DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This Office Action is responsive to the Applicant's communication filed 08 May 2024. In view of this communication, claims 13-27 are now pending in the application.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) or (f), 365(a) or (b), or 386(a), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on 14 March 2024 and 24 April 2025 was/were filed before mailing of the first action on the merits. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Disclosure
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Permanent Magnet with Slot-Shaped Recesses.
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 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.
Claim(s) 13-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yu et al. (CN 110890798 A), hereinafter referred to as “Yu”.
Regarding claim 13, Yu discloses a magnetic element for an electric machine (fig. 3-5; ¶ 0019, 0063-0064; “a motor having a rotor, and the rotor includes one of the above permanent magnets”), the magnetic element comprising:
a one-piece magnetic body [100] composed of a permanently magnetic material (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0037, 0064),
said magnetic body [100] having two longitudinal sides [13,14] extending along a longitudinal length direction, two transverse sides extending in a transversal cross direction, and a center (fig. 3b, 4b; ¶ 0046; the transverse sides comprise the left and right surfaces of the magnet, and the center is an imaginary horizontal line dividing the top and bottom halves);
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said longitudinal sides [13,14] and said transverse sides each including a first side [13] and a second side opposite said first side [14] (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0046);
a number of mutually parallel, slot-shaped first recesses [10] formed in said magnetic body [100], said first recesses extending from a first side [13] towards said center of said magnetic body [100] (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0037-0042); and
a number of mutually parallel, slot-shaped second recesses [10’] formed in said magnetic body [100], said second recesses [10’] extending from a second side [14] opposite said first side [13] towards said center of said magnetic body [100] (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0056-0059).
Regarding claim 14, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above, wherein said first and second recesses [10,10’] extend from said longitudinal sides [13,14] toward said center of said magnetic body [100] (fig. 3-4).
Regarding claim 15, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above, wherein said first recesses [10] and said second recesses [10’] are incorporated into said magnetic body [100] (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0037, 0059) to suppress magnetically induced eddy currents along the length direction and the cross direction in the magnetic body [100] when a magnetic field is oriented perpendicular to the length direction and cross direction (¶ 0043, 0054, 0078, 0084, 0097; while Yu does disclose the recesses being used to reduce eddy currents, this limitation is a mere statement of intended use which does not further limit the structure/function of the magnetic element).
Regarding claim 16, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above, wherein said first recesses [10] and said second recesses [10’] are oriented obliquely with respect to the length direction and to the cross direction (fig. 4a-4b; ¶ 0017, 0059; the recesses are inclined at a 45° angle).
Regarding claim 17, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 16, as stated above, wherein said first and second recesses [10,10’] are oriented at an angle of inclination between 60° and 30° with respect to the length direction (fig. 4a-4b; ¶ 0017, 0059; the recesses are inclined at a 45° angle).
Regarding claim 18, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 16, as stated above, wherein said first and second recesses are oriented at an angle of inclination between 50° and 40° with respect to the length direction (fig. 4a-4b; ¶ 0017, 0059; the recesses are inclined at a 45° angle).
Regarding claim 19, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 16, as stated above, wherein said first and second recesses [10,10’] are oriented at an angle of inclination of 45° with respect to the length direction (fig. 4a-4b; ¶ 0017, 0059; the recesses are inclined at a 45° angle).
Regarding claim 20, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above, wherein said first recesses [10] and said second recesses [10’] are arranged offset with respect to one another along the length direction (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0048).
Regarding claim 21, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above, wherein the number of said first recesses [10] is equal to the number of said second recesses [10’] (fig. 3a-3b).
Regarding claim 22, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above, wherein said recesses [10,10’] are evenly distributed along the respective said longitudinal side (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0049).
Regarding claim 23, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above, wherein said first recesses [10] and said second recesses [10’] are incorporated into said magnetic body [100] (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0037-0042, 0056-0059) by wire cutting (¶ 0090-0091; while Yu does disclose the method of wire cutting, this is a product-by-process limitation which does not further limit the structure/function of the device).
Regarding claim 24, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above, wherein all of said first recesses [10] or all of said second recesses [10’] are commonly formed into said magnetic body [100] (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0037-0042, 0056-0059) by multi-wire cutting (¶ 0090-0091; while Yu does disclose the method of wire cutting, this is a product-by-process limitation which does not further limit the structure/function of the device).
Regarding claim 25, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above, wherein all of said first recesses [10] are commonly incorporated into said magnetic body [100] (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0037-0042, 0056-0059) by multi-wire cutting ((¶ 0090-0091; while Yu does disclose the method of wire cutting, this is a product-by-process limitation which does not further limit the structure/function of the device) and all of said second recesses [10’] are commonly formed into said magnetic body [100] (fig. 3-4; ¶ 0037-0042, 0056-0059) by multi-wire cutting ((¶ 0090-0091; while Yu does disclose the method of wire cutting, this is a product-by-process limitation which does not further limit the structure/function of the device).
Regarding claim 26, Yu discloses the magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above, wherein at least one of said number of first recesses [10] or said number of said second recesses [10’] extend beyond said center of said magnetic body [100] (fig. 3b, 4b; since the first and second recesses overlap one another in the vertical direction, it is inherent that one or both must cross the centerline of the body).
Regarding claim 27, Yu discloses an electric machine for a motor vehicle, the electric machine comprising a permanently excited machine part [20] with at least one magnetic element according to claim 13, as stated above (fig. 5a-5b; ¶ 0062-0064; the permanent magnet of the invention is used to permanently excite the rotor core of an electric motor; the limitation “for a motor vehicle” is a mere statement of intended use which does not further limit the structure/function of the magnetic element or the motor).
Citation of Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Prior art:
Naumoski et al. (US 2025/0079057 A1) discloses a permanent magnet for an electric machine having slots formed therein, the slots being alternatingly formed in either side of the magnet, the slots being formed at an angle of inclination with respect to the length direction.
Fatemi et al. (US 10,666,099 B1) discloses a motor comprising a rotor with permanent magnets, said magnets having slots formed therein, the slots being alternatingly formed in either longitudinal side of the magnets.
Azar et al. (EP 3457532 A1) discloses a permanent magnet for an electric machine having slots formed therein, the slots being alternatingly formed in either side of the magnet.
Miura et al. (US 6,359,359 B1) discloses a permanent magnet for an electric machine having slots formed therein, the slots being formed in either longitudinal side of the magnet.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Andrews whose telephone number is (571)270-7554. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday, 8:30am-3:00pm.
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/Michael Andrews/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834