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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/03/25 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
“A method for manufacturing a stator coil for a stator for a rotary electric machine operatively associated with laser welding for manufacturing a stator coil for a rotary electric machine, the method comprising steps of: “ (preamble of claim 1) should be updated to:
--"A method for manufacturing a stator coil of a rotary electric machine operatively associated with a laser welder, the method comprising steps of: “--.
“a process of abutting, on each other, tip end parts of one coil piece and another one coil piece; and” (claim 1, lines 4-5) should be updated to:
--" abutting on each other tip end parts of one coil piece and other one coil piece by a laser beam generated by the laser welder; and” --, to reflect changes as in the preamble line 3.
“a welding process of irradiating a welding target location at the tip end parts having been abutted with a laser beam from a laser having a wavelength of 0.6 µm or less in order to join the one coil piece to the other one coil piece together in order to form a part of the stator coil,” (claim 1, line 6) should also updated as below:
--"forming a welding target location at the abutted tip end parts; and simultaneously, laser welding the one coil piece to the other one coil piece together at the welding target location by the laser beam to form a part of the stator coil, wherein the laser beam of the laser welding has a wavelength of 0.6
µ
m or less;”—
“wherein, in the welding process, a focal point of the laser beam coincides with the welding target location, and an output distribution at a-the focal point of the laser beam has a flat center part” (claim 1, lines 10-12) should be rewritten to:
-- wherein, in the laser welding a focal point of the laser beam coincides with the welding target location, and an output distribution at the focal point of the laser beam has a flat center part” --, for clarity of the claim languages.
Claims 2-8 should have been amended to reflect changes as noted above. Appropriate correction is required.
NOTE: The above changes to the claims were necessary to correct minor informalities with the claim language by ensuring that certain terms or phrases were recited consistently throughout all of the claims. In no way do these changes affect the scope of the claimed invention.
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 1-8 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.
That the amendment to claims still raise new issues of 112 see below:
Since the preamble has been amended to method associated with the laser welder therefore claim 1 has been updated to reflect such laser welding (see suggestion underline in “claim objection” above).
“wherein a beam diameter at the focal point of the laser beam is Ø 0.1 mm” (claim 2, line 2-3) should be more specific, the use of: --” wherein the laser beam produced during the welding of the welding target location at the focal point has a diameter of 0.1 mm or more” --, since it is not known what is being referring to includes “Ø” as mentioned above.
It is unclear as to what being referring as “Ø 0.1 mm” (see claim 2, line 2-3).
“wherein the welding process includes” (claim 3, lines 1-2) should be directed to: --“wherein the laser welding further comprises” --, to which it directed to in base claim as suggested above (see under claim objection)
“wherein the welding process includes” (claim 5, lines 1-2) should be directed to: --“wherein the laser welding further comprises” --, to which it directed to in base claim as suggested above (see under claim objection)
“in an irradiation direction” (claims 4, 6-8, line 3) should be more specific about the direction in terms of X-Y-Z coordinate system.
The above is example of inconsistency and problematic issue noticed by the Examiner. Applicant is respectfully asked to review the claims above as well as entire application for any deficiency that may still be present.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH N TRINH whose telephone number is (571)272-4569. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH ~5:00-3:30.
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/MINH N TRINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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