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 7, filed 11/19/2025, with respect to Claim Objections of Claims 1, 7, and 10, and 35 USC 112b Rejections of Claims 4, 10, 11, and 13-14 have been fully considered and are persuasive and have been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 11/19/2025 have been fully considered. Applicant argues that Chen does not teach alone or in combination the limitation regarding the first part and the second part, wherein the second part has a diameter less than the outmost diameter of yoke element 2, further stating that communication slot 6 can be understood as a rectangular slot and is not formed between two opposing inner surfaces of element 1 and element 2. This argument is not found persuasive as Chen explicitly discloses “the first stator punch 1 is a punch in the middle of the stator, and the second stator punch 2 is a punch at both ends of the stator” as illustrated in Chen’s Figs. 4, and 6-7. Furthermore 6 as clearly illustrated in Chen’s Fig. 4, is positioned axially between two opposing axial inner surfaces provided by two first parts 1.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7, 10, 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen (CN115021439A).
Claim 1
Chen teaches: A stator (Fig. 6) comprising:
a core (Fig. 4) including a yoke (annular portion of core along which channels 8 are comprised on) having an annular shape, a teeth (portion of core through which channels 9 are comprised in) extending inwardly from the yoke (annular portion of core along which channels 8 are comprised on) and radially disposed, and a shoe (radially innermost portion of core disposed at the end of each teeth portions) disposed at an end of each tooth;
and a cooling flow path (communication path between groove 6 and channel 8) disposed inside the core (Fig. 4), wherein at least one cooling fluid inlet (7) is disposed along an outer circumferential surface of the core (Fig. 4), and at least one cooling fluid outlet (8) connected to the at least one cooling fluid inlet (7) is disposed in the yoke (annular portion of core along which channels 8 are comprised on) or the teeth (portion of core through which channels 9 are comprised in) in an upper surface of the core (Fig. 4);
wherein the core (Fig. 4) includes two first parts (2) and a second part (1) disposed between the two first parts (2), each of two first parts (2) is disposed by stacking a plurality of first steel plates (iron punching sheets 2) in which holes (201,202) are disposed at positions corresponding to the at least one cooling fluid outlet (8), the second part (1) has a groove (6) disposed in a position corresponding to the at least one cooling fluid inlet (7) and is disposed by stacking a plurality of second steel plates (iron punching sheets 1) having a diameter (radially recessed portions of yoke 1) less than a diameter (outermost diameter of yoke of 2) of the first steel plates, and an outer flow path (6) is formed between two opposing inner surfaces of the two first parts (2), which are separated by a predetermined distance (axial distance between bottom plate 2 and top plate 2 forming gap), and an outer circumferential surface of the plurality of second steel plates (iron punching sheets 1).
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Claim 2/1
Chen teaches: The stator (Fig. 6) of claim 1, wherein the outer flow path (301) recessed in the annular shape, through which cooling fluid (oil) is injected and circulated, is disposed in a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the core (Fig. 4) in which the at least one cooling fluid inlet (7) is disposed.
Claim 3/2/1
Chen teaches: The stator (Fig. 6) of claim 2, further comprising: a partition (labeled ‘partition’ in Examiner’s annotated fig. 4) disposed in the outer flow path (301) to block a portion of the outer flow path (301) and limiting a flow direction of the cooling fluid (oil) in the outer flow path (301).
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Claim 4/1
Chen teaches: The stator (Fig. 6) of claim 1, wherein the groove (6) is disposed from a position corresponding to the at least one cooling fluid outlet (8) to a position corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the core (Fig. 4).
Claim 5/3/2/1
Chen teaches: The stator (Fig. 6) of claim 3, wherein a portion of an outer surface of the second steel plates corresponding to the partition (labeled ‘partition’ in Examiner’s annotated fig. 4) protrudes, and the groove is disposed from a position corresponding to the at least one cooling fluid outlet (8) to a position corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the core (Fig. 4).
Claim 6/1
Chen teaches: The stator (Fig. 6) of claim 1, wherein each tooth has a width decreasing inwardly (as evidenced by intersecting lines illustrated below), and a width (W3) of a portion in which the at least one cooling fluid outlet (8) is disposed is equal to or greater than a sum of the width (W1) of the at least one cooling fluid outlet (8) and the width (W2) of an inner end of the tooth.
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Claim 7
Chen teaches: A motor (oil cooled motor, Title) comprising: a stator (Fig. 6) including:
a core (Fig. 4) including a yoke (annular portion of core along which channels 8 are comprised on) having an annular shape, a teeth (portion of core through which channels 9 are comprised in) extending inwardly from the yoke (annular portion of core along which channels 8 are comprised on) and radially disposed, and a shoe (radially innermost portion of core disposed at the end of each teeth portions) disposed at an end of each tooth;
and a cooling flow path (communication path between groove 6 and channel 8) disposed inside the core (Fig. 4), wherein at least one cooling fluid inlet (7) is disposed along an outer circumferential surface of the core (Fig. 4), and at least one cooling fluid outlet (8) connected to the at least one cooling fluid inlet (7) is disposed in the yoke (annular portion of core along which channels 8 are comprised on) or the teeth (portion of core through which channels 9 are comprised in) in an upper surface of the core (Fig. 4);
a housing (4) having an injection port (5) for cooling fluid (oil) connected to an outer flow path (301) disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the core (Fig. 4) of the stator (Fig. 6); and a cooling unit (3) configured to inject the cooling fluid (oil) into the injection port (5),
wherein the core (Fig. 4) includes two first parts (2) and a second part (1) disposed between the two first parts (2), each of two first parts (2) is disposed by stacking a plurality of first steel plates (iron punching sheets 2) in which holes (201,202) are disposed at positions corresponding to the at least one cooling fluid outlet (8), the second part (1) has a groove (6) disposed in a position corresponding to the at least one cooling fluid inlet (7) and is disposed by stacking a plurality of second steel plates (iron punching sheets 1) having a diameter (radially recessed portions of yoke 1) less than a diameter (outermost diameter of yoke of 2) of the first steel plates, and an outer flow path (6) is formed between two opposing inner surfaces of the two first parts (2), which are separated by a predetermined distance (axial distance between bottom plate 2 and top plate 2 forming gap), and an outer circumferential surface of the plurality of second steel plates (iron punching sheets 1).
Claim 10/7
Chen teaches: The motor (oil cooled motor, Title) of claim 7 wherein the stator (Fig. 6) includes a partition (labeled ‘partition’ in Examiner’s annotated fig. 4) disposed in the outer flow path (301) to limit a flow direction of cooling water in the outer flow path (301), the partition (labeled ‘partition’ in Examiner’s annotated fig. 4) is formed as a plurality of partitions (radially recessed portions of yoke on first stator punching sheet 1), the plurality of partitions (radially recessed portions of yoke on first stator punching sheet 1) are disposed in positions spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to divide the outer flow path (301) into a plurality of flow paths, and the injection port (5) is formed as a number of injection ports (one injection port) corresponding to the number of the plurality of partitions (radially recessed portions of yoke on first stator punching sheet 1), and each of the injection ports (one injection port) is disposed in positions adjacent to each of the plurality of partitions (radially recessed portions of yoke on first stator punching sheet 1), respectively.
Claim 12/7
Chen teaches: The motor (oil cooled motor, Title) of claim 7, wherein an outer flow path (301) recessed in the annular shape, through which cooling fluid (oil) is injected and circulated, is disposed in a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the core (Fig. 4) in which the at least one cooling fluid inlet (7) is disposed.
Claim 13/7
Chen teaches: The motor (oil cooled motor, Title) of claim 7, wherein: the groove is disposed from a position corresponding to the at least one cooling fluid outlet (8) to a position corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the core (Fig. 4).
Claim 14/8/7
Chen teaches: The motor (oil cooled motor, Title) of claim 8, wherein: portion of an outer surface of the second steel plate (1) corresponding to the partition (labeled ‘partition’ in Examiner’s annotated fig. 4) protrudes, and the groove is disposed from a position corresponding to the at least one cooling fluid outlet (8) to a position corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the core (Fig. 4).
Claim 15/7
Chen teaches: The motor (oil cooled motor, Title) of claim 7, wherein each tooth has a width decreasing inwardly (as evidenced by intersecting lines illustrated below), and a width (W3) of a portion in which the at least one cooling fluid outlet (8) is disposed is equal to or greater than a sum of the width (W1) of the at least one cooling fluid outlet (8) and the width (W2) of an inner end of the tooth.
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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 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of
Liu (WO2022110895A1).
Claim 8/7
Chen teaches: The motor (oil cooled motor, Title) of claim 7, wherein the stator (Fig. 6) includes a partition (labeled ‘partition’ in Examiner’s annotated fig. 4) disposed in the outer flow path (301) to limit a flow direction of cooling oil in the outer flow path (301), wherein the partition (labeled ‘partition’ in Examiner’s annotated fig. 4) is disposed in a position adjacent to the injection port (5) in the outer flow path (301).
Chen is silent to: cooling water in the outer flow path.
Liu conversely teaches a motor similar to that of Chen wherein cooling liquid circulated in the motor may be cooling oil, cooling water, or other cooling fluids with fluidity (Detailed ways, para. 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Chen’s motor such that cooling water is circulated in the outer flow path. A modification of Chen to employ a water based cooling instead of an oil based would be advantageous as water is generally a better coolant than oil due to its higher heat capacity and heat transfer efficiency.
Claim 9/8/7
Chen teaches: The motor (oil cooled motor, Title) of claim 8, wherein the housing (4) further includes: a main flow path (9) to which the injection port (5) and the cooling unit (3) are connected; and an auxiliary injection port (301) branched from the main flow path (9) and connected to an outer flow path (301) between the partition (labeled ‘partition’ in Examiner’s annotated fig. 4) and the injection port (5), among both ends of the injection port (5).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of
Maki (US8466596B2).
Claim 11/10/7
Chen teaches: The motor (oil cooled motor, Title) of claim 10, but is silent to: wherein an angle between two adjacent partitions of the plurality of partitions is 360/n degrees, wherein the n represents the number of the plurality of partitions.
Maki conversely teaches divided core partitions (14) where the open angle of a yoke portion is 360/n, where n is the number of divided core partitions (14).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Chen’s motor such that an angle between two adjacent partitions of the plurality of partitions is 360/n degrees, wherein the n represents the number of the plurality of partitions. Creating laminated core angles based on 360/n is that it ensures perfect geometric and magnetic symmetry in both 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 AHMED F SECK whose telephone number is (571)272-4638. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Koehler can be reached at (571) 272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AHMED F SECK/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834