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 .
Response to Amendment
In response to the amendment filed on 07/24/2026.
Claims 1-2 have been amended,
claim 6 has been withdrawn,
claims 3-5 have been canceled,
claims 1-2 & 6 are pending, and
claims 1-2 are under examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 07/24/2026, with respect to the rejection of claim 1, regarding how Aoyama nor any of the references cited disclose a stator core heated to great enough temperatures to melt the slot paper, have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of Takeuchi et al (W.O. Patent Application Publication 2008130058 A1).
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aoyama et al (J.P. Patent Application Publication 2019030057 A), further in view of Fubuki (U.S. Patent Application Publication 20160315512 A1), further in view of Masberg et al (K.R. Patent Application Publication 19990044295 A) hereinafter Masberg, and further in view of Takeuchi et al (W.O. Patent Application Publication 2008130058 A1) hereinafter Takeuchi
Regarding claim 1, Aoyama discloses a method (Title: Rotary Electric Machine) for manufacturing a stator(stator 10, ¶17), the method comprising:
disposing a three-phase coil (stator coil 12, ¶18) in an annular stator core (stator coil winding portion 15, ¶20); and
making a three-phase alternating current (three-phase alternating current, ¶18) pass through the three-phase coil (¶18, “three-phase alternating current is used, and the stator coil 12 is provided corresponding to the w phase, the v phase, and the u phase of the three-phase alternating current”), thereby inductively heating the stator core (¶70, “Thereby, by utilizing the electromagnetic resonance / magnetic field resonance action, by providing a current having a resonance frequency in the stator coil 12 (or the rotor coil 22), the amount of induced current generated in the stator coil 12 (or the rotor coil 22) Can be increased”; Aoyama discloses supplying a current to a coil and utilizing a magnetic resonance to achieve an increased current generated. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date would have recognized that induced current flowing through a body produces resistive loses as it is known that as induced current increases, heat generation also increases, allowing for induced current generation),
wherein capacitors (first capacitor 17 in FIG. 2, ¶53) are respectively provided between a power supply (inverter 40 in FIG. 5, ¶55) configured to supply the three-phase alternating current to ends of the three-phase coil (¶55, “three-phase AC is supplied from the inverter 40 to the stator coil 12 of the stator 10) and each one of the ends of coils of respective phases in the three-phase coil (FIG. 5 depicts the alternating currents being supplied to the top end and bottom end of coils within stator 20 with respective phases), whereby a circuit comprising the three-phase coil serves as a resonant circuit when the three-phase alternating current is made to pass through the three-phase coil (resonance circuit 18 in FIG. 2, ¶30).
PNG
media_image1.png
570
720
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
437
692
media_image2.png
Greyscale
However, Aoyama fails to disclose the annular stator core made up of annular electrical steel plates in a stacked configuration.
Fubuki discloses (Title: Rotary Electric Machine Rotor) an annular stator core (stator core 18, ¶47), disposed with a three-phase coil (U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase windings 20, ¶47), in which annular electrical steel plates are stacked (¶47, “the stator core 18 and the plurality of teeth 19 are integrally formed by a stacked body that is formed by a plurality of stacked magnetic steel plates”).
Aoyama discloses a method for manufacturing a stator, disposed with a three-phase coils and capacitors to provide a power supply to form a resonant circuit using a three-phase alternating current. Fubuki also discloses of a rotor and stator having a three-phase coil, wherein which the stator core is formed by a stacked configuration of steel plates. Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to take the plurality of stacked magnetic steel plates from Fubuki’s disclosure and apply it to the stator core of Aoyama’s as using the stacked plates allows for prevention of electrical contact, suppressing eddy-current losses (Fubuki, ¶7-9). Furthermore, it would have been obvious to a POSITA as manufacturing a stator core via plates allows for continuous punching from a steel strip, resulting in greater production.
However, both Aoyama and Fubuki fail to disclose the three-phase alternating current having a frequency of 1 kHz or greater.
Masberg discloses a method (Title: Starters / Generators for Internal Combustion Engines, Especially Automotive Internal Combustion Engines) wherein the three-phase alternating current has a frequency of 1 kHz or greater (p. 14, ll. 23-26, “Rectifier 17 supplies voltage impulses by sinusically rated pulse width modulation at very high frequencies (e.g., 10-100 kHz) to the windings of stator 8 of electrical machine 4, such contact impulses Under the action of an inductance, a three-phase alternating current in the form of a substantially sinusoidal wave can be freely preselected in amplitude, frequency and phase”).
While Aoyama, in view of Fubuki, discloses the method for manufacturing a stator with a three-phase coil to inductively heat the stator core, Masberg teaches that the three-phase coil frequency can be a frequency greater than 1 kHz, namely, 10-100 kHz. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to implement the high three-phase alternating current frequency of Masberg’s disclose, and apply it to Aoyama’s method, IVO Fubuki, to allow for various frequencies to be applied. There, it would allow manufacturers to provide variances in energy usage of the electric machine which is required for charging the vehicle battery (Masberg, p. 16, ll. 3-6). This can also be used to produce such a standard total torque in the electric machine according to model variation calculations and instantaneous average number of revolutions of the rotor (Masberg, p. 16, ll. 32-38).
However, Aoyama, Fubuki, and Masberg fail to disclose the three-phase coil comprising segment coils, each of which is disposed as to straddle a plurality of slots of the stator core forming a distributed winding. Both also fail to disclose the three-phase coil disposed in the stator core with slot paper in the slots, melted by inductively heating the stator core.
Takeuchi discloses (Title: Stator, its Manufacturing Method, and Motor) the three-phase coil comprising segment coils (U-phase coil, V-phase coil, and a W-phase coil, p. 3, ll. 31-32; coil 43, p. 3, l. 5), and each of the segment coils being disposed so that it straddles a plurality of slots of the stator core (stator, p. 1, l. 8; and/or slot wall surface, p. 2, l. 9), to thereby form a distributed winding (FIG. 4 depicts the coils 43 extending across a plurality of stator slots),
PNG
media_image3.png
323
404
media_image3.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image4.png
363
331
media_image4.png
Greyscale
wherein when the three-phase coil is disposed in the stator core, the three-phase coil and a slot paper are disposed in the plurality of slots of the stator core (insulating paper, p. 3, ll. 10-11, “insulating paper having a self-bonding layer on at least one side surface between the coil and the teeth); and
wherein the three-phase coil fixed to the stator core by inductively heating the stator core, melting the slot paper (p. 3, ll. 20-21, “the self-bonding layer is heated and melted to be generated between the coil conductor and the slot insulating paper”; p. 4, ll. 14-16, “heat treatment may be any method of current heating and furnace heating, and is preferably performed in a temperature atmosphere that is higher than the melting point of the self-bonding layer”), and then cooling the slot paper (p. 3, ll. 22-24, “Finally, by cooling the stator, the fused layer is solidified, and a stator without an air gap can be manufactured between the coil and the insulating paper”).
Aoyama, in view of Fubuki and Masberg, discloses the method for manufacturing a stator with the use of a three-phase coil and three-phase alternating current to inductively heat the stator core. Takeuchi discloses the coils straddled across a stator situated in slots, arranged with an insulating paper between as to melt and cool ensuring insulation. More specifically, Takeuchi details the insulating slot paper having a self-fusing that is able to melt due to current heating which leads to inductive heating of the surrounding area, including the stator core. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to utilize the straddling formation and insulating papers of Takeuchi’s disclosure and apply it to Aoyama’s disclosure, IVO Fubuki and Masberg, to allow for end portions of the coil segments to protrude the stator core and to be properly radially aligned during manufacturing (Takeuchi, ¶68). Furthermore, it would have been obvious to a POSITA to use slot paper as a means for insulation and adhesion as it simplifies installation during manufacturing by simply inserting slot paper rather than providing liquid adhesives to each of the slots.
Regarding claim 2, Aoyama, in view of Fubuki, Masberg, and Takeuchi, teaches the method according to claim 1, as detailed above, and Aoyama further discloses the three-phase coil comprises a U-phase coil, a V-phase coil, and a W-phase coil (¶18, “stator coil 12 provided corresponding to the W phase, the V phase, and the U phase”),
the capacitors comprise a U-phase capacitor, a V-phase capacitor, and a W-phase capacitor (¶37, “first capacitor 17 of each phase)”); and
the U-phase capacitor is connected in series with the U-phase coil, the V-phase capacitor is connected in series with the V-phase coil, and the W-phase capacitor is connected in series with the W-phase coil (¶37, “by connecting the first capacitor 17of each phase to the stator coil 12 of each phase”).
(Regarding the reason to combine references, refer to the rejection of claim 1, supra, as it is applicable to the rejection of claim 2 in the manner of using coil segments and aligning components during manufacturing)
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE REY D LEGASPI whose telephone number is (571)272-2956. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hong can be reached at (571) 272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/E.D.L./Examiner, Art Unit 3729 /THOMAS J HONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3729
