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 .
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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e).
Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 29. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3, 4, 7, 10, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 3 and 4 recitation, “the crimping portions are each arranged at a position between 1/4 to 3/4 of a second angle between two lines” is unclear which metric, whether degrees, percentage, etc., is being used for the range amounts making the claim vague and indefinite.
For examining purposes the Examiner is interpreting the crimping portions are arranged equidistantly around the radius of the yoke.
Dependent claims 7, 10, and 14 are rejected, as they inherit the deficiency of the claim upon which they depend.
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 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kimura (US 2020/0373796), in view of Ishizaki (JP 2013162676-A).
Regarding claim 1, Kimura discloses a rotating electric machine (80 of Figure 1) comprising:
a casing (30 of Figure 1-2);
a stator core (400 of Figure 4, 15) having a plurality of electrical steel sheets (401-406 of Figure 4) stacked on each other and including
a cylindrical yoke (45 of Figure 2, 5),
a plurality of teeth (47 of Figure 2, 5) arranged in a circumferential direction and extending radially inward of the yoke, and
crimping portions (46 of Figure 5) arranged in the yoke and fixing adjacent ones of the electrical steel sheets in a stacking direction (Para. 0057); and
radial fixing portions (44 of Figure 1-5) each arranged within an area of a first angle between two lines connecting an axial center (O of Figure 1, 2, 5) of the stator core and adjacent two of the crimping portions in the circumferential direction and
fixing the casing and the stator core using a method of applying compressive stress to the stator core radially inward from an outside (Para. 0055).
Kimura does not explicitly disclose the crimping portions being each formed in a rectangular shape having long sides extending along the radial direction of the stator core and short sides extending along the circumferential direction of the stator core when the stator core is viewed in an axial direction.
Ishizaki discloses the crimping portions (114a of Figure 3A, 3B, 5, 7) being each formed in a rectangular shape having long sides extending along the radial direction of the stator core and short sides extending along the circumferential direction of the stator core when the stator core is viewed in an axial direction (see Figures 3A, 3B, 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing of the claimed invention to have the crimping portions of Kimura formed in a rectangular shape, as taught by Ishizaki, so the steel plates of the stator core are less likely to become misaligned [Ishizaki: Para. 0050].
Regarding claim 2, Kimura discloses wherein the radial fixing portions (44 of Figure 1-5) are each arranged at a position at which compressive stress acting in the circumferential direction of the yoke (45 of Figure 2, 5) by the crimping portions (46 of Figure 5) is reduced (see Figures 2, 5).
Regarding claims 3, 4, Kimura discloses wherein the crimping portions (46 of Figure 5) are each arranged at a position between 1/4 to 3/4 of a second angle between two lines connecting the axial center (O of Figure 1, 2, 5) of the stator core (400 of Figure 4, 15) and adjacent two of the radial fixing portions (44 of Figure 1-5) in the circumferential direction.
Regarding claims 5, 6, 7, Kimura discloses wherein the crimping portions (46 of Figure 5) are each arranged such that a length from an outer peripheral edge of the yoke (45 of Figure 2, 5) to the crimping portions is equal to or less than 1/3 of a length from the outer peripheral edge to an inner peripheral edge of the yoke in the radial direction of the stator core (Para. 0042; 400 of Figure 4, 15).
Regarding claims 8, 9, 10, 11, Kimura discloses wherein the radial fixing portions (44 of Figure 1-5) are arranged between adjacent ones of the crimping portions (46 of Figure 5) in the circumferential direction of the stator core (see Figure 5; 400 of Figure 4, 15).
Regarding claims 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, Kimura discloses all of the elements of the current invention as mentioned above, however does not explicitly disclose wherein the crimping portions (46 of Figure 5) each have inclined surfaces inclined from both short sides toward a center of a long side in a cross-sectional view of the stator core (400 of Figure 4, 15) orthogonal to the circumferential direction.
Ishizaki discloses wherein the crimping portions (114a of Figure 3A, 3B, 5, 7) each have inclined surfaces (119a of Figure 3B, 5, 7) inclined from both short sides toward a center of a long side in a cross-sectional view of the stator core (111 of Figure 3A, 7) orthogonal to the circumferential direction.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing of the claimed invention to have the crimping portions of Kimura have inclined surfaces, as taught by Ishizaki, so the steel plates of the stator core are less likely to become misaligned [Ishizaki: Para. 0050].
Regarding claim 17, Kimura discloses wherein the crimping portions (46 of Figure 5) are arranged radially outward of the teeth (47 of Figure 2, 5).
Regarding claims 18, 19, Kimura discloses all of the elements of the current invention as mentioned above, however does not explicitly disclose a compressor including the rotating electric machine (80 of Figure 1) of claim 1 (claim 18);
a refrigeration apparatus including the compressor of claim 18 (claim 19).
Ishizaki discloses a compressor (40 of Figure 1) including the rotating electric machine (100 of Figure 1) of claim 1 (claim 18);
a refrigeration apparatus (Para. 0032) including the compressor of claim 18 (40 of Figure 1) (claim 19).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing of the claimed invention to use the rotating electric machine of Kimura with a refrigerant apparatus including a compressor, as taught by Ishizaki, because it is well known in the art that a motor acts as the driver and primary power source to operate compressor system.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Taniguchi (US 2020/0106312) and Hirosawa (WO 2021124501-A1) disclose a rotating electrical machine with crimping portions having inclined surfaces.
DeFilippis (US 2015/0084445) discloses a rotating electric machine comprising a casing and a stator core.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES H REID whose telephone number is (571)272-9248. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-4:45 PM.
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/Charles Reid Jr./ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834