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 Group I (claims 63-68) in the reply filed on 10/10/25 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 63-66 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakano et al. (US Patent No.: 10439455).
For claim 63, Nakano et al. disclose the claimed invention comprising: a body (reference numeral 23) defining a segment of an annular ring (see figures 1, 2); and a pole tooth (reference numeral 23b) projecting radially from the body (see figures 2-4); the pole tooth comprising a pair of tooth tips (reference numeral 62) which have an initial configuration in which they extend longitudinally with respect to the pole tooth (see figures 3, 4) and an assembled configuration in which they extend transversely to provide a flange at a pole tooth end (i.e. figure 5(b) shows an assembled configuration where tooth tips 62, 26 are extending transversely to the pole tooth 61), wherein each tooth tip (reference numeral 62) comprises a web (reference numeral 24i, figure 4) contiguous with the pole tooth and a head (reference numeral 24m, figure 4) at a distal end of the web (see figure 4), and wherein the pole tooth has a recess (reference numerals 24c, 24d, see figure 4) in a shoulder proximal to each tooth tip (see figure 4), the recess defining a seat (i.e. seat formed by recess 24c, 24d) to receiving and aligning a portion of the head (reference numeral 24m) when the tooth tip is in the assembled configuration (i.e. figure 5(b) shows head 24m being received in the recess 24c, 24d in the assembled configuration), and wherein the head comprises a first portion proximal to the web (i.e. first portion 24g in figure 5(a) being proximal to the web 24i) and a second portion distal to the web (i.e. second portion 24m in figure 5(a) being distal to the web), and wherein in the assembled configuration the first portion engages the seat (i.e. first portion 24g engages the seat as shown in figure 5(b)) and the second portion extends transversely beyond the pole tooth (i.e. second portion 24m extending transversely beyond pole tooth 61 in figure 5(b)).
For claim 64, Nakano et al. disclose the first portion of the head (i.e. first portion 24g, figures 5(a), 5(b)) and the seat (i.e. seat formed by recess 24c, 24d) having complementary profiles which resiliently engage (i.e. figure 5(b) shows the first portion 24g and the seat 24c, 24d being complementary engaged).
For claim 65, Nakano et al. disclose the complementary profiles comprising an undercut portion on the seat (i.e. recess 24c, 24d can be considered an undercut portion on the seat, see figures 5(a), 5(b)) and a latch defined in the head for engaging the undercut (i.e. portion 24g of the head can be considered a latch for engaging the undercut, see figures 5(a), 5(b)).
For claim 66, Nakano et al. disclose the head proximal to the web (i.e. web 24i, figure 5(a)) defining a notch or barb to latch the undercut of the seat (i.e. portions 24g, 24f of the head can be considered a notch or barb to latch the undercut 24c, 24d, see figures 5(a), 5(b)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 67 and 68 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakano et al. as applied to claim 63 above, and further in view of Naganawa et al. (US Patent No.: 8354769).
For claim 67, Nakano et al. disclose the claimed invention except for a bobbin carrying a coil. Naganawa et al. disclose a bobbin (reference numeral 5) carrying a coil (reference numeral 6, see figures 5, 6), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the bobbin with a coil as disclosed by Naganawa et al. for the invention of Nakano et al. for predictably having a functional stator configuration for the device.
For claim 68, Nakano et al. in view of Naganawa et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the bobbin resiliently engaging a distal end of the tooth tip when the tip is in the assembled configuration. Naganawa et al. further disclose the bobbin (reference numeral 5, figures 5, 6) resiliently engaging a distal end of the tooth tip (reference numerals 41a, 41b, see figures 5, 6) when the tip is in the assembled configuration (i.e. figure 6 shows the tooth tip 41a, 41b in the assembled configuration and engaging the bobbin 5), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the bobbin engaged with the tooth tip as disclosed by Naganawa et al. for the bobbin and tooth tip of Nakano et al. in view of Naganawa et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating the proper functioning of the device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references disclose embodiments of stator/winding configurations: US 10243439 B2 (Li; Yue et al.), US 10243438 B2 (Li; Yue et al.), US 9209659 B2 (Mori; Akio et al.), US 6242835 B1 (Uemura; Keiichi et al.), US 20150008785 A1 (MORI; Akio et al.), US 20110175485 A1 (NAGANAWA; Takashi et al.).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX W MOK whose telephone number is (571)272-9084. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-4pm.
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/ALEX W MOK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834