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
Claim11-14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Re. claim 11: Thep phrase “protruding from a base body” as recited in line 4 appears to be --protruding from the base body--.
Re. claim 13: The phrase “a stator of an electric motor” as recited in lines 3-4 appears to be --the stator of the electric motor--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim are 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Re. claim 10; The phrase “the front edge” as recited in line 2 lacks antecedent basis.
Re. claim 11: The phrase “during an insertion process the catch being pushed thereby toward the sliding cover” as recited in lines 5-6 renders the claim vague and in definite. It is unclear as to what the thereby is indicated. Clarification is required.
Re. claim 12; The phrase “the contour thereof” as recited in line 2 lacks antecedent basis.
The phrase “approximately to a bell shape” as recited in line 2 renders the claim vague and indefinite. It is unclear as to what the “approximately to a bell shape” is meant. Clarification is required.
The phrase “a bell base” as recited in line 2 renders the claim vague and indefinite. It is unclear as to where the bell base is located from. Clarification is required.
Re. claim 13: The phrase “the tool” as recited in line 5 lacks antecedent basis.
The phrase “the catch” as recited in line 6 lacks antecedent basis.
The phrase “a locking element” as recited in line 6 renders the claim vague and indefinite. It is unclear as to where the locking element is located from. Clarification is required.
The phrase “thereon” as recited in line 7 renders the claim vague and indefinite. It is unclear as to what the thereon is indicated of.
The phrase “the slot direction” as recited in line 7 lacks antecedent basis.
Re. claim 14: The phrase “wherein a winding tool for mounting a winding is additionally provided with sliding covers and the tool for mounting the sliding cover” as recited in lines 2-3 renders the claim vague and indefinite. According to the preamble, the scope of the claimed invention is the method for automated mounting of a sliding cover in a slot of a stator of an electric motor. However, portions of the body of the claim, such as “a winding tool for mounting a winding is additionally provided” as recited in lines 2-3, positively require structural limitations drawn to the winding tool. This inconsistency renders the scope of the claimed invention as being indefinite because the preamble is drawn to the mounting of the sliding cover in the slot of the stator of the electric motor alone. However, the body of the claim is drawn to the combination of the mounting of the sliding cover in the slot and the winding tool for mounting the winding. The structural limitation of the winding tool for mounting the winding does not breath life and meaning into the claim because patentabilty is relied upon the mounting of the sliding cover in the slot alone and not the combination of the mounting of the sliding cover in the slot and the winding tool for mounting the winding.
Accordingly, claim 14 appears to require the combination of the mounting of the sliding cover in the slot and the winding tool for mounting the winding. It is noted that the claims can be drafted to recite the intended working environment.
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)(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.
Claims 8-10, 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakamura et al. (JP-3450124 B2).
Nakamura et al. teach a sliding cover (5, Fig. 1) for closing a slot (2, Fig. 4 (A)) in a stator (1, Figs (a. 4 and 5) of an electric motor, the sliding cover being folded as an open trapezoid made of a planar insulation material (a Mylar paper), and the sliding cover comprising a locking element (7, Fig. 1) for a catch, wherein the locking element is arranged at a front end of the sliding cover in a direction of insertion as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 (see also abstract and a translation).
Re. claim 9: The sliding cover includes a tapered portion on the front end in the direction of insertion, and wherein the locking element is formed as a recess tapering region as shown in Fig. 1.
Re. claim 10: The locking element is formed as a fold in the front edge of the sliding cover, the catch in the direction of insertion of the sliding cover a shown in Figs. 1 and 4.
Re. claim 13: Nakamura et al. also teach a process of automated mounting of a sliding cover in a slot of a stator of an electric motor, comprising steps of: fitting a front end of the sliding cover into the slot to be closed of the stator of the electric motor as shown I Figs 2 and 4; positioning a tool (11, Fig. 5) for mounting the sliding cover on a lateral surface of the stator such that the catch bears against a locking element &, Fig. 1); and moving the tool is moved on the stator in the slot direction to introduce the sliding cover as shown in Figs. 5 and 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-12 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. ERNST et al. (PGPub 2024/0072593 A1), Kato et al. (US PAT. 11,990,809), and KATO (PGPub 2021/0399616 A1) are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to a method for automated mounting of a sliding cover in a slot of a stator of an electric motor.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-4565. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:00 AM-2:00 PM.
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/PAUL D KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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