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 .
The examiner has been attempted to contact Mr. Jong Wan Suh in order to resolve the 112b issues in claims 6 and 7. Applicant, however, cannot be reached.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-2, 4, 6-10, 12 and 15 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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second
paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
As to claim 6, the recitation “the protrusion” at line 1 is in the singular while claim 1 recites “a pair of protrusions” at line 14. It is suggested that “the protrusion” at line 1 should be changed to "each protrusion" for clarity.
As to claim 7, the recitation “the protrusion” at line 1 is in the singular while claim 1 recites “a pair of protrusions” at line 14. It is suggested that “the protrusion” at line 1 should be changed to "each protrusion" for clarity.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4, 8-10, 12 and 15 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
As to claim 1, Li discloses a motor assembly comprising: a housing (Fig. 5); an impeller provided inside the housing (Fig. 5); a stator provided inside the housing and provided with a plurality of phase coils (Fig. 5); a rotor (Fig. 5) provided with a rotation shaft (10; Fig. 8) connected to the impeller and rotatably disposed with respect to the stator.
PNG
media_image1.png
594
693
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
591
617
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Li fails to disclose a connection ring formed of an electrical conductor, and connected to one
ends of the plurality of phase coils, wherein the connection ring comprises: a ring-shaped body with an
opening at one side thereof; and a plurality of phase coil connection portions each extending in a radial
direction from the body to be connected to ends of the plurality of phase coils, respectively.
As to claim 1, Takada discloses a connection ring comprising an electrical conductor (Fig. 8), and
connected to one ends of the plurality of phase coils, a bracket coupled to the housing to support the rotation shaft (Fig. 8), wherein the connection ring comprises: a ring-shaped body with an opening at one side thereof (Fig. 8); and a plurality of phase coil connection portions each extending in a radial direction from the body to be connected to ends of the plurality of phase coils (Fig. 8), respectively.
PNG
media_image3.png
660
514
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Li and Takada fail to discloses wherein the connection ring is provided with a pair of protrusions on respective circumferential sides thereof in an axial direction, respectively, wherein the bracket is provided with a pair of protrusion accommodation portions at respective circumferential sides thereof, such that the pair of protrusions are inserted and blocked from being separated from the bracket, wherein the pair of protrusion accommodation portions are each inclined with respect to an axial direction, to be spaced apart from each other toward the circumferential sides of the bracket, and wherein the protrusions are retained within the pair of protrusion accommodation portions, respectively, while being elastically deflected to be inclined with respect to the axial direction along the pair of protrusion accommodation portions.
As to dependent claims 2, 4, 8-10, 12, and 15, they are allowed for the similar reasons as set forth above regarding independent claim 1.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claims 6-7 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 ETHAN N VO whose telephone number is (571)270-7593. The examiner can
normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a
USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use
the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor,
Christopher M Koehler can be reached on 571 272 3560. The fax phone number for the organization
where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from
Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To
file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and
https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional
questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199
(IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ETHAN NGUYEN VO/
Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834