DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Claims 1-12 and 18-41, as well as Species 1, Figs. 1-2, in the reply filed on 7/7/2026 is acknowledged. Therefore, claims 13-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant also stated that claims 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, and 29 read on the elected species. Therefore, claims 3-5, 7, 10-12, 18-28, and 30-41 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sabini 6,254,361.
Sabini discloses, regarding claim 1, a motor pump 10, comprising: an impeller 16; a rotor 64 fixed to the impeller 16; a stator 54 arranged radially outward of the rotor 64; and a bearing 40/42/72 supporting the impeller 16, the bearing 40/42/72 being arranged outside a flow path of the impeller 16, wherein the rotor 64 and the bearing 40/42/72 are arranged in a suction side region of the impeller 16 (clearly shown in Fig. 1); Re claim 2, wherein the motor pump 10 comprises a return vane (see vanes within diffuser 80) arranged on a back side of the impeller 16; Re claim 6, wherein the bearing is a sliding bearing 40/42/72, the sliding bearing comprising: a rotary side bearing body 72 attached to the impeller 16 (via 64); and a stationary side bearing body 40/42 arranged on a suction side of the rotary side bearing body 72 (clearly shown in Figs. 1-2); Re claim 8, wherein the impeller 16 is a centrifugal impeller comprising a side plate 92 with a suction portion 95 formed in a central portion of the side plate 92, and the side plate 92 is arranged opposite a main plate 82, and wherein the side plate 92 has an annular protrusion 94 extending from an outer edge portion of the side plate 92 toward the suction portion, and the rotor 64 is fixed to the protrusion 94 (clearly shown in Fig. 1); Re claim 9, wherein the motor pump 10 comprises a suction casing 11 arranged on the suction side of the impeller 16, and wherein the suction side region is a region between the suction casing 11 and the impeller 16.
Sabini discloses, regarding claim 29, a motor pump, comprising: an impeller 16; a rotor 64 fixed to the impeller 16; a stator 54 arranged radially outward of the rotor 64; and a bearing 40/42/72 supporting the impeller 12, the bearing 40/42/72 being arranged outside a flow path of the impeller 16, wherein the rotor 64 and the bearing 40/42/72 are arranged in a suction side region of the impeller 16, wherein the impeller 16 is a centrifugal impeller comprising a side plate 92 with a suction portion 95 formed in a central portion of the side plate 92, and the side plate 92 is arranged opposite a main plate 82, and wherein the side plate 92 has an annular protrusion 94 being arranged radially inward of an outer edge portion of the side plate 92, and the rotor 64 is fixed to the protrusion 94 (clearly shown in Fig. 1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Peter J Bertheaud whose telephone number is (571)272-3476. The examiner can normally be reached 9am - 5pm M-F.
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PJB
/PETER J BERTHEAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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