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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species VII (figs 14a-b) in the reply filed on 12/4/25 is acknowledged.
However, Species VII is to claims 1 and 7, since claims 2-6 and 8 are to other species. Specifically the specification discloses in figs. 14a-b the torque coupling is formed by a snap-fit protrusion and a snap-fit hole (pg 18, [0083] & pg 19, [0085]). Therefore claims 1 and 7 are to be examined and claims 2-6 and 8 are withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Rapant et al. (US20220014055, “Rapant”).
Re claim 1, Rapant discloses an electric motor comprising:
a stator (figs 2 & 26, [0041], note: employing both embodiments of figs 2-8 & figs 25-17 for rejections); and
a rotor assembly 100, 1600 at least partially received in the stator (figs 2 & 26, stator inherently around rotor as indicated by structure of rotor), the rotor assembly 100, 1600 including a rotor body 122, 1622 (figs 2-3 & 26, [0045] & [0069]) including a lamination stack 112, 1612 (figs 2-3, 8 & 26, [0041] & [0054]), the lamination stack 112, 1612 defining a central aperture 150 (figs 2-4, 7 & 26, [0047]),
a fan 126, 1626 formed separately from the rotor body 122, 1622 (figs 3, 6 & 26-27, [0045] & [0069]), the fan 126, 1626 being coupled to the rotor body 122, 1626 by a torque coupling (figs 3-7 & 26-27, [0051-0052] & [0069-0070]), and
a shaft 104, 1604 including an outer surface 170 (figs 3 & 26, [0048]), the shaft 104, 1604 being pressed into the central aperture 150 of the lamination stack 112, 1612 with the outer surface 170 engaged with the central aperture by an interference fit (fig 7, [0048] & [0069], embodiment of figs 25-27 doesn’t specifically disclose an interference fit for the rotor & shaft but says it’s a similar molded rotor assembly as rotor assembly 100).
Re claim 7, Rapant discloses claim 1 as discussed above and further discloses one of the rotor body 122, 1622 and the fan 126, 1626 includes a snap-fit protrusion 146, 1646 (figs 3-5, 7 & fig 26, [0051] & [0069], in figs rotor body but discloses opposite-see [0053]) and the other of the rotor body 122, 1626 and the fan 126, 1626 includes a snap-fit hole (figs 2, 6-7 & 27, [0052] & [0069], hole of hub 226 & 1626; in figs fan but discloses opposite-see [0053]), and wherein the snap-fit protrusion 146, 1646 is configured to engage the snap-fit hole by a snap-fit to form the torque coupling (figs 3-7 & 26, [0053] & [0069-0070).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Rapant discloses in embodiment of figs 25-27 that a plurality of slots or holes 1727 is formed to provide a snap fit coupling ([0070]), which can be combined with the acuate portions or snap fit protrusions 198 of the embodiment of figs 2-7.
Lee et al. (KR20150029336) discloses the fan has a latch 136 engaging with a hole on the rotor body (figs 5-7) and the rotor body having a latch129 engaging with a hole on the fan (figs 8-9).
Ho et al. (US20040027028, figs 2 & 5) and Strobl (GB2189944, figs 7-8) discloses a fan with a snap fit protrusion connected to a corresponding snap fit part on the rotor body.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5715. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:30-5pm EST.
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/ERIC JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834