DETAILED ACTION
1. Claims 1-24 of U.S. Application 18/410025 filed on April 20, 2026 are presented for examination.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on June 19, 2026 was filed after the mailing date of the Non-Final Rejection on January 21, 2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
4. On page 1 of the arguments submitted on June 19, 2026, the applicant states that based on [0002] of the specification the “high-voltage terminal” refers to a terminal that is used to establish electrical connection between a winding of the electric machine and associated power electronics. Therefore the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections of the claims 1-20 are withdrawn.
5. Regarding claims 1 and 9, the applicant argues on page 2 that the feed through portion 95 taught by Kumagai which corresponds to the distribution member in the claim rejections is not separate from the housing.
The examiner respectfully disagrees with this argument and first points out that the distribution member being separate from the housing is not a claimed feature. Additionally, ¶ 74 and figure 1 of Kumagai discloses the distribution member 95 disposed inside and separate from housing 4.
Regarding claims 1 and 9, the applicant argues on pages 2-3 that guides (6c, 91) taught by Kumagai are not part of the terminal structure.
The examiner respectfully disagrees and points to figures 4, 6 and ¶ 90-92, ¶ 99-102 in which Kumagai discloses that guides 6c and 91 are formed by terminal 5.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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.
7. Claim 1, 2, 4-9 and 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kumagai (US 20230134155).
Regarding claim 1, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 below) an electric machine (1) (Abstract; ¶ 21) comprising:
a housing (4) or housing cover (4c) (¶ 23; ¶ 24);
a distribution member (95) supported by the housing (4) or housing cover (4c), the distribution member (95) having a fluid inlet (see annotated fig. 1 below) and a fluid outlet (96a, 96b) (¶ 22; ¶ 23; ¶ 74 to ¶ 77; ¶ 81 to ¶ 85);
a high-voltage terminal (5, since it is used to provide phase voltage/current to the motor windings, see ¶ 38; ¶ 39; ¶ 3 to ¶ 5) supported by the housing (4) or housing cover (4c); one or more busbars (10-13) associated with the high-voltage terminal (5) (¶ 38; ¶ 46 to ¶ 48; ¶ 61); and
one or more guides (6c, 91a) formed within the high-voltage terminal (5) to direct fluid from the fluid outlet (96a) to the one or more busbars (10-13) (¶ 78; ¶ 86; ¶ 91; ¶ 92; ¶ 99 to ¶ 102).
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Regarding claim 2/1, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) the one or more busbars (10-13) comprises a plurality of bus bars (10-13) (¶ 38; ¶ 46 to ¶ 48; ¶ 61), and
the one or more guides (6c, 91a) comprises a plurality of windows (6c, 91a) (¶ 91; ¶ 92; ¶ 99 to ¶ 102).
Regarding claim 4/2/1, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) the high-voltage terminal (5) includes a discrete mounting pocket (90) for each busbar (10-13) (¶ 62).
Regarding claim 5/1, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) each guide includes an inclined surface (6c) that directs fluid onto an associated busbar (¶ 100; ¶ 101).
Regarding claim 6/1, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) the distribution member (95) comprises one or more guide paths to direct fluid to the fluid outlet (96a, 96b) (¶ 22; ¶ 23; ¶ 74 to ¶ 77; ¶ 81 to ¶ 85).
Regarding claim 7/6/1, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) the high-voltage terminal (5) comprises an arcuate body that is associated with a lowermost portion of the distribution member (95) (fig. 6; ¶ 51).
Regarding claim 8/1, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) the high-voltage terminal (5) is comprised of a plastic material (holder 90 is an insulating resin, see ¶ 62) and the one or more busbars (10-13) are comprised of a metal material (since it is a busbar, see ¶ 62).
Regarding claim 9, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) an electric machine (1) (Abstract; ¶ 21) comprising:
a housing (4) or housing cover (4c) defining an internal cavity (¶ 23; ¶ 24);
a stator (2) and a rotor (3) positioned within the internal cavity (¶ 22 to ¶ 24);
a distribution member (95) supported by the housing (4) or housing cover (4c), the distribution member (95) having a fluid inlet (see annotated fig. 1 above) and a fluid outlet (96a, 96b) (¶ 22; ¶ 23; ¶ 74 to ¶ 77; ¶ 81 to ¶ 85),
wherein fluid flows from the fluid inlet to the fluid to cool windings (30) associated with the stator (2) and the rotor (3) (¶ 77 to ¶ 79; ¶ 89);
a high-voltage terminal (5, since it is used to provide phase voltage/current to the motor windings, see ¶ 38; ¶ 39; ¶ 3 to ¶ 5) supported by the housing (4) or housing cover (4c); a plurality of busbars (10-13) associated with the high-voltage terminal (5) (¶ 38; ¶ 46 to ¶ 48; ¶ 61); and
a plurality of guides (6c, 91a) formed within the high-voltage terminal (5) to direct fluid from the fluid outlet (96a) to the plurality of busbars (10-13) (¶ 78; ¶ 86; ¶ 91; ¶ 92; ¶ 99 to ¶ 102).
Regarding claim 12/9, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) each guide comprises an inclined surface (6c) that directs fluid onto an associated busbar (¶ 100; ¶ 101).
Regarding claim 13/9, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) the distribution member (95) comprises one or more guide paths to direct fluid to the fluid outlet (96a, 96b) (¶ 22; ¶ 23; ¶ 74 to ¶ 77; ¶ 81 to ¶ 85).
Regarding claim 14/13/9, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) the high-voltage terminal (5) comprises an arcuate body that is associated with a lowermost portion of the distribution member (95) (fig. 6; ¶ 51).
Regarding claim 15/14/13/9, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) each busbar (11-13) has a first end fixed to the high-voltage terminal and a second end (see annotated fig. 4 above) that comprises a phase busbar attachment (11d, 12d, 13d) (¶ 38; ¶ 55; ¶ 61).
Regarding claim 16/15/14/13/9, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) each second end (see annotated fig. 4 above) extends out radially relative to a center axis defined by the rotor (figs. 2 and 4; ¶ 38; ¶ 55; ¶ 61).
Regarding claim 17/15/14/13/9, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) each second end (see annotated fig. 4 above) extends in a direction that is parallel relative to a center axis defined by the rotor (figs. 2 and 4; ¶ 38; ¶ 55; ¶ 61).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
8. 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.
9. Claims 3, 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kumagai.
Regarding claim 3/2/1, Kumagai teaches the device of claim 2 but does not explicitly teach each busbar is associated with one or more windows of the plurality of windows.
However, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) a busbar (10) is associated with one or more windows (6c, 91a) of the plurality of windows (6c, 91a) (¶ 91; ¶ 92; ¶ 99 to ¶ 102) in order to improve cooling and overall efficiency (Kumagai, ¶ 86; ¶ 87).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device Kumagai and provide each busbar is associated with one or more windows of the plurality of windows as taught by Kumagai in order to improve cooling and overall efficiency (Kumagai, ¶ 86; ¶ 87).
Regarding claim 10/9, Kumagai teaches the device of claim 9 but does not explicitly teach the plurality of guides comprises at least one window that is associated with each busbar.
However, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) the plurality of guides comprises at least one window (6c, 91a) that is associated with a busbar (10) (¶ 91; ¶ 92; ¶ 99 to ¶ 102) in order to improve cooling and overall efficiency (Kumagai, ¶ 86; ¶ 87).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device Kumagai and provide the plurality of guides comprises at least one window that is associated with each busbar as taught by Kumagai in order to improve cooling and overall efficiency (Kumagai, ¶ 86; ¶ 87).
Regarding claim 11/9, Kumagai teaches the device of claim 9 but does not explicitly teach the plurality of guides comprises more than one window that is associated with each busbar.
However, Kumagai teaches (see figs. 1, 4 and 6 above) the plurality of guides comprises more than one window (6c, 91a) that is associated with a busbar (10) (¶ 91; ¶ 92; ¶ 99 to ¶ 102) in order to improve cooling and overall efficiency (Kumagai, ¶ 86; ¶ 87).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device Kumagai and provide the plurality of guides comprises more than one window that is associated with each busbar as taught by Kumagai in order to improve cooling and overall efficiency (Kumagai, ¶ 86; ¶ 87) (¶ 78; ¶ 86; ¶ 91; ¶ 92; ¶ 99 to ¶ 102).
Allowable Subject Matter
10. Claims 18-20 are allowed.
11. Claims 21-24 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
12. 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 ALEXANDER A SINGH whose telephone number is (571)270-0243. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am to 5pm.
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.
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/ALEXANDER A SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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