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 .
This office action is a response to the election of species filed on 7/13/2026.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A, claims 1-3 and 5-9, in the reply filed on 7/13/2023 is acknowledged.
Claim 4 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/13/2026.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-3 and 5-9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Re. claim 1: The phrase “a laminated core forming step of forming a laminated core” as recited in line 3 appears to be --a laminated core forming step of forming the laminated core--.
The phrase “a resin filling step of filling resin” as recited in line 8 appears to be --a resin filling step of filling a resin--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1 and 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kumasaka et al. (JP-2021023063 A) in view of Takatani et al. (US PAT. 12,057,248).
Kumasaka et al. teach a manufacturing method for a laminated core, comprising steps of: forming a laminated core by sequentially forming and laminating lamina members having a predetermined shape (i.e. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotor core 2 is formed by laminating a plurality of electromagnetic steel plates 21. As shown in FIG. 1, each of the plurality of electromagnetic steel plates has a disk shape, and the rotor core 2 has a columnar structure); inserting a magnet into a magnet insertion hole of the laminated core (i.e. A plurality of through holes (magnet holes 12) for arranging (inserting) magnets 3 are formed in the rotor core 2, and in these figures, a plurality of magnet holes radiating from the central portion through which the shaft 5 penetrates are formed. 12 is formed. The magnet holes 12 are formed so as to penetrate the stacking direction of the plurality of electromagnetic steel sheets 21. A magnet 3 is inserted into each of the plurality of magnet holes 12 as shown in Fig. 3); filling a resin in the magnet insertion hole of the laminated core into which the magnet is inserted (i.e. The porous fixing layer 4 filled in the gap between the magnet 3 and the magnet hole 12 is a member for fixing the magnet 3 inserted in the magnet hole 12, and has a strength capable of withstanding centrifugal force during high-speed rotation of the rotor. Has. Further, as will be described in detail later, the porous fixing layer 4 is formed by using a material (material for forming a porous fixing layer) containing at least a glass filler and a polycarbonate (PC) resin as shown in Fig. 3); and heating the resin-filled laminated core to cure the adhesive layer of the lamina member, so that the laminated core is integrated and the filled resin is simultaneously cured (i.e. A step of heating the material for forming a porous fixed layer by irradiating the inside of the magnet hole with a laser).
However, Kumasaka et al. silent an adhesive layer formed on a surface of a thin sheet. Takatani et al. teach a process of making a laminated core including a process of forming an adhesive layer (3, Fig. 5, col. 6,lines 23-26) formed on a surface of a thin sheet (40, Fig. 3, col. 5, lines 19-22) and curing by heating (col. 6, lines 37-50). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify a process of fabricating a laminated core of Kumasaka et al. by forming an adhesive layer formed on a surface of a thin sheet and curing by heating as taught by Takatani et al. in order to adhere the electrical steel sheets adjacent each other in the lamination direction.
Re. claim 5: Takatani et al. also teach that the curing step includes a pressing step of pressing the resin-filled laminated core; a heating step of heating the pressed laminated core; and a cooling step of cooling the heated laminated core (col. 6, lines 37-50).
Re. claim 6: Takatani et al. also teach that the laminated core is pressed with a pressure of 1 to 15 MPa (col. 6, lines 37-50).
Re. claim 7: Takatani et al. also teach that the heating is performed for about an hour at a temperature range of 110 to 210 0C (col. 6, lines 37-50). Even though the heating period is longer than the claimed invention, it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable rangers involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 (il-A). The applicant has not disclosed any criticality for the claimed limitations.
Claims 1-3 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagai et al. (PGPub 2012/0222289 A1) in view of Takatani et al. (US PAT. 12,057,248).
Nagai et al. teach a manufacturing method for a laminated core, comprising steps of: forming a laminated core by sequentially forming and laminating lamina (11) members having a predetermined shape as shown in Fig. 1 (paragraphs [0053]-[0054]); inserting a magnet (15, paragraph [0057]) into a magnet insertion hole (13) of the laminated core as shown in Fig. 2 (paragraph [0056]); filling a resin (17) in the magnet insertion hole of the laminated core into which the magnet is inserted as shown in Fig. 2 (paragraph [0057]); and heating the resin-filled laminated core to cure the adhesive layer of the lamina member, so that the laminated core is integrated and the filled resin is simultaneously cured (paragraph [0080]).
However, Nagai et al. silent an adhesive layer formed on a surface of a thin sheet. Takatani et al. teach a process of making a laminated core including a process of forming an adhesive layer (3, Fig. 5, col. 6,lines 23-26) formed on a surface of a thin sheet (40, Fig. 3, col. 5, lines 19-22) and curing by heating (col. 6, lines 37-50). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify a process of fabricating a laminated core of Nagai et al. by forming an adhesive layer formed on a surface of a thin sheet and curing by heating as taught by Takatani et al. in order to adhere the electrical steel sheets adjacent each other in the lamination direction.
Re. claim 2: Nagai et al. also teach that the laminated core forming step includes steps of sequentially forming the lamina members in which common punching and embossing (or interlocking) are formed by blanking the thin sheet and laminating and pressing the lamina members and fastening a plurality of the lamina members in such a way as to form the laminated core (paragraphs [0053]-[0054]).
Re. claim 3: Nagai et al. also teach that an embossing through hole into which the embossing is inserted is formed at a position where the embossing is formed in a first lamina member forming the laminated core as shown in Figs 1-2 (paragraphs [0053]-[0054]).
Re. claim 8: Nagai et al. also teach that the resin filling step includes a carrier tray seating step in which a carrier tray (not shown) on which the laminated core is seated and which has a communication hole (28) communicating with the magnet insertion hole (13) is formed is disposed between an first mold (20) and a second mold (22) as shown in Fig. 2 and a core pressing step in which the laminated core is pressed (by a gravity) with the first mold and the second mold and a resin injection step in which the resin is injected into the magnet insertion hole through the communication hole by a resin supply unit (19) provided in the lower mold as shown in Fig. 2 (paragraphs [0064]-[0073]).
Re. claim 9: Nagai et al. also teach that the core pressing step is performed to press an entire upper surface of the laminated core with the same pressure as shown in Fig. 2.
The Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Nagai et al. (PGPub 2016/0013709 A1), Fujita (US PAT. 8,048,509), and Volbers (US PAT. 12,407,199) are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to a manufacturing method for a laminated core.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-4565. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:00 AM-2:00 PM.
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/PAUL D KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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