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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Calley et al. (US 8,952590 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Calley teaches a transverse flux machine (TFM) comprising:
a rotor assembly (850, fig 8A) configured to rotate about an axis; and
a stator assembly (810) including a plurality of stator windings (820) and a plurality of stator cores (810-1, 810-2) each configured to direct a magnetic flux in each of an axial direction and a radial direction toward the rotor assembly (fig 8D), with each of the stator cores (810-1, 810-2) defining a ring shape (814) and holding a corresponding stator winding (820) of the plurality of stator windings,
wherein the plurality of stator cores (810-1, 810-2) include an exterior stator core (810-1) located adjacent to an axial end of the stator assembly (810), and an interior stator core (810-2) spaced apart from the axial end of the stator assembly (810), and
wherein the interior stator core (810-2) defines at least one dimension (Lt) that is different than a corresponding dimension of the exterior stator core (810-1, col 16 ln 13-20).
Regarding claim 11, Calley teaches a steer-by-wire system for a vehicle, comprising:
a handwheel actuator (1000, fig 10A) coupled to apply a torque to a steering wheel (not shown, col 18 ln 44-46) and including a transverse flux machine (TFM), wherein the TFM includes:
a rotor assembly (850, fig 8A) configured to rotate about an axis; and
a stator assembly (810) including a plurality of stator windings (820) and a plurality of stator cores (810-1, 810-2) each configured to direct a magnetic flux in each of an axial direction and a radial direction toward the rotor assembly (fig 8D), with each of the stator cores (810-1, 810-2) defining a ring shape (814) and holding a corresponding stator winding (820) of the plurality of stator windings,
wherein the plurality of stator cores (810-1, 810-2) include an exterior stator core (810-1) located adjacent to an axial end of the stator assembly (810), and an interior stator core (810-2) spaced apart from the axial end of the stator assembly (810), and
wherein the interior stator core (810-2) defines at least one dimension (Lt) that is different than a corresponding dimension of the exterior stator core (810-1, col 16 ln 13-20).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Calley teaches each of the stator cores (810-1) includes a tubular portion (818) extending between an inner wall and an outer wall and defining a back iron depth in a radial direction therebetween, and wherein the at least one dimension includes the back iron depth (fig 8B).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Calley teaches the back iron depth of the tubular portion (718) of the interior stator core (710B-1) is approximately one-half the back iron depth of the tubular portion (718) of the exterior stator core (710A, fig 7D).
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Calley teaches each of the stator cores (810-1) includes a tubular portion (818) and an arm (814) extending from the tubular portion in a radial direction toward the rotor assembly (850), the arm (814) defining a plurality of teeth (816-1), with each tooth (816-1) of the plurality of teeth defining an angular width (Width, fig 5C) in a circumferential direction, and wherein the at least one dimension includes the angular width of the plurality of teeth (col 7 ln 47-55).
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Calley teaches the angular width of the teeth (816-1) of the interior stator core (810-1) are approximately seven percent less than the angular width of the teeth (816-2) of the exterior stator core (810-2, col 7 ln 47-55).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Calley teaches each of the stator cores (810-1) includes a tubular portion (818) extending between an inner wall and an outer wall and defining a back iron depth in a radial direction therebetween, wherein each of the stator cores (810-1) includes an arm (814) extending from the tubular portion (818) in a radial direction toward the rotor assembly (850), the arm (814) defining a plurality of teeth (816-1), with each tooth (816-1) of the plurality of teeth defining an angular width in a circumferential direction, and wherein the at least one dimension includes both of the back iron depth and the angular width of the teeth (fig 8B).
Regarding claims 7 and 17, Calley teaches the TFM has an internal rotor configuration, with the stator assembly extending annularly about the rotor assembly (col 9 ln 60-63).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Calley teaches the TFM has an external rotor configuration, with the rotor assembly extending annularly about the stator assembly (col 9 ln 55-59).
Regarding claims 9 and 19, Calley teaches at least one stator core of the plurality of stator cores includes a soft magnetic core (SMC) material (col 7 ln 5-10).
Regarding claim 10, Calley teaches each of the stator cores has a U-shaped cross-section (fig 8B) with a tubular portion (818) and with a first arm (814) extending radially from the tubular portion (818) toward the rotor assembly (850), and with a second arm (814) spaced apart from the first arm (824) and extending radially from the tubular portion (818) toward the rotor assembly (850), and wherein each of the stator cores (810) has a corresponding stator winding (820) of the plurality of stator windings and disposed in a winding slot between the first arm and the second arm (fig 8B).
Regarding claim 20, Calley teaches the handwheel actuator (1000) is coupled to the steering wheel via a direct drive mechanism (1080, fig 10C).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Calley et al. (US 2012/0119610 A1) teaches an electrical machines, for example transverse flux machines and/or commutated flux machines, may be configured to achieve increased efficiency, increased output torque, and/or reduced operating losses via use of laminated materials, for example laminated materials configured with cuts and/or segmentations. Segmentations may also assist with manufacturability, mechanical retention of components, and the like.
Nashiki (US 8,120215 B2) teaches a motor and a control unit therefor comprise: salient rotor poles and salient stator poles, which are arranged along circumferences of phases A, B and C with an even interval therebetween; magnetic paths for passing magnetic fluxes, the paths permitting the magnetic fluxes passing through the salient rotor and stator poles of each phase to return to the rotor side; and substantially looped windings arranged between the salient stator poles of individual phases and the magnetic paths for passing magnetic fluxes, wherein currents are supplied to the windings in synchronization with the rotational position of the rotor to thereby output torque. Since the structures of the stator, the rotor and the windings are simple, productivity is enhanced, whereby high quality, small size and low cost can be realized.
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/LEDA T PHAM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834