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 filed 12/11/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The cooling flow path (61) of OKUHATA is an internal surface of the housing (10) as broadly claimed (see Fig. 3 and para [0038]) and the discharge hole (19), into which the sealing cap (80) is inserted, is in contact with the cooling unit (60) at a lower end of the cooling flow path (61) (see Fig. 2 and para [0083]).
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 OKUHATA (US 20200212755).
Regarding claim 1, OKUHATA discloses a cooling structure comprising:
a housing (10) having a cooling channel (61) defined in the housing through which a coolant flows; and
a sealing cap (80) fitted to a hole (19) of the housing (10) to seal the hole (19), wherein the sealing cap (80) comprises a blocking member configured to be in contact with an internal surface of the housing (10) (see annotated inset, Fig. 2, below).
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Regarding claim 3, OKUHATA discloses the cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the blocking member is band-shaped and is provided on one surface of the sealing cap (80) (see inset, Fig. 2, above).
Regarding claim 6, OKUHATA discloses the cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the sealing cap (80) is press-fitted into the housing (10)(see para [0083]).
Regarding claim 7, OKUHATA discloses the cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the hole (19) is configured for demolding when the housing (10) 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, OKUHATA discloses the cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the cooling channel (61) comprises a plurality of channel portions spaced apart from each other and extending in the housing (10) in in various directions (see Fig. 5).
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Regarding claim 9, OKUHATA discloses the cooling structure of claim 8, wherein the hole (19) is provided between adjacent ones (i.e. 61c and 63, among others) of the channel portions.
Regarding claim 10, OKUHATA discloses the cooling structure of claim 9, wherein the sealing cap (80) comprises a blocking member positioned between adjacent ones of the channel portions in the hole (19), and wherein the blocking member is disposed in the sealing cap (80) to be in contact with an internal surface of the housing (10) (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 11, OKUHATA discloses the cooling structure of claim 1, wherein the housing (10) is a part of an in-wheel motor of a vehicle (see para [0089]).
Regarding claim 17, OKUHATA discloses a motor (1) comprising: a stator (30) including a housing (10) including a cooling channel (61) and a hole (19) being in fluid communication with the cooling channel (61), wherein a coolant flows through the cooling channel (61); and a sealing cap (80) fitted to the hole (19), wherein the sealing cap (80) includes a blocking member (horizontal portion) configured to be in contact with an internal surface of the housing (10), the blocking member protruding from a portion of the sealing cap (80) (see annotated inset, Fig. 2, above).
Regarding claim 19, OKUHATA discloses the motor of claim 17, wherein the sealing cap (80) is press-fitted into the housing (10)(see para [0083]).
Regarding claim 20, OKUHATA discloses the motor of claim 17, further comprising a rotor (30) configured to rotate with respect to the stator (30).
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 OKUHATA in view of ANDERSSON.
Regarding claim 4, OKUHATA discloses the cooling structure of claim 1.
However, OKUHATA does not disclose the blocking member 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 OKUHATA with the blocking member 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, OKUHATA discloses the motor of claim 17.
However, OKUHATA does not disclose the blocking member is formed of rubber, and the sealing cap (80) 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 OKUHATA with the blocking member is formed of rubber, and the sealing cap (80) 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 OKUHATA in view of BIRCH (US 5220233), and further in view of KIM (US 20170302137).
Regarding claim 5, OKUHATA discloses the cooling structure of claim 1. However, OKUHATA 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 OKUHATA 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
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