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 in response to papers filed on 9/15/2026. Amendments made to the claims and the Applicant's remarks have been entered and considered.
Claim 15, 24, 25, 28 have been amended. Claims 1-14, 16, 17 are cancelled.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 9/15/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/15/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant argued that Applicant respectfully submits that Murakami does not disclose outlet openings that are "distributed uniformly spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction over an upper circumferential half' of the stator cooling jacket, nor does Murakami disclose spraying a second coolant so as to wet an entire circumference of the stator winding head, as recited by claim 15 as amended. Murakami's oil dropping holes 3581 are clustered within a narrow zenith region of "about 60 degrees in the circumferential direction." Within that narrow band, Murakami provides only "three oil dropping holes 3581 ... formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction." Three holes at equal intervals within a roughly 60-degree zenith band is not a distribution "uniformly spaced apart from one another ... over an upper circumferential half," as recited by claim 15 as amended.
This argument is not persuasive because Murakami et al. (US 2021/0234416 A1) teaches the dropping holes 3581 are formed at equal intervals (para [0119]). This argument is also not persuasive because newly applied Scharlach (US 2019/0006908 A1) shows spraying a second coolant so as to wet an entire circumference of the stator winding head.
The Applicant also argued that Murakami's oil dropping portions do not spray coolant; they drop oil by gravity from that narrow zenith region. Murakami teaches that "[t]he oil that reaches the oil dropping portion 356 is dropped from the oil dropping holes 3561 ... and cools the coil end 110 directly below," and that the oil then "flows downward along the coil end 110 due to gravity, and accumulates in the lower portion (oil sump space)." Murakami therefore wets only the region directly below its zenith holes -not the "entire circumference of the stator winding head" -and does not disclose "spray a second coolant ... onto the stator winding head into the workspace of the electric drive engine so as to wet an entire circumference of the stator winding head with the second coolant even at a standstill or a low speed of the electric drive engine."
This argument is not persuasive because newly applied Scharlach (US 2019/0006908 A1) shows this feature.
The Applicant also argued that Murakami teaches away from the features highlighted in bold above, recited in amended claim 15. Referring to FIGS. 12 and 15, Murakami's meandering water passage 950 comprises twelve first flow passage portions 9501, of which only four (9501-5 to 9501-8) are shortened to accommodate the formation range of oil dropping portion 358 and 356, expressly so that "it is possible to maximize the area in which heat exchange between the cooling water and the oil can be realized." Having "the plurality of outlet openings ... arranged radially outside a stator winding head and ... distributed uniformly spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction over an upper circumferential half of the stator cooling jacket", as recited by amended claim 15, would require shortening additional first flow passage portions and thereby reduce the very water-passage heat-exchange area that Murakami seeks to maximize. A person of ordinary skill following Murakami would therefore be led away from the features highlighted in bold above, recited by amended claim 15.
This argument is not persuasive because Murakami teaches that the meandering water passage 950 could be modified to be smaller in area (para [0097]). Also, the structure of Murakami has a purpose to maximize an area across which heat exchange occurs between water and oil which would be increased if an area of oil flow was increased (para [0094]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 15, 16, 18-24, 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Murakami et al. (US 2021/0234416 A1, hereinafter Murakami) in view of Scharlach (US 2019/0006908 A1).
As to claim 15, Murakami shows (FIG. 1, 18) A stator cooling arrangement for a stator of an electric drive engine in a motor vehicle (para[0027]), comprising:
stator core 112 cooling 950 with a first coolant, wherein the stator core 112 cooling 950 comprises a stator cooling jacket 60 configured to conduct the first coolant outside a workspace of the electric drive engine 10; and
stator winding head 110 cooling comprising a plurality of outlet openings 3581 formed in an axial end portion of the stator cooling jacket 60, wherein the plurality of outlet openings 3581 is arranged radially outside a stator winding head 110 and is distributed uniformly spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction over an upper circumferential half of the stator cooling jacket 60, and wherein the plurality of outlet openings 3581 is configured to inject a second coolant, which differs from the first coolant, onto the stator winding head 110 into the workspace of the electric drive engine 10 (coolants are water, oil para [0030],[0057],[0060],[0119],[0120]; the dropping holes 3581 are formed at equal intervals para [0119]).
Murakami does not show the plurality of outlet openings is configured to spray so as to wet an entire circumference of the stator winding head with the second coolant even at a standstill or a low speed of the electric drive engine.
Scharlach shows (FIG. 3) a plurality of outlet openings 10 is configured to spray so as to wet an entire circumference of the stator winding head with the second coolant even at a standstill or a low speed of the electric drive engine (para [0032]; channel 9 is annular para [0036]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the plurality of outlet openings 3581 of Murakami to have the plurality of outlet openings 3581 is configured to spray so as to wet an entire circumference of the stator winding head 110 with the second coolant even at a standstill or a low speed of the electric drive engine as taught by Scharlach, for the advantageous benefit of a cooling of the stator winding head can be produced thereby as taught by Scharlach (para[0032]).
As to claim 18/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach was discussed above with respect to claim 15, and Murakami further shows (FIG. 7, 8) the second coolant of the stator winding head cooling is electrically non-conductive (this is implied because the oil is in the motor 10 interior para [0127])).
As to claim 19/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach was discussed above with respect to claim 15, and Murakami further shows (FIG. 18) a first coolant circuit 950 for the first coolant and a second cooling circuit 35 for the second coolant form a heat exchanger 50 configured to transfer thermal energy between the first coolant circuit 950 and the second coolant circuit 35 (para [0041],[0085]).
As to claim 20/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach was discussed above with respect to claim 15, and Murakami further shows (FIG. 18) the first coolant of the stator core 112 cooling 950 is a water-based coolant, and/or wherein the second coolant of the stator winding head 110 cooling is an oil-based coolant (para[0041]).
As to claim 21/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach was discussed above with respect to claim 15, and Murakami further shows (FIG. 18) A drive cooling arrangement, comprising:
the stator cooling arrangement according to claim 15; and
a rotor 10a cooling arrangement that is formed with the second coolant (it is implied that oil impacting the coil end 110 will also cool the rotor 10a).
As to claim 22/21/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach was discussed above with respect to claim 21, and Murakami further shows (FIG. 18) a second coolant circuit 35, which is configured to supply the stator winding head 110 cooling and the rotor 10a cooling arrangement with the second coolant, and is configured to not supply the stator core 112 cooling (stator core 112 is cooled by water and there is heat exchange between water and oil of second circuit 35 para[0045]).
As to claim 23/22/21/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach was discussed above with respect to claim 22, and Murakami further shows (FIG. 18) the second coolant circuit 35 comprises an engine cooling path 3581 for cooling the electric drive engine 10, by which the rotor cooling arrangement and the stator winding head 110 cooling is constituted.
As to claim 24/23/22/21/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach was discussed above with respect to claim 22, and Murakami further shows (FIG. 18) the second coolant circuit 35 comprises a gear temperature-control path 3 for cooling an output gear 14 (cooling of differential device 14 with oil para[0031]).
As to claim 27/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach was discussed above with respect to claim 15, and Murakami further shows (FIG. 7, 8) An electromotive drive unit for a motor vehicle, comprising:
an electric drive engine 10 and an output gear 14 for the electric drive engine; and
the stator cooling arrangement according to claim 15 (vehicle with differential 14 para[0030]).
Claim(s) 25, 26, 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Murakami et al. (US 2021/0234416 A1, hereinafter Murakami) in view of Scharlach (US 2019/0006908 A1) and Neudorfer (EP 0990820 A2).
As to claim 25/24/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach was discussed above with respect to claim 21 except for the second coolant circuit comprises a junction upstream of a heat exchanger of the stator cooling arrangement, at which junction the engine cooling path and the gear temperature-control path split up.
Neudorfer shows (FIG. 5c,5d) the coolant circuit comprises a junction 32 upstream of a heat exchanger of the stator 1 cooling arrangement, at which junction 32 the engine cooling path and the gear temperature-control path split up (para[0026]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the second coolant circuit 35 of Murakami to have the second coolant circuit 35 comprises a junction 32 upstream of a heat exchanger of the stator cooling arrangement 22, at which junction the engine cooling path 22,70 and the gear temperature-control path 50 split up as taught by Neudorfer, for the advantageous benefit of allowing a temperature of the gear 14 to rise to an optimum temperature before the second coolant flows through the gear temperature-control path as taught by Neudorfer (para[0025]).
As to claim 26/25/24/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach and Neudorfer was discussed above with respect to claim 25 except for a branch valve is provided in the second coolant circuit and is configured to adjust an oil mass flow at the junction, which branch valve can assume an open state and a closed state, wherein the engine cooling path is blocked in the closed state.
Neudorfer shows (FIG. 5c,5d) for a branch valve 32 is provided in the second coolant circuit and is configured to adjust an oil mass flow at the junction, which branch valve 32 can assume an open state and a closed state, wherein the engine cooling path 1 is blocked in the closed state (para[0025],[0026]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the second coolant circuit 35 of Murakami in view of Scharlach and Neudorfer to have a branch valve 32 is provided in the second coolant circuit 35 and is configured to adjust an oil mass flow at the junction 32, which branch valve 32 can assume an open state and a closed state, wherein the engine cooling path 50 is blocked in the closed state as taught by Neudorfer, for the advantageous benefit of allowing a temperature of the gear 14 to rise to an optimum temperature before the second coolant flows through the gear temperature-control path as taught by Neudorfer (para[0025]).
As to claim 28/21/15, Murakami in view of Scharlach was discussed above with respect to claim 21 except for:
determining an operating state of the drive engine; and
switching a branch valve depending on an ascertained operating state.
Neudorfer shows (FIG. 5c,5d)
determining an operating state of the drive engine 2; and
switching the branch valve 32 depending on the ascertained operating state (para[0025],[0026]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the second coolant circuit 35 of Murakami in view of Scharlach to have
determining an operating state of the drive engine 10; and
switching a branch valve 32 depending on an ascertained operating state
as taught by Neudorfer, for the advantageous benefit of allowing a temperature of the gear 14 to rise to an optimum temperature before the second coolant flows through the gear temperature-control path as taught by Neudorfer (para[0025]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT E MATES whose telephone number is (571)270-5293. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 12:00pm to 8pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TULSIDAS PATEL can be reached at (571)272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ROBERT E MATES/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
Prosecution Insights