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 04/10/2024, 04/23/2025 and 12/30/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 said “ on a first side of the coil assembly in a direction of a rotation axis of the coil assembly” to make clear need to be said “on a first side of the coil assembly in radial direction towards a rotation axis”.
Also said “on a second side of the coil assembly in a direction of a rotation axis of the coil assembly” to make clear need to be said “on a second side of the coil assembly in radial direction away from the rotation axis”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-4, 7, 9 and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawamura (JP6305203).
As to independent claim 1, Kawamura teaches a split-type motor stator (2) having a coil assembly (11), which includes a plurality of coil strands (see figure 1) , provided therein, the split-type motor stator (2) comprising: a first core (2a) located on a first side of the coil assembly (11) in a direction of a rotation axis of the coil assembly (11) and including receiving grooves (5) into which the coil strands are inserted; and a second core (2b) located on a second side of the coil assembly (11) and coupled to the first core (2a) to fix a position of the coil assembly (11) as shown in figures 1-3.
As to claim 2/1, Kawamura teaches wherein the first core (2a) includes: a first central portion (see annotated figure 6) shaped of a hollow cylinder (see figure 3), and partition walls (21a) protruding in a radial direction from an outer peripheral surface of the first central portion (see annotated figure 6), wherein the partition walls (21a) are spaced apart from each other at regular intervals along the outer peripheral surface of the first central portion (see annotated figure 6), and wherein each receiving groove (5a) is a space formed surrounded by the partition walls (21a) and the first central portion (see annotated figure 6) as shown in figure 5.
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As to claim 3/2, Kawamura teaches wherein the partition walls (21a) adjacent to each other are formed so that opposing surfaces of the partition walls (21a) are in parallel as shown in figure 5.
As to claim 4/2, Kawamura teaches wherein the second core (2b) includes: a second central portion (see annotated figure 4) shaped of the hollow cylinder (see figure 4), and a coupling protrusion (21b) formed to protrude on an inner peripheral surface of the second central portion (see annotated figure 4), and formed at a corresponding partition wall (21a) of the first core (2a) so that a protruding surface of the coupling protrusion (21b) contacts a protruding surface of the corresponding partition wall (21a) as shown in figures 2, 3 and 4.
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As to claim 7/4, Kawamura teaches wherein the partition wall (21a) includes a protrusion or a groove (see annotated figure 5) formed on the protruding surface thereof, and wherein the protruding surface of the coupling protrusion (21a) is formed with a protrusion or a groove (see annotated figure 5) to correspond to a shape of one end surface of the partition wall (21a) as shown in figure 5.
As to independent claim 9, Kawamura teaches a method of manufacturing a split-type motor stator (2), the method comprising: (a) manufacturing and preparing a first core (2a) and a second core (2b) to be coupled to each other; (b) assembling the first core (2a) and a coil assembly (11) by inserting a coil strand into a receiving groove (5a) of the first core (2a); and (c) assembling the first core (2a) and the second core (2b) to fix a position of the coil assembly (11) as shown in figures 1-3.
As to claim 12/9, Kawamura teaches wherein the step (a) includes: (a1) forming a protrusion or a groove (see annotated figure 5) on a protruding surface of a partition wall (21a) of the first core (2a); and (a2) forming a protrusion or a groove (see annotated figure 4) corresponding to a shape of one end surface of the partition wall (21a) on a protruding surface of a coupling protrusion (21b) of the second core (2b) as shown in figures 2, 3-5.
As to claim 13/12, Kawamura teaches wherein the step (a) includes: mounting the protruding surface of the coupling protrusion (21b) to contact the protruding surface of the partition wall (21a) as shown in figures 2, 3-5.
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) 5-6, 8, 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawamura (JP6305203) as applied in claim 1 above, and further in view of Makino (WO2017158700).
As to claim 5/4, Kawamura teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the second core is formed by assembling a plurality of pieces divided in a circumferential direction thereof.
However Makino teaches the second core (32b) is formed by assembling a plurality of pieces (33) divided in a circumferential direction thereof as shown in figure 3, for the advantageous benefit of achieving the rotary electric machine with a high space factor.
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 Kawamura by using the second core is formed by assembling a plurality of pieces divided in a circumferential direction thereof, as taught by Makino, to achieve the rotary electric machine with a high space factor.
As to claim 6/5, Kawamura in view of Makino teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein a boundary of each piece is formed at a location that does not divide the coupling protrusion.
However Makino teaches a boundary of each piece (33) is formed at a location that does not divide the coupling protrusion (37) as shown in figure 3, for the advantageous benefit of achieving the rotary electric machine with a high space factor.
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 Kawamura in view of Makino by using a boundary of each piece is formed at a location that does not divide the coupling protrusion, as taught by Makino, to achieve the rotary electric machine with a high space factor.
As to claim 8/5, Kawamura in view of Makino teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except further comprising: a fixing member coupled to an outer peripheral surface of the second core and compressing the second core in the radial direction.
However Makino teaches a fixing member (4) coupled to an outer peripheral surface of the second core (32) and compressing the second core (32) in the radial direction as shown in figures 1 and 2, for the advantageous benefit of achieving the rotary electric machine with a high space factor.
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 Kawamura in view of Makino by using a fixing member coupled to an outer peripheral surface of the second core and compressing the second core in the radial direction, as taught by Makino, to achieve the rotary electric machine with a high space factor.
As to claim 10/9, Kawamura in view of Makino teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the step (c) includes: (c1) assembling a plurality of pieces constituting the second core to the first core, respectively, and (c2) inserting a fixing member into an outer peripheral surface of the second core to compress the second core in a radial direction thereof.
However Makino teaches the step (c) includes: (c1) assembling a plurality of pieces (33) constituting the second core (32b) to the first core (33a), respectively, and (c2) inserting a fixing member (4) into an outer peripheral surface of the second core (32b) to compress the second core (32b) in a radial direction thereof as shown in figures 1-3, for the advantageous benefit of achieving the rotary electric machine with a high space factor.
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 Kawamura in view of Makino by using the step (c) includes: (c1) assembling a plurality of pieces constituting the second core to the first core, respectively, and (c2) inserting a fixing member into an outer peripheral surface of the second core to compress the second core in a radial direction thereof, as taught by Makino, to achieve the rotary electric machine with a high space factor.
As to claim 11/10, Kawamura in view of Makino teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein a boundary of each piece is formed at a location that does not divide a coupling protrusion of the second core, and Wherein the coupling protrusion of the second core is formed at a corresponding partition wall of the first core so that a protruding surface of the coupling protrusion contacts a protruding surface of the corresponding partition wall.
However Makino teaches a boundary of each piece (33) is formed at a location that does not divide a coupling protrusion (37) of the second core (32b), and wherein the coupling protrusion (37) of the second core (32b) is formed at a corresponding partition wall (35) of the first core (32a) so that a protruding surface of the coupling protrusion (37) contacts a protruding surface of the corresponding partition wall (35) as shown in figure 3, for the advantageous benefit of achieving the rotary electric machine with a high space factor.
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 Kawamura in view of Makino by using the step (c) includes: (c1) assembling a plurality of pieces constituting the second core to the first core, respectively, and (c2) inserting a fixing member into an outer peripheral surface of the second core to compress the second core in a radial direction thereof, as taught by Makino, to achieve the rotary electric machine with a high space factor.
Conclusion
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/JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 January 29, 2026