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.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Arai et al. (US 2020/0014260 A1).
RE claim 1, Arai teaches a rotor assembly 100 for an electric machine (Fig.1), the rotor assembly 100 comprising: a plurality of rotor laminations 110 arranged in a stacked configuration (Fig.4 and ¶ 49); a plurality of apertures 200 formed in each of the rotor laminations 110, wherein the plurality of apertures 200 of the plurality of rotor laminations are aligned to form a plurality of passages 200 in the stacked configuration (Fig.4); a permanent magnet 300 inserted into each passage 200; and at least one deformable locator 210 extending into each aperture 200 and configured to be mechanically deformed into contact with the permanent magnet 300 inserted into the aperture to thereby fixedly secure the permanent magnet 300 within the stacked configuration (Figs.3, 4 and ¶ 31).
RE claim 2/1, Arai teaches the at least one deformable locator includes a first deformable locator 214 and a second deformable locator 215 (Fig.13) extending to each aperture 200, the first and second deformable locators 214, 215 configured to secure the permanent magnet 300 therebetween (Fig.13).
RE claim 3/1, Arai teaches each deformable locator 210 includes a main body having a connection edge (CE) coupled to the rotor lamination 110 (Fig.4).
[AltContent: textbox (Connection edge (CE))][AltContent: arrow]
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RE claim 4/3, Arai teaches at least one notch 400 is formed between the at least one deformable locator 210 and the rotor lamination 110, the at least one notch 400 configured to facilitate and control deformation (via tool 500) of the deformable locator 210 into contact with the permanent magnet 300.
RE claim 5/4, Arai teaches the at least one notch 400 comprises opposed first and second notches 400 formed along the connection edge (CE) (Fig.4).
RE claim 6/5, Arai teaches the first and second notches are each V-shaped (see annotated Fig.4).
[AltContent: textbox (Contact edge (CE))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (V-shape notches)]
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RE claim 7/3, Arai teaches the at least one deformable locator 210 further includes a contact edge (CE) initially oriented at a chamfer angle relative to the permanent magnet 300, wherein a deformation tool 500 is utilized to forcibly move and deform the at least one deformable locator 210 toward the permanent magnet 300 such that the contact edge (CE) contacts the permanent magnet 300 (Fig.4).
RE claim 8/3, Arai teaches the at least one deformable locator 210 further includes a contact edge initially oriented at a chamfer angle relative to the permanent magnet 300 that occupies a portion of the space 200 intended for the permanent magnet 300, wherein when the permanent magnet 300 is inserted into the aperture 200, the permanent magnet 300 engages the contact edge (CE) and forces and deforms the deformable locator 210 outward to allow the permanent magnet 300 to be fully inserted into the aperture 200 while fixedly securing the permanent magnet 300 therein.
RE claim 9/3, Arai teaches a stress relief aperture 212a (Fig.7) formed along the connection edge (CE) and configured to provide stress relief as the deformable locator 210 is deformed into contact with the permanent magnet 300 (Fig.7).
RE claim 10, Arai teaches a method of manufacturing a rotor 100 assembly for an electric machine (Fig.1), the method comprising: providing a plurality of rotor laminations 110 (Fig.4 and ¶ 49); forming each rotor lamination of the plurality of rotor laminations 110 with a plurality of apertures 200 and at least one deformable locator 210 extending into each aperture 200; arranging the rotor laminations 110 of the plurality of rotor laminations 110 in a stacked configuration with the plurality of apertures of each stator lamination 110 aligned (Fig.4), to thereby form a plurality of passages 200 in the stacked configuration (Fig.4); inserting a permanent magnet 300 in each passage 200 of the plurality of passages 200; and mechanically deforming (via tool 500) (Figs.4, 5) each deformable locator 210 into contact with the permanent magnet 300 inserted into the passage 200 to thereby fixedly secure the permanent magnet 300 within the stacked configuration (Fig.4).
RE claim 11/10, Arai teaches the at least one deformable locator includes a first deformable locator 214 and a second deformable locator 215 extending to each aperture 200, the method further comprising: mechanically deforming the first and second deformable locators 214, 215 to secure the permanent magnet 300 therebetween (Fig.13).
RE claim 12/10, Arai teaches each deformable locator 210 is formed with a main body 110 having a connection edge (CE) coupled to the rotor lamination 110.
RE claim 13/10, Arai teaches forming at least one notch (V-shape notches, see annotated Fig.4 above) between the at least one deformable locator 210 and the rotor lamination 110, the at least one notch configured to facilitate and control deformation of the deformable locator 210 into contact with the permanent magnet 300.
RE claim 14/13, Arai teaches the at least one notch (V-shape notches) comprises opposed first and second notches formed along the connection edge (CE).
RE claim 15/14, Arai teaches the first and second notches are each V-shaped (see annotated Fig.4 above).
RE claim 16/12, Arai teaches the at least one deformable locator 210 further includes a contact edge (CE) initially oriented at a chamfer angle relative to the permanent magnet 300, the method further comprising: forcibly moving and deforming, with a deformation tool 500, the at least one deformable locator 210 toward the permanent magnet 300 such that the contact edge (CE) contacts the permanent magnet 300 (Figs.3, 4).
RE claim 17/12 Arai teaches the at least one deformable locator 210 further includes a contact edge (CE) initially oriented at a chamfer angle relative to the permanent magnet 300 that occupies a portion of the space 200 intended for the permanent magnet 300, the method further comprising: inserting the permanent magnet 300 into the aperture 200 such that the permanent magnet 300 engages the contact edge (CE) and forces and deforms the deformable locator 210 outward to allow the permanent magnet 300 to be fully inserted into the aperture 200 while fixedly securing the permanent magnet 300 therein (Figs.3, 4).
RE claim 18/12, Arai teaches a stress relief aperture 212a (Fig.7) along the connection edge (CE), the stress relief aperture configured to provide stress relief as the deformable locator 210 is deformed into contact with the permanent magnet 300.
Conclusion
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/THOMAS TRUONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834