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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 03/29/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
(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) 1-7, 14-15 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Takeda (WO2023127349).
As to independent claim 1, Takeda teaches a rotor (2) rotatable about a center axis (P), the rotor (2) comprising: a rotor core (6) provided with a first vent hole (63a) and a second vent hole (63b) penetrating in an axial direction; and a fan (4a, 4b) disposed to face at least one end surface on an axial one side or an axial other side of the rotor core (6), and provided with an outflow path (45a) connected to the first vent hole (63a) and an inflow path (63) connected to the second vent hole (63b), wherein the fan (4a, 4b) includes a first surface facing the end surface (see figure 1-2, 4), an outer surface positioned radially outside the first surface (see figure 1-2, 4), and a first recess portion (44a) provided on the first surface and axially overlapping the first vent hole (63a), the first recess portion (44a) includes a first opening portion (47a) opening to the outer surface, at least a part of the outflow path (45a) is provided in a space surrounded by the end surface and the first recess portion (44a), and a flow path cross-sectional area of the outflow path (45a) in the first opening portion (47a) is smaller than a minimum flow path cross-sectional area of the inflow path (63) as shown in figures 1-2, 4, 6.
As to claim 2/1, Takeda teaches wherein a circumferential dimension of the first opening portion (47a) is smaller than a circumferential dimension of the inflow path (63) in a part having the minimum flow path cross-sectional area as shown in figures 1-2, 4 and 6).
As to claim 3/1, Takeda teaches wherein the outflow path (45a) includes a first narrow portion (see figure 5) in which a flow path cross-sectional area decreases toward a radial outside as shown in figure 5.
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As to claim 4/1, Takeda teaches wherein the fan (4a, 4b) includes a first through hole penetrating axially, and the first through hole (see annotated figure 5) is connected to the first recess portion (44a) and constitutes at least a part of the outflow path as shown in figure 5.
As to claim 5/1, Takeda teaches wherein the rotor core (6) is provided with a plurality of magnet holes (62a, 62b) penetrating axially, each of the magnet holes (62a, 62b) having a magnet disposed therein (see paragraph [0022]), and the first recess portion (44a) is provided at a position different from the magnet holes (62a, 62b) as viewed from an axial direction as shown in figures 1-4 and 6.
As to claim 6/5, Takeda teaches wherein the first recess portion (44a) extends radially outward from the first vent hole side (63) toward the outer surface, and axially overlaps a q axis of the rotor (2) a shown in figures 1-2, 4 and 6.
As to claim 7/1, Takeda teaches wherein the first recess portion (44a) includes a plurality of the first opening portions (47a) as shown in figure 5.
As to claim 14/1, Takeda teaches wherein the fan (4a) includes a second through hole (see annotated figure 5) penetrating axially, and a second recess portion (44a) provided in the first surface, recessed toward an axial one side, and connected to the second through hole (see annotated figure 5) , the second recess portion (44a) includes a second opening portion (47a) opening to the outer surface, and the inflow path (63) includes a space, which is surrounded by the end surface and the second recess portion (44a), and the second through hole (see annotated figure 5) as sown in figure 5.
As to claim 15/14, Takeda teaches wherein the inflow path (63) includes a second narrow portion (see annotated figure 5) in which a flow path cross-sectional area decreases toward radial outside a shown in figure 5.
As to claim 20/1, Takeda teaches the rotor (2) and a stator (3) positioned radially outside the rotor (2) as shown in figures 1-2.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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)1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeda (WO2023127349) in view of Makino et al (US PG Pub 2022/0271614).
As to claim 21/1, Takeda teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except a power transmission unit that transmits power of the rotating electrical machine.
However Makino et al. teaches a power transmission unit (3) that transmits power of the rotating electrical machine (1) as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of reducing the axial size of the motor.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Takeda by using a power transmission unit that transmits power of the rotating electrical machine, as taught by Makino et al., to reduce the axial size of the motor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-13, 16-19 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES whose telephone number is (571)270-7850. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:30-2:30 EST.
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/JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 February 3, 2026
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