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 .
Request for Continued Examination
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/9/2025 has been entered.
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.
(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(s) 1-3, 5-7, and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Aota JPH07312843A published 1995.
Aota discloses (all references to the translation):
1. Currently amended) A motor comprising: a shaft 4; a rotor f fixed to the shaft, a stator M opposed to the rotor; a pair of bearings (3 in Fig 1) fixed to the shaft; and a sleeve 2 surrounding the pair of bearings; and a case 1 including a support part (part of 1 engaging 2) configured to support the sleeve, wherein the sleeve includes an engagement part (lower portion of 2 which extends radially outward and engages 1) configured to engage with the support part of the case in an axial direction of the shaft, wherein the engagement part is disposed at a portion of the sleeve located closer to an end of the sleeve than the pair of bearings in the axial direction of the shaft (see e.g. Fig 1), and projects outward in a radial direction from an inner circumferential surface toward an outer circumferential surface of the sleeve (see e.g. Fig 1), wherein an outer circumferential surface of the engagement part is located outward relative to an outermost circumferential surface of a remaining portion of the sleeve other than the engagement part (see e.g. Fig 1); wherein the support part of the case includes a stepped surface facing a lower side of the shaft in the axial direction (see annotated Fig 1 herein), and the engagement part of the sleeve includes a stepped surface facing an upper side of the shaft in the axial direction (radially extending portion at the lower end of 2 which forms a stepped surface which engages the stepped surface of the support part as in annotated Fig 1 herein), wherein the stepped surface of the engagement part and the stepped surface of the support part are fitted and engaged with each other in the axial direction of the shaft (see annotated Fig 1 herein), and wherein the sleeve is fixed to the case by press-fitting or light press-fitting (see e.g. “The sleeve metal 3 is press-fitted and held in the bearing stand 2 press-fitted into the casing 1, and the rotor shaft 4 of the fan f driven by the motor M is inserted into the sleeve metal 3” in 0013 of the translation).
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2. The motor according to claim 1, wherein in the axial direction of the shaft, the engagement part is located on the end of the sleeve (see e.g. Fig 1).
3. The motor according to claim 1, wherein in the axial direction of the shaft, the engagement part has a surface opposed to the support part of the case (see e.g. Fig 1).
5. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the engagement part has a flange shape (see e.g. Figs 1 and 5).
6. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the engagement part is located at an end part of the sleeve in the axial direction of the shaft (see e.g. Fig 1).
7. The motor according to claim 6, wherein the engagement part engages with an end part of the support part of the case in the axial direction of the shaft (see e.g. Fig 1).
13. A blower comprising: the motor according to claim 1; and an impeller f of the rotor fixed to the shaft 5 of the motor.
14. The blower according to claim 13, wherein in the axial direction of the shaft, the impeller f is fixed to an end part of the shaft located closer to the end of the sleeve than the engagement part (see e.g. Fig 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-7, 11, and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogawara JP2001016820A in view of Aota JPH07312843A published 1995.
Ogawara discloses:
1. A motor comprising: a shaft 5; a rotor (fan rotor comprising 31, 41) fixed to the shaft; a stator 47 opposed to the rotor; a pair of bearings (21, 23) fixed to the shaft; a sleeve 27 surrounding the pair of bearings; and a case (59, 57, 25) including a support part 25 configured to support the sleeve, wherein the sleeve includes an engagement part configured to engage with the support part of the case in an axial direction of the shaft (portion of 27 engaging 25); wherein the engagement part is disposed at a portion of the sleeve located closer to an end of the sleeve than the pair of bearings in the axial direction of the shaft (see e.g. Fig 2), and wherein the sleeve is fixed to the case by press-fitting or light press-fitting (see e.g. “a bearing holder 27 that is fitted or press-fitted into a fitting hole formed in the central portion of a motor support 25 made of insulating resin” in 0018 of the translation).
Ogawara does not disclose and projects outward in a radial direction from an inner circumferential surface toward an outer circumferential surface of the sleeve, wherein an outer circumferential surface of the engagement part is located outward relative to an outermost circumferential surface of a remaining portion of the sleeve other than the engagement part; wherein the support part of the case includes a stepped surface facing a lower side of the shaft in the axial direction, and the engagement part of the sleeve includes a stepped surface facing an upper side of the shaft in the axial direction, wherein the stepped surface of the engagement part and the stepped surface of the support part are fitted and engaged with each other in the axial direction of the shaft.
Aota disclose a case 1 including a support part (part of 1 engaging 2) configured to support the sleeve, wherein the sleeve includes an engagement part (lower portion of 2 which extends radially outward and engages 1) configured to engage with the support part of the case in an axial direction of the shaft, wherein the engagement part is disposed at a portion of the sleeve located closer to an end of the sleeve than the pair of bearings in the axial direction of the shaft (see e.g. Fig 1), and projects outward in a radial direction from an inner circumferential surface toward an outer circumferential surface of the sleeve (see e.g. Fig 1), wherein an outer circumferential surface of the engagement part is located outward relative to an outermost circumferential surface of a remaining portion of the sleeve other than the engagement part (see e.g. Fig 1); wherein the support part of the case includes a stepped surface facing a lower side of the shaft in the axial direction (see annotated Fig 1 herein), and the engagement part of the sleeve includes a stepped surface facing an upper side of the shaft in the axial direction (radially extending portion at the lower end of 2 which forms a stepped surface which engages the stepped surface of the support part as in annotated Fig 1 herein), wherein the stepped surface of the engagement part and the stepped surface of the support part are fitted and engaged with each other in the axial direction of the shaft (see annotated Fig 1 herein), and wherein the sleeve is fixed to the case by press-fitting or light press-fitting (see e.g. “The sleeve metal 3 is press-fitted and held in the bearing stand 2 press-fitted into the casing 1, and the rotor shaft 4 of the fan f driven by the motor M is inserted into the sleeve metal 3” in 0013 of the translation).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary sill in the art would have found it obvious to utilize the bearing sleeve configuration extending radially outward at its end as taught by Aota in the system of Ogawara to gain the benefit of e.g. increasing the torque required to laterally tip the bearing sleeve and/or to positively stop the pressing of the bearing sleeve into the housing at a correct axial position.
Ogawara as modified above discloses (all references to Aota unless noted otherwise):
2. The motor according to claim 1, wherein in the axial direction of the shaft, the engagement part is located on the end of the sleeve (see e.g. Fig 1).
3. The motor according to claim 1, wherein in the axial direction of the shaft, the engagement part has a surface opposed to the support part of the case (see e.g. Fig 1).
5. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the engagement part has a flange shape (see e.g. Figs 1 and 5).
6. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the engagement part is located at an end part of the sleeve in the axial direction of the shaft (see e.g. Fig 1).
7. The motor according to claim 6, wherein the engagement part engages with an end part of the support part of the case in the axial direction of the shaft (see e.g. Fig 1).
11. The motor according to claim 1, comprising an urging member (17 of Ogawara) configured to urge one bearing of the pair of bearings in the axial direction of the shaft.
13. A blower comprising: the motor according to claim 1; and an impeller (45 of Ogawara) of the rotor fixed to the shaft (5 of Ogawara) of the motor.
14. The blower according to claim 13, wherein in the axial direction of the shaft, the impeller (45 of Ogawara) is fixed to an end part of the shaft located closer to the end of the sleeve than the engagement part (see e.g. Fig 2 of Ogawara).
Claim(s) 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aota JPH07312843A published 1995 in view of Yoshida JP 2010124647 A as evidenced by Aso US 20160233747.
Aota does not disclose the limitations of claims 8-10.
Yoshida discloses a bearing sleeve having a radially outermost portion including an engagement part (see annotated Fig 2 herein). Yoshida further discloses:
8. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the engagement part is formed with a rotation stopper (see knurling 4125) with respect to the support part of the case.
9. The motor according to claim 1, wherein a cross section of the engagement part viewed in the axial direction of the shaft includes at least one recessed part from the outer circumferential surface of the engagement part toward the shaft (as best understood, see knurling 4125).
10. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the at least one engagement part is knurled (see knurling 4125).
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Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary sill in the art would have found it obvious to utilize knurling on the radially outermost portion of the bearing sleeve of Aota as taught by Yoshida to gain the benefit of increasing the friction coefficient in a connection portion of a press-fit component as evidenced by Aso in 0022.
Claim(s) 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aota JPH07312843A published 1995 in view of Muller US 4164690.
Aota does not disclose the limitations of claims 11-12.
Muller discloses a bearing configuration (50-54) for a fan including:
11. The motor according to claim 1, comprising an urging member 54 configured to urge one bearing of the pair of bearings in the axial direction of the shaft.
12. The motor according to claim 11, wherein the urging member is disposed between the pair of bearings (see Fig 3).
A simple substitution of one fan bearing configuration for another with the predictable result of supporting a fan rotor has been held obvious as per MPEP 2143 I (B).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary sill in the art would have found it obvious to utilize the bearing arrangement of Muller as a simple substitution for the bearing arrangement of Aota to gain the benefit of both bearings turn without play, which is very important for quietness of operation and service life at high rotary speeds as taught by Muller in col 5 lines 18-30.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aota JPH07312843A published 1995 in view Horng US 20040201298.
Aota does not disclose the limitation of claim 20.
Horng discloses wherein in the axial direction of the shaft, the planar shape of the engagement part has a portion of its circular outer circumference cut out to form a linear shape (as best understood, see cut outs 32 in e.g. Fig 7 or 32 in Fig 13).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary sill in the art would have found it obvious to utilize the linear cut outs in Fig 7 or the linear shape in Fig 13 of Horng in the system of Muller as modified above to gain the benefit of ensuring the prevention of relative rotation of the sleeve and the support part.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the pending claims 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS ANDREW FINK whose telephone number is (571) 270-3373. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th 9-7.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached on (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-270-4373.
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/Thomas Fink/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746