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 .
Amendment
Acknowledgement is made of Amendment filed December 19, 2025.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 10-12, 15, 20, and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsubara et al. (US Patent No.: 8080908) in view of Tardy et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No.: US 2022/0399770 A1).
For claim 1, Matsubara et al. disclose the claimed invention comprising: a rotor shaft (reference numeral 15, figure 20), having a rotation axis (axis on which the shaft 15 is disposed, figure 20); a rotor body (reference numeral 5, figure 20), fixed to the rotor shaft (reference numeral 15) and formed of multiple stacked laminations (i.e. stacked core pieces, see column 4, lines 55-58), wherein magnet mounting grooves (reference numeral 21, figure 3) are provided in the rotor body (see figure 3); a plurality of magnets (reference numeral 12) disposed in the magnet mounting grooves (see figure 3), with a gap (reference numeral 23b) formed between each magnet and an inner wall of the corresponding magnet mounting grooves (see figure 3); a first end plate (reference numeral 14a) and a second end plate (reference numeral 14b, see figure 20), respectively disposed at two ends of the rotor body (reference numeral 5) along the rotation axis (see figure 20), and a fluid cooling system, the fluid cooling system comprising: a slot (reference numeral 31), disposed on one of the first end plate and second end plate (reference numerals 14a, 14b, see figures 20, 21A, 21B), and located on a side of the end plate that faces towards the rotor body (see figure 20); a through-hole (reference numeral 35, figure 20), disposed on the other of the first end plate and second end plate (see figure 20); and the gap (reference numeral 23b, figure 20), wherein the slot (reference numeral 31), the gap (reference numeral 23b) and the through-hole (reference numeral 35) are in fluid communication to form a cooling medium channel (see figure 20). Matsubara et al. however do not specifically disclose the magnet mounting grooves comprising multiple groups of mounting grooves which are radially offset, the slot and the through-hole being respectively aligned with gaps of the multiple groups of mounting grooves.
Having multiple groups of radially offset mounting grooves is a known skill as exhibited by Tardy et al. (reference numeral 13, see figure 4) and when combined with the gaps being aligned with the slots as disclosed by Matsubara et al. (reference numerals 31, 23b, see figure 20 of Matsubara et al.) this would disclose the slot and the through-hole being respectively aligned with gaps of the multiple groups of mounting grooves.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the radially offset groups of mounting grooves as disclosed by Tardy et al. for the magnet mounting grooves of Matsubara et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating the cooling function within the device.
For claim 2, Matsubara et al. disclose the fluid cooling system further comprising an opening (reference numeral 25) disposed on a wall of the rotor shaft (reference numeral 15, see figure 20), the opening (reference numeral 25) being in fluid communication with the slot (reference numeral 31, figure 20), and a cooling medium being able to flow from the opening (reference numeral 25) into the cooling medium channel (see figure 20).
For claim 4, Matsubara et al. disclose the slot (reference numeral 31) extending outwards from an inner edge of the corresponding end plate (reference numerals 14a, 14b) and at least partly covering the gap (reference numeral 23b, see figures 20, 21A, 21B).
For claims 5, 12, and 20, Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. disclose the claimed invention except for slots and through-holes arranged alternately being provided on each of the first end plate and second end plate. Having slots and through-holes arranged alternately would merely involve alternating slot and hole components which is a known skill as exhibited by Tardy et al. (reference numerals 32, 33, see figure 5), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the alternating arrangement of the slots and through-holes as disclosed by Tardy et al. for the first and second end plates of Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating the cooling function within the device.
For claim 6, Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the slots and through-holes of at least one of the first end plate and second end plate being arranged equidistantly in the circumferential direction of the corresponding end plate. Having slots and through-holes arranged equidistantly would merely involve arranging slot and hole components in a circumferential direction that are distanced equally from each other which is a known skill as exhibited by Tardy et al. (reference numerals 32, 33, see figure 5), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the slots and through-holes arranged equidistantly as disclosed by Tardy et al. for the first and second end plates of Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating the cooling function within the device.
For claim 8, Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the slot extending radially outwards in a tapering manner. Tardy et al. disclose a tapered configuration for a plate (reference numeral 37, figure 6), which when applied to the slot of Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. would disclose the slot extending radially outwards in a tapering manner. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the tapering configuration as disclosed by Tardy et al. for the slot of Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating the cooling function within the device.
For claims 10 and 15, Matsubara et al. disclose an electric machine with a stator and rotor (reference numerals 4, 5, see figure 1), i.e. an electric machine, comprising a stator and the rotor according to claim 1 (and claim 2).
For claim 11, Matsubara et al. disclose a vehicle with the electric machine (see column 16, lines 43-46), i.e. a vehicle, comprising the electric machine according to claim 10.
For claim 21, Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. disclose the claimed invention except for adjacent magnet mounting grooves in a same group of mounting grooves forming a substantially V-shaped arrangement. Tardy et al. further disclose adjacent magnet mounting grooves (reference numeral 13, see figure 4) in a same group of mounting grooves forming a substantially V-shaped arrangement (see figure 4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the V-shaped arrangement as disclosed by Tardy et al. for the adjacent magnet mounting grooves of Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating the cooling function within the device.
Claim(s) 3, 16, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Fantuz et al. (WIPO Document No.: WO 2021/105631 A1).
For claim 3, Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the cooling medium being recovered after sequentially flowing through the opening, the slot, the gap and the through-hole. Fantuz et al. disclose the cooling medium being recovered (see translation of Fantuz et al., Description, paragraph [0071]), which when applied to the cooling medium of Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. would disclose the cooling medium being recovered after sequentially flowing through the opening, the slot, the gap and the through-hole. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the cooling medium recovered as disclosed by Fantuz et al. for the cooling medium of Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating cooling efficiency for the device.
For claim 16, Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. and Fantuz et al. disclose the claimed invention except for slots and through-holes arranged alternately being provided on each of the first end plate and second end plate. Having slots and through-holes arranged alternately would merely involve alternating slot and hole components which is a known skill as exhibited by Tardy et al. (reference numerals 32, 33, see figure 5), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the alternating arrangement of the slots and through-holes as disclosed by Tardy et al. for the first and second end plates of Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. and Fantuz et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating the cooling function within the device.
For claim 19, Matsubara et al. disclose an electric machine with a stator and rotor (reference numerals 4, 5, see figure 1), i.e. an electric machine, comprising a stator and the rotor according to claim 3.
Claim(s) 9 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. as applied to claims 1 and 2 above, and further in view of Takemoto et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No.: US 2019/0393746 A1).
For claims 9 and 14, Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the magnets being disposed in the magnet mounting grooves by snap-fitting. Takemoto et al. disclose snap-fitting for the magnet (see paragraph [0053]), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the snap-fitting as disclosed by Takemoto et al. for the magnets and magnet mounting grooves of Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for securing the magnet components within the device.
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. and Fantuz et al. as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Takemoto et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No.: US 2019/0393746 A1).
For claim 18, Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. and Fantuz et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the magnets being disposed in the magnet mounting grooves by snap-fitting. Takemoto et al. disclose snap-fitting for the magnet (see paragraph [0053]), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the snap-fitting as disclosed by Takemoto et al. for the magnets and magnet mounting grooves of Matsubara et al. in view of Tardy et al. and Fantuz et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for securing the magnet components within the device.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/19/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to applicant's assertion that modifying Matsubara to include multiple groups of mounting grooves and additional magnets would not be obvious as this would be contrary to Matsubara's goal of weight saving as disclosed in the specification of Matsubara at column 5, lines 58-59, this was not found persuasive as Matsubara is disclosing that the through-holes 27 are contributing to an improvement by weight saving (see Matsubara et al.'s column 5, lines 57-61), and combining the features of multiple groups of mounting grooves from Tardy et al. to the invention of Matsubara et al. would not change Matsubara's teaching of the through-holes 27 and its weight saving abilities, and therefore the combination would still be obvious to a skilled person in the art.
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 ALEX W MOK whose telephone number is (571)272-9084. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-4pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ALEX W MOK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834