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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Page 8, lines 12-23, filed 06/02/2025, with respect to objections to the claims have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of claim 1 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection of claims 1-20 under 35 USC 102 and 103 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 § 102
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, 2, 6, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SANO (US 20130307363; previously cited).
Regarding Claim 1, SANO discloses a rotating electric machine comprising:
a stator (2); and
a rotor (10) provided on an inner circumferential side of the stator (2)(see para [0047] ), wherein
the rotor (10) has a rotor core (12) fixed to a shaft (14), a plurality of pairs of magnet slots provided so as to be opposed to each other such that a distance therebetween is narrowed toward a radially inner side while being centered at a d axis (C) which is a magnetic pole center of the rotor core (12)(see Fig. 7), a pair of magnets (28, 50) inserted in the pair of magnet slots, and each of a plurality of center flux barriers (32, 52) provided on the d axis (C) between a different pair of magnet slots, among the plurality of pairs of magnet slots,
the magnet slots, the magnets (28,50), and the center flux barriers (32, 52) are respectively configured so as to make N layers,
N is an integer not less than 2, and
N flux barrier layers are formed by the magnet slots in the N layers and the center flux barriers (32, 52) in the N layers, and a distance in a radial direction between the (N-1)th-layer center flux barrier and the Nth-layer center flux barrier is the smallest among distances between the flux barrier layer for (N-1)th layer and the flux barrier layer for Nth layer (see annotated Fig. 7, below).
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Regarding Claim 2, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 1, wherein
ends on the Nth-layer center flux barrier side of rib portions formed between the (N-1)th- layer center flux barrier and the (N-1)th-layer magnet slots are located on the external side in a circumferential direction with respect to a narrow portion formed between the (N-1)th-layer center flux barrier and the Nth-layer center flux barrier. (see annotated Fig. 7, below)
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Regarding Claim 6, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 1, wherein
a flux barrier having no magnets (36) is provided on a radially outer side of the flux barrier layer for first layer (see Fig. 7).
Regarding Claim 14, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 2, wherein a flux barrier having no magnets (36) is provided on a radially outer side of the flux barrier layer for first layer (see Fig. 7).
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 3, 7, 15, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SANO in view of SANO-561 (US 8957561; previously cited).
Regarding Claim 3, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 1.
However, SANO does not disclose at least one side of a radially inner side and a radially outer side of at least one of the center flux barriers in the N layers protrudes with respect to the magnet slots belonging to the same layer as the center flux barrier.
SANO-561 discloses a rotor for a rotary electric machine with center flux barriers wherein at least one side of a radially inner side and a radially outer side of at least one of the center flux barriers in the N layers protrudes with respect to the magnet slots belonging to the same layer as the center flux barrier. (See Fig. 3)
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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 of SANO with the protruding center flux barrier similar to SANO-561.
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 orient the magnetic flux generated at the opposing face side of a pair of permanent magnets towards the outer periphery, and also regulate the flow of q-axis magnetic flux, as taught by SANO-561 (see col 6, lines 27-34)
Regarding Claim 7, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 2.
However, SANO does not disclose at least one side of a radially inner side and a radially outer side of at least one of the center flux barriers in the N layers protrudes with respect to the magnet slots belonging to the same layer as the center flux barrier.
SANO-561 discloses a rotor for a rotary electric machine with center flux barriers wherein at least one side of a radially inner side and a radially outer side of at least one of the center flux barriers in the N layers protrudes with respect to the magnet slots belonging to the same layer as the center flux barrier. (See Fig. 3)
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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 of SANO with the protruding center flux barrier similar to SANO-561.
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 orient the magnetic flux generated at the opposing face side of a pair of permanent magnets towards the outer periphery, and also regulate the flow of q-axis magnetic flux, as taught by SANO-561 (see col 6, lines 27-34).
Regarding Claim 15, SANO in view of SANO-561 teaches the rotating electric machine according to claim 3.
SANO discloses a flux barrier having no magnets (36) is provided on a radially outer side of the flux barrier layer for first layer (see Fig. 7).
Regarding Claim 18, SANO in view of SANO-561 teaches the rotating electric machine according to claim 7.
SANO discloses a flux barrier having no magnets (36) is provided on a radially outer side of the flux barrier layer for first layer (see Fig. 7).
Claims 4, 8, 16, 19, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SANO in view of SOMA (US 11646615; previously cited).
Regarding Claim 4, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 1.
However, SANO does not disclose an intermediate center flux barrier is provided on the d axis in at least one of radial- direction intervals between the (N-1)th-layer center flux barrier and the Nth-layer center flux barrier.
SOMA discloses a motor with a rotor having a two-layer magnet slot and flux layer arrangement wherein an intermediate center flux barrier (261,262) is provided on the d axis in at least one of radial-direction intervals between the (N-1)th-layer and the Nth- layer center flux barrier (60) (See annotated Fig. 2 of Soma, below).
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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 of SANO with the intermediate center flux barrier provided on the d axis in at least one of radial-direction intervals between the (N-1)th-layer center flux barrier and the Nth- layer center flux barrier, similar to that of SOMA
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modifications in order to reduce the wraparound magnetic flux in the vicinity of the d-axis side and suppresses the stress generated in the rotor core due to the centrifugal load of the rotor or the press-fitting load of the rotor shaft, by the addition of the intermediate center flux barrier (261,262), as SOMA teaches (See Col. 9, lines 21-40).
Regarding Claim 8, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 2.
However, SANO does not disclose an intermediate center flux barrier is provided on the d axis (C) in at least one of radial- direction intervals between the (N-1)th-layer center flux barrier and the Nth-layer center flux barrier.
SOMA discloses a motor with a rotor having a two-layer magnet slot and flux layer arrangement wherein an intermediate center flux barrier (261,262) is provided on the d axis in at least one of radial-direction intervals between the (N-1)th-layer and the Nth- layer center flux barrier (60) (See annotated Fig. 2 of Soma, below).
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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 of SANO with the intermediate center flux barrier provided on the d axis in at least one of radial-direction intervals between the (N-1)th-layer center flux barrier and the Nth- layer center flux barrier, similar to that of SOMA
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modifications in order to reduce the wraparound magnetic flux in the vicinity of the d-axis side and suppresses the stress generated in the rotor core due to the centrifugal load of the rotor or the press-fitting load of the rotor shaft, by the addition of the intermediate center flux barrier (261,262), as SOMA teaches (See Col. 9, lines 21-40).
Regarding Claim 16, SANO in view of SOMA teaches the rotating electric machine according to claim 4.
SANO discloses a flux barrier having no magnets is provided on a radially outer side of the flux barrier layer for first layer.
Regarding Claim 19, SANO in view of SOMA teaches the rotating electric machine according to claim 8.
SANO discloses a flux barrier having no magnets is provided on a radially outer side of the flux barrier layer for first layer.
Regarding Claim 21, SANO discloses a rotating electric machine comprising:
a stator (2); and
a rotor (10) provided on an inner circumferential side of the stator (2), wherein
the rotor (10) has a rotor core (12) fixed to a shaft (14), a plurality of pairs of magnet slots provided so as to be opposed each other such that a distance therebetween is narrowed toward a radially inner side while being centered at a d axis (C) which is a magnetic pole center of the rotor core (12), a pair of magnets inserted in the pair of magnet slots, and each of a plurality of center flux barriers (32, 52) provided on the d axis (C) between a different pair of magnet slots, among the plurality of pairs of magnet slots,
the magnet slots, the magnets, and the center flux barriers (32, 52) are respectively configured so as to make N layers,
N is an integer not less than 2, and
N flux barrier layers are formed by the magnet slots in the N layers and the center flux barriers (32, 52) in the N layers, and a distance in a radial direction between the (N-1)th-layer center flux barrier and the Nth-layer center flux barrier is the smallest among distances between the flux barrier layer for (N-1)th layer and the flux barrier layer for Nth layer(see annotated Fig. 7, below).
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However, SANO does not disclose an intermediate center flux barrier is provided on the d axis in at least one of radial- direction intervals between the (N-1)th-layer center flux barrier and the Nth-layer center flux barrier, a first narrow portion is formed between the (N-1)th-layer central flux barrier and the intermediate central flux barrier, and a second narrow portion is formed between the Nth-layer central flux barrier and the intermediate central flux barrier, and a sum of the distances between the first narrow portion and the second narrow portion is smaller than a distance between the (N- 1)th-layer flux barrier layer and the-Nth layer flux barrier layer other than the first narrow portion and the second narrow portion.
SOMA discloses a motor with a rotor having a two-layer magnet slot and flux layer arrangement wherein an intermediate center flux barrier (261,262) is provided on the d axis in at least one of radial-direction intervals between the (N-1)th-layer and the Nth- layer center flux barrier (60) (See annotated Fig. 2, below).
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SOMA discloses a first narrow portion is formed between the (N-1)th-layer central flux barrier and the intermediate central flux barrier, and a second narrow portion is formed between the Nth-layer central flux barrier and the intermediate central flux barrier, and a sum of the distances between the first narrow portion and the second narrow portion is smaller than a distance between the (N- 1)th-layer flux barrier layer and the-Nth layer flux barrier layer other than the first narrow portion and the second narrow portion (See annotated enlargement of Fig. 2, above).
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 of SANO with the intermediate center flux barrier provided on the d axis in at least one of radial-direction intervals between the (N-1)th-layer center flux barrier and the Nth- layer center flux barrier, and a first narrow portion is formed between the (N-1)th-layer central flux barrier and the intermediate central flux barrier, and a second narrow portion is formed between the Nth-layer central flux barrier and the intermediate central flux barrier, and a sum of the distances between the first narrow portion and the second narrow portion is smaller than a distance between the (N- 1)th-layer flux barrier layer and the-Nth layer flux barrier layer other than the first narrow portion and the second narrow portion similar to that of SOMA
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modifications in order to reduce the wraparound magnetic flux in the vicinity of the d-axis side and suppresses the stress generated in the rotor core due to the centrifugal load of the rotor or the press-fitting load of the rotor shaft, by the addition of the intermediate center flux barrier (261,262), as SOMA teaches (See Col. 9, lines 21-40).
Claims 5, 9, 17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SANO in view of LAHR US (20210091630; previously cited).
Regarding Claim 5, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 1.
However, SANO does not disclose the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other.
LAHR discloses a rotor for a rotary electric machine with center flux barrier layers wherein the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other (see para [0051]).
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 of SANO with the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots integrally formed with each other, similar to LAHR.
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 improve magnet performance of the rotor assembly as taught by LAHR (see para [0051]).
Regarding Claim 9, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 2.
However, SANO does not disclose the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other.
LAHR discloses a rotor for a rotary electric machine with center flux barrier layers wherein the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other (see para [0051]).
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 of SANO with the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots integrally formed with each other, similar to LAHR.
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 improve magnet performance of the rotor assembly as taught by LAHR (see para [0051]).
Regarding Claim 17, SANO in view of LAHR teaches the rotating electric machine according to claim 5.
SANO discloses a flux barrier (36) having no magnets is provided on a radially outer side of the flux barrier layer for first layer (see Fig. 7).
Regarding Claim 20, SANO in view of LAHR teaches the rotating electric machine according to claim 9.
SANO discloses a flux barrier (36) having no magnets is provided on a radially outer side of the flux barrier layer for first layer (see Fig. 7).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SANO in view of SANO-561 as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of LAHR.
Regarding Claim 10, SANO in view of SANO-561 teaches the rotating electric machine according to claim 3.
However, SANO in view of SANO-561 does not teach the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other.
LAHR discloses a rotor for a rotary electric machine with center flux barrier layers wherein the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other (see para [0051]).
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 of SANO in view of SANO-561 with the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots integrally formed with each other, similar to LAHR.
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 improve magnet performance of the rotor assembly as taught by LAHR (see para [0051]).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SANO in view of SOMA as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of LAHR.
Regarding Claim 11, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 4.
However, SANO in view of SOMA does not teach the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other.
LAHR discloses a rotor for a rotary electric machine with center flux barrier layers wherein the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other (see para [0051]).
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 of SANO in view of SOMA with the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots integrally formed with each other, similar to LAHR.
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 improve magnet performance of the rotor assembly as taught by LAHR (see para [0051]).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SANO in view of SANO-561 as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of LAHR.
Regarding Claim 12, SANO in view of SANO-561 teaches the rotating electric machine according to claim 7.
However, SANO in view of SANO-561 does not teach the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other.
LAHR discloses a rotor for a rotary electric machine with center flux barrier layers wherein the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other (see para [0051]).
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 of SANO in view of SANO-561 with the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots integrally formed with each other, similar to LAHR.
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 improve magnet performance of the rotor assembly as taught by LAHR (see para [0051]).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SANO in view of SOMA as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of LAHR.
Regarding Claim 13, SANO discloses the rotating electric machine according to claim 8.
However, SANO in view of SOMA does not teach the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other.
LAHR discloses a rotor for a rotary electric machine with center flux barrier layers wherein the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots are integrally formed with each other (see para [0051]).
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 of SANO in view of SOMA with the first-layer center flux barrier and the first-layer magnet slots integrally formed with each other, similar to LAHR.
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 improve magnet performance of the rotor assembly as taught by LAHR (see para [0051]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-20030164655-A1 to Biais discloses a rotor for an electric machine with intermediate flux barrier layers, US-20110012464-A1 to Lee discloses a rotor for an electric machine with flux barrier layers.
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 JUSTIN STEFANON whose telephone number is (703)756-4648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternate Fridays 8AM - 5PM EDT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye Iwarere can be reached at (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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/JUSTIN STEFANON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834