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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, pages 4 – 7, with respect to claims 1 and 4 - 10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Claims 1 and 5 – 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakatsugawa et al. in view of Weinmann et al. (DE 102013020461 A1) and Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakatsugawa et al. in view of Weinmann et al. and further in view of Morel.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they fail to show wherein the first member is configured to continuously contact substantially an entirety of the chamfered portion around an entire circumference of each of the permanent magnets (claim 1) as described in the specification. Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1 and 4 – 8 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 1, lines 11 – 13 state “wherein the first member is configured to continuously contact substantially an entirety of the chamfered portion around an entire circumference of each of the permanent magnets”. 1) In the specification, there is no mention of the first member being configured to “continuously contact an entirety of the chamfered portion around an entire circumference of each of the permanent magnets”, 2) in the drawing figures 1 – 7, there are no figures shown where the first member surrounds an entire circumference of each permanent magnet, and 3) in the specification, each permanent magnet is described to be rectangular parallelepiped shaped meaning that the permanent magnet has sides and no arc associated with the magnets’ shape. For these reasons, the claim is rejected.
Regarding Claims 4 – 8, they are also rejected as being dependent on claim 1, which new matter was found.
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:
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.
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 – 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakatsugawa et al. in view of Weinmann et al.
Regarding Claim 1, Nakatsugawa et al. discloses a permanent field magnet (210) for a linear motor (100) (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 2),
the permanent field magnet (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 2) comprising:
a plurality of permanent magnets arranged along a moving path (left-right direction) (Nakatsugawa et al. Para [0013] lines 5 – 10) of a mover (2) (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 2);
a first member (200) that includes a soft magnetic material (Nakatsugawa et al. Para [0022] lines 2 – 3) and is disposed between, and in contact with, mutually adjacent ones of the plurality of permanent magnets (see below in annotated Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 8);
and a suppressing portion (upper magnetic cover 220) (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 5) configured to suppress application of a magnetic field (Nakatsugawa et al. Para [0042] whole paragraph discloses magnetic cover 220 improves demagnetization resistance of the permanent magnets) from an armature (3) to each of the permanent magnets (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 2).
Nakatsugawa et al. does not disclose:
wherein the suppressing portion is provided at one end or both ends of the permanent magnets in a direction along the moving path,
and is formed as a chamfered portion of a surface, facing the armature, of each of the permanent magnets,
and wherein the first member is configured to continuously contact substantially an entirety of the chamfered portion around an entire circumference of each of the permanent magnets.
Weinmann et al. discloses:
wherein the suppressing portion (see below in annotated Weinmann et al. Fig. 4) is provided at one end or both ends of the permanent magnets (4) in a direction along the moving path (Weinmann et al. Fig. 4),
and is formed as a chamfered/tapered portion of a surface (Weinmann et al. Para [0049] lines 1 – 3), facing the armature (60) (Weinmann et al. Fig. 6), of each of the permanent magnets (Weinmann et al. Fig. 4),
and wherein the first member (rotor frame 2) is configured to continuously contact substantially an entirety of the chamfered/tapered portion around an entire circumference of each of the permanent magnets (Weinmann et al. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 discloses the rotor frame 2 to be continuously in contact with an entirety of the chamfered/tapered portion on both sides of the trapezoidal magnets).
Nakatsugawa et al. and Weinmann et al. discloses permanent magnets therefore, Weinmann et al. constitutes prior art. Weinmann et al. discloses an electromechanical machine comprising a rotor with permanent magnets and soft-magnetic portions of a rotor frame wedged between each permanent magnet. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the suppressing portion is provided at one end or both ends of the permanent magnets in a direction along the moving path, and is formed as a chamfered portion of a surface, facing the armature, of each of the permanent magnets, and wherein the first member is configured to continuously contact substantially an entirety of the chamfered portion around an entire circumference of each of the permanent magnets of Weinmann et al. for the purpose of blocking and preventing leakage to spill from the chamfered end portions of the permanent magnet.
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Regarding Claim 5, Nakatsugawa et al. and Weinmann et al. discloses the permanent field magnet according to claim 1, further comprising a second member that includes a soft magnetic material (Nakatsugawa et al. Para [0030] lines 2 – 3 disclose the magnetic cover can be made of a thin plate of an iron-based material containing iron, which is a soft magnetic material) and covers surfaces, facing the armature, of the permanent magnets and the first member (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 8).
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Regarding Claim 6, Nakatsugawa et al. and Weinmann et al. discloses the permanent field magnet according to claim 5, wherein a thickness of the second member is smaller than a thickness of each of the permanent magnets (see below in annotated Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 7).
Regarding Claim 7, Nakatsugawa et al. and Weinmann et al. discloses the permanent field magnet according to claim 5, wherein the second member is provided for each of the permanent magnets (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 3), and the second member covers an entire surface, facing the armature, of a corresponding one of the plurality of permanent magnets (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 2), and a portion of a surface, facing the armature, of the first member adjacent to the corresponding one of the plurality of permanent magnets (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 4), and is disposed to be apart from another second member (lower magnetic cover 200) that is provided for another one of the plurality of permanent magnets adjacent to the corresponding one of the plurality of permanent magnets in a direction along the moving path (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 8, Nakatsugawa et al. and Weinmann et al. discloses the linear motor comprising: the permanent field magnet according to claim 1 (see above); and the armature (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig.2).
Regarding Claim 9, , Nakatsugawa et al. discloses a permanent field magnet (210) for a linear motor (100) (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 2),
the permanent field magnet (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 2) comprising:
a plurality of permanent magnets arranged along a moving path (left-right direction) (Nakatsugawa et al. Para [0013] lines 5 – 10) of a mover (2) (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 2);
a first member (200) that includes a soft magnetic material (Nakatsugawa et al. Para [0022] lines 2 – 3) and is disposed between, and in contact with, mutually adjacent ones of the plurality of permanent magnets (see below in annotated Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 8);
and a suppressing portion (upper magnetic cover 220) (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 5) configured to suppress application of a magnetic field (Nakatsugawa et al. Para [0042] whole paragraph discloses magnetic cover 220 improves demagnetization resistance of the permanent magnets) from an armature (3) to each of the permanent magnets (Nakatsugawa et al. Fig. 2).
Nakatsugawa et al. does not disclose:
wherein the suppressing portion is provided only at an end of each of the permanent magnets facing the armature, and is formed as a chamfered portion of a surface of each of the permanent magnets.
Weinmann et al. discloses:
wherein the suppressing portion (see below in annotated Weinmann et al. Fig. 4) is provided only at an end of each of the permanent magnets (4) in a direction along the moving path (Weinmann et al. Fig. 4 discloses the suppressing portions are only provided at an upper end of each permanent magnet),
and is formed as a chamfered/tapered portion of a surface (Weinmann et al. Para [0049] lines 1 – 3), facing the armature (60) (Weinmann et al. Fig. 6), of each of the permanent magnets (Weinmann et al. Fig. 4).
Nakatsugawa et al. and Weinmann et al. discloses permanent magnets therefore, Weinmann et al. constitutes prior art. Weinmann et al. discloses an electromechanical machine comprising a rotor with permanent magnets and soft-magnetic portions of a rotor frame wedged between each permanent magnet. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the suppressing portion is provided only at an end of each of the permanent magnets facing the armature, and is formed as a chamfered portion of a surface of each of the permanent magnets of Weinmann et al. for the purpose of blocking and preventing leakage to spill from the chamfered end portions of the permanent magnet.
Regarding Claim 10, Nakatsugawa et al. and Weinmann et al. discloses the permanent field magnet according to claim 9.
Nakatsugawa et al. do not disclose:
wherein the first member is configured to contact the chamfered portion of each of the permanent magnets.
Weinmann et al. discloses:
wherein the first member is configured to contact the chamfered/tapered portion of each of the permanent magnets (Weinmann et al. Fig. 4).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the first member is configured to contact the chamfered portion of each of the permanent magnets of Weinmann et al. for the purpose of improving the prevention of magnetic flux leakage in the linear motor.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakatsugawa et al. in view of Weinmann et al. and further in view of Morel.
Regarding Claim 4, Nakatsugawa et al. and Weinmann et al. discloses the permanent field magnet according to claim 1.
Nakatsugawa et al. and Weinmann et al. do not disclose:
wherein a groove is provided in a surface, facing the armature, of the first member such that the groove is interposed between chamfered portions of the mutually adjacent ones of the plurality of permanent magnets.
Weinmann et al. and Morel structurally discloses:
wherein a groove (11) is provided in a surface (10), facing the armature (5), of the first member (3) (of Morel et al. Fig. 1 and Fig. 4) such that the groove (of Morel et al. Fig. 4) is interposed between chamfered/tapered portions (Weinmann et al. Fig. 4) of the mutually adjacent ones of the plurality of permanent magnets (of Weinmann et al. Fig. 4).
Nakatsugawa et al., Weinmann et al., and Morel et al. discloses permanent magnets surrounded by a first member made of soft magnetic material therefore, Morel et al. constitutes as prior art. Morel et al. discloses a rotor having a laminated core with grooves arranged in webs between adjacent permanent magnets. It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein a groove is provided in a surface, facing the armature, of the first member such that the groove is interposed between chamfered portions of the mutually adjacent ones of the plurality of permanent magnets of structurally disclosed Weinmann et al. and Morel et al. for the purpose of mitigating eddy current losses and improve uniform torque performance of the rotor.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THEODORE L PERKINS whose telephone number is (703)756-4629. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am- 17:00pm.
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/THEODORE L PERKINS/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TERRANCE L KENERLY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834