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 9/9/2024 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 § 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claim(s) 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Holcomb et al. (US 2022/0294286; IDS).
In claim 1, Holcomb discloses (Fig. 1-35) an electric machine comprising a stator ([0175]) including a plurality of stator windings (65, 66, 67, 62) configured for generating a magnetic field; a rotor (70) configured for rotating within the stator according to a torque induced by the magnetic field, the rotor (70) including a plurality of electrically independent rotor winding sets (M, N and K, L) wrapped around each of a plurality of circumferentially spaced rotor protrusions (39); and a power transfer circuit (32) operable for independently controlling electrical excitation of the rotor winding sets (M, N and K, L).
In claim 7, Holcomb discloses wherein: each of the winding sets (M, N and K, L) include a plurality of conducting coils having the same cross-sectional area.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Holcomb et al. (US 2022/0294286; IDS) in view of Huang et al. (US 2016/0204663).
In claim 10, Holcomb teaches the machine of claim 1; furthermore Holcomb teaches wherein the rotor (70) includes a plurality of rotor slots (circumferential spaces between 39) shaped between each adjoining rotor protrusion (39).
Holcomb does not teach a cooling system configured for dissipating heat away from the rotor slots.
However, Huang teaches (Fig. 1-4) a cooling system (28, 62, 64, 66, 78) configured for dissipating heat away from the rotor slots (56).
Therefore in view of Huang, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to create a cooling loop having enhanced thermal transfer (Huang; [0021-0022]).
In claim 11, Holcomb as modified teaches the machine of claim 10; furthermore Holcomb does not teach wherein: the cooling system includes: one or more cooling channels disposed within each of the rotor slots; and a coolant source configured for circulating a coolant through the cooling channels to dissipate heat therefrom.
However, Huang further teaches wherein: the cooling system includes: one or more cooling channels (62, 64, 78) disposed within each of the rotor slots (56); and a coolant source (28; [0015, 0027]) configured for circulating a coolant through the cooling channels (62, 64, 78) to dissipate heat therefrom.
Therefore further in view of Huang, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to create a cooling loop having enhanced thermal transfer (Huang; [0021-0022]).
In claim 12, Holcomb as modified teaches the machine of claim 11; furthermore Holcomb does not teach wherein one or more of the cooling channels are shaped to wrap substantially around each of the windings sets.
However, Huang further teaches wherein one or more of the cooling channels (62, 64, 78) are shaped to wrap substantially around each of the windings sets (46).
Therefore further in view of Huang, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to create a cooling loop having enhanced thermal transfer (Huang; [0021-0022]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19-20 are allowed.
Claims 2-6, 8-9, and 13-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The cited prior art taken singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitation of the independent claim(s), in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be proper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the features as presented in the independent claim(s) with the allowable feature being:
Claim 2: “the rotor winding sets include an inner set and an outer set, with the power transfer circuit operable for providing an inner current operable for electrically exciting the inner set and an outer current operable for electrically exciting the outer set.”.
Claim 6: “a plurality of conducting coils of one or more of the winding sets include a first material and a plurality of conducting coils of another one of the winding sets include of a second material differing from the first material.”
Claim 8: “a plurality of conducting coils of one or more of the winding sets has a first cross-sectional area and a plurality of conducting coils of another one of the winding sets has a second cross-sectional area, the second cross-sectional area differing from the first cross-sectional area.”
Claim 13: “one or more of the cooling channels are shaped to contact three sides of each of the winding sets.”
Claim 14: “the rotor winding sets include an inner set and an outer set, the inner set is disposed radially inward relative to the outer set.”
Claim 19: “with at least an inner rotor winding and an outer rotor winding wrapped around each of the rotor protrusions, the inner and outer rotor windings being independently excitable;”
Claim 20: “the rotor winding sets include an inner set and an outer set;… wherein the rotor includes a plurality of rotor slots shaped between each adjoining rotor protrusions, the rotor slots are shaped to include an inner wall, an outer wall, an upper sidewall, and a lower sidewall such that the inner set is proximate the inner wall and the outer set is proximate the outer wall, wherein the cooling channels are shaped to dissipate heat from a middle gap coinciding with a middle area between the inner and outer sets, from an inner gap coinciding with an inner area between the inner set and the inner wall associated, and from an outer gap coinciding with an outer area between the outer set and the outer wall associated therewith.”
The examiner found no prior art satisfies all above conditions by itself or as combined during the prosecution period.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bourniche et al. (US 2025/0253729) teaches a system including a rotor core; a rotor stack extending circumferentially from the rotor core, the rotor stack including: a first end; a second end opposite to the first end; and a first slot in the rotor stack.
Seguchi et al. (US 2024/006967) teaches a field winding type rotating electric machine including a stator and a rotor.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHAD H JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1231. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am-5pm.
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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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RASHAD H. JOHNSON
Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/RASHAD H JOHNSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834