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 . This Office Action is responsive to the Applicant' s communication filed May 3, 2024. In view of this communication, claims 1-8 are now pending in the application.
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 May 21, 2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 4-5, and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 4, line 6: “copper, nickel, and sliver” should read “copper, nickel, and silver”.
Claim 5, line 7: “the hub for correspondingly inserted” should read “the hub correspondingly inserted”.
Claim 8, line 6: “copper, nickel, and sliver” should read “copper, nickel, and silver”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 6 is 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.
Regarding Claim 6/5, the claim recites the limitation “a tracing layer” in line 2. It is unclear whether this “tracing layer” refers to the “tracing layer” of independent claim 5, or to a separate limitation. For the purpose of examination, this limitation is being interpreted as referring to the “tracing layer” of claim 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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jin et al. (CN 113315333 A, hereafter referred to as Jin) in view of Kim et al. (WO 2018117629 A1, hereafter referred to as Kim ‘629).
Regarding Claim 1, Jin discloses (see Figures 1-2) a three-phase driven stator structure (20, Page 4, ¶ 10), comprising:
a plurality of laminated substrates (21, Page 6, ¶ 2: “in one embodiment, the PCB board is provided with a multi-layer structure”), each of which is provided with a tracing layer (Page 4, ¶ 10: “a plurality of electromagnetic induction coils 22 set on the PCB board 21”), a plurality of through holes (23/24, Page 6, ¶ 3), and a plurality of electrical connection vias (23/24, Page 6, ¶ 3); the tracing layer consisting of a plurality of induction coils (22, Page 4, ¶ 10), which are respectively arranged around an outer side of one of the through holes (23/24, Page 6, ¶ 3), and the induction coils (22, Page 4, ¶ 10) on one substrate (21, Page 6, ¶ 2) being extended through the electrical connection vias (23/24, Page 6, ¶ 3) to electrically connect to the tracing layer (22, Page 4, ¶ 10) on an adjacent substrate (21, Page 6, ¶ 2);
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Jin does not disclose each of the through holes having a metal rod inserted therein.
However, Kim ‘629, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figure 2) that each of the through holes (5a, Page 8, ¶ 6) having a metal rod (17, Page 8, ¶ 6) inserted therein.
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the three-phase driven stator structure such that each of the through holes having a metal rod inserted therein, as disclosed by Kim ‘629, in order to fix adjacent tracing layers to one another (Page 8, ¶ 9: “The teeth 17b pass through the through holes 5 of the stacked stator 10 and are coupled to the core fixing through holes 5a of the base plate 1 so that the stacked stators 10 and the base plate 1 are connected to each other”).
Regarding Claim 2/1, Jin in view of Kim ‘629 has been discussed above.
Additionally, Jin discloses that the induction coils (22, Page 4, ¶ 10) respectively have a three-phase output (Page 5, ¶ 8 – Page 6, ¶ 1: “For example, FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of six electromagnetic induction coils 22. wherein a pair of electromagnetic induction coils 22 set oppositely to form a phase of the induction coil group, namely can form three pairs of induction coil groups form A, B, C three-phase of the non-winding PCB brushless motor.”), and the three phases being represented by alphabets U, V, and W; and the number of the induction coils (22, Page 4, ¶ 10) provided on each tracing layer is 3, 6, 9, or other multiples of 3 (Claim 2: “wherein there are six electromagnetic induction coils” ), and the induction coils (22, Page 4, ¶ 10) being arrayed side by side but spaced from one another (Claim 2: “and uniformly arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotor main body”).
Regarding Claim 3/1, Jin in view of Kim ‘629 has been discussed above.
Additionally, Jin discloses that the induction coils (22, Page 4, ¶ 10) are formed on the substrates (21, Page 6, ¶ 2) through one of printing and etching (Page 2, ¶ 5: “The invention claims a non-winding PCB brushless motor”).
Regarding Claim 4/1, Jin in view of Kim ‘629 has been discussed above.
Additionally, Jin discloses that the electrical connection vias (23/24, Page 6, ¶ 3) are internally provided with an electrically conducting material (Page 6, ¶ 3: “the electromagnetic induction coil 22 on the adjacent layer is connected through the corresponding first through hole 23 and the second through hole 24.”), with which the induction coils (22, Page 4, ¶ 10) on one substrate (21, Page 6, ¶ 2) can be extended to electrically connect to the induction coils (22, Page 4, ¶ 10) of the tracing layer (22, Page 4, ¶ 10) on an adjacent substrate (21, Page 6, ¶ 2);
Jin does not explicitly disclose the electrical conducting material being selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, and sliver.
However, Kim ‘629, in the same field of technology, does disclose the electrical conducting material being selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, and sliver (Page 11, ¶ 5: “A plurality of coil patterns (L11 to L16, L21 to L26, L31 to L36) made of a spiral conductive pattern obtained by patterning copper foil laminated on the respective PCBs so as to form a plurality of turns necessary for forming a stator coil. ; And plated in the through holes formed through the first to fourth PCBs 11 to 14, and the respective coil patterns to interconnect the plurality of coil patterns L11 to L16, L21 to L26, L31 to L36, and the like.”)
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the three-phase driven stator structure disclosed by Jin in view of Kim ‘629 such that the electrical conducting material being selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, and sliver, as further disclosed by Kim ‘629, in order to reduce size and improve productivity (Page 3, ¶ 5: “Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, the object of which is to implement a stator coil by directly forming a patterned coil pattern on each substrate using a multi-layer substrate, slimming, improved productivity, cost It is to provide a laminated stator using a multi-layered substrate that can be saved, a slim motor using the same, and a blower for a vehicle air purifier system (VAPS).”).
Claims 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong et al. (CN 103986254 A, hereafter referred to as Hong) in view of Kim et al. (WO 2017183837 A1, hereafter referred to as Kim ‘837) and Kim et al. (WO 2018117629 A1, hereafter referred to as Kim ‘629).
Regarding Claim 5, Hong discloses (see Figures 1-4) a fan (94, Page 2, ¶ [0003], ¶ [0005]: “Therefore, there is still necessary improvement of the existing micro-fan stator 93 structure to claim can simultaneously with miniaturized volume, high output power and low operating noise absorption quantity of efficacy.”) using a three-phase driven stator (2, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) structure, comprising:
a frame (1, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) having a bottom (1, Page 3, ¶ [0021]), a shaft barrel (11, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) upward extended from the bottom (1, Page 3, ¶ [0021]);
a rotor (3, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) having a hub (Annotated Figure 1/2), a plurality of blades (Annotated Figure 1) extended radially outward from an outer circumferential surface of the hub (Annotated Figure 1/2), a magnetic element (32, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) disposed below the hub (Annotated Figure 1/2), and a shaft (31, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) vertically extended downward from a center of a lower inner side of the hub (Annotated Figure 1/2) for correspondingly inserted into the shaft barrel (11, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) to be rotatably connected to the shaft barrel (11, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) of the frame (1, Page 3, ¶ [0021]); and
a three-phase driven stator (2, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) including:
a plurality of laminated substrates (20, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) disposed on the bottom of the frame (1, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) and located around an outer side of the shaft barrel (11, Page 3, ¶ [0021]), each of which is provided with a tracing layer (21, Page 3, ¶ [0021]), and a plurality of electrical connection vias (Page 4, ¶ [0022]: “FIG. 4, further defined are overlapped and the same-phase current through the coils 22a, 22b and 22c to form a phase coil group C”); the tracing layer (21, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) consisting of a plurality of induction coils (22, Page 3, ¶ [0021]), and the induction coils (22, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) on one substrate (20, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) being extended through the electrical connection vias (FIG. 4, further defined are overlapped and the same-phase current through the coils 22a, 22b and 22c to form a phase coil group C) to electrically connect to the tracing layer (21, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) on an adjacent substrate (20, Page 3, ¶ [0021]).
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Hong does not explicitly disclose a bearing provided in the shaft barrel, the shaft is correspondingly inserted into the bearing of the shaft barrel, a plurality of through holes, that the induction coils are arranged around an outer side of one of the through holes, and each of the through holes having a metal rod inserted therein.
However, Kim ‘837, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figures 2 and 12) a bearing (150, Page 10, ¶ 2) provided in the shaft barrel (160, Page 10, ¶ 3), a shaft (140, Page 10, ¶ 4) correspondingly inserted into the bearing (150, Page 10, ¶ 2) of the shaft barrel (160, Page 10, ¶ 3), a plurality of through holes (T1-27, Page 15, ¶ 2), that the induction coils (L, Page 14, ¶ 4) are arranged around an outer side of one of the through holes (T1-27, Page 15, ¶ 2).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the fan disclosed by Hong such that a bearing provided in the shaft barrel, the shaft is correspondingly inserted into the bearing of the shaft barrel, a plurality of through holes, that the induction coils are arranged around an outer side of one of the through holes, as disclosed by Kim, in order to improve torque generation (Page 2, ¶ 2: “The present invention relates to a stator of a motor, and more particularly, to a slim stator using a multi-layered substrate capable of maximally generating torque in an opposite rotor and increasing air volume”).
Hong in view of Kim ‘837 does not disclose each of the through holes having a metal rod inserted therein.
However, Kim ‘629, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figure 2) each of the through holes (5a, Page 8, ¶ 6) having a metal rod (17, Page 8, ¶ 6) inserted therein.
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the fan disclosed by Hong in view of Kim ‘837 such that each of the through holes has a metal rod inserted therein, as disclosed by Kim ‘629, in order to fix adjacent tracing layers to one another (Page 8, ¶ 9: “The teeth 17b pass through the through holes 5 of the stacked stator 10 and are coupled to the core fixing through holes 5a of the base plate 1 so that the stacked stators 10 and the base plate 1 are connected to each other”).
Regarding Claim 6/5, Hong in view of Kim ‘837 and Kim ‘629 has been discussed above.
Additionally, Hong discloses (see Figures 1-4 above) that the three-phase stator (2, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) structure is provided on each substrate (20, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) with a tracing layer (21, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) consisting of induction coils respectively having a three-phase output, and the three phases being represented by alphabets U, V, and W (Claim 13: “wherein the stator is used for receiving three-phase current of the three-phase stator”);
Additionally, Kim ‘629 further discloses (see Figure 8) that the number of the induction coils (L, Page 8, ¶ 7) provided on each tracing layer (11-13, Page 10, ¶ 7) being 3, 6, 9, or other multiples of 3, and the induction coils (L, Page 8, ¶ 7) being arrayed side by side but spaced from one another.
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the fan disclosed by Hong in view of Kim ‘837 and Kim ‘629 such that the number of the induction coils provided on each tracing layer being 3, 6, 9, or other multiples of 3, and the induction coils being arrayed side by side but spaced from one another, as further disclosed by Kim ‘629, in order to reduce size and improve productivity (Page 3, ¶ 5: “Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, the object of which is to implement a stator coil by directly forming a patterned coil pattern on each substrate using a multi-layer substrate, slimming, improved productivity, cost It is to provide a laminated stator using a multi-layered substrate that can be saved, a slim motor using the same, and a blower for a vehicle air purifier system (VAPS).”).
Regarding Claim 7/5, Hong in view of Kim ‘837 and Kim ‘629 has been discussed above.
Additionally, Hong discloses that the induction coils (22, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) are formed on the substrates (20, Page 3, ¶ [0021]) through one of printing and etching (Page 3, ¶ [0021]: “and the coil 22 is preferably in printed coils or electroforming process are formed on the substrate 21”).
Regarding Claim 8/5, Hong in view of Kim ‘837 and Kim ‘629 has been discussed above.
Additionally, Kim ‘629 discloses (see Figure 8) wherein the electrical connection vias (Page 11, ¶ 3: “The three coil patterns L11, L21, L31; L12, L22, L32; L13, L23, and L33 disposed at the same position are respectively started parts S11, S21, S31; S12, S22, S32; S13, S23, and S33.) And the end portions (O11, O21, O31; O12, O22, O32; O13, O23, O33) are interconnected through conductive through holes to form the first parallel circuit (61, 63, 65)”) are internally provided with an electrically conducting material, with which the induction coils (L, Page 8, ¶ 7) on one substrate can be extended to electrically connect to the induction coils of the tracing layer (11-13, Page 10, ¶ 7) on an adjacent substrate; and the electrical conducting material being selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, and sliver (Page 11, ¶ 5: “A plurality of coil patterns (L11 to L16, L21 to L26, L31 to L36) made of a spiral conductive pattern obtained by patterning copper foil laminated on the respective PCBs so as to form a plurality of turns necessary for forming a stator coil. ; And plated in the through holes formed through the first to fourth PCBs 11 to 14, and the respective coil patterns to interconnect the plurality of coil patterns L11 to L16, L21 to L26, L31 to L36, and the like.”).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the fan disclosed by Hong in view of Kim ‘837 and Kim ‘629 such that the electrical connection vias are internally provided with an electrically conducting material, with which the induction coils on one substrate can be extended to electrically connect to the induction coils of the tracing layer on an adjacent substrate; and the electrical conducting material being selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, and sliver, as further disclosed by Kim ‘629, in order to reduce size and improve productivity (Page 3, ¶ 5: “Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, the object of which is to implement a stator coil by directly forming a patterned coil pattern on each substrate using a multi-layer substrate, slimming, improved productivity, cost It is to provide a laminated stator using a multi-layered substrate that can be saved, a slim motor using the same, and a blower for a vehicle air purifier system (VAPS).”).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Schuler et al. (EP 3568899 B1) discloses relevant prior art in Figures 1-6.
Chen et al. (US 20120119607 A1) discloses relevant prior art in Figures 1-8.
Ku et al. (US 20060045773 A1) discloses relevant prior art in Figures 1-7.
Lopatinski et al. (US 7112910 B2) discloses relevant prior art in Figures 1-9.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLIE FRANK MANN whose telephone number is (703)756-1275. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30AM - 4:30PM PST.
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/C.F.M./Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/ALEXANDER A SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834