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 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.
Claims 1-2, and 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oleksiiovych (UA 125556 C2) in view of Ichiyama (US 20150357891 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Oleksiiovych teaches an electric machine comprising: at least one stator with windings (fig.1 , stator 8); a first rotor and a second rotor (fig. 1, rotor 2) with permanent magnets, which are mounted with the ability of mutual rotation relative to each other by a limited adjustable angle (fig. 1, bearings 10), wherein the number of mentioned pairs of rotors is equal to the number of stators (fig. 1, two rotors 2 and one stator 8); at least one differential comprising at least one planet pinion mounted with the ability to determine mutual rotation of the first and the second rotors (fig.1 , symmetrical differential consisting of gear central wheels 11, satellites 6 and carrier 5); a first and a second sun gears fixedly mounted on the first and the second rotors (fig. 1, central wheels 11), each sun gear being mechanically connected to each planet pinion (fig.1 , satellites 6); a magnetic flux regulator with at least one nonmoving part (fig. 1, fixed part 4) and with at least one moving part mechanically connected to each planet pinion and configured to contactlessly interact with the nonmoving part of the magnetic flux regulator (fig. 2, a moving part 12); a mechanical power transmission link (fig. 1, the output shaft 9); and a control system associated with the nonmoving part of the magnetic flux regulator and with the stator (fig. 1, drive control system 1), characterized in that it comprises an auxiliary rotor fixedly connected to the mechanical power transmission link (fig.1 , carrier 5 ),
Oleksiiovych does not teach “wherein the first rotor and the second rotor are mounted radially with gaps between the stator and the auxiliary rotor.”
Ichiyama teaches wherein the first rotor and the second rotor are mounted radially with gaps between the stator and the auxiliary rotor (fig. 1, rotors 14-16 are radially separated from stator 17).
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 motor of Oleksiiovych with the radial gaps of Ichiyama in order to maximize the capture of the circular magnetic flux while maintaining the smaller footprint of the motor and reducing back EMF.
With respect to claim 2, Oleksiiovych in view of Ichiyama teaches the above-mentioned limitations. Oleksiiovych further teaches the auxiliary rotor is mounted around the inner periphery of the first and the second rotors (fig. 1, carrier 6 is on the inner periphery of rotors 2), and the stator is mounted around the outer periphery of the first and the second rotors (fig. 1, stator 8 is on the outer periphery of rotor’s 2)
With respect to claim 4, Oleksiiovych in view of Ichiyama teaches the above-mentioned limitations. Oleksiiovych further teaches the first and the second rotors and the auxiliary rotor are mounted with the ability of controllable magnetic flux regulation such that a part of the magnetic flux from the permanent magnets of the first and the second rotors (description “applying voltages to the windings of the stator 8, formed in accordance with the signals from the magnetic flux sensor 3 and external control signals at the input of the drive control system 1 (Fig. 1) the rotors 2 will start rotating around the axis of the output shaft 9 in one direction, while the satellites 6 will rotate in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the output shaft 9 and under the action of centrifugal forces from their own masses due to mechanical connection with the toothed central wheels 11 of the rotors 2 rotate the rotors 2 in opposite directions by an angle, the value of which will depend on the actual speed of rotation of the output shaft 9 and the opposing moment from the magnetic forces of the interaction of the rotors 2.”), which is proportional to the angle of their mutual rotation, passes through the auxiliary rotor in such a way that it does not interact with the stator windings and does not generate torque and back electro-motive force (description “well as minimizing the negative consequences in the event of a short circuit in the stator winding and increasing the reliability of power electronics by limiting the opposing electromotive force (EMF) of the main electromechanical converter (EMF) in the event of a false and/or emergency increase in the magnetic flux.”).
With respect to claim 5, Oleksiiovych in view of Ichiyama teaches the above-mentioned limitations. Oleksiiovych does not teach “the radial gaps between the auxiliary rotor and the first and the second rotors are equal to or smaller than the radial gaps between the first and the second rotors and the stator.”
Ichiyama teaches the radial gaps between the auxiliary rotor and the first and the second rotors are equal to or smaller than the radial gaps between the first and the second rotors and the stator (paragraph 36 “The ratio of axial length of the first rotor 14, the second rotor 15 and the third rotor 16 is set at 1:2:1. Numbers 19, 17, and 18 indicate an armature coil, an armature core, and a spacer made from non-magnetic insulating material, respectively. The thickness of the spacer 18 is smaller than interval between adjacent rotors.” ).
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 motor of Oleksiiovych with the minimized gaps of Ichiyama in order to maximize the capture of the circular magnetic flux while maintaining the smaller footprint of the motor and reducing back EMF.
With respect to claim 6, Oleksiiovych in view of Ichiyama teaches the above-mentioned limitations. Oleksiiovych further teaches the contactless interaction is a magnetic, optical or inductive interaction (description “Under the condition of applying voltage to the stationary part 4 of the regulating electromechanical converter, the moving part 12 of the regulating electromechanical converter, which magnetically interacts with the stationary part 4 of the regulating electromechanical converter and is mechanically connected to the satellites 6, will partially change the current position of the satellites 6, rotors 2 and the value of the magnetic flow of the main electromechanical converter.”).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oleksiiovych in view of Ichiyama in further view of Liu et al (US 20220407375 A1)
With respect to claim 3, Oleksiiovych in view of Ichiyama teaches the above-mentioned limitations, but does not teach “the auxiliary rotor is mounted around the outer periphery of the first and the second rotors, and the stator is mounted around the inner periphery of the first and the second rotors.”
Liu teaches the auxiliary rotor is mounted around the outer periphery of the first and the second rotors (fig. 3, radial magnet 354), and the stator (2) is mounted around the inner periphery of the first and the second rotors (fig. 3, stator 320 is on the inner periphery of 350 and 352).
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 motor of Oleksiiovych with the minimized gaps of Ichiyama with the tertiary radially outside rotor of Liu in order to in order to maximize the capture of the circular magnetic flux while maintaining the smaller footprint of the motor and reducing back EMF.
Conclusion
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/R.O.S./ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834