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 Objections
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 16 should be changed to “the flow separator comprising a radially outwards side to define a first annular entry path for the first airflow to enter the fan and a radially inwards side to define a second annular entry path for the second airflow to enter the fan”, as understood by figure 6 and in a similar manner as the amendment in claim 1. Examiner will interpret the limitation as such.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 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.
Claims 1 and 3-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeon et al. (US20120213637, “Jeon”).
Re claim 1, Jeon a fan for a rotating electrical machine ([0048]), the fan comprising:
a plurality of fan blades 40 (figs 1-3, [0048]);
a flow separator 10 configured to separate a first airflow entering the fan from a radially outwards part of the rotating electrical machine (fig 3, [0053-0055], 1st airflow between 10 & 20) and a second airflow entering the fan from a radially inwards part of the rotating electrical machine (fig 3, [0058], 2nd airflow between 10 & 33); and
the flow separator 10 comprising a radially outwards side to define a first annular entry path for the first airflow to enter the fan (figs 1-3 & below) and a radially inwards side to define a second annular entry path for the second airflow to enter the fan (figs 1-3 & below);
wherein the flow separator 10 extends partway into the fan blades 40 in a direction of airflow (fig 2, [0051]).
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Re claim 3, Jeon discloses claim 1 and further discloses the flow separator 10 comprising a leading end 13 which extends axially upstream of the fan blades 40 in the direction of airflow (figs 1-2).
Re claim 4, Jeon discloses claim 1 and further discloses the fan is configured such that the first airflow and the second airflow converge in the fan blades 40 at a position pass the flow separator 10 (fig 3).
Re claim 5, Jeon discloses claim 1 and further discloses the flow separator 10 is configured to direst the first airflow through the first annular entry path and direct the second airflow through the second annular entry path such that the first airflow and the second airflow are in substantially the same direction at a confluence of the first airflow and the second airflow (fig 3).
Re claim 6, Jeon discloses claim 1 and further discloses the flow separator 10 comprising a trailing end 15 which extends partway into the fan blades 40 (figs 1-2).
Re claim 7, Jeon discloses claim 6 and further discloses the trailing end 15 is configured to turn the first airflow from a substantially axial direction to a substantially radial direction (fig 3).
Re claim 8, Jeon discloses claim 1 and further discloses a backplate 31 configured to turn the second airflow from a substantially axial direction to a substantially radial direction (figs 1-3).
Re claim 9, Jeon discloses claim 1 and further discloses an inlet ring 20 configured to direct the first airflow from the radially outwards part of the rotating electrical machine towards the first annular entry path of the flow separator 10 (fig 3).
Re claim 10, Jeon discloses claim 9 and further discloses a leading end 13 of the flow separator 10 is located radially inwards of the inlet ring 20 (fig 2), the first annular entry path defined between an inner edge of the inlet ring 20 and the radially outwards side of the flow separator 10 (figs 3 & above for claim 1).
Re claim 11, Jeon discloses claim 1 and further discloses a hub 33 configured to connect the fan to a shaft (figs 1-3, [0048]), wherein a leading end 13 of the flow separator 10 is located radially outwards of the hub 33 (fig 2) and the second annular entry path is defined between the hub 33 and the radially inwards side of the flow separator 10 (figs 2-3 & above for claim 1).
Re claim 12, Jeon discloses claim 1 and further discloses the fan has an inlet ring 20 (figs 1-3), and a trailing end 15 of the flow separator has an outside diameter which is substantially equal to an inside diameter of the inlet ring 20 (fig 20).
Claims 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ikaheimo et al. (US20100133933, “Ikaheimo”).
Re claim 16, Ikaheimo discloses a rotating electrical machine comprising a stator 4, a rotor 20 and a fan (figs 1-3, [0014-0015] & [0017], fan include 38 & 60), the fan comprising:
a plurality of fan blades 42, 64 (figs 1-3);
a flow separator 44 configured to separate a first airflow entering the fan from the stator 4 (figs 1 & below) and a second airflow entering the fan from around the rotor 20 (figs 1 & below); and
the flow separator 44 comprising a radially outwards side to define a first annular entry path for the first airflow to enter the fan (figs 1 & below) and a radially inwards side to define a second annular entry path for the first airflow to enter the fan (as best understood by examiner for the 2nd airflow to enter the fan; figs 1 & below);
wherein the flow separator 44 extends partway through the fan blades 42,64 in a direction of airflow (figs 1-3 & below).
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Re claim 17, Ikaheimo discloses claim 16 and further discloses the flow separator 44 is arranged such that airflow from around the stator 4 enters the fan separately from airflow from around the rotor 20 (fig 1).
the fan further comprises an inlet ring 66 coupled to the fan blades 42, 64 at a front surface of the fan in the direction of airflow (figs 1-3) and a hub 40 (fig 1), the fan blades 42, 64 extending outwards from the hub 40 (fig 1); and
the flow separator 44 is positioned radially inwards of the inlet ring 66 and radially outwards of the hub 40 (fig 3).
Re claim 18, Ikaheimo discloses claim 16 and further discloses the fan is configured such that the first airflow from around the stator 4 passes the stator end windings 16 and is guided by the inlet ring 66 to enter the fan via the first annular entry path (figs 1 & above for claim 16) and second airflow from around the rotor 20 is guided by the hub 40 enter the fan via the second annular entry path (figs 1 & above for claim 16).
Re claim 19, Ikaheimo discloses claim 16 and further discloses the first annular entry path has a smaller cross-sectional area than the second annular entry path (figs 1-2 & above for claim 16) to increase a proportion of second airflow around the rotor 20 with respect to first airflow around the stator 4 (fig 1, [0016]).
Re claim 20, Ikaheimo discloses a method of cooling a rotating electrical machine using a fan, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades 42,64 and a flow separator 44 (figs 1-3 & above for claim 16, [0015-0017]), the method comprising:
drawing airflow through the rotating electrical machine using the fan (fig 1);
directing, by the flow separator 44, a first airflow entering the fan from a radially outwards part of the rotating electrical machine through a first annular entry path defined by the flow separator 44 (figs 1-2 & above for claim 16); and
directing, by the flow separator 44, a second airflow entering the fan from a radially inwards part of the rotating electrical machine through a second annular entry path defined by the flow separator 44 (figs 1-2 & above for claim 16, [0016]), the first annular entry path and the second annular entry pat to separate the first airflow and the second airflow as they enter the fan (figs 1 & above for claim 16),
wherein the flow separator 44 extends partway into the fan blades 42,64 in a direction of airflow (figs 1 & 3).
Re claim 21, Ikaheimo discloses claim 16 and further discloses the fan further comprises a backplate 54 at a rear end of the fan in the direction of airflow (figs 1-3), the backplate 54 configured to guide the second airflow in a substantially radial direction (fig 1);
the flow separator 44 comprises a trailing end extending partway into the fan blades 42, 64 in the direction of airflow (figs 1-2 & below), the trailing end configured to guide the first airflow in a substantially axial direction (figs 1-2 & below, at least the 1st part of the trailing end); and
the backplate 54 and the flow separator 44 are configured such that the first airflow and the second airflow converge at a position past the trailing end in the direction of airflow (figs 1-3 & below, [0017], in the area 18).
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 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.
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeon in view of Noronha et al. (US20110318183, “Noronha”).
Re claim 13, Jeon discloses claim 1 as discussed above and further discloses the fan comprises a fan body including the fan blades 40 (figs 1-2, body of fan excluding 10) and a flow separator component including the flow separator 10 (figs 1-2).
Jeon is silent with respect to the flow separator component is a separate component from the fan body.
Noronha discloses the shroud ring component 110 is a separate component from the fan body 120 (figs 1-2, [0024-0025]) .
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the flow separator component of Jeon to be a separate component from the fan body, as disclosed by Noronha for a shroud ring component, in order to reduce manufacturing time and cost as compared to a one piece body, as taught by Noronha ([0004]).
Re claim 14, Jeon in view of Noronha disclose claim 13. Jeon is silent with respect to the flow separator component includes an attachment ring coupled to the flow separator and the fan body.
Noronha discloses the shroud ring component 110 includes an attachment ring 114 coupled to the shroud ring 118 and the attachment ring 114 is attached to the fan body 120 (figs 1-2, [0025]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the flow separator component of Jeon in view of Noronha to include an attachment ring coupled to the flow separator and the fan body, as disclosed by Noronha for a shroud ring component, in order to reduce manufacturing time and cost as compared to a one piece body, as taught by Noronha ([0004]).
Re claim 15, Jeon in view of Noronha disclose claim 13. Jeon further discloses the fan blades 40 comprise slots (figs 1-2 & below, open space between fan blades) and the flow separator 10 is accommodated in the slots (figs 1-2 & below, portion 15 of 10 is in the slots or between the fan blades 40 in the circumferential direction).
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Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/19/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Jeon does not disclose two airflow paths entering the fan that is separated by the flow separator (pg 6, last para to pg 7, 2nd para).
This argument is not persuasive since Jeon clearly shows smaller arrows indicating air entering the fan between 10 and 20 (fig 3); and that the flow separator 10 separates the airflow between 10 and 20 from the large arrows entering the fan through 11 between 10 and 33 (fig 3, 10 separates the two airflows at least at the beginning of the opening between 10 & 20).
Applicant argues that Jeon does not disclose an entry path between 10 and 20 (pg 7, last para to pg 8, lns 1-3).
This argument is not persuasive since Jeon shows in figs 1-3 an annular entry path between 10 and 20 (also see annotated figs above for claim 1).
Applicant argues that Ikaheimo does not disclose a flow separator with one fan (pg 8, last two para to pg 9, lns 1-2).
This argument is not persuasive since examiner is interpreting the structure in fig. 2 as the fan. Ikaheimo also shows 42 and 64 formed at the same position circumferential positions and are connected at the radial ends as shown in fig. 3 (see below), thereby forming one fan blade.
Additionally flow separator 44 separates the airflow entering along 42 from airflow entering along 64, as figure 1 clearly shows.
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Applicant argues there are not two airflows entering the fan because there is no entry path between 44 and portion 60 of the fan (9, 1st full para).
This argument is not persuasive since there is clearly two airflows enter the entire fan shown in fig 2, as shown in fig. 1. Additionally 44 has separate entry ways for the two flow paths and separates the two airpaths.
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5715. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:30-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached on (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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/ERIC JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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