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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 17 are objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 1, line 7 and claim 17, line 7, “one of the plurality of windings” should be -- one of a plurality of windings of the winding . Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-13, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hansen (US 4,513,218 A).
As to claim 1, Hansen shows (FIG. 1, 2, 5) an electric machine, comprising:
at least one component 18 configured as a stator or a rotor, the at least one component 18 comprising a plurality of teeth 30,32, each of the plurality of teeth 30,32 extending along a radial direction of the electric machine and carrying a winding 40 wound therearound, the winding 40 formed from at least one electrically conductive conductor wire 42-54,
a cooling system configured such that a cooling fluid is guided through one or more cooling channels 74 running through an interior of at least one of the plurality of windings 40,
wherein at least one of the one or more cooling channels 74 is delimited laterally by conductor wires 42-54 and/or conductor wire pieces of the at least one electrically conductive conductor wire 42-54 arranged laterally adjacent to the respective cooling channel 74 (col.2:38 to col.3:24; col.3:36).
As to claim 2/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 2, 5) the conductor wires 42-54 and/or the conductor wire pieces of the at least one electrically conductive conductor wire 42-54 delimiting the at least one of the one or more cooling channels 74 are in lateral contact with one another such that the at least one of the one or more cooling channels 74 are fluid-tight laterally (implied by the description that means for access or egress to the interstices 74 must be provided due to contact between adjacent conductors col.3:45-50).
As to claim 3/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 2, 5) the conductor wires 42-54 and/or the conductor wire pieces of the at least one electrically conductive conductor wire 42-54 delimiting at least one of the one or more cooling channels 74 each define an outer profile that is at least partially round and/or polygonal (circular conductor col.3:15-20).
As to claim 4/3/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 2, 5) when the outer profile is at least partially round, the outer profile is oval or circular (circular conductor col.3:15-20).
As to claim 6/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 3):
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at least one of the windings 40 is elongated along a longitudinal direction of the component and includes:
two longitudinal sections 40L that at least partially extend along the longitudinal direction; and
two transverse sections 40E connecting the two longitudinal sections 40L to one another, each of the two transverse sections 40E extending transversely relative to the longitudinal direction or at least one of the one or more cooling channels 74 running through at least one of the two longitudinal sections (col.3:50-60).
As to claim 7/6/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 3) at least two of the conductor wires 42-54 and/or conductor wire pieces delimiting at least one of the one or more cooling channels 74 in at least one of the two longitudinal sections 40L are arranged adjacent and at a distance from one another in at least one of the transverse sections 40E and converge in a transition section 40T of the respective winding 40 that is arranged between the transverse section 40E and the longitudinal section 40L, and
wherein, the transition section 40T is configured to introduce the cooling fluid into the at least one of the one or more cooling channels 74 or to discharge the cooling fluid from the at least one of the one or more cooling channels 74 (col.3:50-60).
As to claim 8/7/6/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 3) the conductor wires 42-54 and/or conductor wire pieces delimiting a plurality of cooling channels 74 are arranged in the transverse section 40E in a plurality of layers arranged at a distance from one another, wherein the conductor wires 42-54 and/or conductor wire pieces are in contact with one another (spacers col.3:50-60).
As to claim 9/8/7/6/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 3) a spacer 76 is arranged between a pair of the plurality of layers 42-54, the spacer 76 configured to distance the conductor wires 42-54 and/or conductor wire pieces of different layers at a distance from one another, the spacer 76 having an indentation configured such that the cooling fluid can be introduced into or discharged from the respective cooling channel 74 therethrough (col.3:50-60).
As to claim 10/7/6/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 3) a winding head of the respective winding 40 formed from the transverse section 40E and two adjoining transition sections 40T is arranged in a housing 24 arranged at an axial end on the at least one component such that the winding head is encapsulated in a fluid supply chamber 80,90 configured to be flooded with the cooling fluid and such that at least one of the one or more cooling channels 74 branches off or opens into the fluid supply chamber 80,90, the fluid supply chamber 80,90 being delimited by the housing 24 (col.4:3-25).
As to claim 11/10/7/6/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 3) the feed channel opens into the fluid supply chamber 80,90, the fluid supply channel 98 configured as a feed chamber (col.4:3-25).
As to claim 12/10/7/6/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 3) the fluid supply chamber 80,90 is configured as a discharge chamber 80 and is configured to open into the discharge channel 102 (col.4:3-25).
As to claim 13/1, Hansen further shows (FIG. 1, 3) the cooling system forms a cooling circuit configured such that the cooling fluid is conveyed by a conveying device 96, wherein the at least one component 18 is configured as a rotor, wherein a rotor shaft 26 of the at least one component 18 extending along a longitudinal direction of the electric machine and being rotatably mounted delimits at least one feed channel 90 and/or at least one discharge channel 80, the feed channel 90 and/or the discharge channel 80 extending at least partially along the longitudinal direction of the rotor shaft 26, and wherein the feed channel 90 is configured to lead from the conveying device to the one or more cooling channel 74 and/or the discharge channel 80 is configured to lead from the one or more cooling channel 74 to the conveying device 96 (col.4:3-25).
As to claim 17, Hansen shows (FIG. 1, 2, 5) A component 18 for an electric machine, configured as a stator or a rotor, comprising:
a plurality of teeth 30,32, each of the plurality of teeth 30,32 extending along a radial direction of the component, each of the plurality of teeth 30,32 carrying a winding 40 wound therearound and formed from at least one electrically conductive conductor wire 42-54,
wherein the component is configured such that a cooling fluid of a cooling system of the electric machine is guided through at least one of one or more cooling channels 74 running through an interior of at least one of the plurality of windings 42-54,
wherein the at least one of the one or more cooling channels 74 is delimited laterally by conductor wires 42-54 and/or conductor wire pieces of the at least one electrically conductive conductor wire 42-54 arranged laterally adjacent to the respective cooling channel 74 (col.2:38 to col.3:24; col.3:36).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hansen (US 4,513,218 A) in view of Lynch et al. (US 2016/0036277 A1, hereinafter Lynch).
As to claim 5/3/1, Hansen was discussed above with respect to claim 3 except for when the outer profile is at least partially polygonal, the outer profile is rectangular and corners of the rectangular outer profile are rounded.
Lynch shows (FIG. 2B) when the outer profile is at least partially polygonal, the outer profile is rectangular and corners of the rectangular outer profile are rounded (para [0021]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the conductor wire 42-54 of Hansen to have when the outer profile is at least partially polygonal, the outer profile is rectangular and corners of the rectangular outer profile are rounded as taught by Lynch, for the advantageous benefit of avoiding mechanical or thermal stress risers arising from sharp features as taught by Lynch (para [0021]).
Claim(s) 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hansen (US 4,513,218 A) in view of Gieras et al. (US 2018/0254688 A1, hereinafter Gieras).
As to claim 14/1, Hansen was discussed above with respect to claim 1 except for the plurality of teeth are arranged along a circumferential direction of the at least one component and each of the plurality of teeth protrude radially and include a T-shape having a longitudinal bar and a cross bar, the winding being wound around the longitudinal bar.
Gieras shows (FIG. 3) the plurality of teeth are arranged along a circumferential direction of the at least one component 200 and each of the plurality of teeth protrude radially and include a T-shape having a longitudinal bar 226 and a cross bar 228, the winding 232 being wound around the longitudinal bar 226 (para [0025]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the component 18 of Hansen to have the plurality of teeth are arranged along a circumferential direction of the at least one component 18 and each of the plurality of teeth protrude radially and include a T-shape having a longitudinal bar 226 and a cross bar 228, the winding 40 being wound around the longitudinal bar 226 as taught by Gieras, for the advantageous benefits of operating the machine as a motor or a generator with design flexibility as taught by Gieras (para [0027]).
As to claim 15/1, Hansen was discussed above with respect to claim 1 except for the electric machine is a salient pole synchronous machine.
Gieras shows (FIG. 3) the electric machine is a salient pole synchronous machine (para [0009], [0016]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electric machine of Hansen to have the electric machine is a salient pole synchronous machine as taught by Gieras, for the advantageous benefits of operating the machine as a motor or a generator with design flexibility as taught by Gieras (para [0027]).
As to claim 16/1, Hansen was discussed above with respect to claim 1 except for A motor vehicle, comprising an electric machine according to claim 1.
Gieras shows A motor vehicle, comprising an electric machine (para [0021]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electric machine of Hansen to have A motor vehicle, comprising an electric machine according to claim 1 as taught by Gieras, for the advantageous benefit of regulating output voltage for or having a positive impact on torque control of a vehicle as taught by Gieras (para [0027]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Uhlmann (US 2020/0153306 A1) shows FIG. 2 sealed channels 14 between conductors.
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/ROBERT E MATES/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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