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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by anticipated by Dang (US20220337113, “Dang”).
Re claim 16, Dang discloses a method for an electric motor, comprising:
flowing lubricant through a static lance 24 to a first section of a lubricant distributor (figs 2 & below, [0030-0031], lub. dist. includes opening 22 in shaft 12 & openings to 33 & 35 indicated below since no structural limitations are provided; 1st & 2nd sections divided by dashed line in fig below), wherein the static lance 24 comprises a T-shape (figs-2-4, has a T-shaped cross-section) and the static lance 24 terminates in the first section of the lubricant distributor (figs 2 & below);
generating a first film on an inner diameter of the lubricant distributor of the electric motor via air from an axial air intake channel (figs 2 & below, some oil collects in indicated portion at least temporarily before going through 35; doesn’t disclose any seal between shaft and lance so opening indicated below for axial air gap capable of allowing air in); and
cooling bearing 27 via the first film (figs 2 & below, [0030]).
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Re claim 17, Dang discloses claim 16 as discussed above and further discloses lubricant generating the first film is sprayed by a plurality of radial nozzles arranged on a second arm of the lance normal to a first arm (figs 2-3, above for claim 16 & below), and wherein the second arm extends into the lubricant distributor and a shaft 12 (figs 2-3 & above for claim 16), and terminates in the first section of the lubricant distributor (figs 2 & above for claim 16).
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Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/16/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Dang does not disclose the static lance terminating in the first section of the lubricant distributor (pg 9, last para to pg 10, ln 6). Examiner disagrees.
Applicant incorrectly states the internal channel 22 is part of the static lance (pg 10, lns 1-2). As seen in Dang annotated fig 2 below, 24 includes two parts, a vertical portion outside the shaft and a horizontal portion inside the shaft. The lubricant distributor includes the opening 22 and openings to 33 and 35. As can be seen in annotated fig. 2 above for claim 16, the horizontal portion of 24 terminates in the first section of the lubricant distributor.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-5 and 7-15 allowed.
The following is an examiner' s statement of reasons for allowance:
The main reason for allowing claim 1 and its dependent claims 2-5 and 7-8 is the inclusion of the limitations, inter alia, of:
“A rotor assembly of an electric motor, comprising:
a shaft 302;
a lubricant distributor 310 inserted into the shaft, the lubricant distributor comprising a first section comprising a plurality of first nozzles 314 and a second section comprising a plurality of second nozzles 322, the lubricant distributor further comprising an overflow portion 320 arranged between the first and second sections; and
a lance 306 positioned adjacent to the first section of the lubricant distributor, the lance comprising a plurality of radial nozzles 309, and wherein the lance comprises a first arm integrally arranged in a body of the electric motor and a second arm, that is normal to the first arm, interior to the first section of the lubricant distributor, wherein the second arm terminates in the first section of the lubricant distributor, and the plurality of radial nozzles 309 are positioned upstream of the plurality of first nozzles 314.”
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The closest prior art Tsuchihashi (WO2019208641) does not disclose the above limitations, as discussed by applicant (12/16/25 arguments, pg 8, 1st to 2nd paragraphs).
The main reason for allowing claim 9 and its dependent claims 10-15 is the inclusion of the limitations, inter alia, of:
“An electric motor, comprising:
a rotor shaft;
a lubricant distributor inserted into the rotor shaft, the lubricant distributor comprising a plurality of first nozzles configured to lubricate at least one bearing 316 and a plurality of second nozzles configured to lubricant rotor laminations;
a static lance having a plurality of radial nozzles, the lance extending into a conduit of the rotor shaft interior to the lubricant distributor, wherein the static lance comprises a T-shape, and wherein the lance terminates upstream of the plurality of second nozzles, and the plurality of radial nozzles are positioned upstream of the plurality of first nozzles; and
an air gap 312 arranged between the lubricant distributor and the static lance.”
The closest prior art Tsuchihashi (WO2019208641) and Dang (US20220337113, either alone or in combination, do not disclose the above limitations, as discussed by applicant (12/16/25 arguments, pg 8, 1st to 2nd paragraphs & pg 9, 1st full paragraph).
Claims 18-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The main reason for indicating claim 18 and its dependent claims 19-20 as allowable is the inclusion of the limitations, inter alia, of:
“The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a second film on an inner diameter of the shaft 302 via spraying lubricant from a plurality of first nozzles 314 of the lubricant distributor 310, the plurality of first nozzles of the lubricant distributor arranged in the first section of the lubricant distributor, downstream of the plurality of radial nozzles 309.”
The closest prior art Dang et al. (US20220337113) does not disclose the above limitations.
Dang discloses generating the first film via the first nozzles, the first nozzles arranged in the first section of the lubricant distributor downstream of the plurality of radial nozzles (figs above for claims 16-17), but does not disclose generating a second film on an inner diameter of the shaft via spraying lubricant from the plurality of first nozzles of the lubricant distributor, the plurality of first nozzles of the lubricant distributor arranged in the first section of the lubricant distributor.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5715. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:30-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached on (571)270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERIC JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834