Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 30, 2026
Application No. 18/548,249

MAGNET ARRAY METHOD, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ROTOR, AND MAGNET ARRAY JIG

Non-Final OA §102§112
Filed
Aug 29, 2023
Priority
Mar 18, 2021 — JP 2021-044584 +1 more
Examiner
LEGASPI, EUGENE REY DEVERA
Art Unit
3729
Tech Center
3700 — Mechanical Engineering & Manufacturing
Assignee
Toyota Motor Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds

Examiner Intelligence

Grants only 0% of cases
0%
Career Allowance Rate
0 granted / 0 resolved
-70.0% vs TC avg
Minimal +0% lift
Without
With
+0.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
Avg Prosecution
35 currently pending
Career history
22
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103
64.0%
+24.0% vs TC avg
§102
16.3%
-23.7% vs TC avg
§112
18.6%
-21.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 0 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §112
CTNF 18/548,249 CTNF 101622 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 Claims 1 and 6 recite the limitation "the surrounding magnets" in lines 7-8 and 8-9, respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation for each of the independent claims. For this reason, claims 2-5 and 7-8 are also rejected for their dependency on claim 1 and 6, respectively. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Tanaka et al (W.O. Patent Application Publication 2020195006 A1) hereinafter Tanaka . Regarding claim 1 , Tanaka discloses a magnet array method (Title: Rotor and Motor) for arraying a plurality of magnetized magnets (p. 4, ll. 25-26, “the plurality of magnetized portions 23a are arranged”) using a magnet array jig (rotor core 22, p. 3, ll. 13), the magnet array method comprising: PNG media_image1.png 786 904 media_image1.png Greyscale disposing magnetic force parts (second magnetic member M, p. 10, ll. 38) of the magnet array jig at positions facing the magnets to be arrayed (p. 10, ll. 38, “inserts the second magnetic member M made of a magnetic material into the hole portion 22a”, FIG. 4 & 6 depicts the insertion of magnet M to be facing adjacent to the plurality of magnets 23/73); and PNG media_image2.png 847 909 media_image2.png Greyscale arraying the magnets (p. 10, ll. 38-40, “uses the second magnetic member M to form the rotor core 22 and the first magnetic member 73 position in the circumferential direction”), wherein the magnetic force parts are disposed so as to impart, to the magnets to be arrayed, a magnetic force for cancelling a force acting on the magnets to be arrayed caused by the surrounding magnets (magnetizing coil C, p. 11, ll. 15) (p. 11, ll. 34-39, “the rotor core 22 and the first magnetic member 73 are positioned at positions where the hole portion 22a is located inside the teeth portion Yb in the radial direction. Therefore, the magnetic flux flowing in the radial direction between the teeth portion Yb and the first magnetic member 73 can be easily guided by the second magnetic member M inserted into the hole portion 22a, and more preferably the magnetic flux is applied to the first magnetic member 73 can be shed”). Regarding claim 2 , Tanaka further discloses the magnet array method according to claim 1, as detailed above, wherein the magnets to be arrayed receive the magnetic force from the surrounding magnets in a direction moving away from the magnet array jig (p. 11, ll. 15-19, “Next, the operator or the like applies an electric current to the magnetizing coil C mounted on the teeth portion Yb of the magnetizing yoke Y to generate a magnetic field. As a result, the operator or the like magnetizes the first magnetic member 73. At this time, the second magnetic member M used for positioning is left inserted in the hole 22a. That is, in the magnetizing step S2, the operator or the like magnetizes the first magnetic member 73”) , and the magnetic force parts are disposed to impart, to the magnets to be arrayed, a magnetic force to attract the magnets to be arrayed (p. 11, ll. 34-39). Regarding claim 3 , Tanaka further discloses the magnet array method according to claim 2, as detailed above, wherein the magnetic force part is provided to extend in a vertical direction (z axis, in FIG. 4 & 6, goes into/out of the rotor core 22), the magnets are inserted in the vertical direction when the magnets are arrayed (p. 10, ll. 41-42, “the second magnetic member M is a square columnar member extending in the axial direction”). the magnet array method further comprises rotating the magnetic force parts around a rotation axis (p. 3, ll. 12, FIG. 2, “the rotor 20 can rotate about the central axis J… rotor 20 includes the shaft 21, a rotor core 22, and a rotor magnet 23”) extending in the vertical direction (p. 3, ll. 14-15, “the shaft 21 is a columnar shape extending in the axial direction about the central axis J”) after arraying the magnets to move the arrayed magnets in a horizontal direction (as disclosed above, the rotatable rotor 20 includes magnets 23, which then can be rotated, moving the magnets 23 in the horizontal direction around axis J). PNG media_image3.png 777 900 media_image3.png Greyscale Regarding claim 4 , Tanaka further discloses the magnet array method according to claim 1, as detailed above, wherein the plurality of magnets forms a Halbach array (Halbach array, p. 4, ll. 25). Regarding claim 5 , Tanaka further discloses a method of manufacturing a rotor (Title) comprising arraying a plurality of magnetized magnets in a circumferential direction of the rotor using the magnet array method according to claim 1, as detailed above (p. 4, ll. 25-26, “the plurality of magnetized portions 23a are arranged along the circumferential direction in a Halbach array that strengthens the magnetic field strength on the outer side in the radial direction”). Regarding claim 6 , Tanaka discloses a magnet array jig (rotor core 22, p. 3, ll. 13) for arraying a plurality of magnetized magnets (p. 4, ll. 25-26, “the plurality of magnetized portions 23a are arranged”) comprising: a jig body part formed using a non-magnetic material non-magnetic material, p. 3, ll. 19); and magnetic force parts (second magnetic member M, p. 10, ll. 38) provided to extend in a vertical direction (z axis, in FIG. 4 & 6, goes into/out of the rotor core 22) of the jig body part (p. 10, ll. 41-42, “the second magnetic member M is a square columnar member extending in the axial direction”), wherein the magnetic force parts are disposed at positions facing the magnets when the magnets are arrayed (p. 10, ll. 38, “inserts the second magnetic member M made of a magnetic material into the hole portion 22a”, FIG. 4 & 6 depicts the insertion of magnet M to be facing adjacent to the plurality of magnets 23/73) and are configured to impart, to the magnets to be arrayed, a magnetic force for cancelling a force acting on the magnets to be arrayed caused by the surrounding magnets (magnetizing coil C, p. 11, ll. 15) (p. 11, ll. 34-39, “the rotor core 22 and the first magnetic member 73 are positioned at positions where the hole portion 22a is located inside the teeth portion Yb in the radial direction. Therefore, the magnetic flux flowing in the radial direction between the teeth portion Yb and the first magnetic member 73 can be easily guided by the second magnetic member M inserted into the hole portion 22a, and more preferably the magnetic flux is applied to the first magnetic member 73 can be shed”). Regarding claim 7 , Tanaka further discloses the magnet array jig according to claim 6, as detailed above, wherein the magnetic force parts are configured in such a way that a magnetic force direction of the magnetic force parts can be changed by rotating the magnetic force parts around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. (p. 3, ll. 12-15, FIG. 2 depicts the rotor components 21, 22, and 23 able to rotate around axis J while coil C is stationary. Because the magnets 73 are fixed to the rotor body, rotation of the rotor correspondingly rotates the magnetic flux region relative to the coil C. Thus, it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the direction of magnetic force between the magnetic force parts with the coil C changes the direction interaction forces with varying rotor angular positions). Regarding claim 8 , Tanaka further discloses the magnet array jig according to claim 6, as detailed above, wherein the magnetic force part comprises: a cylindrical structure extending in the vertical direction (rotor core 22, p. 3, ll. 13); and a rectangular parallelepiped magnet (second magnetic member M, p. 10, ll. 38) provided inside the cylindrical structure extending in the vertical direction (p. 3, ll. 14-15, “the shaft 21 is a columnar shape extending in the axial direction about the central axis J”). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE REY D LEGASPI whose telephone number is (571)272-2956. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5PM. 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, Thomas Hong can be reached at (571) 272-0993. 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. /E.D.L./Examiner, Art Unit 3729 /THOMAS J HONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3729 Application/Control Number: 18/548,249 Page 2 Art Unit: 3729 Application/Control Number: 18/548,249 Page 3 Art Unit: 3729 Application/Control Number: 18/548,249 Page 4 Art Unit: 3729 Application/Control Number: 18/548,249 Page 5 Art Unit: 3729 Application/Control Number: 18/548,249 Page 6 Art Unit: 3729 Application/Control Number: 18/548,249 Page 7 Art Unit: 3729 Application/Control Number: 18/548,249 Page 8 Art Unit: 3729 Application/Control Number: 18/548,249 Page 9 Art Unit: 3729
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Prosecution Timeline

Aug 29, 2023
Application Filed
May 28, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §112
Aug 11, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
Aug 11, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
Grant Probability
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 0 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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