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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages7-9, filed 06/03/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of the claim amendments and new prior art.
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.
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.
Claims 1-6 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shiah et al. (US 2020/0067362 A1) in view of Rahman et al. (US 2023/0018571 A1) and Cai (US 2008/0042508 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Shiah discloses a motor stator winding structure (FIG. 2) comprising:
a ring-shaped stator core (32) defining a rotor accommodation space (inside inner diameter 28) at a center of the stator core (32; FIG. 1), wherein the stator core (32) comprises an insertion side (36) and an extension side (38) allowing a plurality of hairpin wires (40) inserted from the insertion side (36) and extended out from the extension side (38; FIG. 2);
a plurality of slot-positions (34) disposed on the stator core (32) and surrounding the rotor accommodation space circumferentially (FIG. 5), the slot-positions (34) forming a plurality of radially-adjacent slot-position layers (FIG. 6), the stator core (32) comprising a plurality of polar regions (FIG. 8-10; slots 2-7, 8-13, … 38-43, 44-1), each polar region comprising a plurality of phases (¶ [0018]), each phase comprising a plurality of phase slots (FIG. 8 discloses U phase inserted into two adjacent slots),
wherein the hairpin wires (40) are configured to be disposed into the slot-positions (34) of the phase slots of the same phases of the polar regions (FIG. 8-10; slots 32, 33, slots 28, 29, slots 24, 25), the hairpin wires (40) are connected to form a plurality of parallel windings (44, 46, 58, 60, 72, 74; ¶ [0027]), the windings (44, 46, 58, 60, 72, 74) comprise:
at least one first phase winding (U phase) comprising a plurality of first hairpin wires (44, 46) of the hairpin wires (40) inserted from an entry phase slot-position of a first phase (slots 32, 33), and comprising a plurality of first phase return connection wires (200; FIG. 8);
at least one second phase winding (V phase) comprising a plurality of second hairpin wires (58, 60) of the hairpin wires (40) inserted from an entry phase slot-position of a second phase (slots 28, 29), and comprising a plurality of second phase return connection wires (226); and
at least one third phase winding (W phase) comprising a plurality of third hairpin wires (72, 74) of the hairpin wires (40) inserted from an entry phase slot-position of a third phase (slots 24, 25), and comprising a plurality of third phase return connection wires (244),
wherein the entry phase slot-position of the first phase (slots 32, 33), the entry phase slot- position of the second phase (slots 28, 29) and the entry phase slot-position of the third phase (slots 24, 25) are located in three different polar regions respectively (FIG. 8-10).
Shiah does not disclose wherein the first phase return connection wires, the second phase return connection wires and the third phase return connection wires have respective portions that protrude from the insertion side of the stator core and are not overlapped with each other in an axial direction of the stator core,
wherein the first phase return connection wires, the second phase return connection wires and the third phase return connection wires all have respective top portions having substantially same-shaped profiles, and two of the respective top portions have a relatively large profile and a relatively small profile that is placed within and aligned with the relatively large profile in an axial direction of the stator core, wherein each of the relatively large profile and the relatively small profile comprises a substantially inverted U-shape consisting of an uppermost portion and two axial side portions extending substantially perpendicular to and directly from the uppermost portion.
Rahman discloses wherein the return connection wires (525, 529) have respective portions that protrude from the insertion side of the stator core (410) and are not overlapped with each other in an axial direction of the stator core (410; FIG. 5),
wherein the first phase return connection wires, the second phase return connection wires and the third phase return connection wires (525, 529) all have respective top portions having substantially same-shaped profiles (a crown shaped profile in FIG. 5), and two of the respective top portions have a relatively large profile and a relatively small profile that is placed within and aligned (in the same layers of adjacent slots) the relatively large profile in an axial direction of the stator core (410; see exemplary annotation below).
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Rahman discloses in ¶ [0123] that the A phase and C phase are identical to B phase while being shifted by 4 and 8 slots respectively.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Shiah in view of Rahman to disclose wherein the first phase return connection wires, the second phase return connection wires and the third phase return connection wires have respective portions that protrude from the insertion side of the stator core and are not overlapped with each other in an axial direction of the stator core, wherein the first phase return connection wires, the second phase return connection wires and the third phase return connection wires all have respective top portions having substantially same-shaped profiles, and two of the respective top portions have a relatively large profile and a relatively small profile that is placed within and aligned with the relatively large profile in an axial direction of the stator core, wherein the first phase return connection wires, the second phase return connection wire and the third phase connection wires all protrude from the same side of the stator core, for the advantages of a balanced winding layout with reduced number of part variances (¶ [0001]).
Cai discloses wherein return connection wires (54) comprises a substantially inverted U-shape consisting of an uppermost portion (65) and two axial side portions (66) extending substantially perpendicular to and directly from the uppermost portion (65; FIG. 5C).
The return connection wires (54) of Cai would be implemented to replace the return connection wires (525, 529) of Rahman with large and small profiles to have a substantially U-shaped end portion as seen in FIG.5C of Cai.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Shiah in view of Rahman, further in view of Cai to disclose wherein each of the relatively large profile and the relatively small profile comprises a substantially inverted U-shape consisting of an uppermost portion and two axial side portions extending substantially perpendicular to and directly from the uppermost portion, for the advantages of having less crowding at an axial side of the stator (¶ [0046]).
Regarding claim 2/1, Shiah in view of Rahman was discussed above in claim 1. Shiah further discloses wherein the entry phase slot-position of the first phase (slots 32, 33), the entry phase slot-position of the second phase (slots 28, 29) and the entry phase slot-position of the third phase (24, 25) are located in three continuous and different polar regions respectively (FIG. 8-10).
Regarding claim 3/1, Shiah in view of Rahman was discussed above in claim 1. Rahman further discloses wherein the entry phase slot-position (591, 593) are all located at a farthest one of the radially-adjacent slot-position layers (layer 1) from the rotor accommodating space (FIG. 5).
Regarding claim 4/1, Shiah in view of Rahman was discussed above in claim 1. Rahman further discloses wherein either one of the return connection wires (525, 529) has two ends disposed at a closest one of the radially-adjacent slot-position layers (layer 6) from the rotor accommodating space (FIG. 5).
Regarding claim 5/1, Shiah in view of Rahman was discussed above in claim 1. Shiah further discloses wherein the first phase return connection wires (200) have different spans at the insertion side of the stator core (32), the second phase return connection wires (226) have different spans at the insertion side of the stator core (32), and the third phase return connection wires (244) have different spans at the insertion side of the stator core (32).
Regarding claim 6/5, Shiah in view of Rahman was discussed above in claim 5. Shiah further discloses wherein either one of the first phase return connection wires (200), the second phase return connection wires (226), and the third phase return connection wires (244) has a span at the insertion side of the stator core (32), the span is a pole pitch plus one slot or a pole pitch minus one slot (standard pitch is 6, while jumper has a pitch of 5 and 7).
Regarding claim 10/1, Shiah in view of Rahman was discussed above in claim 1. Shiah further discloses wherein each of the hairpin wires (40) has a U-shaped portion (104, 112), a first leg portion (98, 122), and a second leg portion (100, 124), the first leg portion (98, 122) and the second leg portion (100, 124) are inserted into corresponding slot-positions (34) from the insertion side (36) and extended out from the extension side (38), and bent to be connected with adjacent first leg portion (98, 122) and second leg portion (100, 124) of a corresponding one of the hairpin wires (40), wherein the U-shaped portion (104, 112) is disposed at the insertion side (36) of the stator core (32).
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 11, the specific limitation of “wherein the first phase return connection wires, the second phase return connection wires and the third phase return connection wires (RW1, RW2) all have respective top portions (TP1, TP2) that are overlapped with the rotor accommodation space (150) in a radial direction of the stator core (110; FIG. 8), and two of the respective top portions (TP1, TP2) have a relatively long portion (TP2) and a relatively short portion (TP1) that are in parallel with each other at a height in an axial direction of the stator core (110; FIG. 7, 8)” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Hanaoka and Fukunaga et al. (US 11,670,979 B2) disclose wire connection portions overlapping with a rotor accommodation space in a radial direction of the stator core, but does not disclose two of the respective top portions have a relatively long portion and a relatively short portion that are in parallel with each other at a height in an axial direction of the stator core.
Claims 12-15 are allowable for depending upon claim 11.
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 MINKI CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-0521. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye 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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/MINKI CHANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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