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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/23/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3-4, 9-12, 15, and 18-20 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 4, 9-11, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HIRAI (US 20160056690; previously cited) in view of HUANG (US 20150303753; previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, HIRAI discloses an electric machine 1 adapted for use in an aircraft propulsion system (the motor may be adapted for such use), the electric machine comprising
a shaft 10 extending along an axis and configured to rotate about the axis,
a magnetic rotor drum 20 that includes a rotor drum body 21 (para [0035]) and a magnet coupled with the rotor drum body for rotation therewith, and
a rotor hub 22, 50 that interconnects the shaft 10 and the rotor drum body 21 and moves air surrounding the electric machine in response to rotation of the shaft 10 about the axis to cool the shaft 10 and the magnetic rotor drum 20, the rotor hub 22, 50 having air-moving means 22 for drawing air axially along the shaft 10 toward the rotor drum body 21 at a first radial distance to transfer heat from the shaft 10 to the air and for urging the air axially away from the rotor drum body 21 at a second radial distance greater than the first radial distance (Fig. 7),
wherein the air-moving means 22 includes a forward rotor end cap and an aft rotor end cap that each extend radially between the shaft 10 and the rotor drum body 21 of the magnetic rotor drum 20, and a forward impeller that extends axially forward away from the forward rotor end cap and the magnetic rotor drum 20, and an aft impeller that extends axially aft away from the aft rotor end cap and the magnetic rotor drum 20 (para [0035]).
wherein the rotor drum body 21 of the magnetic rotor drum 20 is formed to include a hollow cavity therein and the forward rotor end cap and the aft rotor end cap cooperate to encase axial ends of the rotor drum body 21 to block fluid communication with the hollow cavity through the axial ends of the rotor drum body 21 (para [0035]),
wherein the air includes a forward air and an aft air and the forward air is blocked from flowing axially aft past the forward rotor end cap and the aft air is blocked from flowing axially forward past the aft rotor end cap (para [0035] and Fig. 7), and
wherein the rotor hub 22, 50 further includes a baffle 52 having a cylindrical body that extends circumferentially around the shaft 10 and is coaxial with the shaft 10, the baffle 52 is spaced apart radially from the shaft 10 and spaced apart axially from the forward rotor end cap or the aft robot end cap, and the air moving means 22 is disposed axially between the rotor drum body 21 and the baffle 52 so that the air is drawn axially along the shaft 10 at the first radial distance in a passage defined radially between the baffle 52 and the shaft 10 and the air is urged axially away from the magnetic rotor drum 20 at the second radial distance along a radial outer face of the baffle 52 (Fig. 7).
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However, HIRAI does not disclose the magnet is a plurality of magnets arranged circumferentially about the axis.
HUANG teaches an electric motor (10) with a plurality of magnets (50) arranged circumferentially (See paragraph [0008]) about the axis and coupled (fixedly mounted See paragraph [0040]) with the rotor drum body for rotation therewith. (See also paragraph [0028])
It 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 to provide the rotor drum body of HIRAI with a plurality of magnets arranged circumferentially about the axis and coupled with the rotor drum body for rotation therewith, similar to HUANG.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to provide rotor magnets to interact with a stator winding to generate torque in an electric motor as taught by HUANG (See paragraph [0028] of HUANG).
Regarding claim 4, HIRAI in view of HUANG teaches the electric machine of claim 1, wherein HIRAI teaches the impeller includes a plurality of discrete protrusions 22 spaced apart circumferentially around the axis (para [0035]).
Regarding claim 9, HIRAI in view of HUANG teaches the electric machine of claim 1, wherein the shaft 10, the rotor drum body 21 of the magnetic rotor drum 20, and the rotor hub 22, 50 are integrally formed as a single, one- piece component (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 10, HIRAI discloses an electric machine adapted for use in an aircraft propulsion system 102, the electric machine comprising
a shaft 10 extending along an axis and configured to rotate about the axis,
a magnetic rotor drum 20 that includes a rotor drum body 21 and magnet coupled with the rotor drum body 21 for rotation therewith, and
a rotor hub 22, 50 that extends radially between and interconnects the shaft 10 and the rotor drum body 21, the rotor hub 22, 50 having a forward impeller and an aft impeller each including a plurality of blades 22 configured to draw air axially along the shaft 10 toward the magnetic rotor drum 20 at a first radial distance and to urge the air axially away from the magnetic rotor drum 20 at a second radial distance different than the first radial distance in response to rotation of the shaft 10 about the axis (para [0035] and Fig. 7),
a forward rotor end cap and an aft rotor end cap that each extend radially between the shaft 10 and the rotor drum body 21 of the magnetic rotor drum 20,
wherein each of the blades 22 has a fan blade length and a fan blade chord length and a fan blade ratio of the fan blade length to the fan blade chord length is about 1 (Fig. 7),
wherein the forward impeller extends axially forward away from the forward rotor end cap and the magnetic rotor drum 20 and the aft impeller extends axially aft away from the aft rotor end cap and the magnetic rotor drum 20 (para [0035] and Fig. 7),
wherein the rotor drum body 21 of the magnetic rotor drum 20 is formed to include a hollow cavity therein and the forward rotor end cap and the aft rotor end cap cooperate to encase axial ends of the rotor drum body 21 to block fluid communication with the hollow cavity through the axial ends of the rotor drum body 21 (para [0035]),
wherein the air includes a forward air and an aft air and the forward air is blocked from flowing axially aft past the forward rotor end cap and the aft air is blocked from flowing axially forward past the aft rotor end cap (para [0035] and Fig. 7), and
wherein the rotor hub 22, 50 further includes a baffle 52 having a cylindrical body that extends circumferentially around the shaft 10 and is coaxial with the shaft 10, and wherein the baffle 52 is spaced apart radially from the shaft 10 and spaced apart axially from the forward rotor end cap or the aft rotor end cap to direct the air along the shaft 10, around the baffle 52, and along an outside of the baffle 52.
However, HIRAI does not disclose the magnet is a plurality of magnets arranged circumferentially about the axis.
HUANG teaches an electric motor (10) with a plurality of magnets (50) arranged circumferentially (See paragraph [0008]) about the axis and coupled (fixedly mounted See paragraph [0040]) with the rotor drum body for rotation therewith. (See also paragraph [0028])
It 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 to provide the rotor drum body of HIRAI with a plurality of magnets arranged circumferentially about the axis and coupled with the rotor drum body for rotation therewith, similar to HUANG.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to provide rotor magnets to interact with a stator winding to generate torque in an electric motor as taught by HUANG (See paragraph [0028] of HUANG).
Regarding claim 11, HIRAI discloses the electric machine of claim 10, wherein the forward rotor end cap and the aft rotor end cap each interconnect the shaft 10 and the rotor drum body 21 of the magnetic rotor drum 20 (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 18, HIRAI discloses the electric machine of claim 10, wherein the shaft 10, the rotor drum body 21 of the magnetic rotor drum 20, and the rotor hub 22, 50 are integrally formed as a single, one- piece component (Fig. 7).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. FLYDALEN (US 20230095216) is a commonly-owned electric machine with air-cooled motor. CARPENTER US 4742257 discloses fore and aft baffles that are slightly frustoconical. INABA US 20030042806 discloses a cylindrical baffle with inward and outward air flow 80a,80b.
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/JUSTIN STEFANON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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