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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 2/5/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mizushima (JP2021087309A).
Mizushima discloses the claimed invention as follows:
Claim 1. A stator comprising:
a stator core (stator core, not shown; see [0013]); and
a stator winding (20; see [0013]) disposed in the stator core,
the stator winding including multiple rectangular conducting wires (21, 22 in Fig. 1; see “three or more segment coils” in [0013]),
each of the multiple rectangular conducting wires being constituted by a conductor (“copper” in [0014]) coated with an insulating film (21a, 22a), and
each of the multiple rectangular conducting wires having an exposed portion (portion where the weld joint 23 is formed) at a leading end thereof, at which the conductor is exposed, wherein:
the exposed portions of different conducting wires of the multiple rectangular conducting wires are placed parallel to each other so as to contact each other side by side (see Fig. 1) with end faces being initially placed on a same plane1,
the exposed portions of the different conducting wires being joined together at a point of contact therebetween by laser welding (see [0014]) at a coil end section of the stator winding;
a collective width of the conductors at a laser irradiation incidence position of the different conducting wires joined together at the point of contact in a joining direction, at which the exposed portions of the different conducting wires are joined (by upper end of 23, in Fig. 2), is less than a collective width of the conductors joined together at another position (at bottom end of 23, in Fig. 2) opposite to the laser irradiation incidence position of the different conducting wires;
each of a plurality of axial ends configured by connecting the exposed portions of the different conducting wires to each other includes a rise (part of 23 above the area where the probes 11 and 12 make contact) that is made of a molten conductor (see [0015]) and is formed on a laser irradiation incidence side at a joining boundary where the exposed portions are joined together and at least part of the rise protrudes axially beyond an outer contour line of unmelted portions of the exposed portions at an axial end face of the stator core.
Claim 4. The stator as claimed in Claim 1,
wherein at the coil end section leading ends of the multiple rectangular conducting wires (“plurality of segment coils” and “three or more” in [0013]) extended in a first circumferential direction (as 21) and leading ends of the multiple rectangular conducting wires extended in a second circumferential direction (as 22) opposite to the first circumferential direction are connected to each other at a position axially outside of the stator core,
the exposed portions being respectively formed at the leading ends of the conducting wires extended in opposite circumferential directions to each other (see [0018]),
the exposed portions of the conducting wires being joined together by laser welding (see [0020]), and
wherein a collective width of the conductors joined together at a first side at which laser incidence is received is less than at a second side of the conductors joined together, the second side being opposite to the first side (see Fig. 2).
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.
Claim 3, 7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mizushima in view of Nishimura (JP2019122187A).
Mizushima discloses the claimed invention as follows:
Claim 3. The stator as claimed in Claim 1, wherein:
the stator winding is disposed in the stator core with the multiple rectangular conducting wires being accommodated in
multiple sets (“plurality of segment coils” and “three or more” in [0013]) of the exposed portions connected to each other are provided in the stator core,
the exposed portions of the different conducting wires respectively located in the axial ends are superimposed in the radial direction and are joined together by laser welding per set (see Fig. 1 and [0020]).
Mizushima discloses inserting segment coils into holes formed at predetermined positions of the stator core, but does not specifically call the holes “slots”, and the radial and circumferential arrangement of segment coils is not discussed.
Pertinent to claim 1 Nishimura discloses:
A stator comprising:
a stator core (28, Figs. 3 and 4); and
a stator winding (20, Fig. 5) disposed in the stator core,
the stator winding including multiple rectangular conducting wires (10; see Figs. 2 and 4),
each of the multiple rectangular conducting wires being constituted by a conductor (52, Fig. 9) coated with an insulating film (54, Fig. 9), and
each of the multiple rectangular conducting wires having an exposed portion (e.g. 16a, 16b in Fig. 6, 7 and 9) at a leading end thereof, at which the conductor is exposed, wherein:
the exposed portions of different conducting wires of the multiple rectangular conducting wires are placed parallel to each other so as to contact each other side by side (see Figs. 5 and 7),
the exposed portions of the different conducting wires being joined together at a point of contact therebetween by laser welding (see Fig. 7) at a coil end section of the stator winding;
each of a plurality of axial ends configured by connecting the exposed portions of the different conducting wires to each other includes a rise (50 in Fig. 9) that is made of a molten conductor (see [0020] and [0023]) and is formed on a laser irradiation incidence side at a joining boundary where the exposed portions are joined together and at least part of the rise protrudes axially beyond an outer contour line of unmelted portions (see Fig. 9) of the exposed portions at an axial end face of the stator core.
Pertinent to claim 3, Nishimura discloses:
the stator winding is disposed in the stator core with the multiple rectangular conducting wires being accommodated in slots (38, Fig. 3) of the stator core in a multilayer state in a radial direction (see Figs. 2, 4 and 5; see [0015]);
multiple sets of the exposed portions connected to each other are provided in the stator core (see Fig. 5), the multiple sets of exposed portions providing the axial ends in the coil end section so as to align in both the radial direction and a circumferential direction; and
the exposed portions of the different conducting wires respectively located in the axial ends are superimposed in the radial direction and are joined together by laser welding per set.
Pertinent to claim 4, Nishimura discloses: at the coil end section leading ends of the multiple rectangular conducting wires extended in a first circumferential direction and leading ends of the multiple rectangular conducting wires extended in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction are connected to each other at a position axially outside of the stator core (see Figs. 5 and 7),
the exposed portions being respectively formed at the leading ends of the conducting wires extended in opposite circumferential directions to each other 9see Figs. 5 and 7),
the exposed portions of the conducting wires being joined together by laser welding (see Fig. 7).
Pertinent to claim 10, Nishimura discloses: a resin sealer made of insulating resin and disposed so as to cover in an axial direction coil end sections that include the exposed portions. See [0021].
Pertinent to claim 7, Nishimura discloses: each of the exposed portions joined together by welding has a welded portion (50, Fig. 18) made of the molten conductor and a non-welded portion (exposed portion 16a or 16b, excluding 46) in which the unmelted portions of the conductors face each other therebetween.
Whereas it is understood from Mizushima the stator core construction is conventional, the invention being the manner in which conductor segment ends are welded to each other, Mizushima does not explicitly mention the conductor segments being disposed in slots of the stator core, so that multiple sets of conductors to be joined are aligned in the radial direction and circumferential direction as claimed, the claimed features are conventional, as evidenced by Nishimura.
Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to provide a stator core with slots, as the stator core of Mizushima, with a plurality of sets of conductor segments as in Mizushima disposed to be aligned in the radial and circumferential direction as shown in Fig. 5 of Nishimura, since such a winding arrangement is conventional in the art.
Claim(s) 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mizushima in view of Nakamura (US2012/0223599A1).
Mizushima further discloses the claimed invention as follows (limitations not disclosed are crossed out, below):
Claim 7. The stator as claimed in Claim 10, wherein each of the exposed portions joined together by welding has a welded portion (23, Fig. 2) made of the molten conductor and a non-welded portion (below 23, in Fig. 2) in which the unmelted portions of the conductors face each other therebetween.
Claim 10. The stator as claimed in Claim 1,
Claim 11. The stator as claimed in Claim 10, wherein:
the stator winding is disposed in the stator core with the multiple rectangular conducting wires (“plurality of segment coils” and “three or more” in [0013]) being accommodated
the plurality of axial ends are arranged at the coil end section
Mizushima does not explicitly disclose the conductors being entirely covered with insulation (although this is necessarily required, otherwise the conductors would come into electrical contact with each other), except at the welded ends, and a resin sealer sealing the welded connection, as claimed above.
Nakamura shows it is known to form conductor segments of a stator coil from conductors covered with insulation (see [0048]) and to apply a resin material 36 over the welded portions 33f of a stator coil, the resin material 36 being formed in an annular shape, sealing multiple axial ends. See Figs. 4 and 6. See [0033], [0043] and [0063]. The material 36 has a uniform thickness (see Fig. 5 and [0064]), following the shape of the coil conductors. The material seals not only the tip end portions, but extends downwardly in the axial direction, toward the core. Nakamura mentions that welding can cause deterioration of the insulation close to the weld area, and, therefore, teaches the coating region covering not only areas A and B shown in Fig. 5, but further beyond these areas. See [0045] and [0046].
In view of the teachings of Nakamura, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to cover the conductor segments of Mizushima with insulation, to ensure electrical separation between conductors within the stator winding, and to seal the welded connection with insulation, use the technique of Nakamura to insulate the end portions of the conductor segments of Mizushima, to ensure the conductors are sufficiently insulated even if some damage occurs to the insulation during welding. Since surfaces of exposed portions of radially innermost and outermost axial ends of the conducting wires are inclined (see Fig. 2 or Mizushima), insulating the exposed portions using the technique of Nakamura results in the resin sealer having a radially inner circumferential surface and a radially outer circumferential surface each similarly inclined to the axial direction as the corresponding exposed surfaces of the conducting wires.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mizushima in view of Nishimura, further in view of Nakamura.
Mizushima as modified in view of Nishimura renders obvious the claimed invention, except the resin sealer disclosed by Nishimura is not disclosed in sufficient detail to address the limitations of claim 11. Nakamura shows it is known to form conductor segments of a stator coil from conductors covered with insulation (see [0048]) and to apply a resin material 36 over the welded portions 33f of a stator coil, the resin material 36 being formed in an annular shape, sealing multiple axial ends. See Figs. 4 and 6. See [0033], [0043] and [0063]. The material 36 has a uniform thickness (see Fig. 5 and [0064]), following the shape of the coil conductors. The material seals not only the tip end portions, but extends downwardly in the axial direction, toward the core. Nakamura mentions that welding can cause deterioration of the insulation close to the weld area, and, therefore, teaches the coating region covering not only areas A and B shown in Fig. 5, but further beyond these areas. See [0045] and [0046].
In view of the teachings of Nakamura, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have found it obvious to cover the conductor segments of Mizushima with insulation, to ensure electrical separation between conductors within the stator winding, and to seal the welded connection with insulation, use the technique of Nakamura to insulate the end portions of the conductor segments of modified Mizushima, to ensure the conductors are sufficiently insulated even if some damage occurs to the insulation during welding. Since surfaces of exposed portions of radially innermost and outermost axial ends of the conducting wires are inclined (see Fig. 2 or Mizushima), insulating the exposed portions using the technique of Nakamura results in the resin sealer having a radially inner circumferential surface and a radially outer circumferential surface each similarly inclined to the axial direction as the corresponding exposed surfaces of the conducting wires.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments 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
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US2018/0036836A1 discloses stator winding conductors inclined relative to each other and laser-welded, forming a raised portion (see Fig. 4). WO2019159737A1 discloses laser-welded stator winding conductors having a raised portion and inclined conductors. See Fig. 9D.
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/LIVIUS R. CAZAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
1 The language in italics is a process limitation, which does not affect the final structure of the stator.
Prosecution Insights