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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on February 27, 2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 3-11, and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent 11,004,586 to Azar et al in view of U.S. Patent 6,443,143 to Ishida et al.
Regarding claim 1, 3-7, 10-11, and 14-15, Azar et al disclose a method of manufacturing permanent magnets for axial flux permanent magnet machine (see Abstract), comprising: simultaneously cutting the magnet (100/200/etc. see Col. 2, lines 17-19) wherein each cut extends through a thickness of the permanent magnet from the first face to the second face (see Figs. 1-2) to form variety of cutting patterns (see Figs. 1-7) such as cut into the permanent magnet from one of the lateral edges and making a second array of cuts into the permanent magnet from the other lateral edge, such that cuts of the first and second arrays of cuts do not meet one another (claim 5, see Fig. 2); lines of the array of lines each extend in the direction of a line axis, and wherein moving the permanent magnet relative to the array of cutting lines further comprises translating at least one of the permanent magnet and the array of cutting lines along a second direction orthogonal to both the first direction and to the line axis at the same time as translating at least one of the permanent magnet and the array of cutting lines towards the other along the first direction (claim 6, see Fig. 16); making a single array of curved cuts from one of the lateral edges (claim 7); making a second array of curved cuts from the other of the lateral edges, wherein the curved cuts of the second array of curved cuts have a constant radial distance from one another along the length of each cut, and such that cuts of the first and second arrays of curved cuts do not meet one another and cuts of the first and second arrays of curved cuts are interlaced (see Fig. 2), except for mounting the permanent magnet in a magnet fixture in a cutting position relative to a cutting machine and moving the permanent magnet and the array of cutting lines relative to one another. Ishida et al teach a method for cutting permanent magnet by mounting the permanent magnet (24) in a magnet fixture (26/29) in a cutting position relative to a cutting machine (30) and moving the permanent magnet (24) and the array of cutting lines (32) relative to one another to simultaneously make an array of cuts across the permanent magnet (see Figs. 3) for improving product yields as well as optimizing the cutting process (see Col. 20, lines 54-65). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Azar et al by utilizing the process of cutting the permanent magnet as taught by Ishida for increasing the productivity as well as improving the quality of the permanent magnet.
Note: the recitation that "magnets for an axial flux permanent magnet machine,
the axial flux permanent magnet machine comprising: a stator comprising a set of coils
disposed circumferentially at intervals about a machine axis, and a rotor mounted for
rotation about the machine axis, the rotor bearing a set of permanent magnets disposed
circumferentially at intervals about the machine axis, each permanent magnet extending
in a plane perpendicular to the machine axis and having a first face towards the stator
and a second, opposite face, and wherein the rotor and the stator are spaced apart
along the machine axis to define a gap in which magnetic flux in the machine is
generally in an axial direction" (lines 2-10 as a preamble) have not given patentable
weight because it has been held that a preamble is denied the effect of a limitation
where the claim is drawn to a structure (magnet) and the portion of the claim following
the preamble is a self-contained description of the structure not depending for
completeness upon the introductory clause. (see Kropa V. Robie, 88 USPQ 478)
Regarding claims 8-9, Azar et al disclose rotating (flipping to cut the other side of the magnet) at least one of the permanent magnets and the array of cutting lines towards the other about a cutting axis and making a first array of curved cuts from one of the lateral edges, wherein the curved cuts of the first array of curved cuts have a constant radial distance from one another along the length of each cut (see Figs. 1-2).
Claims 2, 13 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
over Azar/Ishida et al in view of U.S. Patent 8,823,235 to Watanabe et al.
Azar/Ishida et al as applied and relied above do not disclose mounting the
permanent magnet in the magnet fixture on the rotor. Watanabe et al teach the step of
mounting the permanent magnet in the fixture of the rotor (see Fig. 1) such that the line
axis is perpendicular to planes defined by the first and second faces (see Fig. 7) for
obtaining the rotor having a high output and heat resistance (see Col. 4, lines 19-20).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the invention Azar/Ishida et al by utilizing the mounting of the magnet having slits thereon onto the fixture of the rotor in certain direction as taught by Watanabe et al for obtaining the rotor having a high output and heat resistance.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Azar/Ishida et al in view of U.S. Patent 6,606,019 to Ohashi.
Azar/Ishida et al do not disclose the step of filling the cuts with a non-magnetic
material. Ohashi teaches the step of filling the cuts (2) in a permanent magnet (1) with a
non-magnetic material (resin) for compensating the magnetic property as well as
reinforcing the magnet (see Col. 6, lines 61-67). Therefore, it would have been obvious
to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed
invention to further modify the invention Azar/Ishida et al by filling the cuts with non-magnetic material as taught by Ohashi for reinforcing the magnet.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-15 and 17 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Prior art cited for the multiple wire cutting apparatus.
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/DN/ /DONGHAI D NGUYEN/June 27, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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