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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 7/7/26 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-7 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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-2, and 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horizumi (JP
2013219930, submitted by applicant), and in view of Ohori187 (JP 2021035187), Ohori717 (JP
2021027717), and Gensaku (WO 2018062349).
As to claim 1, Horizumi discloses a rotor (11; Fig. 2) comprising: a rotor core (13, Fig. 2) that
rotates integrally with a rotation shaft (12; Fig. 1); a plurality of magnets (14; Fig. 2) that are arranged on
an outer circumferential surface of the rotor core; a magnet cover which covers an outside of the
magnets and the rotor core (22; Fig. 2), into which the magnets are pressed (Fig. 2), which has a
cylindrical shape (Fig. 2); and a holder (22; Fig. 2), wherein the rotor core includes: a core main body
portion (Fig. 2) that is fitted and fixed to the rotation shaft and has a cylindrical shape (Fig. 2); and a
plurality of salient poles (Fig. 2) that protrude outward in a radial direction from the core main body
portion and are arranged between the magnets which are adjacent to each other in a circumferential
direction (Fig. 2), and the holder includes: an annular portion (Fig. 2) that is arranged to overlap an end
surface in an axial direction of the core main body portion.
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750
619
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445
476
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Horizumi fails to disclose a flange portion that is formed on an end portion in an axial direction
and is bent inward in a radial direction; a leg portion that protrudes outward in a radial direction from
the annular portion; and a press fit rib, and an outer end portion in a radial direction of the press fit rib
protrudes further outward in the radial direction than an outer end portion in the radial direction of the
salient pole, and a length size along the circumferential direction of the press fit rib is smaller than a length size along the circumferential direction of the salient poles.
Ohori187, however, discloses a flange portion that is formed on an end portion in an axial
direction and is bent inward in a radial direction (Fig. 6); and a leg portion that protrudes outward in a
radial direction from the annular portion (Fig. 6).
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597
435
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the rotor of Horizumi with a flange portion that
is formed on an end portion in an axial direction and is bent inward in a radial direction; and a leg
portion that protrudes outward in a radial direction from the annular portion, as disclosed by Ohori187,
to properly secure the magnet cover to the rotor.
Ohori717, however, discloses a press fit rib (Fig. 12), and an outer end portion in a radial
direction of the claw portion 233 (“press fit rib” as claimed) protrudes further outward in the radial
direction than an outer end portion in the radial direction of the salient pole 37 (Figs. 9, 10, and 12).
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505
666
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614
504
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570
430
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340
516
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the rotor of Horizumi with a press fit rib, and an
outer end portion in a radial direction of the claw portion protrudes further outward in the radial
direction than an outer end portion in the radial direction of the salient pole as disclosed by Ohori717,
to properly secure the magnet cover to the rotor.
Gensaku, however, discloses a length size along the circumferential direction of the press fit rib is smaller than a length size along the circumferential direction of the salient poles (435 < 409; Fig. 48).
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348
489
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the rotor of Horizumi with a length size along the circumferential direction of the press fit rib is smaller than a length size along the circumferential direction of the salient poles, as disclosed by Gensaku, to improve flux distribution.
As to claim 2, the combination of Horizumi, Ohori187, Ohori717, and Gensaku discloses the rotor according to claim 1, wherein the press fit rib is provided on the outer end section in the radial direction of the leg portion (Fig. 12 of Ohori717), and an outer end portion in a radial direction of the press fit rib protrudes further outward in the radial direction than a circumferential direction end portion in the outer circumferential surface of the magnet (Fig. 12 of Ohori 717).
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461
656
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As to claim 4, the combination of Horizumi, Ohori187, Ohori717, and Gensaku discloses the rotor according to claim 1, wherein, in the radial direction, the magnet cover (21; Fig. 2 of Horizumi) is in
contact with a circumferential direction middle portion (Fig. 2 of Horizumi) of the press fit rib (Fig. 12 of
Ohori717) and the magnet (14; Fig. 2 of Horizumi).
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633
443
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503
657
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As to claim 5, the combination of Horizumi, Ohori187, Ohori717, and Gensaku discloses the rotor according to claim 4, wherein the magnet is formed in an arc shape when seen from the axial direction (Fig. 2 of Horizumi), and an outer circumferential surface of the magnet is formed in an arc shape centered on an eccentric position to an outer circumferential surface side of the magnet further than a rotation axis line of the rotation shaft (Fig. 7 of Ohori187).
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727
543
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As to claim 6, the combination of Horizumi, Ohori187, Ohori717, and Gensaku discloses the rotor according to claim 1, wherein when seen from the axial direction, a distance from a rotation axis line of the rotation shaft to an outer circumferential surface of a circumferential direction middle portion of the magnet is in a range from 1.5 times to 2.0 times a distance from the rotation axis line of the rotation shaft to an outer circumferential surface of the core main body portion (Fig. 7 of Ohori187), and when seen from the axial direction, a distance from the rotation axis line of the rotation shaft to a radial direction outer end of the salient poles is in a range from 1.5 times to 2.0 times the distance from the rotation axis line of the rotation shaft to the outer circumferential surface of the core main body portion (Fig. 7 of Ohori187).
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697
531
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As to claim 7, the combination of Horizumi, Ohori187, Ohori717, and Gensaku discloses the rotor according to claim 1; and a stator that is arranged at a further outer side in the radial direction than the rotor and generates a magnetic field (Fig. 1 of Horizumi).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horizumi, Ohori187, Ohori717, and Gensaku as applied to claim 2, and further in view of Raimann (US 2021/0194385).
As to claim 3, the combination of Horizumi, Ohori187, Ohori717, and Gensaku discloses the rotor according to claim 2, wherein the holder (22; Fig. 2 of Horizumi) includes: an end portion on an opposite side of the rotor core in an axial direction in the annular portion (Fig. 2 of Horizumi) and the leg portion (Fig. 6 of Ohori187), is arranged to overlap an end surface in an axial direction of the magnet (Fig. 2 of Horizumi), and has a circular outer shape when seen from the axial direction (Fig. 2 of Horizumi), and an outer end portion (Fig. 2 of Horizumi) in a radial direction and a further inner position in the radial direction than the outer end portion (Fig. 6 of Ohori187) in the radial direction of the press fit rib throughout an entire circumference (Fig. 12 of Ohori717).
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735
478
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494
646
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Horizumi fails to disclose a base plate.
Raimann, however, discloses a base plate (3; Fig. 1 of Raimann).
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492
453
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As to combination of Horizumi, Ohori187, Ohori717, Gensaku, and Raimann is made, the result would read on a base plate (Fig. 1 of Raimann) that is provided on an end portion on an opposite side of the rotor core in an axial direction in the annular portion (Fig. 2 of Horizumi) and the leg portion (Fig. 6 of Ohori187), is arranged to overlap an end surface in an axial direction of the magnet (Fig. 2 of Horizumi), and has a circular outer shape when seen from the axial direction (Fig. 2 of Horizumi shows circular shape for base plate of Raimann), and an outer end portion in a radial direction (Fig. 2 of Horizumi) of the base plate (Fig.1 of Raimann) and that is located at a further inner position in the radial direction (Fig. 6 of Ohori187) than the outer end portion in the radial direction of the press fit rib (Fig. 12 of Ohori717) throughout an entire circumference.
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492
453
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758
481
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619
419
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470
667
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the rotor of Horizumi with a base plate, as
disclosed by Raimann, in order to connect electrical pathways of the rotor.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
should be directed to ETHAN N VO whose telephone number is (571)270-7593. The examiner can
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Christopher M Koehler can be reached on 571 272 3560. The fax phone number for the organization
where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ETHAN NGUYEN VO/
Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
Prosecution Insights