DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-15 of U.S. Application No. 18/637,575 filed on 04/17/2024 are presented for examination.
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 submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/17/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Applicant is advised that should claims 7-8 be found allowable, claim 8 will be objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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.
Claims 1-4, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Adra (US 20150108855; Hereinafter, “Adra”).
Regarding claim 1: Adra discloses a stator coil (45) comprising: a conductor (wires 46) wound into a plurality of turns (abstract) having substantially straight sides (48; fig. 4) and opposing curved ends (49); and insulating material (enamel insulation; para [0030]) provided between the conductor turns (around each of the wires) and wound into the turns with the conductor (since the enamel is on the conductor, it is wound into the turns with the conductor).
Regarding claim 2/1: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses that the conductor (wires 46) comprises a plurality of strands (fig. 7) of conductive material (copper; para [0030]).
Regarding claim 3/2/1: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 2 and further discloses that the conductor is a bundle (the bundles of individual wires 46; fig. 7) of the plurality of strands (fig. 7).
Regarding claim 4/3/2/1: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 3 and further discloses that the plurality of strands are twisted together to form the bundle (At least a portion of the group of wires is twisted, and the portion of the group of wires has between approximately 1 and 5 twists per turn; abstract and claim 1).
Regarding claim 12: Adra discloses a method of forming a stator coil (45), the method comprising: winding a conductor (conductors 46) in a plurality of turns defined by opposing substantially straight sides (48) and opposing curved ends (49); and winding an insulating material (enamel; para [0030]) located below or above (since the enamel on the outer circumference of the wire, it is well understood it is above and below the conductor) the conductor together with the conductor (since the enamel is on the conductor, it is wound into the turns with the conductor).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adra in view of Sivasubramaniam et al. (US 2010/0096944; Hereinafter, “Sivasubramaniam”).
Regarding claim 5/1: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 1 but does not disclose that the conductor is a Litz wire.
Sivasubramaniam teaches forming the conductor is a Litz wire (para [0001]to reduce the losses and to reduce back emf (para [0017]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have formed the conductor of Adra as litz wire as taught by Sivasubramaniam to reduce the losses and to reduce back emf (para [0017]).
Claims 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adra in view of Hishida et al. (US 2020/0195075; Hereinafter, “Hishida”).
Regarding claim 6/1, and 7/6-8/6: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 1 but does not disclose that the insulating material is in the form of a flat tape and the flat tape is provided below the conductor during winding.
Hishida discloses the insulating material (71, or 72 or 73) is in the form of a flat tape (Fig. 15B, 15C, and 16) and the flat tape is provided below the conductor during winding (below the conductor in every turn).
Although Hishida teaches the limitation of “during winding”, the examiner points out the limitation of “during winding” is a product-by-process limitation that has no patentable weight in a product claim. “Even though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 777F, 2d 659, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985); see also MPEP 2113.
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have provided the coil of Adra with the insulating material is in the form of a flat tape and the flat tape is provided below the conductor during winding as disclosed by Hishida to further increase the insulation between the conductors, evading shorts, thus increase safety and increase service life of the stator.
Claims 9-10, and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adra in view of Azeyangi Toru et al. (JP 2015177598; Hereinafter, “Toru”).
Regarding claim 9/1: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 1 but does not disclose that the insulating material is a U-shaped strip sized to receive the conductor and extend from below the conductor and up the sides of the conductor.
Toru discloses insulating material is a U-shaped strip (70; fig. 6) sized to receive the conductor (of coil 32) and extend from below the conductor and up the sides of the conductor (see for example sections B and C below).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have provided the coil of Adra with the insulating material is a U-shaped strip sized to receive the conductor and extend from below the conductor and up the sides of the conductor as disclosed by Toru to further increase the insulation between the coils or the coil and core, evading shorts, thus increase safety and increase service life of the stator.
Regarding claim 10/1: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 1 but does not disclose that the insulating material is spliced at locations corresponding to the curved ends.
Toru discloses that the insulating material (700A; fig. 7A, 7B; para [0046-0053]) is spliced at locations corresponding to the curved ends (annotated fig. 7A, 7B below).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have provided the coil of Adra with the insulating material is spliced at locations corresponding to the curved ends as disclosed by Toru to further increase the insulation between the coils or the coil and core, without the insulator being under stress or being torn.
Regarding claim 13/12: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 12 but does not disclose forming cuts in the insulating material at locations corresponding to the curved ends.
Toru discloses forming cuts in the insulating material at locations corresponding to the curved ends (see the “splice” in the annotated fig. 7A, 7B above).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have formed the coil of Adra with insulating material with cuts in the insulating material at locations corresponding to the curved ends as disclosed by Toru to further increase the insulation between the coils or the coil and core, without the insulator being under stress or being torn.
Regarding claim 14/12: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 12 but does not disclose the insulating material forms side flanges extending beyond the conductor width and the method further comprising pressing the side flanges against the sides of the wound coil.
Toru discloses the insulating material forms side flanges extending beyond the conductor width (see sections B, and C) and the method further comprising pressing the side flanges against the sides of the wound coil (see for example sections G, and D).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have formed the coil of Adra with the insulating material forms side flanges extending beyond the conductor width and the method further comprising pressing the side flanges against the sides of the wound coil as disclosed by Toru to further increase the insulation between the coils or the coil and core, evading shorts, thus increase safety and increase service life of the stator.
Claims 11, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adra in view of Coupart et al. (US 2002/0047425; Hereinafter, “Coupart”).
Regarding claim 11/1: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 1 but does not disclose that the coil further comprising further insulating material provided around the wound coil.
Coupart discloses further insulating material (impregnating resin; para [0072]) provided around the wound coil (seen in fig. 8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have provided the coil of Adra with insulating material provided around the wound coil as disclosed by Coupart to further increase the insulation between the coils or the coil and core, evading shorts, thus increase safety and increase service life of the stator.
Regarding claim 15/12: Adra discloses the limitations of claim 12 but does not disclose providing additional insulating material over the completed coil.
Coupart discloses providing additional insulating material (impregnating resin; para [0072]) over the completed coil (seen in fig. 8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have provided the coil of Adra with additional insulating material over the completed coil as disclosed by Coupart to further increase the insulation between the coils or the coil and core, evading shorts, thus increase safety and increase service life of the stator.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED ELNAKIB whose telephone number is (571)270-0638. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00AM-4:00PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas Patel can be reached at 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AHMED ELNAKIB/ Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 2834