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 .
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 in further view of Laufer US 20200149536.
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 ball bearings (21, 23) fixed to the shaft; a sleeve 27 surrounding the pair of ball 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 ball 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 does not disclose the use of a metal material. However, Laufer discloses a case 17 formed of a metal material (see e.g. metal powder 0041). A person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that some type of plastic and/or some type of metal are the two common types of materials from which fan cases are constructed. It has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice (In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to utilize a case formed of a metal material as taught by Laufer in the system of Ogawara as modified above to gain the benefit of “This helps to prevent a fault in sensitive electronics due to electromagnetic emission of the motor 25” as taught by Laufer in 0041.
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 ball bearing of the pair of ball 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 Ogawara JP2001016820A in view of Aota JPH07312843A published 1995 in further view of Laufer US 20200149536 in further view of Yoshida JP 2010124647 A as evidenced by Aso US 20160233747.
Ogawara as modified above 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 Ogawara as modified above 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 Ogawara JP2001016820A in view of Aota JPH07312843A published 1995 in further view of Laufer US 20200149536 in view of Muller US 4164690.
Ogawara as modified above does not disclose the limitations of claim 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 ball bearing of the pair of ball 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 ball 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 configuration of Muller with a spring 54 between the bearings in the system of Ogawara as modified above 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 Ogawara JP2001016820A in view of Aota JPH07312843A published 1995 in further view of Laufer US 20200149536 in further view Horng US 20040201298.
Ogawara 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 Ogawara as modified above to gain the benefit of ensuring the prevention of relative rotation of the sleeve and the support part.
Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogawara JP2001016820A in view of Aota JPH07312843A published 1995 in further view of Laufer US 20200149536 in further view Mitamura US 6130491.
Regarding claim 22, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that shafts are press fit into the inner ring of a ball bearing. However, Ogawara is silent as to this fact and thus does not disclose wherein the shaft and an inner ring of one ball bearing of the pair of ball bearings are fixed to each other by an adhesive or press-fitting. However, Mitamura discloses
“The rotor shaft 10 is press-fitted to inner rings of the bearings 2 and 3” in col 4 lines 16-17.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, one of ordinary sill in the art would have found it obvious to press fit the shaft into the inner ring of the bearings as taught by Mitamura in the system of Ogawara as modified above to gain the benefit of fixing the shaft to the inner bearing ring so that shaft does not spin therein.
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
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 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
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