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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 04/14/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 3-20 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 § 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 3, 6-11, 17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by OGUCHI (JP 2019103245).
Regarding claim 1, OGUCHI discloses a cooling structure comprising:
a housing 50 having a cooling channel 41 defined in the housing through which a coolant flows (para [0018]) and a hole 51 connected to the cooling channel 41; and
a sealing cap 61 fitted to the hole 51 to seal the hole 51, wherein the sealing cap 61 comprises a blocking member 62 protruding from a surface of the sealing cap and contacting with an internal surface of the cooling channel by extending through the cooling channel (Fig. 4 and para [0026]).
Regarding claim 3, OGUCHI discloses the cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the blocking member 62 is band-shaped and is provided on one surface of the sealing cap 61 (Fig. 4 and para [0026]).
Regarding claim 6, OGUCHI discloses the cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the sealing cap 61 is press-fitted into the housing 50 (via o-ring 63; see para [0039]).
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Regarding claim 7, OGUCHI discloses the cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the hole 51 is configured for demolding when the housing 50 is cast. (The hole is so configured as broadly claimed. “The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process." In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985)” MPEP 2213.I.)
Regarding claim 8, OGUCHI discloses the cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the cooling channel 41 comprises a plurality of channel portions spaced apart from each other and extending in the housing 50 in in various directions (i.e. once the sealing cap is installed, there are two, one on either side of the blocking member; see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 9, OGUCHI discloses the cooling structure of claim 8, wherein the hole 51 is provided between adjacent ones of the channel portions (i.e. once the sealing cap is installed, there are two, one on either side of the hole; see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 10, OGUCHI discloses the cooling structure of claim 9, wherein the sealing cap 61 comprises a blocking member 62 positioned between adjacent ones of the channel portions in the hole 51, and wherein the blocking member 62 is disposed in the sealing cap 61 to be in contact with an internal surface of the housing 50 (see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 11, OGUCHI discloses the cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the housing 50 is a part of an in-wheel motor of a vehicle (see para [0012]).
Regarding claim 17, OGUCHI discloses a motor 100 comprising: a stator 20 including
a housing 50 including a cooling channel 41 and a hole 51 being in fluid communication with the cooling channel 41, wherein a coolant flows through the cooling channel 41; and
a sealing cap 61 fitted to the hole 51, wherein the sealing cap 61 includes a blocking member 62 protruding from a surface of the sealing cap and contacting with an internal surface of the cooling channel 41 by extending through the cooling channel 41 (Fig. 4 and para [0026]).
Regarding claim 19, OGUCHI discloses the motor of claim 17, wherein the sealing cap 61 is press-fitted into the housing 50 (via o-ring 63; see para [0039]).
Regarding claim 20, OGUCHI discloses the motor of claim 17, further comprising a rotor 10 configured to rotate with respect to the stator 20.
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.
Claims 4 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over OGUCHI in view of ANDERSSON (US 20230198321; previously cited).
Regarding claim 4, OGUCHI discloses the cooling structure of claim 1.
However, OGUCHI does not disclose the blocking member 62 comprises a rubber material.
ANDERSSON discloses a sealing system in a stator cooling system for electric machines made of rubber (70) (see para [0041]).
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 cooling system of OGUCHI with the blocking member 62 comprising a rubber material similar to ANDERSSON.
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 a secure, leak-proof seal (see para [0041]).
Regarding claim 18, OGUCHI discloses the motor of claim 17.
However, OGUCHI does not disclose the blocking member 62 is formed of rubber, and the sealing cap 61 is formed of steel.
ANDERSSON discloses a sealing system in a stator cooling system for electric machines made of a combination of steel (60) and rubber (70) (see para [0040]-[0041]).
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 cooling system of OGUCHI with the blocking member 62 is formed of rubber, and the sealing cap 61 is formed of steel, similar to ANDERSSON.
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 support for a sealing system and provide a secure, leak-proof seal, as taught by ANDERSSON (see para [0040]-[0041]).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over OGUCHI in view of BIRCH (US 5220233; previously cited), and further in view of KIM (US 20170302137; previously cited).
Regarding claim 5, OGUCHI discloses the cooling structure of claim 1. However, OGUCHI does not disclose the sealing cap and the housing are formed of a steel material.
BIRCH discloses a cooling system for an electrical machine with coolant passages, the stator being made of steel (see abstract).
KIM discloses a cooling system for an electrical machine with coolant passages and a fixing member made of steel (see para [0044]).
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 cooling system of OGUCHI with the sealing cap and the housing are formed of a steel material, similar to KIM and BIRCH.
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 a sealing cap and housing with similar thermal coefficients of expansion as taught by KIM (see para [0044]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. SHIBUYA JP 2017118668 discloses a sealing cap 57 with a blocking member 59 contacting with an internal surface of a cooling channel by extending through the cooling channel (see Fig. 13).
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
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