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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/07/2024 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 19 recites “an electric motor having a TEFC motor frame”. While Applicant addresses acronym as referring to a totally enclosed fan cooled motor frame in the Applicant’s specification, Applicant must provide clarity that a totally enclosed fan cooled motor frame is what is being referred to. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-4, 8-10, 12-13, 16, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Antunes (US 20220247276 A1).
Claim 1
Antunes teaches: An integrated motor-drive comprising:
an electric motor (200) defining a drive end (end where shaft is exposed) and a non-drive end (opposing end of where shaft is exposed), the electric motor (200) including:
a motor frame (201) having a first end shield (labeled ‘FES’) at the drive end (end where shaft is exposed), a second end shield (210) at the non-drive end (opposing end of where shaft is exposed), and a stator sleeve (labeled “SS”) extending between the first end shield (labeled ‘FES’) and the second end shield (210);
a motor shaft (drive shaft illustrated in Fig. 1) extending between and rotatably supported by first end shield (labeled ‘FES’) and the second end shield (210), the motor shaft (drive shaft illustrated in Fig. 1) defining a rotational axis of the electric motor (200);
a drive unit (311, 700) including a plurality of electrical components for regulating electrical operation of the electric motor (200); and
a cantilevered heatsink (100) including a drive platform (100, 150) for mounting the drive unit (311, 700) on and a heatsink support (140) physically connecting the drive platform (100, 150) to the second end shield (210) so that the drive platform (100, 150) is cantilevered over and separated from the motor frame (201) by an heatsink air gap (portions of heatsink 100 not in contact with motor frame 201 such as ‘Gap’ labeled below).
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Claim 2/1
Antunes teaches: The integrated motor-drive of claim 1, further comprising a cooling fan unit (220) axially mounted to the second end shield (210) and axially opposite the stator sleeve (SS).
Claim 3/2/1
Antunes teaches: The integrated motor-drive of claim 2, wherein the drive platform (100, 150) has a planar surface (at least surface of border of 150 illustrated in Fig. 2) rectangular in shape and situated in a plane (imaginary plane along surface of borders of 150) offset and parallel to the rotational axis (rotation axis of exposed shaft).
Claim 4/3/2/1
Antunes teaches: The integrated motor-drive of claim 3, wherein the drive platform (100, 150) includes an arcuate arch (provided by 141) curved away from the planar surface (at least surface of border of 150 illustrated in Fig. 2) and curving parallel (along) with a circular peripheral rim of the second end shield (210 as illustrated in Fig. 2).
Claim 8/2/1
Antunes teaches: The integrated motor-drive of claim 2, wherein the heatsink support (141) includes a plurality of airflow channels (120) in fluid communication with the heatsink air gap (labeled gap above in annotated figure 3) to receive airflow directed from the cooling fan unit (220).
Claim 9/8/2/1
Antunes teaches: The integrated motor-drive of claim 8, wherein the heatsink support (140, 141) includes an abutment edge (edge of 141 transcribing 210) adjacently interfacing with a circular peripheral rim of the second end shield (210).
Claim 10/9/8/2/1
Antunes teaches: The integrated motor-drive of claim 9, wherein the heatsink support (140, 141) is configured as a brace segment (individual 141) including a plurality of segment posts (plural side flaps 141, para. 0053) that spatially separate (as illustrated in Fig. 2) each of the plurality of airflow channels (120).
Claim 12/1
Antunes teaches: The integrated motor-drive of claim 1, wherein the cantilevered heatsink (100) is integrally attached with the second end shield (210).
Claim 13
Antunes teaches: A cantilevered heatsink (100) for attaching an electric motor (200) and a drive unit (311, 700) in an integrated motor-drive comprising:
a drive platform (100, 150) including a rectangular planar surface for mounting the drive unit (311, 700) to and an arcuate arch (provided by 141) curving away from the rectangular planar surface to delineate a heatsink air gap with a motor frame (201) when attached with the electric motor (200); and the heatsink support (140, 141) having a curved abutment edge (edge of 141 transcribing 210) to interface with a circular peripheral rim of the motor frame (201) of the electric motor (200), the heatsink support (140, 141) further having a plurality of airflow channels (120, para. 0034) disposed therein establishing fluid (air drainage, para. 0034) communication with the heatsink air gap (labeled gap) delineated by the arcuate arch.
Claim 16/13
Antunes teaches: The cantilevered heatsink of claim 13, wherein the heatsink support (140, 141) is configured as a brace segment (individual 141) including a plurality of segment posts (plural side flaps 141, para. 0053) that spatially separate (as illustrated in Fig. 2) each of the plurality of airflow channels (120).
Claim 18/13
Antunes teaches: The cantilevered heatsink of claim 13, further comprising a circular end shield (210) of the motor frame (201) integrally joined (see fig. 2) to the abutment edge of the heatsink support (141).
Claim 19
Antunes teaches: An integrated motor-drive comprising:
an electric motor (200) having a TEFC motor frame (201) axially arranged along a rotational axis of a motor shaft (drive shaft illustrated in Fig. 1), the TEFC motor frame (201) including a stator sleeve(labeled “SS”) aligned with the rotational axis, an end shield (210) axially attached to the stator sleeve (SS) and arranged normal (crossing axis of shaft, forming normal angle) to the rotational axis, and a cooling fan unit (220) axially attached to the end shield (210) axially opposite the stator shield;
a drive unit (311, 700) including a plurality of electrical components (plural electronic plate components 311, para. 0033) for regulating electrical operation of the electric motor (200); and
a cantilevered heatsink (100) frame including a drive platform (100, 150) and a heatsink (100) supported orthogonally joined together (see assembly illustrated in Fig. 1 where 100 and 150 are joined together), the drive platform (100, 150) having a rectangular planar surface (at least surface of border of 150 illustrated in Fig. 2) establishing a plane (imaginary plane on bordered surface) radially offset from and nonconvergent (parallel in this case) with the rotational axis (rotational axis through exposed shaft), the heatsink support (140,141) arranged normal (normal axis is parallel to rotational axis of shaft) to the rotational axis (along exposed shaft) and having an abutment edge (edges of 141 transcribing 210) for adjacently interfacing with a peripheral rim of the end shield (210).
Claim 20/19
Antunes teaches: The integrated motor-drive of claim 19, wherein the abutment edge of the heatsink support (140, 141) and the peripheral rim of the end shield (210) are integrally joined.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 11, 14-15, and 17 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.
Claim 5/4/3/2/1
Claim 5 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As for claim 5, Antunes teaches: The integrated motor-drive of claim 4;
The prior art fails to teach or fairly suggest, alone or in obvious combination, inter alia:
the drive platform includes a plurality of lateral heatsink fins parallel with the planar surface and extending laterally form the arcuate arch.
Employing heat sink fins as described would require a complete redesign of Antunes’s device that would not have been obvious to implement before the filing of the claimed invention by a person of ordinary skill in the art. Antunes’s device does not comprise heatsink fins that are oriented parallel to the identified planar surface of the border of 150 as described. A complete reconfiguration of Antunes’s heat sink would have to be performed in order to satisfy the limitation which would ultimately teach away from Antunes’s compact drive construction as disclosed in Antunes’s para. 0007-0010.
Claims 6-7 stand allowed over all prior art based on their virtue of depending on claim 5.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claim 11/8/2/1
Claim 11 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As for claim 11, Antunes teaches: The integrated motor-drive of claim 8;
The prior art fails to teach or fairly suggest, alone or in obvious combination, inter alia:
wherein the heatsink support includes a plurality of brace elbows that are parallel and spaced apart with each other and the airflow channels disposed between the brace elbows.
Employing brace elbows as described would require a complete redesign of Antunes’s device that would not have been obvious to implement before the filing of the claimed invention by a person of ordinary skill in the art and would teach away from Antunes’s compact drive construction as disclosed in Antunes’s para. 0007-0010.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claim 14/13
Claim 14 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As for claim 14, Antunes teaches: The integrated cantilevered heatsink of claim 13;
The prior art fails to teach or fairly suggest, alone or in obvious combination, inter alia:
wherein the drive platform includes a plurality of arch fins depending from the arcuate arch, the plurality of arch fins parallel and spaced apart with respect to each other.
Employing arch fins as described would require a complete redesign of Antunes’s device that would not have been obvious to implement before the filing of the claimed invention by a person of ordinary skill in the art. Antunes’s device does not comprise arch fins as described. A complete reconfiguration of Antunes’s heat sink would have to be performed in order to satisfy the limitation which would ultimately teach away from Antunes’s compact drive construction as disclosed in Antunes’s para. 0007-0010.
Claims 15 stand allowed over all prior art based on their virtue of depending on claim 13.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claim 17/13
Claim 17 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As for claim 17, Antunes teaches: The cantilevered heatsink of claim 13;
The prior art fails to teach or fairly suggest, alone or in obvious combination, inter alia:
wherein the heatsink support is configured as a plurality of brace elbows that are parallel and spaced apart with each other with the airflow channels disposed between the brace elbows.
Employing brace elbows as described would require a complete redesign of Antunes’s device that would not have been obvious to implement before the filing of the claimed invention by a person of ordinary skill in the art and would teach away from Antunes’s compact drive construction as disclosed in Antunes’s para. 0007-0010.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED F SECK whose telephone number is (571)272-4638. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Koehler can be reached at (571) 272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AHMED F SECK/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/MAGED M ALMAWRI/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834