DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1, 3-6, 8-9, 11, 13-14 of U.S. Application No. 18264856 filed on 08/09/2023 are presented for examination. Claims 2, 7, 10, 12 have been cancelled.
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 with respect to claim(s) 1-14 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any combination of reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 1, 4-6, 8-9, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alfermann et al. (US 7705495; Hereinafter, “Alfermann”) in view of Cullen et al. (US 2008/0197724; Hereinafter, “Cullen”).
Regarding claim 1: Alfermann discloses a stator (14) comprising: a stator hub (core 20); a plurality of stator teeth (24) extending from the stator hub (20) that define a stator slot (the space between teeth 24); at least one winding (28) disposed in the stator slot (fig. 1-4), the winding (28) including at least one winding cooling passage (37) formed therein (fig. 4); wherein the winding (28) is encased in a potting material (coil 28 is impregnated with epoxy resin 30 including first layer 36 and second layer 41; column 2, lines 35-40, and column 3, lines 44-64) and the winding cooling passage (37) passes through the potting material (fig. 4): wherein the winding cooling passage (37) is connected to an inlet plenum (where passage 50 meets passage 37 as seen in fig. 5).
Alfermann does not specifically show an outlet plenum.
Cullen discloses cooling passage connected to an inlet plenum (56; fig. 13) and an outlet plenum (58).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the stator of Alfermann with the cooling passage connected to an outlet plenum as disclosed by Cullen to provide a way for the coolant return ensuring continuous thus reliable cooling circuit.
Regarding claim 4/1: Alfermann in view of Cullen discloses the limitations of claim 1 and Alfermann further discloses that the at least one winding includes a plurality of windings (plurality of windings are seen in fig. 2) and the stator (14) further includes: one or more winding separators (annotated fig. 4 below) formed of insulating material (epoxy resin 41) and disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of windings (28).
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Regarding claim 5/4/1: Alfermann in view of Cullen discloses the limitations of claim 4 and Alfermann further discloses that the one or more winding separators (one separator in each slot as seen in fig. 2) include cooling passages formed therein (annotated fig. 4 above, and fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6/1: Alfermann in view of Cullen discloses the limitations of claim 1 and Cullen further discloses that the at least one winding (12) includes a plurality of winding cooling passages (within the ceramic insert 48) formed therein (fig. 10).
Regarding claim 8/1: Alfermann in view of Cullen discloses the limitations of claim 1 and Alfermann further discloses that the at least one winding cooling passage (37) is configured to convey a coolant (oil 40) through the winding (28).
Regarding claim 9: Alfermann discloses a stator (14) comprising: a stator hub (20); a plurality of stator teeth (24) extending from stator hub (20) to define a plurality of stator slots (between each two teeth 24); a plurality of windings (28) with at least one winding (28) disposed in each stator slot (fig. 4); and at least one winding separator (annotated fig. 4 below) disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of windings (28), the at least one winding separator including at least one cooling passage (37) formed therein and configured to convey a coolant (oil 40) through the winding separator (col. 4, lines 9-28);
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wherein the cooling passage (37) is connected to an inlet plenum (seen in fig. 5 where passage 50 meet with passage 37); wherein the plurality of windings (28; fig. 2) including at least one winding cooling passage (37; fig. 4) formed therein wherein the winding (28) is encased in a potting material (coil 28 is impregnated with epoxy resin 30 including first layer 36 and second layer 41; column 2, lines 35-40, and column 3, lines 44-64) and the winding cooling passage (37) passes through the potting material (36; fig. 4).
Alfermann does not specifically show an outlet plenum.
Cullen discloses cooling passage connected to an inlet plenum (56; fig. 13) and an outlet plenum (58).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the stator of Alfermann with the cooling passage connected to an outlet plenum as disclosed by Cullen to provide a way for the coolant return ensuring continuous thus reliable cooling circuit.
Regarding claim 13/9: Alfermann in view of Cullen discloses the limitations of claim 9 and Cullen further discloses that the at least one of the plurality of windings (12) includes a plurality of winding cooling passages (within 48; fig. 10) formed therein.
Claims 3, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alfermann in view of Cullen and in further view of Pyrhonen et al. (US 2013/0285487; Hereinafter, “Pyrhonen”).
Regarding claim 3/1: Alfermann in view of Cullen discloses the limitations of claim 1 and but does not disclose the winding is formed of Litz wire.
Pyrhonen teaches forming the windings of litz wire (para [0056]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have formed the windings of the stator of Alfermann in view of Cullen with of litz wire as taught by Pyrhonen since litz wires are more compact thus has higher slot fill ratio.
Regarding claim 11/9: Alfermann in view of Cullen discloses the limitations of claim 9 and but does not disclose the winding is formed of Litz wire.
Pyrhonen teaches forming the windings of litz wire (para [0056]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have formed the windings of the stator of Alfermann in view of Cullen with of litz wire as taught by Pyrhonen since litz wires are more compact thus has higher slot fill ratio.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cullen in view of Hassett et al. (US 2008/0023177; Hereinafter, “Hassett”).
Regarding claim 14/13/9: Alfermann in view of Cullen discloses the limitations of claim 13 and but does not disclose at least one heat pipe inserted into at least one winding.
Hassett discloses at least one heat pipe (20; para [0031]) inserted into at least one winding (18; para [0031], and fig. 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have configured the stator of Alfermann in view of Cullen with at least one heat pipe inserted into at least one winding as taught by Hassett since heat pipes offers enhanced heat transfer efficiency, reduced thermal resistance, and improved reliability.
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 AHMED ELNAKIB whose telephone number is (571)270-0638. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00AM-4:00PM.
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/AHMED ELNAKIB/Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 2834