DETAILED ACTION
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 1-4, 7-14 & 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takemura et al. (JP 2012-75213) in view of Abe et al. (US 10,644,561) and Tamura et al. (GB 2553463).
Regarding claim 1, Takemura teaches a stator comprising:
a stator core 20 comprising a yoke 22 and a plurality of teeth 24 protruding from an inner surface of the yoke; an insulator 10 surrounding a part of the stator core; a coil 30 wound around the insulator (Fig.1); and
wherein the insulator 10 comprises a plurality of first insulators 11(12) and a second insulator 11(12), wherein each of the first insulators comprises:
a body portion (coil winding portion) 15 around which the coil is wound;
an inner guide (inner cover) 16 extending from an inside of the body portion 15 in an axial direction;
a first outer guide (inner protrusion) 1411 extending from an outside of the body portion 15 in the axial direction;
a second outer guide (outer protrusion) 1412 disposed to be spaced apart from the first outer guide 1411 in an outward direction and extending from the outside of the body portion in the axial direction; and
a protrusion (bent portion) protruding inward from the second outer guide 1412 and forming a predetermined gap (G) with the first outer guide 1411,
wherein the body portion 15 is disposed between a center C of the stator core and the protrusion with respect to a radial direction, and
wherein a part of the coil 30 disposed between the first outer guide 1411 and the second outer guide 1412 is guided by the outer surface and disposed under the protrusion (bent portion; Figs.1-2).
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Takemura does not teach “a molding portion disposed to cover the stator core [20], the insulator [10], and the coil [30].” Takemura also does not teach the outer surface of the first outer guide 1411 is “formed to be inclined inwardly in an axial direction.”
But, regarding the first difference, Abe teaches a stator structure including a molding portion (injection molded first and second coil covers) 13/14 disposed to cover a stator core 4, insulator 7/8 and coil 9 (Figs.1-3&6). Abe’s molding portions/covers 13/14 cover the coil on both sides to protect the coil (c.5:40-42) and prevent foreign materials, such as “swarf” [sic], from entering (c.1:32-40).
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Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to cover Takemura’s stator core, insulator and coil with a molding portion since Abe teaches a molding portion would have protected the coil and prevented foreign materials from entering.
Regarding the second difference, Tamura teaches a motor including an insulator 380 comprising an inner guide (inner wall portion) 82 extending from an inside of a body portion 381 in an axial direction and a first outer guide (outer wall protrusion) 383 extending from an outside of the body portion in the axial direction, wherein an outer surface of the first outer guide 383 is formed to be inclined inwardly in an axial direction (i.e., by an angle equal or greater than 90 degrees relative to plane T perpendicular to the axial direction) so that the collision width between the insulator and the winding during the winding can be reduced to be equal to or smaller than half of the wire diameter of the conductive wire, thereby improving ease of winding and ensuring reliability of the insulating coating of the conductive wire (¶[0047]-¶[0049]; Fig.11).
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Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to incline an outer surface of the first outer guide of Takemura & Abe inwardly in an axial direction since Tamura teaches this would have reduced the collision width between the insulator and the winding during the winding, thereby improving ease of winding and ensuring reliability of the insulating coating of the conductive wire.
Regarding claim 2, Takemura Figs.1-2&5 show the distance from the center of the stator core to the gap (G) is greater than a distance from the center of the stator core to the body portion 15.
Regarding claim 3, Takemura teaches a top surface of an end portion of the protrusion is formed as a curved surface (Fig.1). Tamura further teaches a first outer guide (inner protrusion) 83 extending from an outside of the body portion in the axial direction, wherein an outer surface of the first outer guide is formed to be inclined in an axial direction (Fig.4).
Regarding claim 4 Takemura’s protrusion (bent portion) is disposed to the outside of the body portion 15.
Regarding claim 7, Takemura’s “second insulator” 11(12) is disposed between two of the plurality of first insulators 11(12) in a circumferential direction” [sic] (i.e., note plural insulators 11(12); Fig.3).
Regarding claim 8, Abe teaches the insulator 7,8 is disposed on the stator core by an injection method (c.3:60-61).
Regarding claim 9, Abe teaches the molding portion 13/14 is formed by an injection method in a state in which the coil 9 is wound around the insulator (c.5:34-40).
Regarding claim 10, Takemura teaches a part of the coil 30 is disposed between the first outer guide (inner protrusion) 1411 and the second outer guide (outer protrusion) 1412 through the gap (G) (Fig.2).
Regarding claim 11, Takemura teaches a part of the coil 30 is disposed under the protrusion (bent portion) (Fig.2).
Regarding claim 12, the combination reads on the structure since Takemura’s protrusion implicitly inhibits a part of the coil from being separated in the axial direction and Abe teaches a secondary injection molding portion (first and second coil covers) 13/14 disposed to cover the insulator 7/8 on stator core 4 (c.5:34-39; Figs.1&7).
Regarding claim 13, Takemura teaches the first outer guide (inner protrusion) 1411 and the second outer guide (outer protrusion) 1412 are disposed to be spaced apart from each other according to a predetermined separation distance (D) (Figs.1-2). Regarding the claimed range for separation distance (D) in Takemura, there is no specific disclosure that it is “1.6 to 2.0 times an outer diameter of the coil [30]”. But, this would have been obvious since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claims 14 & 17, Takemura teaches a motor 90 comprising: a shaft 921; a rotor 92 that rotates in combination with the shaft; and a stator disposed outside the rotor, wherein the stator comprises: a stator core 20; an insulator 10 surrounding a part of the stator core; a coil 30 wound around the insulator; wherein the insulator 10 comprises a first insulator 11 and a second insulator 12, wherein the first insulator comprises: a body portion 15 around which the coil is wound; an inner guide 16 extending from an inside of the body portion in an axial direction;
a first outer guide 1411 extending from an outside of the body portion in the axial direction;
a second outer guide 1412 disposed to be spaced apart from the first outer guide in an outward direction and extending from the outside of the body portion in the axial direction; and
a protrusion (bent portion) protruding inward from the second outer guide 1412 and forming a predetermined gap (G) with the first outer guide 1411,
wherein the body portion 15 is disposed between the center C of the stator core 20 and the protrusion with respect to a radial direction, and
wherein a part of the coil 30 disposed between the first outer guide 1411 and the second outer guide 1412 is guided by the outer surface and disposed under the protrusion (bent portion; Figs.1-2).
Takemura does not teach “a molding portion disposed to cover the stator core [20], the insulator [10] and the coil [30]” or an outer surface of the first outer guide 1411 is “formed to be inclined in an axial direction”.
But, regarding the first difference, Abe teaches a stator structure including a molding portion (injection molded first and second coil covers) 13/14 disposed to cover a stator core 4, insulator 7/8 and coil 9 (Figs.1-3&6). Abe’s molding portions/covers 13/14 cover the coil on both sides to protect the coil (c.5:40-42) and prevent foreign materials, such as “swarf” [sic], from entering (c.1:32-40).
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to cover Takemura’s stator core, insulator and coil with a molding portion since Abe teaches a molding portion would have protected the coil and prevented foreign materials from entering.
Regarding the second difference, Tamura teaches a motor including an insulator 380 comprising an inner guide (inner wall portion) 82 extending from an inside of a body portion 381 in an axial direction and a first outer guide (outer wall protrusion) 383 extending from an outside of the body portion in the axial direction, wherein an outer surface of the first outer guide 383 is formed to be inclined inwardly in an axial direction (i.e., by an angle equal or greater than 90 degrees relative to plane T perpendicular to the axial direction), so that the collision width between the insulator and the winding during the winding can be reduced to be equal to or smaller than half of the wire diameter of the conductive wire, thereby improving ease of winding and ensuring reliability of the insulating coating of the conductive wire (¶[0047]-¶[0049]; Fig.11).
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to incline an outer surface of the first outer guide of Takemura & Abe inwardly in an axial direction since Tamura teaches this would have reduced the collision width between the insulator and the winding during the winding, thereby improving ease of winding and ensuring reliability of the insulating coating of the conductive wire.
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to incline an outer surface of the first outer guide of Takemura & Abe in an axial direction since Tamura teaches this would have prevented the conductive wire from contacting the outer wall portion and damaging the insulation coating during winding.
Regarding claim 16, Takemura teaches a part of the coil 30 is disposed between the first outer guide (inner protrusion) 1411 and the second outer guide (outer protrusion) 1412 through the gap (G) (Fig.2).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takemura, Abe & Tamura, further in view of Izumi et al. (US 7,126,246).
In the combination, Takemura teaches the second insulator 11(12) comprises: a body portion (coil winding portion) 15 around which the coil 30 is wound; a first outer guide (inner protrusion) 1411 extending from an outside of the body portion in a direction perpendicular thereto; a second outer guide (outer projection) 1412 disposed to be spaced apart from the first outer guide 1411 in an outward direction; and an inner guide (inner cover) 16 extending from an inside of the body portion in a direction perpendicular thereto (Fig.4). But, Takemura does not further teach “a terminal connected to an end portion of the coil…and a groove to which one side of the terminal is coupled is formed in an upper end of the inner guide.”
But, Izumi teaches a split core assembly for a rotary electric machine including an insulator 21 with a terminal 18 connected to an end portion 16 of a coil 14, an inner guide (first/second upward walls) 50/52 extending from an inside of a body (winding) portion 34 of the insulator in a direction perpendicular thereto, and a groove 88 (between first & second walls 50, 52) to which one side of the terminal 18 is coupled is formed in an upper end of the inner guide (c.3:52-54; c.9:25-34; Figs.2-5). Izumi’s terminals connect common lines of the coils to each other, thereby reducing parts and easing manufacture (c.10:7-14).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to provide Takemura, Abe & Tamura with a terminal connected to an end portion of the coil and a groove to which one side of the terminal is coupled is formed in an upper end of the inner guide since Izumi teaches this would have connected common lines of the coils to each other, thereby reducing parts and easing manufacture.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takemura, Abe, Tamura & Izumi as applied to claim 5, further in view of Matsuda et al. (US 8,288,903).
In the combination, Izumi’s terminal 18 comprises a terminal body (not numbered); a projection (leg) portion 18a protruding from a bottom surface of the terminal body; and a bent portion 18b, 18c formed by bending each of both sides of the terminal body, and the “protrusion” [sic] (i.e., projection/leg) 18a is coupled to the groove 88 (Fig.3). Izumi does not teach “a pin portion protruding from a top surface of the terminal body.”
But, Matsuda teaches a rotary electric machine with core segments comprising an insulator (bobbin) 36 and a terminal 53 for start end portions of coils 38 comprising a terminal body and a pin portion 133 protruding from a top surface (base) 132 of the terminal body (c.9:41-54; Fig.14). Matsuda’s terminal’s pin portion provides external connection (c.9:41-46).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide the terminal of Takemura, Abe, Tamura & Izumi with a pin portion protruding from a top surface of the terminal body since Matsuda teaches this would have provided external connection to the coils.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 23 March 2026 have been fully considered but are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Tamura's outer surface of a first outer guide 83 is formed to be inclined outwardly, not inwardly, in an axial direction to prevent an insulating coating from being damaged due to contact of the coil with an outer wall portion during winding. Applicant points to Tamura Figure 4 in particular (Response, p.7-8).
But, Tamura teaches other embodiments besides that of Fig.4. For instance, in the fourth embodiment, the outer surface of the first outer guide 383 is formed to be inclined inwardly in an axial direction (i.e., by an angle equal or greater than 90 degrees relative to plane T perpendicular to the axial direction) so that the collision width between the insulator and the winding during the winding can be reduced to be equal to or smaller than half of the wire diameter of the conductive wire, thereby improving ease of winding and ensuring reliability of the insulating coating of the conductive wire (¶[0047]-¶[0049]; Fig.11). Per MPEP 2123(I)-(II), patents are relevant as prior art for all they contain, including alternative embodiments.
Conclusion
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/BURTON S MULLINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834