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 Status
In response to the amendment filed on 08/19/2025, Claims 1-15 are pending, claims 12-15 have been withdrawn, and claims 1-11 are under examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 08/19/2025 have been fully considered but are not persuasive.
Applicant argues on page 4-5 that neither Shi nor Takahashi teaches or suggest a rotor plate having an outer lip configured to engage with and contain an adhesive preventing the escape of the adhesive.
Respectfully, the Applicant’s argument is not found to be compelling. Takahashi discloses of a second embodiment wherein the end plates 26 feature a lip-like structure that is directed towards the center of the rotor, as seen in FIG. 6 below.
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The annotated FIG. 6 points out the like-like structure that directly contacts the adhesive/resin, configured to engage and prevent the escape of the resin. While Shi discloses the rotor assembly and the plurality of elements to reach the claimed subject matter, The use of Takahashi’s first and second disclosure teaches the arrangement such that the adhesive resin may run through the slots and the end plate featuring the lip-like structure to also engage the resin.
For the reasons explained above, the examiner asserts the position of rejection for amended claim 1. Furthermore, being that claims 2-11 are dependent on claim 1, the examiner asserts the position of rejection for claims 2-11 as well.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim 1, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim 1 and any intervening claims.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 20150008779 A1) hereinafter Shi, and further in view of Takahashi (U.S. Patent Publication 9847682 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Shi discloses (Title: Disc-Type Electric Machine with Amorphous Iron Alloy Axial Magnetic Circuit as well as its Manufacturing Method and Stator Assembly) a rotor assembly (rotor assembly 30, ¶51) used in an electric motor (Abstract), comprising:
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a rotor (stator 30, ¶51) having an inner diameter (center through-hole 311, ¶56), an outer diameter (outer diameter of rotor assembly 30, FIG. 10), and a plurality of rotor slots (equi-spaced through-holes 315, ¶54);
a plurality of permanent magnets (permanent magnets 32, ¶54) received within the rotor slots (FIG. 10 depicts equi-spaced through-holes 315 provided with permanent magnets 32); and
a rotor plate (disc-shaped magnetism-tied plate 33, ¶55) having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, wherein an adhesive bonds the permanent magnets to the rotor and rotor plate to a radial face (end face 319, ¶79) of the rotor.
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However, Shi does not disclose the adhesive, containing a preventing escape of an adhesive, and the rotor assembly is capable that the adhesive flows from one end of the rotor slots to another end of the rotor slots to bond the permanent magnets to the rotor and the rotor plate to a radial face of the rotor.
Takahashi discloses (Title: Rotor and Rotating Electric Machine Including the Rotor), of a first embodiment, wherein the adhesive (resin filler 25, col. 4, ll. 47) is contained by a surface of the rotor plate preventing escape of the adhesive (end plates 26, col. 4, ll. 47; FIG. 2 below depicts end plates 26 surfaces used to engage and contain the resin filler 25, preventing escape of the resin). The adhesive flows from one end (annotated FIG. 2 below depicts one end of the receiving holes 23) of the rotor slots (receiving holes 23, col. 4, ll. 55) to another end of the rotor slots (annotated FIG. 2 below depicts another end) to bond the permanent magnets to the rotor (permanent magnets 24, col. 4, ll. 59-62, “The resin filler 25 is filled in the magnet-receiving holes 23 of the rotor core 21 to fix the permanent magnets 24 in the magnet-receiving holes 23”; fixing the magnets to the holes would also be understood as being fixed to the rotor core 21) and the rotor plate to a radial face of the rotor (FIG. 2 depicts a contacting surface of the rotor core 21 and end plates 26 which will be mapped as the radial faces of both elements; the resin filler 25 used to fix the magnets to the holes 23 and the rotor core 21 can be seen to also fix to end plate 26).
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Shi discloses the rotor assembly comprising of elements such as a rotor and rotor plate both provided with an inner diameter, outer diameter, and a plurality of rotor slots that comprise of a permanent magnet within as well as adhesives to hold the elements together. Takahashi discloses, in a first embodiment, a rotor assembly that utilizes an adhesive resin, and moreover the application of flowing resin into the slots provided, to fix the plurality of magnets, the rotor, and the rotor plate together. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to take the bonding resin and of application thereof of Takahashi and apply it to the rotor assembly of Shi to tightly fix the permanent magnets into the magnet-receiving holes / rotor slots using the flown adhesive resin.
However, both Shi and Takahashi’s first embodiment fail to disclose an outer lip extending away from a radial face of the rotor plate, wherein the outer lip configured to engage with and contain an adhesive, preventing the escape of the adhesive, wherein an adhesive engages the outer lip.
Takahashi discloses, of a second embodiment, an outer lip extending away from a radial face of the rotor plate (annotated FIG. 6 below depicts a rotor plate [mapped as end plates 26] provided with an outer lip that extends away from the radial face [mapped as the surface contact between element 21 & 26] of the rotor plate), wherein the outer lip configured to engage with and contain an adhesive, preventing the escape of the adhesive, wherein an adhesive engages the outer lip (annotated FIG. 6 below depicts end plates 26 provided/shaped with an outer lip that engages with resin filler 25, preventing escape of the resin filler 25).
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Shi discloses the rotor assembly comprising of elements such as a rotor and rotor plate both provided with an inner diameter, outer diameter, and a plurality of rotor slots that comprise of a permanent magnet within as well as adhesives to hold the elements together. Takahashi discloses, in a first embodiment, a rotor assembly that utilizes an adhesive resin, and moreover the application of flowing resin into the slots provided, to fix the plurality of magnets, the rotor, and the rotor plate together. Takahashi also discloses, in a second embodiment, a reshaped endplate that is provided with a lip that extends away from the radial face. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to utilize the extending outer lip of the end plates from Takahashi’s second embodiment, and apply it to the combination of Shi’s rotor assembly, in view of Takahashi’s first embodiment, to increase/decrease the diameter of connecting passages (element 26b as seen in Takahashi FIG. 6) located between the rotor and rotor plate, allowing for fluidical communication and discharge of cooling oils corresponding to the magnetic flux barriers, effectively cooling the rotor core (Takahashi, col. 10, ll. 51-61).
Regarding claim 9, Shi in view of Takahashi teaches the rotor assembly according to claim 1, as detailed above, and Shi further discloses wherein the rotor permits slight axial movement of the permanent magnets (¶78) before application of adhesive that bonds the rotor plate to the rotor (¶33).
Regarding claim 10, Shi in view of Takahashi teaches the rotor assembly according to claim 1, as detailed above, and Shi further discloses wherein the rotor assembly consists of one rotor plate (disc-shaped magnetism-tied plate 33).
Claims 6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi, in view of Takahashi, and further in view of Andrieux et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 20170324284 A1) hereinafter Andrieux.
Regarding claim 6, Shi in view of Takahashi teaches the rotor assembly according to claim 1, as detailed above.
However, both fail to disclose wherein the rotor comprises a plurality of lamination sheets.
Andrieux discloses (Title: Actuator with Coated Stator and Rotor Modules) an electronic actuator with coated stator and rotor modules wherein the rotor (rotor module 18, ¶53) comprises a plurality of lamination sheets (stack of disc laminations 50, ¶57).
Shi, in view of Takahashi discloses the rotor assembly comprising of elements such as a rotor and rotor plate provided with permanent magnet within as well as adhesives, and its application, to hold the elements together. Andrieux discloses a rotor module that comprises of stacked plurality of lamination sheets. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the rotor assembly of the electronic motor/engine of Shi, in view of Takahashi, by applying the actuator or motor with a rotor core formed thereof make from a stacked plurality of laminations, as taught by Andrieux, in order to make it possible to place an on-board electronic control circuit to directly drive the phases of the engine.
Regarding claim 8, Shi in view of Takahashi and Andrieux teaches the rotor assembly according to claim 1, as detailed above, and Andrieux further discloses a motor shaft press-fit into the rotor (¶57).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi, in view of Takahashi, and further in view of Showalter (U.S. Patent Application Publication 20150315939 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Shi in view of Takahashi teaches the rotor assembly according to claim 1, as detailed above.
However, both fails to disclose an electric motor coupled to a camshaft phaser.
Showalter discloses (Title: Split Ring Gear Planetary CAM Phaser) a CAM phaser for a planetary gear system assembly that can be rotated as a unit with the sprocket where the rotor (electric motor 26, ¶13) connected to the sun gear can be driven at the same speed as the drive-side ring gear (¶8).
Shi, in view of Takahashi discloses the rotor assembly comprising of elements such as a rotor and rotor plate provided with permanent magnet within as well as adhesives, and its application, to hold the elements together. Showalter discloses an assembly wherein a CAM phaser is mounted such that it is coupled via a gear. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the electronic motor of Shi, in view of Takahashi, by coupling the electric motor to the CAM phaser, a taught by Showalter, in order to make it possible to run the engine connected to the sun gear at the same speed as the drive-side ring gear.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shi, in view of Takahashi, and further in view of Robison (U.S. Patent Publication 4074159 A).
Regarding claim 11, Shi in view of Takahashi teaches the rotor assembly according to claim 1, as detailed above.
However, both fail to disclose wherein the rotor plate is a glass-filled plastic.
Robison discloses (Title: Dynamo-electric Machine) a machine with a commutator (commutator 20) having an insulating member (25) made of glass filled plastic material suitable for high temperature environment (Col. 5, ll. 1-2).
Shi, in view of Takahashi discloses the rotor assembly comprising of elements such as a rotor and rotor plate provided with permanent magnet within as well as adhesives, and its application, to hold the elements together. Robison discloses a dynamo-electric machine comprised of insulating members made of glass filled plastic material. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the rotor assembly of the electronic motor or engine of Shi, in view of Takahashi, by applying the glass filled plastic material purposed as the insulative commutator, as taught by Robison, in order to make the rotor plate of the glass filled plastic material suitable for high temperature environments.
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 EUGENE REY D LEGASPI whose telephone number is (571)272-2956. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hong can be reached at (571) 272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/E.D.L./Examiner, Art Unit 3729 /THOMAS J HONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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