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 filed 4/27/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Specifically, the Applicant argues that Alzingre discloses more than 3 non-wound teeth, and additional teeth between the wound teeth, and marks figure 11 with this interpretation in mind. The Examiner is not persuaded by this construction. The fundamental question with respect to the number of teeth disclosed in Alzingre depends on the definition of a tooth within the stator and whether the smaller protrusions within Alzingre function as teeth. For a working definition, the specification of Alzingre, as Applicant states, is unfortunately quiet to what is a tooth. To solve this question, the Applicant cites paragraph 80 as a basis for additional teeth, choosing the quote “the stator … is conventional” as evidence that each protrusion is in fact a tooth as one of ordinary skill in the art would see they contribute to the magnetic circuit. However, interpreting the protrusions as teeth overlooks that each of the protrusions contribute to the structure of the stator. Each protrusions’ placement between each of the coils helps to counteract emf back forces experienced by the coils structure in operation, steadying the stator during operations. Similarly, the identified protrusions between the non-wound teeth fulfill an equivalent role. While, Alzingre does not disclose a stator with no other elements between the wound and non-wound teeth, Alzingre does disclose “only four to six radially extending teeth” on the stator. For at least the above-cited reason, the arguments and amendments are not convincing and the rejection is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Alzingre et al (US 20220021289 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Alzingre discloses a three-phase electric motor, comprising: a stator part excited by three electric windings (fig. 11 stator 16); and a rotor comprising a plurality of magnetized poles (fig. 11, rotor 18), the stator part comprising only four to six radially extending teeth (fig. 11, motor coil 20) the radially extending teeth including:-three consecutive wound teeth (fig. 11, motor 20 are wound and unwound teeth marked below), each carrying a winding (paragraph 76 “three poles (17) carry motor coils (20) in order to generate the rotating field driving the magnetic rotor (18),”), in a first angular set (see figure 11, poles 17 are in a set); and one to three non-wound complementary teeth, in a second angular sector complementary to the first angular sector (see fig. 11 marked below).
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With respect to claim 2, Alzingre discloses an angular width and a length non-wound teeth are configured so as to shape a current-free torque curve of the three-phase electric motor, to favor the regularity and smoothness, or a more or less steep indexing of the current-free torque (see at least figure 11, and paragraph 77 “A device according to the present disclosure makes it possible to introduce a controllable force into an electric motor or actuator by making it possible to add, for example: a torque for maintaining a defined position, a torque for returning to a predefined position, or a periodic residual torque.” The Examiner is interpreting the controllable forces as more or less smooth).
With respect to claim 3, Alzingre discloses the angular, width and the length of the non-wound teeth are configured so as to balance radial magnetic forces exerted between the rotor and the teeth of the stator (paragraph 80 “The controllable interaction between the yoke (22) and the second, stationary structure (3) makes it possible to modulate the force applied to the magnetized rotor (18).”).
With respect to claim 4, Alzingre discloses the angular spacing between two consecutive wound teeth is 60 (see figure 11, the angle between the consecutive coils appears to be 60 degrees).
With respect to claim 5, Alzingre discloses the one to three non-wound complementary teeth include three non-wound teeth (4 to 6) separated by an angle of 600 each of the non-wound teeth being diametrically opposite to one of the wound teeth (see figure 11, the angle between the non-wound teeth appears to be 60 degrees).
With respect to claim 6, Alzingre discloses the one to three non-wound complementary teeth include two non-wound teeth located in the second angular sector, an angle defined between each non-wound tooth and the adjacent wound tooth being identical (see figure 11, each non-wound tooth appears to be identically spaced).
With respect to claim 7, Alzingre discloses the stator has a cut-out between the non-wound teeth, a space thin the cut-out is configured to house a magnetically sensitive probe for measuring the position of the rotor (paragraph 95 “In this example, the device according to the present disclosure (DI) is rigidly connected to this user interface and also to a position sensor and it is controlled by a microcontroller”).
With respect to claim 8, Alzingre discloses the one to three non-wound complementary teeth comprises a single non-wound tooth single non-wound tooth (5) being diametrically opposite to a central wound tooth of the three consecutive wound teeth (see figure 11, 3 non-wound teeth are opposed to the motor coils 20).
With respect to claim 9, Alzingre discloses a length of the windings measured radially is less than the a diameter of the rotor (see figures 10-11, radius of the rotor 18 appears larger than that of the coils 20).
With respect to claim 10, Alzingre discloses the stator is made of two or more parts (see at least figure 11, stator is made of a plurality of laminations)
With respect to claim 11, Alzingre discloses a geared motor provided with a housing comprising a three- phase electric motor according to and a movement transformer (fig. 10, motion reduction gear 29).
With respect to claim 12, Alzingre discloses the housing also comprises control electronics configured to control the three-phase electric motor (paragraph 95 “In this example, the device according to the present disclosure (DI) is rigidly connected to this user interface and also to a position sensor and it is controlled by a microcontroller”).
With respect to claim 13, Alzingre discloses the rotor has 2N pairs of magnetic poles, N being a natural number smaller than or equal to 2 (see at least figure 10a, marked below there are at least 8 poles).
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With respect to claim 14, Alzingre discloses a shape of the non-wound teeth are configured so as to shape a current-free torque curve of the three-phase electric motor, to favor the regularity and smoothness, or a more or less steep indexing of the current-free torque (see at least figure 11, and paragraph 77 “A device according to the present disclosure makes it possible to introduce a controllable force into an electric motor or actuator by making it possible to add, for example: a torque for maintaining a defined position, a torque for returning to a predefined position, or a periodic residual torque.” The Examiner is interpreting the controllable forces as more or less smooth).
With respect to claim 15, Alzingre discloses a shape of the non-wound teeth is configured so as to balance radial magnetic forces exerted between the rotor and the teeth of the stator (paragraph 80 “The controllable interaction between the yoke (22) and the second, stationary structure (3) makes it possible to modulate the force applied to the magnetized rotor (18).” The Examiner is interpreting controllable as being more or less balanced between the wound and non-wound teeth).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/R.O.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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