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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group III, claims 9-16 in the reply filed on 12/29/2025 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 0/05/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 9-11, 13-14, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Clingman (US PG Pub 2022/0136490) in view of Crane (WO2021067101).
As to independent claim 9, Clingman teaches tandem permanent magnet motor (15, see paragraph [0028]) comprising: an upper permanent magnet motor (19), wherein the upper permanent magnet motor (19) comprises: an upper housing (39) that includes an upper housing reference mark (threaded bolt, see paragraph [0042-0043]) of the upper housing (39); and an upper base (95) that includes an upper base upper reference mark (97) and an upper base lower reference mark (thread bolt, see paragraph [0042-0043]) of the upper base (95); and a lower permanent magnet motor (20), wherein the lower permanent magnet motor 920) comprises: a lower housing (that includes a lower housing reference mark (thread bolt like the upper motor, see paragraph [0042-0043]) of the lower housing (see paragraph [0042]); and a lower head (105) that includes a lower head upper reference mark (thread bolt like the upper motor, see paragraph [0042-0043]) and a lower head lower reference mark on the outside of the lower head (105) as shown in figures 1, 2 and 4.
However Clingman teaches the claimed lamination as discussed above except the reference mark is outside of the housing.
Crane teaches reference mark is outside of the housing (see paragraph [00186], [00188]), for the advantageous benefit of providing an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Clingman by using the reference mark is outside of the housing, as taught by Crane, to provide an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
As to claim 10/9, Clingman teaches wherein the upper permanent magnet motor (19) further comprises an upper stator adapter (98) between the upper housing (39) and the upper base (95), and wherein the upper stator adapter (98) has an upper stator adapter upper reference mark (thread , see paragraph [0043-0044]) and an upper stator adapter lower reference mark (thread , see paragraph [0043-0044]) of the upper stator adapter (98) as shown in figure 4.
However Clingman in view of Crane teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the upper stator adapter has an upper stator adapter upper reference mark and an upper stator adapter lower reference mark on the outside of the upper stator adapter.
Crane teaches reference mark is outside of the housing (see paragraph [00186], [00188]), for the advantageous benefit of providing an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Clingman by using the upper stator adapter has an upper stator adapter upper reference mark and an upper stator adapter lower reference mark on the outside of the upper stator adapter, as taught by Crane, to provide an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
As to claim 11/10, Clingman teaches wherein the upper stator adapter (98) as shown in figure 4.
However Clingman in view of Crane teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the upper stator adapter upper reference mark is aligned with the upper housing reference mark, and wherein the upper stator adapter lower reference mark is aligned with the upper base upper reference mark.
Crane teaches reference mark is aligned with the housing reference mark (see paragraph [00186], [00188]), for the advantageous benefit of providing an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Clingman by using the upper stator adapter upper reference mark is aligned with the upper housing reference mark, and wherein the upper stator adapter lower reference mark is aligned with the upper base upper reference mark, as taught by Crane, to provide an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
As to claim 13/9, Clingman teaches wherein the lower permanent magnet motor (20) further comprises a lower stator adapter (67) between the lower housing (see figure 4) and the lower head (105) as shown in figure 4
However Clingman in view of Crane teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the lower stator adapter has a lower stator adapter upper reference mark and a lower stator adapter lower reference mark on the outside of the lower stator adapter.
Crane teaches reference mark is aligned with the housing reference mark (see paragraph [00186], [00188]), for the advantageous benefit of providing an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Clingman by using the lower stator adapter has a lower stator adapter upper reference mark and a lower stator adapter lower reference mark on the outside of the lower stator adapter, as taught by Crane, to provide an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
As to claim 14/12, Clingman teaches wherein the upper stator adapter (98) as shown in figure 4.
However Clingman in view of Crane teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except the lower stator adapter lower reference mark is aligned with the lower housing reference mark, and wherein the lower stator adapter upper reference mark is aligned with the lower head lower reference mark.
Crane teaches reference mark is aligned with the housing reference mark (see paragraph [00186], [00188]), for the advantageous benefit of providing an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Clingman by using the lower stator adapter lower reference mark is aligned with the lower housing reference mark, and wherein the lower stator adapter upper reference mark is aligned with the lower head lower reference mark, as taught by Crane, to provide an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
As to claim 16/15, cling man teaches wherein the upper base (95) is connected to the lower head (105) as shown in figure 4,
However Clingman in view of Crane teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except such that the upper base lower reference mark is aligned with the lower head upper reference mark.
Crane teaches reference mark is aligned with reference mark (see paragraph [00186], [00188]), for the advantageous benefit of providing an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Clingman by using the upper base lower reference mark is aligned with the lower head upper reference mark, as taught by Crane, to provide an effective way to ensure that the motors are aligned.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 and 15 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES whose telephone number is (571)270-7850. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:30-2:30 EST.
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/JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 January 22, 2026