DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. The specification, the abstract and the drawings are all acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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 of this title, 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.
4. Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USPN 5,634,274 to Ohkouchi, and in view of USPN 7,791,232 to Purohit.
As to claim 1, Ohkouchi teaches a power tool (col. 1: lines 66 – col. 2: lines 22) comprising: a housing including a motor case (fig. 1: “2”) and a handle portion extending along a longitudinal axis of the housing from the motor case(col. 2: lines 50-67 wherein the saw “1” inherently has the a handle portion which is not shown in the drawing); an electric motor (fig. 1: “3” is a motor which inherently has a stator and rotor) having a drive shaft (fig. 1: “3a”) and mounted within the motor case(fig. 1: “2”), the electric motor including a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator(fig. 1: “3” is a motor which inherently has a stator and rotor) ; a fan secured to drive shaft to generate an airflow through the electric motor with rotation of the rotor(col. 1: lines 66 – col. 2: lines 6); a partitioning wall extending radially between the motor case and the handle portion and forming a bearing pocket therein(col. 2: lines 13-22); a rear bearing mounted on the drive shaft and received into the bearing pocket to support the drive shaft relative to the housing and two elongate walls extending rearwardly from the partitioning wall along two sides of the handle portion and a module supported by the two elongate walls within the handle portion(col. 4: lines 54 – col. 5: lines 35 wherein apparatus and method are taught for a power tool system which has a drive shaft with bearing and partitioning walls to generate an airflow through the electric motor).
Ohkouchi does not teach the power control module including a circuit board having a motor drive circuit configured to drive the electric motor and at least one cover secured to the two elongate walls to cover the circuit board.
Purohit teaches the power control module including a circuit board having a motor drive circuit configured to drive the electric motor and at least one cover secured to the two elongate walls to cover the circuit board(col. 9: lines 2-27).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Purohit into
Ohkouchi since Ohkouchi suggests a power tool system and Purohit suggests the beneficial
use of circuit board for a power tool system in the analogous art of power tool technology.
The motivation for this comes from the fact that Purohit teaches a circuit board for a power tool system which can be used to improve the power tool system disclosed by Ohkouchi.
As to claim 2, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 1, further comprising a sense magnet affixed to the drive shaft, and at least one position sensor mounted on a position sense board, where the position sensor cooperates with the sense magnet to sense rotational motion of the drive shaft(Purohit col. 8: lines 15-21).
As to claim 3, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 2, wherein the position sense board is secured to a slot formed within the bearing pocket(Purohit col. 8: lines 67 – col. 9: lines 20 and especially col. 9: lines 21-24).
As to claims 4 and 5, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 2. It is obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to place position sense board and a shroud member into a proper position because Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches a shroud(Purohit col. 1: lines 43-49) and position sensing system(Purohit col. 8: lines 67- col. 9: lines 27).
As to claims 6-7, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 2. It is obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to place a circuit board in a proper orientation and space between the walls of the housing because Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches a circuit board and a housing for a power tool system(Purohit col. 9: lines 2-27).
As to claim 8, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 1, wherein each of the two elongate walls includes a height that is smaller than a height of the power control module and a length that is greater than a length of the power control module(Ohkouchi col. 4: lines 31-39 wherein apparatus and method are taught for a power tool system to have different heights for partitioning walls for a power tool system and it is obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to use the proper lengths for power control module in order to fit into the housing).
As to claim 9, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 1, wherein the power control module comprises a second circuit board on which a controller is mounted(Purohit col. 9: lines 2-27).
As to claim 10, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 1, wherein the power control module comprises a module casing including two side walls, wherein the two side walls are mounted in contact with the two elongate walls(Ohkouchi col. 4: lines 31-39).
As to claim 11, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 10. It is obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to use covers for partitioning walls of a power tool system in order to prevent the cooling air from leaking because Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the partitioning walls of a power tool system(Ohkouchi col. 4: lines 31-39).
As to claim 12, Ohkouchi teaches a power tool (col. 1: lines 66 – col. 2: lines 22) comprising: a housing including a motor case (fig. 1: “2”) and a handle portion extending along a longitudinal axis of the housing from the motor case col. 2: lines 50-67 wherein the saw “1” inherently has the a handle portion which is not shown in the drawing); an electric motor having a drive shaft and mounted within the motor case, the electric motor including a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator(fig. 1: “3” is a motor which inherently has a stator and rotor); a partitioning wall extending radially between the motor case and the handle portion and forming a bearing pocket therein(col. 2: lines 13-22); two elongate walls extending rearwardly from the partitioning wall along two sides of the handle portion(col. 3: lines 30-40).
Ohkouchi does not teach a circuit board having a motor drive circuit configured to drive the electric motor.
Purohit teaches a circuit board having a motor drive circuit configured to drive the electric motor(col. 9: lines 2-27).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the teachings of Purohit into
Ohkouchi since Ohkouchi suggests a power tool system and Purohit suggests the beneficial
use of circuit board for a power tool system in the analogous art of power tool technology.
The motivation for this comes from the fact that Purohit teaches a circuit board for a power tool system which can be used to improve the power tool system disclosed by Ohkouchi.
As to claim 13-14, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 12. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to set up a proper space for the power control module to fit the circuit board into the housing because Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the circuit board and housing for the circuit board.
As to claim 15, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 12, wherein the power control module comprises a second circuit board on which a controller is mounted(Purohit col. 9: lines 2-27).
As to claim 16, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches teaches the power tool of claim 12, wherein the power control module comprises a module casing including two side walls, wherein the two side walls are mounted in contact with the two elongate walls(Ohkouchi col. 4: lines 31-39).
As to claim 17, Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the power tool of claim 10. It is obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to use covers for partitioning walls of a power tool system in order to prevent the cooling air from leaking because Ohkouchi in view of Purohit teaches the partitioning walls of a power tool system(Ohkouchi col. 4: lines 31-39).
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
USPN 6,981,779 to Fukuoka discloses a power tool system
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID S LUO whose telephone number is (571)270-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached at 571-272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID LUO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846
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