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 .
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 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, 3-5, 7-12, 14-16 and 18-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schaflein et al. (US20120313460, “Schaflein ‘460”) in view of Schaflein (US20100156208, “Schaflein ‘208”) and Gruenhagen (US2008093945, “Gruenhagen”).
Re claim 1, Schaflein ‘460 discloses a stator 16 for an electric machine 10 comprising:
a winding 34 (fig 1, [0027]); and
a connection ring 56 placed axially onto the winding 34 (figs 1 & 2e);
the connection ring 56 having a ring-shaped or ring-segment-shaped plastic body (figs 1 & 2c, [0028]) having at least three conductors 40a-c which are each associated with a respective phase and are interconnected (figs 1, 2c & 2e, [0028]);
wherein the connection ring 56 has a connector terminal 42 having at least three electrical connector portions 421a-c that each contact a conductor 40a-c of the connection ring 56 (fig 2e, [0030]) and each electrically conductively connect to a respective connection of the connector terminal 42 (fig 2e, [0030]), the connection ring 56 and the connector terminal 42 have interlocking structures 58a-b which define a defined position of the connection ring 56 and connector terminal 42 with respect to one another (figs 2c-d, [0031]);
wherein the interlocking structures 58a-b comprise a section 58a extending in a radial direction (fig 2c, radial direction w/ respect to rotation axis of 10) and having first and second opposite circumferential end faces (figs 2c & below) and a pocket 58b having a corresponding shape for receiving the section 58a (figs 2c-d); and
wherein the opposite circumferential end faces converge towards each other in a radially inward direction (figs 2c & below).
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Schaflein ‘460discloses claim 1 except for:
an end of at least one of the conductors protruding axially above the winding; and
the section 58a is trapezoidal.
Schaflein ‘208 discloses an end 52e of at least one of the conductors 52a-c protruding axially above the winding 36 (figs 2-6, [0035] & [0037], 52e projected axially to connect to 50b).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the conductors of Schaflein ‘460 to have an end of at least one of the conductors protruding axially above the winding, as disclosed by Schaflein ‘208, in order to connect the winding to the conductors, as disclosed by Schaflein ‘208 ([0037]).
Gruenhagen discloses substituting a shape similar to the section of Schaflein ‘460 (fig 2b) with a shape that is trapezoidal (fig 2a & below; [0036-0037]).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute one known element (interlocking shape of Schaflein ‘460) for another known equivalent element (interlocking shape of Gruenhagen; equivalence shown by Gruenhagen) resulting in the predictable result of forming a positive engagement profile between the connection ring and the connector terminal.
Re claim 11, Schaflein ‘460 discloses a connection ring 56 for a stator 16 for an associated electric machine 10 (figs 1 & 2e) comprising:
a ring-shaped or ring-segment-shaped plastic body (figs 1 & 2c, [0028]) having at least three conductors 40a-c which are each associated with a respective phase and are interconnected (figs 1, 2c & 2e, [0028]);
wherein the connection ring 56 has a connector terminal 42 having at least three electrical connector portions 421a-c that each contact a conductor 40a-c of the connection ring 56 (fig 2e, [0030]) and each electrically conductively connect to a respective connection of the connector terminal 42 (fig 2e, [0030]), the connection ring 56 and the connector terminal 42 have interlocking structures 58a-b which define a defined position of the connection ring 56 and connector terminal 42 with respect to one another (figs 2c-d, [0031]);
wherein the interlocking structures 58a-b comprise a section 58a extending in a radial direction (fig 2c, radial direction w/ respect to rotation axis of 10) and having first and second opposite circumferential end faces (figs 2c & above for claim 1) and a pocket 58b having a corresponding shape for receiving the section 58a (figs 2c-d); and
wherein the opposite circumferential end faces converge towards each other in a radially inward direction (figs 2c & above for claim 1).
Schaflein ‘460 discloses claim 11 except for:
ends of at least one of the conductors extending in an axial direction; and
the section 58a is trapezoidal.
Schaflein ‘208 discloses an end 52e of at least one of the conductors 52a-c protruding extending in an axially direction (figs 2-6, [0035] & [0037], 52e projected axially to connect to 50b).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the conductors of Schaflein ‘460 to have an end of at least one of the conductors protruding axially above the winding, as disclosed by Schaflein ‘208, in order to connect the winding to the conductors, as disclosed by Schaflein ‘208 ([0037]).
Gruenhagen discloses substituting a shape similar to the section of Schaflein ‘460 (fig 2b) with a shape that is trapezoidal (fig 2a & below; [0036-0037]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute one known element (interlocking shape of Schaflein ‘460) for another known equivalent element (interlocking shape of Gruenhagen; equivalence shown by Gruenhagen) resulting in the predictable result of forming a positive engagement profile between the connection ring and the connector terminal.
Re claims 3 and 14, Schaflein ‘460 in view of Schaflein ‘208 and Gruenhagen discloses claims 1 and 11, respectfully as discussed above and further discloses the trapezoidal section 58a is associated with the connection ring 56 (Schaflein ‘460, figs 2b-c; Gruenhagen, fig 2a, shows trapezoidal), and the pocket 58b is associated with the connector terminal 42 (Schaflein ‘460, figs 2b-c).
Re claims 4 and 15, Schaflein ‘460 in view of Schaflein ‘208 and Gruenhagen discloses claims 1 and 11, respectfully as discussed above and further discloses the trapezoidal section 58a is located in the radial direction outside a radially outer lateral surface of the ring-shaped connection ring (Schaflein ‘460, figs 2c & below; Gruenhagen, fig 2a, shows trapezoidal).
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Re claims 5 and 16, Schaflein ‘460 in view of Schaflein ‘208 and Gruenhagen discloses claims 1 and 11, respectfully as discussed above and further discloses a base of the trapezoidal section 58a is arranged radially outward (Schaflein ‘460, figs 2c & below; Gruenhagen, fig 2a, shows trapezoidal).
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Re claims 7 and 18, Schaflein ‘460 in view of Schaflein ‘208 and Gruenhagen discloses claims 1 and 11, respectfully as discussed above and further discloses the connector terminal 42 has a circular ring-shaped segment-like shape adapted to the connection ring 56 (Schaflein ‘460, figs 2b-d & below).
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Re claims 8 and 19, Schaflein ‘460 in view of Schaflein ‘208 and Gruenhagen discloses claims 1 and 11, respectfully as discussed above and further discloses the connections 423a-c of the connector terminal 42 extend out thereof in a radial direction (Schaflein ‘460; figs 2b & 2d).
Re claims 9 and 20, Schaflein ‘460 in view of Schaflein ‘208 and Gruenhagen discloses claims 1 and 11, respectfully as discussed above and further discloses the connector terminal 42 is made of a plastic (figs 2a-b, [0031]).
Re claim 10, Schaflein ‘460 in view of Schaflein ‘208 and Gruenhagen discloses claim 1 as discussed above and further discloses the connector terminal 42 can be plugged onto the connection ring from the axial direction (figs 2b-2d).
Re claim 12, Schaflein ‘460 in view of Schaflein ‘208 and Gruenhagen discloses claim 11 as discussed above and further discloses the connection ring 56 can be placed axially onto a winding 34 of the stator 16 (figs 1 & 2e).
Re claims 21 and 22, Schaflein ‘460 in view of Schaflein ‘208 and Gruenhagen discloses claims 1 and 11, respectfully as discussed above and further discloses the first and second opposite circumferential end faces are engaged with respective circumferential end faces of the pocket 58b (figs 2b-d & above for claim 1, [0031]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The main reason for indicating claim 6 as allowable is the inclusion of the limitations, inter alia, of:
“The stator according to claim 1, wherein the connection ring 4 includes spacer elements 15 pointing radially outwards on which the connector terminal 9 rests when joined together with the connection ring, wherein the spacer elements are configured such that the connector terminal is joined to the connection ring under a radial prestress.”
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The closest prior art Schaflein et al. (US20120313460) does not disclose the above limitation. Claim 17 is allowable in a similar manner as discussed above for claim 6.
Conclusion
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/ERIC JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834