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 . Claims 1-17 are pending. Claims 1-10 were allowed on 06/22/2026 and claims 11-17 are new.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 09/17/2026 has been entered.
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 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.
Claims 11-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada et al. (US 20220037943 A1).
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Regarding claim 11, Yamada discloses a rotor (rotor, annotated fig. 2) comprising:
a rotor core (rotor core, annotated fig. 2); and
a plurality of magnets (magnets, annotated fig. 2),
wherein the rotor core includes
adjacent first magnetic pole piece (first pole, annotated fig. 7) and second magnetic pole piece (second pole, annotated fig. 7),
an annular part (annular part, annotated fig. 2), and
a first coupling part (first coupling part, annotated fig. 7) extending in a direction from the first magnetic pole to the second magnetic pole (see annotated fig. 7), and
a second coupling part (second coupling part, annotated fig. 7), extending in a direction from the second magnetic pole to the first magnetic pole (see annotated fig. 7), wherein
a first magnet (first magnet, annotated fig. 7) of the plurality of magnets is arranged between the first magnetic pole and the second magnetic pole (see annotated fig. 7),
the first coupling part connects to the second coupling part (see annotated fig. 7),
an inner peripheral part of the first magnetic pole piece and an inner peripheral part of the second magnetic pole piece connect to the annular part via the first coupling part and the second coupling part (through the third coupling part, see annotated fig. 7).
Regarding claim 12, Yamada discloses the rotor according to claim 11, wherein a magnet body of the rotor core includes the first magnetic pole piece (first pole, annotated fig. 7), the second magnetic pole piece (second pole, annotated fig. 7), and the annular part (annular part, annotated fig. 7), and the first coupling part (first coupling part, annotated fig. 7), and the second coupling part (second coupling part, annotated fig. 7).
Regarding claim 13, Yamada discloses the rotor according to claim 11, wherein the first magnet is opposed to the first coupling part and the second coupling part in a radial direction (see annotated fig. 7).
Regarding claim 14, Yamada discloses the rotor according to claim 12, wherein a second magnet (second magnet, annotated fig. 7) of the plurality of magnets is arranged adjacent to a part of the first magnetic pole piece on the side opposite of the second magnetic pole piece, the second magnet is opposed to the annular part in a radial direction (see annotated fig. 7).
Regarding claim 15, Yamada discloses the rotor according to claim 11, comprising: a third coupling part (third coupling part, annotated fig. 7) connecting the first coupling part and the second coupling part to the annular part, the third coupling part extends in the radial direction (see the third coupling part in annotated fig. 7).
Regarding claim 16, Yamada discloses a motor comprising: the rotor according to claim 11; a shaft (shaft, annotated fig. 2) fixed to the rotor; and a stator (stator, annotated fig. 2) including a coil (coil, annotated fig. 2) and a magnetic body (magnet body, annotated fig. 2) wound around with the coil.
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 (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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada et al. (US 20220037943 A1).
Regarding claim 17, Yamada discloses the motor according to claim 11 but does not disclose an electronic device comprising the motor.
This undisclosed limitation is an intended use for the motor and does not further limit the structure of the motor, see MPEP 2111.02(II).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the motor in an electronic device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 were allowed on 06/22/2026.
Conclusion
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/MASOUD VAZIRI/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
