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 .
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 | 4-8 | 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Atarashi et al. US 10340767 B2 [Atarashi].
Regarding claim 1, Atarashi teaches An electric motor [10], the electric motor comprising: a housing [20] having a motor compartment [see the compartment that houses the stator 40, fig. 1], an electronics compartment [see the compartment that houses a control unit 70] and a housing wall [see the upper bearing holder 50] separating said motor compartment and said electronics compartment from each other [fig. 1 shows that 50 separating said motor compartment and said electronics compartment from each other], said housing wall having a plurality of openings formed therein [a plurality of holder through holes 52c]; a stator [40] disposed in said motor compartment [fig. 1] and an electronics system [70] disposed in said electronics compartment [fig. 1]; phase connections [see the coil wires 94] protruding through said openings [52c, fig. 1] and placing said stator and said electronics system in electrical contact with each other [through 68 and 92, fig. 1]; and a separating element [61, fig. 4] being film-shaped [fig. 4 shows that elements 61 [62 and 63] is being film-shaped] and being disposed between said stator [40] and said electronics system [70], said separating element [63] at least partially covering said openings [52c] and said housing wall [50].
Regarding claim 4, Atarashi teaches The electric motor according to claim 1, which further comprises a number of said phase connections [C. 10 teaches The busbars 90 include a plurality of busbar body portions 91. In this embodiment, the number of busbar body portions 91 is three. Only one of the busbar terminal portions 92 is connected to each busbar body portion 91. That is, the motor 10 is a three-phase motor, and each busbar 90 is a phase busbar connected to coils of one of three phases (i.e., a U phase, a V phase, and a W phase) and so on] and a number of main slots formed in said separating element corresponding to said number of phase connections [see 92 | 90 in 61, fig. 4], each of said phase connections protruding through a respective one of said main slots [see 92 | 90 in 61, fig. 4; also C. 11 teaches An external shape of the coil connection portion 93 is in the shape of the letter “U” with an open top facing radially outward in a plan view. Referring to FIG. 1, the coil connection portion 93 is arranged to hold the corresponding coil wire 94. Each coil wire 94 is connected to the corresponding coil connection portion 93 and the corresponding coil 43, passing through the corresponding holder through hole 52c and a corresponding one of a plurality of wire hole portions 63b, which will be described below. Each busbar 90 and the stator 40 are thus electrically connected to each other through the corresponding coil wires 94].
Regarding claim 5, Atarashi teaches The electric motor according to claim 4, which further comprises further slots [see the slots between protruding portions 64, fig. 4], at least a respective one of said further slots opening into each of said main slots [see the slots of 68 | 90 | 92 | the slots between protruding portions 64, fig. 4], and said further slots extending nonparallel to said main slots [see 68 | 90 | 92 | the slots between protruding portions 64, fig. 4].
Regarding claim 6, Atarashi teaches The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein said separating element has a bonding layer [see abutment portions 65] adhering to said housing wall [see the upper bearing holder 50].
Regarding claim 7, Atarashi teaches The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein said separating element has at least one electrically insulating layer [62 and 63 are inherently electrically insulating layers].
Regarding claim 8, Atarashi teaches The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein said separating element has a layer having at least one of an electrically or magnetically shielding effect [62 and 63 are inherently electrically insulating and shielding layers].
Regarding claim 10, Atarashi teaches The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein said separating element is flexible [C. 11 teaches that the busbar holder 61 includes the upper and lower busbar holders 62 and 63. The busbar holder 61 is preferably made of a resin, and resin has a degree of flexibility, since the claim is not specific about how flexible the separating element should be].
Regarding claim 11, Atarashi teaches The electric motor according to claim 1, which further comprises an interconnection ring forming an end face of said stator [see the ring part of the housing inner circumferential surface 21a around the end face of the stator 40].
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 2 | 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Atarashi et al. US 10340767 B2 [Atarashi].
Regarding claim 2, Atarashi discloses the claimed invention except for the rearrangement of the separating element [said separating element is disposed between said housing wall and said stator, claim 1 recites that the separating element disposed between said stator and said electronics system].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to rearrange the separating element to serve the purpose of separating, and since rearrangement of parts was held to be obvious. In re Japikse 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950).
Regarding claim 9, Atarashi discloses the claimed invention except for said separating element has a thickness of between 0.1 mm and less than 0.5 mm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed for the separating element to have thickness between 0.1 mm and less than 0.5 mm for achieving the separation to aid in reaching the required performance, and since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/16/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive and addressed in the rejection above [at least see the underlined statements].
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 MOHAMAD A MUSLEH whose telephone number is ((571)272-9086. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 10 am - 7 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S. Ismail can be reached on 571 272 3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/Mohamad A Musleh/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837