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 § 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.
Claim 10 is 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.
Claim 10 requires “gaskets provided in an electric machine” (lines 1-2) but it is unclear whether “an electric machine” is the same electric machine positively recited in claim 1. Further, “gaskets” lacks proper antecedent basis. It is unclear whether “gaskets” is the same as the positively recited “at least one first gasket” (line 13).
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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mitsauki et al. (JP 2005-249008).
Regarding claim 1, Mitsuaki et al. (hereinafter Mitsauki) teaches an electric machine for motor vehicles, comprising: a casing (1) defining at least one chamber (12) accommodating electric/electronic components (5,6); a rotor comprising a shaft (2), which extends along an axis (R) and comprises a first and a second end portion axially opposite one another (Fig. 1); said first end portion being configured so as to define a coupling point, at an axial end of the electric machine, to transmit motion (); a lid (14) comprising a first outer annular portion (Fig. 1) coupled to said casing (1) through the interposition of at least one first gasket (14c), in a position such as to close said electric machine (Fig. 1) and, hence, insulate said components relative to the outside (Fig. 1), at an axial end opposite the one of said first end portion (21);characterized in that said shaft (20) has a through hole (2a) having an input mouth (3a) at said first end portion and an output mouth (4a) communicating with said chamber (Fig. 1).
Mitsauki remains silent as to said input mouth (3a) being designed to be connected to a pressurized air source, to blow air into said through hole (50) during a check to test the sealing, at least, of said first gasket (14c).
Mitsauki teaches an input mouth 1a being designed to be connected to a pressurized air source [0043]. Mitsauki also teaches supplying coolant liquid to the connecting hole 14b [0039] and that the system is configured to detect abnormal leaks when leaking liquid attempts to flow out through the annular gap, and to introduce the leaking liquid into the detection sensor 67 by the force of the purge air supplied from the annular groove 61 [0045].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the leak detection of Mitsauki to detect leaking air at the detection path 67 instead of leaking liquid when pressurized air, as commonly supplied to rotary tools such as the one taught by Mitsauki, is provided at 14b instead of the liquid lubricant. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that this is an obvious variation and functional equivalents of detecting a breach in containment where a seal is present.
Regarding claim 2, Mitsauki teaches the electric machine according to claim 1, wherein said hole (2a) at least partly extends along the axis of said shaft (41) (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Mitsauki teaches the electric machine according to claim 2, wherein said hole (2a) completely extends along the axis of said shaft (41) (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Mitsauki teaches the electric machine according to claim 1, wherein said lid (14) comprises a central portion (43) facing and axially spaced apart from said second end portion (4a) (Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-9 are 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW V DO whose telephone number is (571)270-3420. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter L Lindsay can be reached at 571-272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
/A.V.D/Examiner, Art Unit 2852