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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-4, 6-8, and 10-13 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-4 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ERFANFAR (US 20120001504; previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, ERFANFAR discloses a stator 102 for an electric motor 100, comprising:
a back iron 22 having a cylindrical shape and extending along an axial direction (para [0028]);
a plurality of teeth 32 provided on an inner circumferential surface of the back iron 22; and
a stator coil 82 provided on the plurality of teeth 32, the stator coil 82 comprising a first coil end (unlabeled; Fig. 12) that is a part of the stator coil 82 protruding from a first end face 66 of the back iron 22 in the axial direction,
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wherein the back iron 22 is provided with a coolant passage 54/64 extending along the axial direction to the first end face 66 of the back iron 22, the coolant passage 54/64 being configured to supply coolant to the first coil end of the stator coil 82 at the first end face 66 of the back iron 22 (Fig. 12),
the coolant passage 54/64 comprises a first section extending from the first end face 66 and a second section adjacent to the first section, and
a dimension of the first section of the coolant passage 54/64 in a radial direction of the stator 102 is different from a dimension of the second section of the coolant passage 54/64 in the radial direction, and
the dimension of the second section of the coolant passage 54/64 in the radial direction is constant along the axial direction (para [0038]: “the diameter of the coolant passageway 64 may decrease in a stepped fashion. For example, the diameter of the cooling hole 30 may be the same for ten consecutive laminations. The next ten laminations may then have cooling holes 30 with a slightly smaller diameter than those of the previous laminations. Each group of laminations would then have a cooling hole 30 diameter smaller than the inwardly adjacent group”; alternatively, see Fig. 8 and para [0036]).
Regarding claim 2, ERFANFAR discloses the stator according to claim 1, wherein the dimension of the first section of the coolant passage 54/64 in the radial direction is smaller than the dimension of the second section of the coolant passage 54/64 in the radial direction (para [0038] “the surfaces defining coolant passageway 64 taper in the direction of end lamination 66”).
Regarding claim 3, ERFANFAR discloses the stator according to claim 2, wherein the dimension of the first section of the coolant passage 54/64 in the radial direction decreases toward the first end face 66 (para [0038], Fig. 12).
Regarding claim 4, ERFANFAR discloses the stator according to claim 3, wherein
the coolant passage 54/64 comprises an inner surface that is located inward in the radial direction, and
in the first section, the inner surface inclines outward in the radial direction toward the first end face 66 (para [0038], Fig 12).
Regarding claim 10, ERFANFAR discloses the stator according to claim 1, wherein
the coolant passage 54/64 extends along the axial direction to a second end face of the back iron 22 located opposite the first end face 66 (para [0035] “[b]oth the entrance slot passage 52 and coolant passageway 54 run along the entire length of stator core 50”),
the coolant passage 54/64 further comprises a third section extending from the second end face and a fourth section adjacent to the third section, and
a dimension of the third section of the coolant passage 54/64 in the radial direction is different from a dimension of the fourth section of the coolant passage 54/64 in the radial direction (para [0038]; alternatively, see Fig. 8 and para [0036]).
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Regarding claim 11, ERFANFAR discloses the stator according to claim 10, wherein the first section of the coolant passage 54/64 and the third section of the coolant passage 54/64 are symmetric in shape in the axial direction (para [0041] and claim 16).
Regarding claim 12, ERFANFAR discloses the stator according to claim 1, wherein the coolant passage 54/64 is formed of a through hole 30 defined within the back iron 22.
Regarding claim 13, ERFANFAR discloses an electric motor 100 comprising:
the stator 102 according to claim 1; and
a rotor 104 disposed within the stator 102.
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.
Claims 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ERFANFAR in view of ARITA (US 20230044024; previously cited).
Regarding claim 6, ERFANFAR discloses the stator according claim 1.
However, ERFANFAR does not disclose the dimension of the first section of the coolant passage in the radial direction is larger than the dimension of the second section of the coolant passage in the radial direction.
ARITA discloses having a dimension (specifically an internal diameter) of a first section of a coolant passage in a radial direction is larger than a dimension (specifically an internal diameter) of a second section (farther from an end) of a coolant passage in the radial direction (Fig. 6).
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It 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 to provide the stator of ERFANFAR with the dimension of the first section of the coolant passage in the radial direction is larger than the dimension of the second section of the coolant passage in the radial direction, similar to ARITA.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to allow heat generated by adjacent parts of the winding to be efficiently removed and reduce thermal stress on the coolant channel, as taught by ARITA (para [0053]-[0054])
Regarding claim 7, ERFANFAR in view of ARITA teaches the stator according to claim 6, wherein ARITA teaches the dimension of the first section of the coolant passage in the radial direction increases toward the first end face (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 8, ERFANFAR in view of ARITA teaches the stator according to claim 7, wherein
ARITA teaches the coolant passage comprises an inner surface that is located inward in the radial direction, and
in the first section, the inner surface inclines inward in the radial direction toward the first end face (Fig. 6).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-7763996-B2 Dawson discloses a coolant channel that widens toward an end face of a stator core to spray coolant on an end winding; US-20200395802-A1 TSUTSUI discloses a coolant channel that narrows toward an outlet to spray coolant on an end winding; US-20250007338-A1 García Urbieta discloses a coolant channel that narrows toward an outlet to spray coolant on an end winding; US-20250239915-A1 ZHANG discloses a coolant channel that widens toward an end face of a stator core to spray coolant on an end winding.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 JUSTIN STEFANON whose telephone number is (703)756-4648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternate Fridays 8AM - 5PM EDT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye 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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/JUSTIN STEFANON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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