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 .
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)(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 and 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Suzuki et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No.: US 2023/0208231 A1, hereinafter Suzuki '231).
For claim 1, Suzuki '231 disclose the claimed invention comprising: a stator core (reference numeral 100, figure 1) including a cylindrical yoke (reference numeral 111, figure 5) and multiple teeth (reference numeral 112) extending from an inner circumferential surface of the yoke (see figure 5), the stator core including slots (reference numeral 115) each located between adjacent ones of the teeth (reference numeral 112) in a circumferential direction of the yoke (see figure 5); and multiple coils (reference numeral 130, figures 1, 5), each coil being formed by a winding (see figures 1, 5) that is wound in a concentrated manner around the corresponding one of the teeth (reference numeral 112) while passing through the corresponding slots (see figures 1, 5), wherein each tooth includes: a tooth extension (reference numeral 113) extending from the inner circumferential surface of the yoke (reference numeral 111, see figure 5); and two flanges (reference numerals 114A, 114B) projecting from a distal end of the tooth extension (reference numeral 113) toward opposite sides in the circumferential direction of the yoke (see figure 5), an insulating member (reference numeral 170) is disposed in each slot (see figure 5), the insulating member (reference numeral 170) being located between the coils (reference numeral 130) that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction in the slot (see figures 5, 12, 13), the insulating members (reference numeral 170) each include a supported surface (reference numerals 171, 174) that extends over a slot opening (see figures 5, 12, 13), the slot opening being a gap between ones of the flanges (reference numerals 114A, 114B) adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction (see figures 5, 12, 13), the supported surface (reference numerals 171, 174) being supported by both of the flanges (reference numerals 114A, 114B) that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction (see figures 5, 12, 13), and the supported surface (reference numerals 171, 174) includes a recess (i.e. in between surfaces 171, 174, see figure 11) that is open toward the slot opening (see figures 5, 11, 12, 13).
For claim 3, Suzuki '231 disclose each coil (reference numeral 130) including a coil end (i.e. axial end portion of coil 130, see figures 12, 13) projecting from an end face of the stator core (reference numeral 100, see figures 1, 5, 12), each insulating member (reference numeral 170) includes a protruding portion (i.e. portion of insulating member 170 extending in between axial ends of coil 130) that protrudes from the end face of the stator core (see figure 12), the protruding portion (i.e. portion of insulating member 170 extending in between axial ends of coil 130) being disposed between ones of the coil ends (i.e. axial end portion of coil 130, see figures 12, 13) that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction (see figure 12), and each recess (i.e. in between surfaces 171, 174, see figure 11) extends from a main portion of the supported surface (reference numerals 171, 174) located in the corresponding slot (see figure 12) to the protruding portion (i.e. portion of insulating member 170 extending in between axial ends of coil 130) that protrudes from the end face of the stator core (see figure 12).
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) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki ‘231 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yasaka et al. (US Patent No: 4246505).
For claim 2, Suzuki '231 discloses the claimed invention except for the insulating members each including a rib that connects inner surfaces located on opposite sides of the recess in the circumferential direction to each other. Forming a rib for the insulating member is a known skill as exhibited by Yasaka et al. (reference numerals 13, 15, 17, see figures 12-17), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the rib as disclosed by Yasaka et al. for the insulating members of Suzuki '231 for predictably providing reinforcing means for the stability of the components within the device.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No.: US 2023/0208231 A1, hereinafter Suzuki '231) in view of Suzuki et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No.: US 2020/0235616 A1, hereinafter Suzuki '616) and Horiba et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No.: US 2008/0317614 A1).
For claim 4, Suzuki '231 disclose the claimed invention comprising: a rotary shaft (Suzuki '231 already discloses a rotor in paragraph [0092], rotors with a rotary shaft are common in the art as exhibited in US document US 20200235616 A1, numeral 24a in figure 1); a rotating electric machine (i.e. rotor and stator, see paragraphs [0092-0093]) configured to rotate the rotary shaft (i.e. rotary shafts are common in the art as exhibited in US document US 20200235616 A1, numeral 24a in figure 1); and a compression mechanism (see paragraph [0094]) configured to be driven by rotation of the rotary shaft (i.e. rotary shafts are common in the art as exhibited in US document US 20200235616 A1, numeral 24a in figure 1) to compress a fluid (see paragraph [0094]), wherein the rotating electric machine includes a stator (reference numeral 10, figure 1), the stator includes: a stator core (reference numeral 100, figure 1) including a cylindrical yoke (reference numeral 111, figure 5) and multiple teeth (reference numeral 112) extending from an inner circumferential surface of the yoke (see figure 5), the stator core including slots (reference numeral 115) each located between adjacent ones of the teeth (reference numeral 112) in a circumferential direction of the yoke (see figure 5); and multiple coils (reference numeral 130, figures 1, 5), each coil being formed by a winding (see figures 1, 5) that is wound in a concentrated manner around the corresponding one of the teeth (reference numeral 112) while passing through the corresponding slots (see figures 1, 5), each tooth includes: a tooth extension (reference numeral 113) extending from the inner circumferential surface of the yoke (reference numeral 111, see figure 5); and two flanges (reference numerals 114A, 114B) projecting from a distal end of the tooth extension (reference numeral 113) toward opposite sides in the circumferential direction of the yoke (see figure 5), an insulating member (reference numeral 170) is disposed in each slot (see figure 5), the insulating member (reference numeral 170) being located between the coils (reference numeral 130) that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction in the slot (see figures 5, 12, 13), the insulating members each include a supported surface (reference numerals 171, 174) that extends over a slot opening (see figures 5, 12, 13), the slot opening being a gap between ones of the flanges (reference numerals 114A, 114B) adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction (see figures 5, 12, 13), the supported surface (reference numerals 171, 174) being supported by both of the flanges (reference numerals 114A, 114B) that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction (see figures 5, 12, 13), and the supported surface (reference numerals 171, 174) includes a recess (i.e. in between surfaces 171, 174, see figure 11) that is open toward the slot opening (see figures 5, 11, 12, 13). Suzuki '231 however does not specifically disclose a housing that defines a motor chamber for accommodating the rotating electric machine; and the motor-driven compressor further comprising an inflow passage that draws a cooling fluid into the motor chamber.
Suzuki '616 discloses a housing (reference numeral 12, figure 1) that defines a motor chamber (reference numeral 18) for accommodating the rotating electric machine (see figure 1); and Horiba et al. disclose an inflow passage (reference numeral 30, figure 1) that draws a cooling fluid into the motor chamber (see figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a housing defining a motor chamber as disclosed by Suzuki '616 and the inflow passage as disclosed by Horiba et al. for the machine of Suzuki '231 for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating the proper functioning of the compressor in the device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references disclose embodiments of winding slot/insulating members: US 8008831 B2 (Takeshita; Ikuo et al.), US 7919896 B2 (Takeshita; Ikuo et al.), US 6700283 B2 (Kikuchi; Toshio et al.), US 20250067261 A1 (ISOBE; Keisuke et al.), US 20200212760 A1 (HATTORI; Yuya et al.), US 20150326097 A1 (KUWATA; Shinya et al.), JP 2022112344 A (HASEGAWA MASAHIRO), JP 7081211 B2 (n/a), JP 2019030158 A (SUZUKI MAREYUKI et al.).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX W MOK whose telephone number is (571)272-9084. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-4pm.
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/ALEX W MOK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834