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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 4, filed 12/11/2025, with respect to rejections under 35 USC 112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims 7 and 9 under 35 USC 112(b) have been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 12/11/2025 with respect to rejections under 35 USC 102 and 103 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive:
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., a “hierarchical radial arrangement”) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Specifically, the references teach (some) conductors of the first coil type are disposed radially outward of (some) conductors of the second coil type. While all of the first type may not be outward of all of the second type, this arrangement is not claimed.
To the extent that applicant’s arguments rely upon the difference between the type of windings in Shichijyo and Kinjo, the test for obviousness is not whether the features of a secondary reference may be bodily incorporated into the structure of the primary reference; nor is it that the claimed invention must be expressly suggested in any one or all of the references. Rather, the test is what the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 7, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over over KINJO (US 20200373801) in view of SHICHIJYO (US 5449962).
Regarding claim 1, KINJO discloses a six-phase motor (10; see para [0054] citing the invention may be a motor and para [0065] citing six-phase structure), comprising:
a rotor (12) including a plurality of magnets (22);
a stator (13) disposed to form an air gap with the rotor (12), the stator (13) including a plurality of slots (32) and six phases of coils wound thereon, wherein the six phases of coils comprise:
a first coil type (33a) including an A-phase coil (U1), a B-phase coil (V1), and a C-phase coil (W1), each wound with a first number of turns (see para [0155]), and
a second coil type (33b) including an X-phase coil (U2), a Y-phase coil (V2), and a Z-phase coil (W2), each wound with a second number of turns that is less than the first number of turns (see para [0155]), and
wherein:
conductors of the first coil type (33a) and conductors of the second coil type (33b) are disposed together within the same slots (32) (see para [0066]),
the X-phase coil (U2) is inserted into a slot containing the A-phase coil (U1), the Y-phase coil (V2) is inserted into a slot containing the B-phase coil (V1), and the Z-phase coil (W2) is inserted into a slot containing the C-phase coil (W1) (see Figs. 2 and 3), and
within the slots (32), the conductors of the first coil type (33a) are disposed radially outward of the conductors of the second coil type (33b) (some of the 33a coil conductors are disposed radially outward of some of the 33b coil conductors; see Fig. 3).
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HOWEVER, KINJO does not disclose the slot with the X-phase coil (U2) and A-phase coil (U1) also has the B-phase coil (V1) inserted, the slot with the Y-phase coil (V2) and the B-phase coil (V1) also the C-phase coil (W1) inserted, and the slot with the Z-phase coil (W2) and the C-phase coil (W1) also has the A-phase coil (U1) inserted.
SHICHIJYO discloses a rotary electric machine with two three-phase circuits (13,14) having two types of windings (Y1, Y2, Y3 and ∆1, ∆2, and ∆3) having different numbers of turns (see col. 4, line 61-col. 5, line 8). SHICHIJYO discloses the Y windings and the ∆ are placed in the same slots together (see col. 4, lines 53-56 and Fig. 5).
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It 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 to provide the motor of KINJO with the X-phase coil is inserted into a slot in which the A-phase coil and the B-phase coil are inserted, the Y-phase coil is inserted into a slot in which the B-phase coil and the C-phase coil are inserted, and the Z-phase coil is inserted into a slot in which the C-phase coil and the A-phase coil are inserted, similar to SHICHIJYO.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification because, as SHICHIJYO teaches, such a construction can suppress magnetic noise without causing an increase in the number of slots (see col. 2, lines 56-63), thereby enabling the core teeth to be wider and reducing deformation and magnetic flux of the core teeth (see col. 6, lines 25-39), as well as to simplify the winding insertion process (see col. 7, lines 58-65).
Regarding claim 7, KINJO in view of SHICHIJYO teaches the six-phase motor of claim 1,
KINJO teaches an A-phase coil (U1) is inserted into an ith slot (Slot #1) and an i+1th slot (Slot #2), adjacent to each other, of the stator (13);
the B-phase coil (V1) is inserted into an i+2th slot (Slot #3) and i+3th slot (Slot #4) of the stator (13);
the C-phase coil (W1) in inserted into an i+4th slot (Slot #5) and i+5th (Slot #6) slot of the stator (13);
However, KINJO does not disclose the X-phase coil (U2) is inserted into an [the] i+1th slot and i+2th slot of the stator (13); the Y-phase coil (V2) is inserted into an [the] i+3th slot and i+4th slot of the stator (13); and the Z-phase coil (W2) is inserted into an [the] i+5th slot and i th slot of the stator (13).
SHICHIJYO discloses the Y windings and the ∆ are placed in the same slots together (see col. 4, lines 53-56 and Fig. 5).
It 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 to provide the motor of KINJO with the X-phase coil (U2) is inserted into an [the] i+1th slot and i+2th slot of the stator (13); the Y-phase coil (V2) is inserted into an [the] i+3th slot and i+4th slot of the stator (13); and the Z-phase coil (W2) is inserted into an [the] i+5th slot and i th slot of the stator (13), similar to SHICHIJYO.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification because, as SHICHIJYO teaches, such a construction can suppress magnetic noise without causing an increase in the number of slots (see col. 2, lines 56-63), thereby enabling the core teeth to be wider and reducing deformation and magnetic flux of the core teeth (see col. 6, lines 25-39), as well as to simplify the winding insertion process (see col. 7, lines 58-65) and because the selection of which specific coils from each of the two types to place in slots together is a matter of design choice (see MPEP 2144.04.VI.C).
Regarding claim 8, KINJO in view of SHICHIJYO teaches the six-phase motor of claim 1, wherein
KINJO discloses each of the A-phase coil (U1), the B-phase coil (V1), the C-phase coil (W1), the X-phase coil (U2), the Y-phase coil (V2), and the Z-phase coil (W2) is successively inserted into a multiple of two slots adjacent to each other (see Fig. 3).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KINJO in view of SHICHIJYO and further in view of HAYASHI (US 5274322).
Regarding claim 10, KINJO in view of SHICHIJYO teaches the six-phase motor of claim 1.
However, KINJO in view of SHICHIJYO fails to teach coils of the first coil type are formed of a thickness different from a thickness of coils of the second coil type.
HAYASHI discloses a rotary electric machine with two three-phase circuits having two types of windings with different numbers of turns (see col. 1, line 63-col. 2 line 2) coils of the first coil type are formed of a thickness different from a thickness of coils of the second coil type (see col. 6, lines 63-67).
It 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 to provide the motor of KINJO with coils of the first coil type are formed of a thickness different from a thickness of coils of the second coil type.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to facilitate winding, as taught by HAYASHI (see col. 6, lines 63-67).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-20090230806-A1 Miyata discloses a radially hierarchical winding structure; US-20150042196-A1 AWAZU discloses a radially hierarchical winding structure; US-20200235621-A1 Husain discloses a radially hierarchical winding structure with windings of differing thicknesses; WO-2021161409-A1 MASUKO discloses a radially hierarchical winding structure.
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 JUSTIN STEFANON whose telephone number is (703)756-4648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternate Fridays 8AM - 5PM EDT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN STEFANON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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