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
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(s) 1, 2, 5-15, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ciampolini et al. (US 20160308426).
1. Ciampolini et al. teach:
An electric motor assembly 1, comprising:
a rotor 4;
a stator 5 disposed radially outboard of the rotor (see fig 1) and comprising:
a stator core 6 that extends axially in a first axial direction from a first axial end to a second axial end opposite the first axial end (see fig 2); and
a plurality of windings 8 that extend along the stator core, each of which respectively includes a terminal end 10 that is positioned axially beyond the second axial end of the stator core in the first axial direction (fig 2);
a busbar 18/30 to which at least one of the plurality of windings (winding ends 10, fig 12) is fixed proximate to the terminal end of the at least one winding (figs 12 & 15-18); and
a tray 20/29/31 coupled to and supporting the busbar (figs 12 & 15-18) and defining at least one receiver (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18) through which the at least one winding extends.
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707
687
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778
635
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2. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one receiver is positioned axially between the busbar and the stator core (figs 12 & 15-18).
5. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one receiver comprises at least one aperture (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18).
6. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one winding that extends through the at least one receiver defined by the tray is fixed to at least one of a radially-outboard-facing surface of the busbar and a radially-inboard-facing surface of the busbar (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18).
7. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 6, wherein the at least one winding that extends through the at least one receiver defined by the tray is fixed to the radially-outboard-facing surface of the busbar (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18).
8. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 6, wherein the at least one winding that extends through the at least one receiver defined by the tray is fixed to the radially-inboard-facing surface of the busbar (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18).
9. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 6, wherein the at least one receiver comprises: at least one inner receiver defined by the tray; and at least one outer receiver that is defined by the tray and positioned radially outboard of the at least one inner receiver (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18).
10. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 9, wherein the at least one winding comprises: at least one inner winding that extends through the at least one inner receiver defined by the tray and that is fixed to the radially-inboard-facing surface of the busbar (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18); and at least one outer winding that extends through the at least one outer receiver defined by the tray and that is fixed to the radially-outboard-facing surface of the busbar (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18).
11. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one inner receiver includes a plurality of inner receivers (generally at holes 22, fig 14 below), the at least one outer receiver includes a plurality of outer receivers (generally at holes 22, fig 14 below), the at least one inner winding includes a plurality of inner windings (generally at terminal ends 10, fig 15 below) that respectively extend through the corresponding plurality of inner receivers, and the at least one outer winding includes a plurality of outer windings (generally at terminal ends 10, fig 15 below) that respectively extend through the corresponding plurality of outer receivers.
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12. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 11, wherein the tray comprises: a body 25 that supports the busbar 18 (fig 14); an inner guide member (annotated fig 14 below) that extends radially inboard from the body and defines the plurality of inner receivers (fig 14 below); and an outer guide member (annotated fig 14 below) that extends radially outboard from the body and defines the plurality of outer receivers (fig 14 below).
13. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 12, wherein a radially-inboard-most portion of the inner guide member at a given circumferential position occupied by the inner guide member is the radially-inboard-most portion 24 of the tray at the given circumferential position occupied by the inner guide member (fig 14 below).
14. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 12, wherein a radially-outboard-most portion of the outer guide member at a given circumferential position occupied by the outer guide member is the radially-outboard-most portion 24 of the tray at the given circumferential position occupied by the outer guide member (fig 14 below).
15. Ciampolini et al. teach:
A tray 20/29/31 for an electric motor assembly 1, comprising:
a support structure 40 configured to support at least one busbar of the electric motor assembly and defining a plurality of apertures configured to receive (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18) a corresponding plurality of windings 8 therethrough that are configured to be fixed to the at least one busbar 18/30.
17. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The tray of claim 15, wherein the plurality of apertures includes a plurality of inner apertures 22 and a plurality of outer apertures 22 positioned radially outboard of the plurality of inner apertures (fig 14), and wherein the support structure comprises: a body 25 that is configured to support the at least one busbar 18 (fig 14); an inner guide member (annotated fig 14 below) that extends radially inboard from the body and defines the plurality of inner apertures (generally at 22, fig 14 below); and an outer guide member (annotated fig 14 below) that extends radially outboard from the body and defines the plurality of outer apertures (annotated fig 14 below).
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803
631
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18. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The tray of claim 17, wherein a radially-inboard-most portion of the inner guide member at a given circumferential position occupied by the inner guide member is the radially-inboard-most portion 24 of the tray at the given circumferential position occupied by the inner guide member (fig 14 above).
19. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The tray of claim 18, wherein a radially-outboard-most portion of the outer guide member at a given circumferential position occupied by the outer guide member is the radially-outboard-most portion 24 of the tray at the given circumferential position occupied by the outer guide member (fig 14 above).
20. Ciampolini et al. teach:
An electric motor assembly 1, comprising:
a stator 5, comprising:
a stator core 6; and
a plurality of windings 8 that extend along the stator core;
a busbar 18/30 to which the plurality of windings are fixed (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18); and
a tray 20/29/31 coupled to and supporting the busbar and defining a plurality of apertures 22 through which the plurality of windings respectively extend (the winding ends 10 protrude through holes in each one of the trays 20, 29 & 31, see figs 12 & 15-18).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 3, 4, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ciampolini et al. in view of Kobayashi (US 20210013762).
3. Ciampolini et al. teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 2, wherein the at least one receiver extends from a first opening (at the bottom of each tray, figs 12 and 14) to a second opening (at the top of each tray, figs 12 and 14) that is axially offset from the first opening (figs 12 and 14); but does not teach that the portion of the tray that defines the at least one receiver tapers inward as the portion extends axially in the first axial direction, such that the first opening is larger than the second opening.
Kobayashi teaches that the portion of the tray that defines the at least one receiver 54 tapers inward as the portion extends axially in the first axial direction (via tapered passage 57, see fig 2A), such that the first opening is larger than the second opening (see tapered passage 57, fig 2A) so the wire 20 can be guided smoothly (para 0053). As a result, the assembly of the motor can be improved.
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the invention of Ciampolini et al. being effectively filed to modify it such that the portion of the tray that defines the at least one receiver tapers inward as the portion extends axially in the first axial direction, such that the first opening is larger than the second opening, as taught by Kobayashi so as to improve the manufacturing of the motor.
4. Ciampolini et al. in view of Kobayashi teach:
The electric motor assembly of claim 3, wherein the tray (of Kobayashi) is configured to maintain contact with the at least one winding (of Ciampolini et al.) at the second opening (of Kobayashi) of the at least one receiver (of Ciampolini et al.).
16. Ciampolini et al. in view of Kobayashi teach:
The tray of claim 15, wherein at least one the plurality of apertures (of Ciampolini et al.) extends from a first opening (of Ciampolini et al.) to a second opening (of Ciampolini et al.), and wherein the first opening (of Kobayashi) is larger than the second opening (of Kobayashi).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TERRANCE L KENERLY whose telephone number is (571)270-7851. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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/TERRANCE L KENERLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834