al. also teach that a plurality of first sectors is mutually connected by a plurality of second sectors alternated thereto as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the at least one strap is configured for be wound on the first, internal stator part by placing the first sectors in the spaces included between each one of the plurality of longitudinal teeth as shown in Fig. 10.
Re. claim 10: Ito et al. also teach that each one of the plurality of the first sectors are mutually parallel as shown in Fig. 5, being every first sector connected in at least one end thereof to a second sector, and in that the winding comprises three mutually alternated straps as shown in Figs. 1 and 7.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawasaki et al. in view of Ito et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Roer et al. (PGPub 2018/0152069 A1).
Kawasaki et al., modified by Ito et al., teach all limitations as set forth above, but silent a step of insulating the welding spots and a step of checking an absence of connection errors, welding problems or of short- circuit problems. Roer et al. teach a process for making a stator including processes of induction welding the free ends (18, 20, Fig. 3) of the windings (10) follow by insulating the welding spots (by applying a glass-fiber-reinforced plastic 28, paragraph [0067]) and checking an absence of connection errors, welding problems or of short-circuit problems (i.e., one continuous piece of the winding of the stator is highly cumbersome and must expediently be performed by hand in order-in particular at the bend points-to monitor the integrity of the wires and also the insulation of the wire already during the winding process, paragraph [0002]). In addition, Roer et al. also teach that the electrical connection is tested to identify a short circuit (i.e., the electrical connection is produced merely for the purposes of testing the production of the screw connection. The interconnection of the coils during later use differs from the connection configuration illustrated and is accordingly merely exemplary. Specifically, the interconnection configuration illustrated in FIG. 6 involves a self-contained strand, that is to say a short circuit, paragraph [0075]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify a process of fabricating a continuous winding for a stator of Kawasaki et al., modified by Ito et al., by insulating the welding spots and checking an absence of connection errors, welding problems or of short- circuit problems as taught by Roer et al. in order to ensure proper insulation of the windings thereby preventing short-circuits that would stop the stator from functioning as intended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-4565. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:00 AM-2:00 PM.
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/PAUL D KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
