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 . This Office Action is responsive to the Applicant's communication filed on December 11, 2025. In view of this communication, claims 1-16 are now pending in the application.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species II in the reply filed on December 11, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 9 and 10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on December 11, 2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The claims are generally narrative and indefinite, failing to conform with current U.S. practice. They appear to be a literal translation into English from a foreign document and are replete with grammatical and idiomatic errors. In the present application, claims 14 and 15 use claim language that denotes direction in an unclear and idiomatic way. The use of “circumferential direction one side” and “circumferential direction other side” to denote “clockwise” and “counter-clockwise” direction leaves the claim indefinite and unclear. Additionally, the use of “axial direction one side” and “axial direction the other side” to denote “first” and “second” axial direction leaves the claim indefinite and unclear. It is recommended by the examiner to replace the verbose language of claim 14 and 15 with the language provided above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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) 1-8, 13-14, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated MIZUTANI (US 20230027341 A1).
Regarding claim 1, MIZUTANI teaches:
A rotary electric machine (Fig 1; 20) comprising: a cylindrical tubular stator(Fig 1; 40)[0024];
a winding(Fig 1; 42) that is distributed in a circumferential direction and is wound around the stator(Fig 1; 40)[0028];
a rotor (Fig 1; 30) that is disposed on a radial direction inside of the stator(Fig 1; 40)[0024];
a case (Fig 1; 10) that covers an outer circumferential face of the stator(Fig 1; 40), and houses the stator(Fig 1; 40), the winding(Fig 1; 42), and the rotor(Fig 1; 30)[0029]; and
a motor cooling passage (Fig 1; 50)that is provided in an outer circumferential part of the stator(Fig 1; 40)[0035];
wherein the winding (Fig 1; 42)is connected in an one side coil end (Fig 1; 42c)which is projected to the axial direction one side from the stator(Fig 1; 40),
wherein the motor cooling passage (Fig 2; 50) is provided with one or a plurality of circumferential direction parts that is provided with an one side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51a) which is an axial direction one side passage and an other side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51b)which is an axial direction other side passage(the circumferential direction passage 51 “meanders” between both axial ends (Y) creating one side 51a and an other side 51b) , which are divided into the axial direction (Fig 2; Y) and extend in the circumferential direction(Fig 2; θ); and one or a plurality of circumferential direction parts that is provided with an axial direction passage (Fig 2; 51c) which communicates the one side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51a)and the other side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51b)and extends in the axial direction(Fig 2; Y)[0040],
wherein a refrigerant supplied from an inflow port flows (Fig 2; 58)through the one side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51a) and the other side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51b) in order via the axial direction passage(Fig 2; 51c), and then is discharged from an outflow port(Fig 2; 59), a length of a part of the one side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51a)which exists on an upstream side of a center position (Fig 2; J1)of a total length of the motor cooling passage (Fig 2; 50)is longer than a length of a part of the other side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51b)which exists on the upstream side of the center position (Fig 2; J1)of the total length of the motor cooling passage(Fig 2; 50)(The other side passage 51b is a part of the motor cooling passage 50; so the motor cooling passage must be longer in length upstream of the center position J1).
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Regarding claim 2, MIZUTANI teaches the rotary electric machine according to claim 1:
further comprising an inverter (Fig 1; 80)that is disposed on a radial direction outside of the stator(Fig 1; 40)[0062], and is provided with a capacitor and a semiconductor power module(Fig 1; 81) which supply power to the winding(Fig 1; 42)[0062],
wherein the capacitor (Fig 1; 81) is disposed on the radial direction outside of a part of the motor cooling passage (Fig 1; 50)on the upstream side of the center position (Fig 1; J1)so that heat transfer is possible[0065].
Regarding claim 3, MIZUTANI teaches the rotary electric machine according to claim 2:
wherein the one axial direction passage(Fig 2; 51c) is provided in a part of the motor cooling passage(Fig 2; 50) on the upstream side of the center position(Fig 2; J1), and wherein the capacitor (Fig 2; 81)is disposed on the radial direction outside of the one axial direction passage (Fig 2; 51c)so that heat transfer is possible(one of the one axial passages 51c is located directly below the capacitor 81 in the racial direction shown in Fig 2).
Regarding claim 4, MIZUTANI teaches the rotary electric machine according to claim 2:
wherein a radial direction inside face of the capacitor (Fig 2; 81) is disposed along a tangential direction of a circular part of the motor cooling passage(Fig 2; 50) disposed on the radial direction inside of the capacitor(Fig 2; 81).
Regarding claim 5, MIZUTANI teaches the rotary electric machine according to claim 1:
further comprising: an inverter (Fig 1; 80) that is disposed on a radial direction outside of the stator(Fig 1; 81), and is provided with a capacitor and a semiconductor power module (Fig 1; 81)which supply power to the winding(Fig 1; 42)[0062], and
a module cooling passage(Fig 1; 85) that cools the semiconductor power module(Fig 1; 81), and is connected with the motor cooling passage(Fig 1; 50)[0066],
wherein the module cooling passage(Fig 2; 85) is disposed on the radial direction outside of the motor cooling passage(Fig 2; 50)(shown in Fig 2), and
wherein the semiconductor power module (Fig 2; 81)is disposed on the radial direction outside of the module cooling passage (Fig 2; 58)so that heat transfer is possible[0065].
Regarding claim 6, MIZUTANI teaches the rotary electric machine according to claim 5:
wherein the motor cooling passage(Fig 2; 50) and the module cooling passage(Fig 2; 58) are connected by a connection passage(Fig 2; 58/89)(the motor cooling passage 50 is connected to module cooling passage 58 via ports 58/89, making them the connection passage).
Regarding claim 7, MIZUTANI teaches the rotary electric machine according to claim 6:
wherein an outflow port of the module cooling passage(Fig 2; 89) is connected with the inflow port of the motor cooling passage (Fig 2; 58)via the connection passage(Fig 2; 58/89).
Regarding claim 8, MIZUTANI teaches the rotary electric machine according to claim 6:
wherein the case (Fig 2; 10/82) further houses the inverter and the module cooling passage(Fig 2; 81), and the connection passage (Fig 2; 58/89)is provided inside the case(Fig 2; 10/82).
Regarding claim 13, MIZUTANI teaches the rotary electric machine according to claim 1:
further comprising an inverter(Fig 1; 80) that is disposed on a radial direction outside of the stator(Fig 1; 40), and is provided with a capacitor and a semiconductor power module (Fig 1; 81)which supply power to the winding(Fig 1; 42)[0062],
wherein the semiconductor power module (Fig 1; 81)is disposed on the radial direction outside of the part of the motor cooling passage (Fig 1; 50) on the upstream side of the center position(Fig 1; J1) so that heat transfer is possible[0065].
Regarding claim 14, MIZUTANI teaches the rotary electric machine according to claim 1:
wherein the motor cooling passage(Fig 2; 50) is provided with a circumferential direction part provided with the first one side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51a) and the first other side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51b); a circumferential direction part provided with the second one side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51a)and the second other side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51b)(the one 51a and an other 51b side each have plurality of passages); a circumferential direction part provided with the first axial direction passage(Fig 2; 51c); and a circumferential direction part provided with the second axial direction passage(Fig 2; 51c), (the one 51a, an other 51b, and axial 51c side each have plurality of passages)
wherein the circumferential direction one side part of the first other side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51b)is connected to the inflow port(Fig 2; 58)(the other side passage 51b are connected to the inflow port58 via the end channel 52),
the circumferential direction other side end of the first other side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51b) is connected to the axial direction the other side part of the first axial direction passage(Fig 2; 51c),
the axial direction one side part of the first axial direction passage(Fig 2; 51c) is connected to the circumferential direction other side end of the first one side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51a),
the circumferential direction one side part of the first one side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51a) is connected to the circumferential direction other side end of the second one side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51b)(connected via the axial passage 51c),
the circumferential direction one side part of the second one side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51a) is connected to the axial direction one side part of the second axial direction passage(Fig 2; 51c),
the axial direction other side part of the second axial direction passage(Fig 2; 51c) is connected to the circumferential direction one side part of the second other side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51b), and
the circumferential direction other side end of the second other side circumferential direction passage (Fig 2; 51b)is connected to the outflow port(Fig 2; 59) (the other side passage 51b are connected to the inflow port58 via the end channel 53),
wherein the second axial direction passage(Fig 2; 51c) is adjacently disposed on the circumferential direction other side of the first axial direction passage(Fig 2; 51c)( the plurality of axial passages are located circumferentially from each other), and
wherein a length in the circumferential direction of the circumferential direction part provided with the second one side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51a) and the second other side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51b) is longer than a length in the circumferential direction of the circumferential direction part provided with the first one side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51a) and the first other side circumferential direction passage(Fig 2; 51b).
Regarding claim 16, MIZUTANI teaches the rotary electric machine according to claim 1:
wherein the rotary electric machine is a driving force source of wheel of vehicle[0003].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is 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.
Regarding claim 11: The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art teaches:
wherein the motor cooling passage is divided into an upstream side passage part and a downstream side passage part by the connection passage.
However, the prior art does not teach:
wherein, as the connection passage, an upstream side connection passage which connects a downstream end of the upstream side passage part with an inflow port of the module cooling passage, and a downstream side connection passage which connects an outflow port of the module cooling passage with an upstream end of the downstream side passage part are provided.(The underlined is allowable subject matter.)
Claim 11 is objected to, and not rejected, because the limitation of an upstream side connection passage which connects a downstream end of the upstream side passage part with an inflow port of the module cooling passage, is too specific which makes it novel.
Claims 12 and 15 are dependent from claim 11 and therefore also contain allowable subject matter.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS L SETZER whose telephone number is (571)272-3021. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/N.L.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834