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 with respect to claims 6 and 9-16 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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/30/2025 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 6 and 9, 11-13, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HANUMALAGUTTI (US 20170271955).
Regarding claim 6, HANUMALAGUTTI discloses a motor 18 comprising:
a rotor 72 having a rotating shaft 76 extending in an axial direction
a stator 74 provided coaxially with the rotor 72 and at a predetermined interval from the rotor 72;
a motor case 150 that accommodates the stator 74 and the rotor 72 inside and
a cooling device, wherein:
the stator 74 comprises:
a stator core 80 formed to surround an axial center of the motor 18 and having a plurality of teeth 90: and
a plurality of coils 96 respectively attached to the plurality of teeth 90,
each of the plurality of coils 96 is formed by winding a conductive wire (para [0036]) having a quadrangular cross section (i.e. in at least a longitudinal/axial direction as broadly claimed) and stacking n turns of the conductive wire, where n is an integer of two or more (Fig. 6-9), the plurality of teeth 90 are connected to an inner periphery of the stator core 80 at intervals along a circumferential direction of the motor 18 (Fig. 4), the cooling device includes:
a pump that discharges a refrigerant (para [0047-0048]);
a supply pipe 157 that is connected to the pump while extending inside the motor case 150, and supplies the refrigerant discharged from the pump toward at least one of the plurality of coils 96 (Fig. 5 and 9): and
at least one injection port 238 for injecting the refrigerant toward the at least one of the plurality of coils 96 (Fig. 9),
each of the plurality of coils 96 disposed in the circumferential direction includes a first coil end 226(230) that is one end part of the conductive wire protruding from the stator core 80 in an axial direction in which the axial center extends, and a second coil end 226(234) that is another end part of the conductive wire protruding from the stator core 80 in the axial direction and opposite to the first coil end 226(230),
in the at least one of the plurality of coils 96,
a height of the first coil end 226(230) is smaller than a height of the second coil end 226(234), and the coil end of the coil to which the at least one injection port 238 faces the first coil end 226(230) having a smaller height than the second coil end 226(234) such that the refrigerant is directly injected from the at least one injection port 238 to the first coil end 226(230), and has a height lower than a height of the coil end of the coil to which the refrigerant is not directly injected from the at least one injection port 238 to the second coil end 226(234).
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Regarding claim 9, HANUMALAGUTTI discloses the motor according to Claim 6, wherein the first coil end 226(230) has a surface area that is smaller than a surface area of the second coil end 226(234) (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 11, HANUMALAGUTTI discloses the motor according to Claim 6, wherein the at least one injection port 238 includes a first injection port 238 for injecting the refrigerant in the axial direction (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 12, HANUMALAGUTTI discloses the motor according to Claim 11, wherein when the motor 18 is used in which the axial direction intersects a gravity direction, the at least one injection port 238 further includes a second injection port 228 for injecting the refrigerant from above in the gravity direction.
Regarding claim 13, HANUMALAGUTTI discloses the motor according to Claim 6, wherein the at least one injection port 238 includes a third injection port (256 or 308) facing the second coil end 226(234) for directly injecting the refrigerant toward the second coil end 226(234).
Regarding claim 15, HANUMALAGUTTI discloses the motor according to Claim 6, wherein the height of the first coil end 226(230) within the at least one of the plurality of coils 96 is constant, and the height of the second coil end 226(234) within the at least one of the plurality of coils 96 is constant (Fig. 9).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 10, 14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HANUMALAGUTTI in view of HASHIMOTO (US 20150162793).
Regarding claim 10, HANUMALAGUTTI discloses the motor according to Claim 6,
However, HANUMALAGUTTI does not disclose the first coil end has a surface area that is larger than a surface area of the second coil end.
HASHIMOTO teaches a stator with a first coil end has a surface area that is larger than a surface area of a second coil end (Fig. 6).
It 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 to provide the motor of HANUMALAGUTTI with the first coil end has a surface area that is larger than a surface area of the second coil end, similar to HASHIMOTO.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to reduce the coil height of the coil end and the overall axial size of the stator, as taught by HASHIMOTO (para [0009])
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Regarding claim 14, HANUMALAGUTTI discloses the motor according to Claim 6, wherein the plurality of coils 96 include a group of coils 96 equal in height of a coil end,
However, HANUMALAGUTTI does not disclose one coil among the plurality of coils, which is different in height of the coil end from the group of coils, is disposed among the group of coils.
HASHIMOTO teaches a stator with one coil among the plurality of coils, which is different in height of the coil end from the group of coils, is disposed among the group of coils (Fig. 6).
It 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 to provide the motor of HANUMALAGUTTI with one coil among the plurality of coils, which is different in height of the coil end from the group of coils, is disposed among the group of coils, similar to HASHIMOTO.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to reduce the coil height of the coil end and the overall axial size of the stator, as taught by HASHIMOTO (para [0009])
Regarding claim 16, HANUMALAGUTTI discloses the motor according to Claim 6,
However, HANUMALAGUTTI does not disclose at least one of the plurality of coils has the first coil end different in height from another of the plurality of coils.
HASHIMOTO teaches a stator with at least one of the plurality of coils has the first coil end different in height from another of the plurality of coils (Fig. 6).
It 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 to provide the motor of HANUMALAGUTTI with at least one of the plurality of coils has the first coil end different in height from another of the plurality of coils, similar to HASHIMOTO.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to reduce the coil height of the coil end and the overall axial size of the stator, as taught by HASHIMOTO (para [0009])
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-20240146156-A1 VANHEE discloses a stator with an injection port that sprays on an end winding 132 with lower height; WO 2020130200 JUNG discloses a stator with an injection port 129 that sprays on an end winding with lower height to enable spray to reach the rotor.
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 JUSTIN STEFANON whose telephone number is (703)756-4648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternate Fridays 8AM - 5PM EDT.
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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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/JUSTIN STEFANON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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