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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/02/2024 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the first and second stationary high index core windings must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inventor A: 문명일 (KR 20210137726 A) in view of Nashiki (US11283385B2).
Claim 1
Inventor A (문명일) teaches: A power transfer system for a separately excited machine, comprising:
a rotating magnetic core (11); a rotating high index core winding (121) radially outside the rotating magnetic core (11); a stationary high index core winding (221) radially outside the rotating high index core winding (121); and a stator referenced magnetic core (12) radially outside the stationary high index core winding (221).
Inventor A teaches a power transfer system with an inner rotating magnetic core/outer stationary magnetic core configuration such that it does not expressly teach: [the] rotating high index core winding [being] radially within the rotating magnetic core; [the] stationary high index core winding [being] radially within the rotating high index core winding; and [the] stator referenced magnetic core [being] radially within the stationary high index core winding.
Nashiki conversely teaches a rotary transformer for wirelessly transferring electrical power to a rotor of a motor. Nashiki discloses a rotary transformer rotor 7B and a stator 7A having respective rotor side and stator side windings arranged concentrically. Nashiki further teaches that the radial positions of the rotor and stator portions may be reversed such that the rotor portion is radially outward of the stator p. Nashiki additionally discloses a rotor side winding 79 and stator side winding 78 associated with the rotary transformer rotor and stator respectively.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the claimed invention was filed to modify the contactless power transfer system of Inventor A to employ the concentric rotary transformer arrangement taught by Nashiki, including positioning the rotating magnetic and winding structures radially outward of the stationary winding and stator referenced magnetic core. Such a modification would provide a compact, concentric rotary transformer arrangement while maintaining inductive power transfer between the stationary and rotating portions. Nashiki further teaches that positioning the rotor side components radially outward provides structural advantages associated with the rotating components and centrifugal forces (see para. 0119).
Claim(s) 2, 9, 11, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inventor A: 문명일 as modified by Nashiki in view of Bruno (WO 2008017785 A2).
Claim 2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki teaches: The power transfer system of claim 1, but does not expressly disclose: further comprising: a rotor rectifier mounting plate, operatively attached to the rotating magnetic core.
Bruno conversely teaches an arrangement of an electronic circuit in a rotating electrical machine, wherein the electronic circuit is a current rectifier device mounted axially adjacent to a supply rotor and forming a unitary assembly with a body of a supply rotor. In particular, Bruno discloses a rectifier bridge 201 mounted on a disk shaped support 202 disposed at the front of a generator and having mounting ears 302 for fastening the support to the body of supply rotor 124 by fasteners such as screws or rivets. Bruno further teaches that the support and rectifier assembly thereby form a unitary assembly with the supply rotor.
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Bruno therefore teaches a rotor rectifier mounting support operatively attached to a rotating rotor body. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the claimed invention was filed to modify Inventor A’s invention to incorporate a rotor mounted rectifier arrangement similar to that of Bruno in order to provide rectification of electrical power received by the rotating portion of Inventor A’s contactless power transfer system. Providing the rectifier on the rotating portion would eliminate the need to transfer the rectified output back to the stationary portion and would provide a compact, integrated rotor side power electronics assembly. Bruno expressly teaches that placing the rectifier adjacent to and integral with the supply rotor provides a compact and robust arrangement and reduces the length of the electrical connections between the rotor and rectifying components.
Claim 9/2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki and Bruno teaches: The power transfer system of claim 2, wherein the rotor rectifier mounting plate is further configured as a heat sink (Radiators 304, 305 of rectifier bridge 201 form heat sinks; see Description of First Embodiment para. 34).
Claim 11/2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki and Bruno teaches: The power transfer system of claim 2, wherein the rotor rectifier mounting plate includes rectifiers to convert AC to DC (rectifier bridge 201 of alternating current in direct current, for supplying DC current to the coils 104 of the stator 114; see Description of First Embodiment para. 19).
Claim 12/11/2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki and Bruno teaches: The power transfer system of claim 11, wherein the rotor rectifier mounting plate is further configured as a heat sink (Radiators 304, 305 of rectifier bridge 201 form heat sinks; see Description of First Embodiment para. 34).
Claim(s) 3-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inventor A: 문명일 as modified by Nashiki and Bruno in view of Nelson (US5455729A).
Claim 3/2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki and Bruno teaches: The power transfer system of claim 2, wherein the stationary high index core winding (221) further includes: a first stationary high index core winding (221), but does not expressly teach: a second stationary high index core winding.
Nelson conversely teaches a rotary transformer having a stationary element comprising at least two stator windings, including a first stator winding and a second stator winding positioned at different radial distances from the rotational axis. Nelson further teaches that the respective stationary windings inductively couple with corresponding rotating windings to provide multiple transfer channels (See claim 1 and discussion of stator windings 333, 336, and 334, 335).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the claimed invention was filed to modify the contactless power transfer system of Inventor A and Nashiki to include first and second stationary windings similar to that taught by Nelson. Such a modification would provide multiple inductive power transfer channels and improved isolation between the respective channels, thereby providing fault tolerance and reducing interference between the winding sets.
Claim 4/3/2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki, Bruno and Nelson teaches: The power transfer system of claim 3, wherein the stationary high index core winding (221) and the stator referenced magnetic core (12) do not rotate.
Claim 5/4/3/2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki, Bruno and Nelson teaches: The power transfer system of claim 4, wherein the rotor rectifier mounting plate includes rectifiers to convert AC to DC (rectifier bridge 201 of alternating current in direct current, for supplying DC current to the coils 104 of the stator 114; see Description of First Embodiment para. 19), which are operatively attached to the rotating high index core winding (121).
Claim 6/4/3/2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki, Bruno and Nelson teaches: The power transfer system of claim 4, wherein the rotor rectifier mounting plate is further configured as a heat sink (Radiators 304, 305 of rectifier bridge 201 form heat sinks; see Description of First Embodiment para. 34).
Claim(s) 7 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inventor A: 문명일 as modified by Nashiki, Bruno, and Nelson in view of Borden (US2003042810A1)
Claim 7/6/4/3/2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki, Bruno and Nelson teaches: The power transfer system of claim 6, but does not expressly disclose: wherein the rotor rectifier mounting plate is operatively attached to the rotating magnetic core via adhesive.
Borden conversely teaches a system and method for coupling rectifiers of an exciter to a rotor of a main generator. Borden discloses a plate assembly 200 associated with rectifier circuits 210a-c, wherein the plate assembly is affixed to rotor 180, specifically at an end cap of the rotor. Borden further expressly teaches that, although screws may be used to affix the plate assembly to the rotor, other fastening mechanisms, including adhesives, may be used to affix the plate assembly to the rotor.
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It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the claimed invention was filed to modify the rotor mounted rectifier arrangement of the combination of Inventor A and Bruno to use the adhesive attachment technique taught by Borden. The use of adhesive in place of screws or other mechanical fasteners would have been a predictable substitution of one known attachment technique for another, while providing a secure attachment of the rectifier mounting plate to the rotating structure and reducing the number of mechanical fastening components.
Claim 8/7/6/4/3/2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki, Bruno, Nelson and Borden teaches: The power transfer system of claim 7, wherein the power transfer system is configured to allow cooling fluid to pass therethrough (with modification of Bruno gaseous fluid flows through inlet apertures 118, flows along the radiators of the rectifier bridge 201, before the rim 116 of the perforated cover 113 directs the gaseous fluid toward the coils 104 of the stator 114; see Description of First Embodiment para. 40).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inventor A: 문명일 as modified by Nashiki and Bruno in view of Borden.
Claim 10/9/2/1
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki and Bruno teaches: The power transfer system of claim 9, but does not expressly disclose: wherein the rotor rectifier mounting plate is operatively attached to the rotating magnetic core via adhesive.
Borden conversely teaches a system and method for coupling rectifiers of an exciter to a rotor of a main generator. Borden discloses a plate assembly 200 associated with rectifier circuits 210a-c, wherein the plate assembly is affixed to rotor 180, specifically at an end cap of the rotor. Borden further expressly teaches that, although screws may be used to affix the plate assembly to the rotor, other fastening mechanisms, including adhesives, may be used to affix the plate assembly to the rotor.
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It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the claimed invention was filed to modify the rotor mounted rectifier arrangement of the combination of Inventor A and Bruno to use the adhesive attachment technique taught by Borden. The use of adhesive in place of screws or other mechanical fasteners would have been a predictable substitution of one known attachment technique for another, while providing a secure attachment of the rectifier mounting plate to the rotating structure and reducing the number of mechanical fastening components.
Claim(s) 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inventor A: 문명 in view of Nashiki, Bruno, and Johnsen.
Claim 13
Inventor A teaches: A vehicle (motor vehicle; see Object of the Invention, para. 13) having a contactless power transfer mechanism for a separately excited machine, comprising:
a rotating magnetic core (11);
a rotating high index core winding (121) with the rotating magnetic core (11);
a stationary high index core winding (221) with the rotating high index core winding (121); and
a stator referenced magnetic core (12) with the stationary high index core winding (221), wherein the stationary high index core winding (221) and the stator referenced magnetic core (12) do not rotate;
Inventor A does not expressly disclose:
[the] rotating high index core winding [being] within the rotating magnetic core; [the] stationary high index core winding [being] within the rotating high index core winding; and [the] stator referenced magnetic core [being] within the stationary high index core winding;
a rotor rectifier, operatively attached to the rotating magnetic core, wherein the rotor rectifier further includes: a mounting plate; one or more rectifiers; and a second plate, wherein the one or more rectifiers are between the mounting plate and the second plate,
wherein cooling fluid is allowed to pass through the contactless power transfer mechanism and the mounting plate and the second plate have include holes to promote cooling.
Nashiki conversely teaches a rotary transformer for wirelessly transferring electrical power to a rotor of a motor. Nashiki discloses a rotary transformer rotor 7B and a stator 7A having respective rotor side and stator side windings arranged concentrically. Nashiki further teaches that the radial positions of the rotor and stator portions may be reversed such that the rotor portion is radially outward of the stator p. Nashiki additionally discloses a rotor side winding 79 and stator side winding 78 associated with the rotary transformer rotor and stator respectively.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the claimed invention was filed to modify the contactless power transfer system of Inventor A to employ the concentric rotary transformer arrangement taught by Nashiki, including positioning the rotating magnetic and winding structures radially outward of the stationary winding and stator referenced magnetic core. Such a modification would provide a compact, concentric rotary transformer arrangement while maintaining inductive power transfer between the stationary and rotating portions. Nashiki further teaches that positioning the rotor side components radially outward provides structural advantages associated with the rotating components and centrifugal forces (see para. 0119).
Bruno conversely teaches an arrangement of an electronic circuit in a rotating electrical machine, wherein the electronic circuit is a current rectifier device mounted axially adjacent to a supply rotor and forming a unitary assembly with a body of a supply rotor. In particular, Bruno discloses a rectifier bridge 201 mounted on a disk shaped support 202 disposed at the front of a generator and having mounting ears 302 for fastening the support to the body of supply rotor 124 by fasteners such as screws or rivets. Bruno further teaches that the support and rectifier assembly thereby form a unitary assembly with the supply rotor. Bruno therefore teaches a rotor rectifier mounting support operatively attached to a rotating rotor body.
The concept of sandwiching one or more rectifiers between two plates is well known within the art. Johnsen for example teaches a rotating rectifier assembly 40 having a first field plate 120, a second field plate 121, and semiconductor diode devices 140 arranged in two layers between the field plates. In particular, Johnsen expressly teaches that the rectifier comprises “two axially-spaced field plates” and “two layers of diodes sandwiched between the field plates.” Johnsen further teaches that the rectifier is attached to a rotating member of a dynamoelectric machine.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the claimed invention was filed to modify the rotor mounted rectifier arrangement of Inventor A and Bruno to employ the two plate, sandwitched diode configuration of Johnsen. Such a modification would provide a compact, integrated rotating rectifier in which the rectifier devices are structurally supported and electrically connected by the opposed plates. Johnsen further teaches that the configuration is particularly suitable for rotation in a dynamoelectric machine and provides an integrated rotating rectifier structure.
Bruno additionally teaches that gaseous fluid flows through inlet apertures 118, flows along the radiators of the rectifier bridge 201, before the rim 116 of the perforated cover 113 directs the gaseous fluid toward the coils 104 of the stator 114; see Description of First Embodiment para. 40.
Johnsen additionally teaches directing cooling fluid through the rectifier. Cooling fluid is directed into the rectifier cavity and allowed to contact the semiconductor diode devices and field plates to remove heat generated by the rectifier.
Claim 14/13
The vehicle having the contactless power transfer mechanism of claim 13, wherein the one or more rectifiers are configured to convert AC to DC (rectifier bridge 201 of alternating current in direct current, for supplying DC current to the coils 104 of the stator 114; see Description of First Embodiment para. 19).
Claim 15/14/13
The vehicle having the contactless power transfer mechanism of claim 14, wherein the mounting plate is further configured as a heat sink (Radiators 304, 305 of rectifier bridge 201 form heat sinks; see Description of First Embodiment para. 34).
Claim(s) 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inventor A: 문명 as modified by Nashiki, Bruno, and Johnsen in view of Borden.
Claim 16/15/14/13
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki, Bruno, and Johnsen teaches: The vehicle having the contactless power transfer mechanism of claim 15, wherein the mounting plate is operatively attached to the rotating magnetic core via an adhesive.
Borden conversely teaches a system and method for coupling rectifiers of an exciter to a rotor of a main generator. Borden discloses a plate assembly 200 associated with rectifier circuits 210a-c, wherein the plate assembly is affixed to rotor 180, specifically at an end cap of the rotor. Borden further expressly teaches that, although screws may be used to affix the plate assembly to the rotor, other fastening mechanisms, including adhesives, may be used to affix the plate assembly to the rotor.
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It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the claimed invention was filed to modify the rotor mounted rectifier arrangement of the combination of Inventor A and Bruno to use the adhesive attachment technique taught by Borden. The use of adhesive in place of screws or other mechanical fasteners would have been a predictable substitution of one known attachment technique for another, while providing a secure attachment of the rectifier mounting plate to the rotating structure and reducing the number of mechanical fastening components.
Claim 17/16/15/14/13
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki, Bruno, Johnsen and Borden teaches: The vehicle having the contactless power transfer mechanism of claim 16, wherein the stationary high index core winding (221) further includes:
a first stationary high index core winding (221); and
a second stationary high index core winding (221).
Claim 18/13
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki, Bruno, Johnsen and Borden teaches: The vehicle having the contactless power transfer mechanism of claim 13, wherein the stationary high index core winding (221) further includes:
a first stationary high index core winding (221); and a second stationary high index core winding (221).
Claim 19/18/13
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki, Bruno, Johnsen and Borden teaches: The vehicle having the contactless power transfer mechanism of claim 18, wherein the mounting plate is further configured as a heat sink (Radiators 304, 305 of rectifier bridge 201 form heat sinks; see Description of First Embodiment para. 34).
Claim 20/19/18/13
Inventor A as modified by Nashiki, Bruno, Johnsen teaches: The vehicle having the contactless power transfer mechanism of claim 19, wherein the mounting plate is operatively attached to the rotating magnetic core via an adhesive.
Borden conversely teaches a system and method for coupling rectifiers of an exciter to a rotor of a main generator. Borden discloses a plate assembly 200 associated with rectifier circuits 210a-c, wherein the plate assembly is affixed to rotor 180, specifically at an end cap of the rotor. Borden further expressly teaches that, although screws may be used to affix the plate assembly to the rotor, other fastening mechanisms, including adhesives, may be used to affix the plate assembly to the rotor.
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It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the claimed invention was filed to modify the rotor mounted rectifier arrangement of the combination of Inventor A and Bruno to use the adhesive attachment technique taught by Borden. The use of adhesive in place of screws or other mechanical fasteners would have been a predictable substitution of one known attachment technique for another, while providing a secure attachment of the rectifier mounting plate to the rotating structure and reducing the number of mechanical fastening components.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED F SECK whose telephone number is (571)272-4638. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Koehler can be reached at (571) 272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AHMED F SECK/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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