DETAILED ACTION
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 required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 23 April 2024 has been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Fujii (US 3,648,085).
Regarding claim 1, Fujii teaches a motor cooling system comprising:
a cylindrical stator core 31 with a coil 30 wound to be fitted on an inner side thereof;
a housing 22 fitted on an outer side of the stator core to support a position of the stator core, and having an injection port (annular supply passage) 53 formed therethrough to inject a cooling fluid; and
a cooling fluid spraying part (spray rings) 57 including a structure (passages) 55 guiding the cooling fluid injected through the injection port 53 and flowing between the stator core 31 and the housing 22 to flow toward the coil (c.3:43-66; Fig.2).
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Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bradfield (US 8,395,287).
Regarding claim 1, Bradfield teaches a motor cooling system comprising:
a cylindrical stator core 26/28 with a coil 30 wound to be fitted on an inner side thereof;
a housing 12 fitted on an outer side of the stator core to support a position of the stator core, and having an injection port 48 formed therethrough to inject a cooling fluid; and
a cooling fluid spraying part including a structure (coolant channels) 40 guiding the cooling fluid injected through the injection port and flowing between the stator core and the housing to flow toward the coil (c.4:61-c.5:13; Fig.1) .
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Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang (CN 115333265).
Regarding claim 1, with reference to the corresponding US Pat.Pub.2025/0007339, Yang teaches a motor cooling system comprising:
a cylindrical stator core 21 with a coil 22 wound to be fitted on an inner side thereof;
a housing 1 fitted on an outer side of the stator core to support a position of the stator core, and having an injection port 11 formed therethrough to inject a cooling fluid; and
a cooling fluid spraying part including a structure guiding the cooling fluid injected through the injection port and flowing between the stator core and the housing to flow toward the coil (abstract; Fig.1).
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Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hombsch et al. (US 12,027,943).
Regarding claim 1, Hombsch teaches a motor cooling system comprising:
a cylindrical stator core 11 with a coil 12 wound to be fitted on an inner side thereof;
a housing 15 fitted on an outer side of the stator core to support a position of the stator core, and having an injection port (inlet) 22 formed therethrough to inject a cooling fluid; and
a cooling fluid spraying part (including spray rings 20/21) including a structure (passages) 33 guiding the cooling fluid injected through the injection port 22 and flowing between the stator core 11 and the housing 15 to flow toward the coil (c.5:19-c.6:4; Fig.2).
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Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Han (US 8,823,223).
Regarding claim 1, Han teaches a motor cooling system comprising:
a cylindrical stator core 131 with a coil 141 wound to be fitted on an inner side thereof;
a housing (frame) 110 fitted on an outer side of the stator core to support a position of the stator core, and having an injection port (at inlet 112) formed therethrough to inject a cooling fluid 172; and
a cooling fluid spraying part (cooling fluid injection portion) 171 including a structure (pipe/grooves) 175/185 guiding the cooling fluid injected through the injection port and flowing between the stator core 131 and the housing 110 to flow toward the coil (c.5:25-c.6:55; Figs.2-4).
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.
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Regarding claim 2, the stator core includes at least one first cooling passage that is a groove 187 formed in an outer surface of the stator core 131 in an axial direction, and the housing 110 includes at least one second cooling passage that is a groove 186 formed in an inner surface of the housing in a circumferential direction (i.e., some parts (upper region) of the first grooves 186 may be formed on an inner surface of the frame 110, and other parts (lower region) of the first grooves 186 may be formed on an outer surface of the stator 130; c.6:8-15).
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yu et al. (US Pat.Pub.2022/0329117).
Regarding claim 1, Yu teaches a motor cooling system comprising:
a cylindrical stator core 1 with a coil (not numbered) wound to be fitted on an inner side thereof (Fig.5);
a housing 2 fitted on an outer side of the stator core to support a position of the stator core, and having an injection (inlet) port 5 formed therethrough to inject a cooling fluid (Figs.2&4); and
a cooling fluid spraying part (spray nozzles) 18 including a structure (groove) 3 guiding the cooling fluid injected through the injection port 5 and flowing between the stator core 1 and the housing 2 to flow toward the coil (i.e., oil liquid in the annular passage may be sprayed onto the motor windings by the liquid spray nozzles 18 to realize the cooling of the motor windings; ¶[0056]).
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Regarding claim 2, the stator core 1 includes at least one first cooling passage that is a groove 3 formed in an outer surface of the stator core 1 in an axial direction, and the housing 2 includes at least one second cooling passage that is a groove 3 formed in an inner surface of the housing in a circumferential direction (i.e., plurality of axial grooves 3 distributed on the outer circumference of the stator core 1 and/or on the inner circumference of the motor housing 2; ¶[0040]).
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) & 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Pal (US 8,525,375).
Regarding claim 1, Pal teaches a motor cooling system comprising:
a cylindrical stator core 28 with a coil (windings) wound to be fitted on an inner side thereof;
a housing 18 fitted on an outer side of the stator core to support a position of the stator core, and having an injection port (inlet) 48 formed therethrough to inject a cooling fluid; and
a cooling fluid spraying part (including orifice plates 54) including a structure (channels) 44, 46 guiding the cooling fluid injected through the injection port 48 and flowing between the stator core 28 and the housing 18 to flow toward the coil (c.3:4-7; Fig.4).
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Regarding claim 2, the stator core includes at least one first cooling passage (channels) 44 that is a groove formed in an outer surface of the stator core 28 in an axial direction, and the housing 18 includes at least one second cooling passage that is a groove (defined by fins 36) formed in an inner surface of the housing in a circumferential direction (Figs.2&3A).
Regarding claim 3, the stator core includes two or more cooling lines, each including two or more first cooling passages 44 formed adjacent to one another, and the cooling lines are disposed to be spaced apart from one another at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction (Fig.3A).
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of Hombsch et al. (US 12,027,943).
Yu’s cooling fluid spraying part does not include a nozzle ring coupled to one end of the housing, and the nozzle ring includes: a fixing portion coupled to one end of the inner surface of the housing; a fluid storage portion having one end integrally formed with the fixing portion and another end in contact with one end surface of the stator core; and a first fluid spraying hole formed through the fluid storage portion.
But, Hombsch the cooling fluid spraying part includes a nozzle (spray) ring 20 coupled to one end of the housing 18, and the nozzle ring includes: a fixing portion (shoulder) 30 coupled to one end of the inner surface of the housing 18; a fluid storage portion (fluid channel) 32 having one end integrally formed with the fixing portion and another end 64 in contact with one end surface of the stator core 11; and a first fluid spraying hole 31 formed through the fluid storage portion (c.7:65-c.8:24; Fig.7). Hombsch’s nozzle ring directs cooling oil to the windings of the stator, for cooling the windings (abstract; c.2:1-6; c.5:44-c.6:4).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide Yu with a nozzle ring coupled to one end of the housing, and the nozzle ring includes: a fixing portion coupled to one end of the inner surface of the housing; a fluid storage portion having one end integrally formed with the fixing portion and another end in contact with one end surface of the stator core; and a first fluid spraying hole formed through the fluid storage portion, since Hombsch teaches this would have directed cooling oil to the windings of the stator, for cooling the windings.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of Vanhee et al. (US Pat.Pub.2023/0017636).
Yu’s cooling fluid spraying part does not include a core support end formed at one end of the housing, and the core support end includes: a first support end extending from the inner surface of the housing in a radial direction; a second support end extending from a distal end of the first support end in the axial direction; and a second fluid spraying hole formed through at least one of the first support end or the second support end.
But, Vanhee teaches a cooling system for an electric motor including a stator core 302, a housing 301 with a cooling fluid spraying part (cooling passage 322 and collection channel 536) including a core support end (sealing lamination) 532 formed at one end of the housing, and the core support end includes: a first support end (third portion) 538 extending from the inner surface of the housing in a radial direction; a second support end (second portion) 536 extending from a distal end of the first support end in the axial direction; and a second fluid spraying hole 544 formed through at least one of the first support end or the second support end (¶[0034]-¶[0037]; Fig.5A). The sealing laminations seal the cooling passage, thereby decreasing packaging size and complexity, provide jet coolant to the end-windings and allow the cooling passages to be integrally arranged in the motor (abstract; ¶[0008]; ¶[0026]).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide Yu’s cooling fluid spraying part with a core support end formed at one end of the housing, and the core support end includes: a first support end extending from the inner surface of the housing in a radial direction; a second support end extending from a distal end of the first support end in the axial direction; and a second fluid spraying hole formed through at least one of the first support end or the second support end since Vanhee teaches this would have sealed the cooling passage, thereby decreasing packaging size and complexity, provided jet coolant to the end-windings and allowed the cooling passages to be integrally arranged in the motor.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang in view of Endo et al. (US 11,920,673).
Regarding claim 6, Yang’s cooling fluid spraying part further includes an extending support portion (spray ring) 4 fitted between the stator core 21 and the housing 1 while covering an outer surface of the stator core (Fig.1), but does not further teach a terminal bus bar including a first coupling portion coupled to the housing and a second coupling portion coupled to the coil…, the extending support portion having one end coupled to the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion of the terminal bus bar.
But, Endo teaches an electric drive including a cooling system, a housing 14, a stator core 31 with a coil 32, a terminal bus bar 52 including a first coupling portion 53 coupled to the housing 14 and a second coupling portion (not numbered) coupled to the coil (c.9:59-c.10:5; Fig.1). The terminal bus bar inputs and outputs electric power to and from the windings of the stator coil (c.10:1-5).
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Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide Yang with
a terminal bus bar including a first coupling portion coupled to the housing and a second coupling portion coupled to the coil since Endo teaches the terminal bus bar would have been desirable to input and output electric power to and from the windings of the stator coil. Further, in the combination, Yang’s the extending support portion 4 would having one end coupled to the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion of the terminal bus bar of Endo.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10 are 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.
The prior art of record does not further teach, with reference to Fig.8, “the extending support portion includes: a cylindrical first extension [431] extending to cover the outer surface of the stator core; and a second extension [432] disposed between the first extension and the first and second coupling portions to cover and protect an area where the coil is provided, and the second extension is formed to be concave inwardly from the first extension” (claim 7).
These determinations are based on keyword and citation searches performed in a limited number of subclasses. Artificial intelligence search tools were employed. Nomenclature in the art is inconsistent. Keyword searches in the foreign art was limited to the text of the abstract. For these reasons, the scope of the search was necessarily truncated and relevant art classified outside the subclasses searched and/or using different terminology or keywords may not have been reviewed. See the Search Notes for details. In the prior art of record, corresponding structure in, e.g., Yang, is not formed to be concave inwardly. In Kingman Fig.1 the second extension extends radially outwardly.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BURTON S MULLINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2029. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5. 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 C 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.
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/BURTON S MULLINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834