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 pages 9-12, filed 11/21/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 and 9 under 35 U.S.C. § 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of the claim amendment and new prior art.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-4, 9 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada et al. (US 5,986,377) in view of Hirayama et al. (US 2022/0209592 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yamada discloses a laminated core (111) in a tubular shape (FIG. 101), the laminated core (111) comprising:
back yoke portions (113) provided in a plate shape extending in a circumferential direction (FIG. 101); and
tooth portions (114) in a plate shape protruding radially inward from the back yoke portion (113); wherein
the back yoke portion (113) and the tooth portions (114) are stacked in a thickness direction of the laminated core (111) to extend along an axis of the laminated core (111; FIG. 100);
the back yoke portions (113) include cut lines (113a, 113b) between ones of the tooth portions (114) adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, the cut line (113a, 113b) extending in a radial direction from an inner peripheral surface (FIG. 99) of the laminated core (111);
when one of a pair of the back yoke portions (113) adjacent to each other in a stacking direction is referred to as a first back yoke portion (see annotation below) and another one of the pair of back yoke portions (113) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction is referred to as a second back yoke portion (see annotation below), at least a portion of one of the cut lines (113a, 113b) in the first back yoke portion is located at a position not overlapping another one of the cut lines (113a, 113b) in the second back yoke portion when the back yoke portion (113) is viewed from the stacking direction (FIG. 101); and
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each of the back yoke portions is bonded to an adjacent one or more of the back yoke portions (FIG. 100) in the thickness direction.
Yamada does not disclose each of the back yoke portions is bonded to an adjacent one or more of the back yoke portions by an adhesive.
Hirayama discloses the back yoke portions (22) is bonded to an adjacent one or more of the back yoke portions (22) by an adhesive (41, 41M, 41N; FIG. 7-17, 21, 22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of Hirayama to disclose the back yoke portions is bonded to an adjacent one or more of the back yoke portions by an adhesive, for the advantages of preventing relative displacement of the lamination stack (¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 2/1, Yamada in view of Hirayama was discussed above in claim 1. Yamada further discloses wherein the back yoke portions (113) include a circumferential one-side separated portion (113b) located on one side in the circumferential direction with respect to the cut line (113a, 113b), and a circumferential another-side separated portion (113a) located on another side in the circumferential direction with respect to the cut line (113a, 113b) and in contact with the circumferential one-side separated portion (113b) in the circumferential direction;
the circumferential one-side separated portion (113b) in the first back yoke portion is located at a position overlapping the circumferential another-side separated portion (113b for second layer in FIG. 100) in the second back yoke portion when the laminated core (111) is viewed from the stacking direction (FIG. 101); and
the circumferential one-side separated portion (113b) in the first back yoke portion is bonded to the circumferential another-side separated portion (113b for second layer in FIG. 100) in the second back yoke portion (FIG. 100).
As discussed above in claim 1, Hirayama discloses the first back yoke portion and the second back yoke portion bonded by the adhesive.
Regarding claim 3/2, Yamada in view of Hirayama was discussed above in claim 2. Yamada further discloses wherein the circumferential one-side separated portion (113b) in the first back yoke portion includes a first protrusion (113b) protruding toward the other side in the circumferential direction;
the circumferential another-side separated portion (113b for second layer in FIG. 100) in the second back yoke portion includes a second protrusion (113b) protruding toward the one side in the circumferential direction;
the first protrusion (113b) in the first back yoke portion is located at a position overlapping the second protrusion (113b) in the second back yoke portion when the laminated core (111) is viewed from the stacking direction; and
the first protrusion (113b) in the first back yoke portion is bonded to the second protrusion (113b) in the second back yoke portion (FIG. 100).
As discussed above in claim 1, Hirayama discloses the first back yoke portion and the second back yoke portion bonded by the adhesive in FIG. 7-17, 21, 22. The drawings also discloses fifth portions (45c) of the adhesion part, which would be between the first protrusion and the second protrusion of Yamada.
Regarding claim 4/3, Yamada in view Hirayama was discussed above in claim 3. Yamada further discloses wherein the circumferential another-side separated portion (113a) in the first back yoke portion includes a first recess (113a) in which the first protrusion (113b) is positioned; and
the circumferential one-side separated portion (113a for second layer in FIG. 100) in the second back yoke portion includes a second recess (113a) in which the second protrusion (113b) is positioned.
Regarding claim 12/1, Yamada in view Hirayama was discussed above in claim 1. Yamada further discloses wherein a plurality of the first back yoke portions (113; first, third, fifth stack in FIG. 100; see annotation below) and a plurality of the second back yoke portions (113; second, fourth, sixth stack in FIG. 100; see annotation below) are included in the laminated core (111);
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the plurality of the first back yoke portions (113) are aligned with one another in the thickness direction (all the cut lines for the first back yoke portions are aligned in the axial direction) and the plurality of the second back yoke portions (113) are aligned with one another in the thickness direction (all the cut lines for the second back yoke portions are aligned in the axial direction);
portions of the plurality of the first back yoke portions (113) which are contiguous with the one of the cut lines overlap only others of the plurality of the first back yoke portions when viewed in the thickness direction (FIG. 100; the cut lines of the first back yokes only overlap with each other); and
portions of the plurality of the second back yoke portions (113) which are contiguous with the another one of the cut lines overlap only others of the plurality of the second back yoke portions when viewed in the thickness direction (FIG. 100; the cut lines of the second back yoke portions only overlap with each other).
Regarding claim 9, Yamada discloses a method for manufacturing a laminated core (111) in which a back yoke portion (113) in a plate shape and tooth portions (114) in a plate shape are stacked in a thickness direction of the laminated core (111), the method comprising:
a punching step of punching a steel plate to form a back yoke forming portion (113) extending in a first direction, the plurality of tooth portions (114) extending from the back yoke forming portion (113) toward one side in a second direction intersecting the first direction when the steel plate is viewed in its thickness direction (FIG. 99), and a slit (113a, 113b) extending toward another side in the second direction between the tooth portions (114) adjacent to each other in the first direction in the back yoke forming portion (113);
a back yoke bending step of forming the back yoke portion (113) by bending the back yoke forming portion (113) in an arc shape by closing a gap of the slit (113a, 113b) when the back yoke forming portion (113) formed in the punching step is viewed in the thickness direction (FIG. 101); and
a stacking step of bonding the back yoke portion (113) bent in an arc shape in the back yoke bending step while the back yoke portions (113) are stacked in a stacking direction (FIG. 100); wherein
the punching step is performed to form the slit at a first position (see annotation below) in one of two of the back yoke portions (113) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction and form the slit (113a, 113b) at a second position (see annotation below) in another one of the back yoke portions (113), the first position being different from the second position (FIG. 100).
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the slit (113a, 113b) includes a first slit including a first protrusion (113b) protruding toward another side in the first direction and a second slit including a second protrusion (113b) protruding toward one side in the first direction (FIG. 100);
the punching step is performed to form not only the first slit in one of the back yoke portions (113) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction, but also the second slit in another of the back yoke portions (113) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction; and
the first protrusion (113b) of the first slit of one of the back yoke portions (113) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction is bonded to the second protrusion (113b) of the second slit of the other of the back yoke portions (113) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction while the back yoke portions (113) bent in an arc shape in the back yoke bending step are stacked in the stacking direction (FIG. 100).
Yamada does not disclose the back yoke portions adjacent to each other in the stacking direction is bonded to the other of the back yoke portions adjacent to each other in the stacking direction by an adhesive.
Hirayama discloses the back yoke portions (22) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction is bonded to the other of the back yoke portions (22) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction by an adhesive (41, 41M, 41N; FIG. 7-17, 21, 22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of Hirayama to disclose the back yoke portions adjacent to each other in the stacking direction is bonded to the other of the back yoke portions adjacent to each other in the stacking direction by an adhesive, for the advantages of preventing relative displacement of the lamination stack (¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 11/9, Yamada in view of Hirayama was discussed above in claim 9. Yamada further discloses wherein the punching step includes a first punching step of punching a steel plate to form a first back yoke forming portion (113), a first plurality of the tooth portions (114), and the first slit (113a, 113b), and a second punching step of punching the steel plate to form a second back yoke forming portion (113), second tooth portions (114), and the second slit (113a, 113b);
the back yoke bending step includes a first back yoke bending step of forming a first back yoke portion (113) by closing a gap of the first slit (113a, 113b) and bending the first back yoke forming portion (113) in an arc shape when the first back yoke forming portion (113) formed in the first punching step is viewed from the thickness direction, and a second back yoke bending step of forming a second back yoke portion (113) by closing a gap of the second slit (113a, 113b) and bending the second back yoke forming portion (113) in an arc shape when the second back yoke forming portion (113) formed in the second punching step is viewed from the thickness direction (FIG. 100-101); and
the stacking step is performed to alternately stack and bond the first back yoke portion (113) bent in an arc shape in the first back yoke bending step and the second back yoke portion (113) bent in an arc shape in the second back yoke bending step in the stacking direction (FIG. 100).
Regarding claim 13/9, Yamada in view Hirayama was discussed above in claim 9. Yamada further discloses wherein a plurality of the first protrusions (113b; first, third, fifth stack in FIG. 100; see annotation below) and a plurality of the second protrusions (113b; second, fourth, sixth stack in FIG. 100; see annotation below) are included in the laminated core (111);
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the plurality of the first protrusions (113b) are aligned with one another in the thickness direction (all the cut lines for the first protrusions are aligned in the axial direction) and the plurality of the second protrusions (113b) are aligned with one another in the thickness direction (all the cut lines for the second protrusions are aligned in the axial direction) when the back yoke portions bent in an arc shape in the back yoke bending step are stacked in the stacking direction (FIG. 100, 101);
portions of the plurality of the first protrusions (113b) overlap only portions of others of the first protrusions when viewed in the thickness direction (FIG. 100; the cut lines of the first protrusions only overlap with each other); and
portions of the plurality of the second protrusions (113b) overlap only others of the second protrusions when viewed in the thickness direction (FIG. 100; the cut lines of the second protrusions only overlap with each other).
Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada et al. (US 5,986,377) in view of Hirayama et al. (US 2022/0209592 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Adlfinger et al. (US 2023/0283121 A1).
Regarding claim 5/1, Yamada in view of Hirayama was discussed above in claim 1. Yamada in view of Hirayama does not disclose wherein the back yoke portions extend spirally about an axis of the laminated core and are stacked in the stacking direction.
Adlfinger discloses wherein the back yoke portions extend spirally about an axis of the laminated core and are stacked in the stacking direction (¶ [0003]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of Hirayama, further in view of Adlfinger to disclose wherein the back yoke portions extend spirally about an axis of the laminated core and are stacked in the stacking direction, for the advantages of reducing waste.
Regarding claim 6/5, Yamada in view of Hirayama and Adlfinger was discussed above in claim 5. Yamada further discloses wherein the back yoke portions (113) include the first back yoke portion (first layer in FIG. 100) extending spirally (as modified by Adlfinger) about the axis and stacked in the stacking direction, and the second back yoke portion (second layer in FIG. 100) extending spirally (as modified by Adlfinger) about the axis and stacked adjacent in the stacking direction to the first back yoke portion stacked in the stacking direction (FIG. 100);
the first back yoke portion (first layer) includes a circumferential one-side separated portion (113b) located on one side in the circumferential direction with respect to the cut line (113a, 113b), and a circumferential another-side separated portion (113a) located on the other side in the circumferential direction with respect to the cut line (113a, 113b) and in contact with the circumferential one-side separated portion (113a) in the circumferential direction (FIG. 100);
the second back yoke portion (second layer) includes a circumferential one-side separated portion (113a) located on one side in the circumferential direction with respect to the cut line (113a, 113b), and a circumferential another-side separated portion (113b) located on the other side in the circumferential direction with respect to the cut line (113a, 113b) and in contact with the circumferential one-side separated portion (113a) in the circumferential direction (FIG. 100);
the circumferential one-side separated portion (113b) in the first back yoke portion (first layer) includes a first protrusion (113b) protruding toward the other side in the circumferential direction, and the circumferential another-side separated portion (113a) in the first back yoke portion (first layer) includes a first recess (113a) in which the first protrusion (113b) is positioned;
the circumferential another-side separated portion (113b) in the second back yoke portion (second layer) includes a second protrusion (113b) protruding toward the one side in the circumferential direction, and the circumferential one-side separated portion (113a) in the second back yoke portion (second layer) includes a second recess (113a) in which the second protrusion (113b) is positioned;
the first protrusion (113b) in the first back yoke portion (first layer) is located at a position overlapping the second protrusion (113b) in the second back yoke portion (second layer) when laminated core (113) is viewed from the stacking direction; and
the first protrusion (113b) in the first back yoke portion is bonded to the second protrusion (113b) in the second back yoke portion (FIG. 100).
As discussed above in claim 1, Hirayama discloses the first back yoke portion and the second back yoke portion bonded by the adhesive in FIG. 7-17, 21, 22. The drawings also discloses fifth portions (45c) of the adhesion part, which would be between the first protrusion and the second protrusion of Yamada.
Regarding claim 7/5, Yamada in view of Hirayama and Adlfinger was discussed above in claim 5. Yamada further discloses wherein one of the back yoke portions (113) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction includes the cut line (113a, 113b) with a radially inner end located at a position overlapping a radially inner end of the cut line (113a, 113b) in the other of the back yoke portions (113) adjacent to each other in the stacking direction when viewed from the stacking direction (FIG. 102-103); and
the cut line (113a, 113b) in the one of the back yoke portions (113) includes a radially outer end located at a position overlapping a radially outer end of the cut line (113a, 113b) in the other of the back yoke portions (113)when viewed from the stacking direction (FIG. 102-103).
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Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada et al. (US 5,986,377) in view of Hirayama et al. (US 2022/0209592 A1) and Adlfinger et al. (US 2023/0283121 A1) as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Nagai et al. (US 7,777,387 B2).
Regarding claim 8/7, Yamada in view of Hirayama and Adlfinger was discussed above in claim 7. Yamada in view of Hirayama Adlfinger does not disclose wherein the back yoke portions include an outer-peripheral-side recess recessed toward the inner peripheral side at a position radially outward of the radially outer end of the cut line in an outer peripheral surface of the back yoke portion.
Nagai discloses wherein the back yoke portions (19) include an outer-peripheral-side recess (16, 21) recessed toward the inner peripheral side at a position radially outward of the radially outer end of the cut line (26) in an outer peripheral surface of the back yoke portion (19; FIG. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of Adlfinger, further in view of Nagai to disclose wherein the back yoke portions include an outer-peripheral-side recess recessed toward the inner peripheral side at a position radially outward of the radially outer end of the cut line in an outer peripheral surface of the back yoke portion, for the advantages of manufacturing high efficient and high quality products without radial expansion of the connecting portions (col. 1 ll. 49-51).
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 MINKI CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-0521. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye 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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/MINKI CHANG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834