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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of the invention of Group I, claims 1-8, 18, 19 in the reply filed on 11/18/2025 is acknowledged.
Applicant's election with traverse of Species A in the reply filed on 11/18/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the election of species requirement among species A-C which correspond the invention of Group I is improper. This argument is found persuasive and the election of species requirement among species A-C is withdrawn.
The Applicant also argued that the election of species requirement among species D-G is improper because the claims directed to these species are not mutually exclusive. This argument is not persuasive because the election of species requirement is based on the figures, not the claims.
The Applicant also argued that the Office has not established a serious search and/or examination burden among species D-G. This argument is not persuasive because the species D-G require a different field of search (e.g., employing different search strategies or search queries), for finding the specific nose portion geometries of FIG. 6-10 recited for apparatus Group II.
The remaining requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kenjo et al. (US 2011/0018384 A1, hereinafter Kenjo).
As to claim 1, Kenjo shows (FIG. 1, 10) A system comprising:
a rotor 2 with a longitudinal axis J1;
a stator 3 encircling the rotor 2 and concentric with the longitudinal axis J1; and
an air gap between the stator 3 and the rotor 2,
wherein a radially inward-facing surface of the stator 3, defining a radially outward boundary of the air gap, comprises a plurality of partial grooves 819 that are recessed into the radially inward-facing surface or a plurality of riblets 90a that protrude from the radially inward-facing surface (para [0067]).
As to claim 2/1, Kenjo further shows (FIG. 1, 10) wherein the radially inward-facing surface of the stator 3 comprises the plurality of partial grooves 819.
As to claim 3/2/1, Kenjo further shows (FIG. 1, 10) wherein the plurality of partial grooves 819 are arranged in a plurality of circumferential rings around the longitudinal axis J1, and the plurality of circumferential rings are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis J1.
As to claim 4/3/2/1, Kenjo further shows (FIG. 1, 10) wherein each of the plurality of circumferential rings comprises a plurality of partial grooves 819 that are spaced apart from each other by a circumferential distance (distance between the teeth 815).
As to claim 5/1, Kenjo further shows (FIG. 1, 10) wherein the radially inward-facing surface of the stator 3 comprises the plurality of riblets 90a.
As to claim 6/5/1, Kenjo further shows (FIG. 1, 10) wherein the plurality of riblets 90a are arranged as a plurality of ribs that are each oriented along an axial axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis J1, and the plurality of riblets 90a are spaced apart from each other around the longitudinal axis J1 by a circumferential distance (distance between the teeth 815).
As to claim 7/5/1, Kenjo further shows (FIG. 1, 10) wherein the plurality of riblets 90a are arranged in a plurality of circumferential rings around the longitudinal axis J1, and the plurality of circumferential rings are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis J1.
As to claim 8/7/5/1, Kenjo further shows (FIG. 1, 10) wherein each of the plurality of circumferential rings comprises a plurality of riblets 90a that are spaced apart from each other by a circumferential distance.
As to claim 19, Kenjo shows (FIG. 1, 10) A motor 1 comprising:
a motor rotor 2 with a longitudinal axis J1;
a motor stator 3 encircling the motor rotor 2 and concentric with the longitudinal axis J1;
an air gap between the motor stator 3 and the motor rotor 2;
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at least one end-winding E extending from an end of the motor stator 3 into an end-winding cavity; and
a support structure S that partially defines the end-winding cavity C, wherein the support structure S includes a main body S with a radially outward end and a radially inward end, and a nose portion N extending from the radially inward end and configured to disrupt a recirculation flow within the end-winding cavity C, wherein the nose portion N comprises a plurality of ribs N1, N2 that are each oriented along an axial axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis J1, and wherein the plurality of ribs N1,N2 of the nose portion N are spaced apart from each other around the longitudinal axis J1 by a circumferential distance,
wherein a radially inward-facing surface of the motor stator 3, defining a radially outward boundary of the air gap, comprises a plurality of riblets 90a that protrude from the radially inward-facing surface, wherein the plurality of riblets 90a are arranged as a plurality of ribs that are each aligned with the axial axis J1 of a respective one of the plurality of ribs N1,N2 of the nose portion N.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
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.
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kenjo et al. (US 2011/0018384 A1, hereinafter Kenjo) in view of Murakami et al. (US 20070205688 A1, hereinafter Murakami).
As to claim 18/1, Kenjo was discussed above with respect to claim 1 and Kenjo further shows (FIG. 1) the system of Claim 1; a shaft 21 having the longitudinal axis J1; and a plurality of rotor assemblies 22, 23 attached to the shaft 21.
Kenjo does not show an integrated compressor.
Murakami shows an integrated compressor 32 (FIG. 21, para [0086]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the motor of Kenjo to have an integrated compressor 32 as taught by Murakami, for the advantageous benefit of providing refrigeration in a refrigerator as taught by Murakami (para [0093]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Kadoya et al. (US 6984909 B2) shows axial ribs on a stator.
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/ROBERT E MATES/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834