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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 9-13, filed 02/26/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 7 and 9 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of the new amendments and new combination of prior arts.
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 15 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.
Claim 15 recites “a thickness of the magnetic wedge,” which has not been clearly defined. “A width” has been defined as “a dimension of the magnetic wedge in a circumferential direction,” but it is not clear whether the direction of “a thickness” is the length in y direction or z direction. For examination purposes, “a thickness” direction will be construed as either y or z direction.
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.
Claims 1-4, 7 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kinouchi et al. (US 2019/0238021 A1) in view of Document 1 (JP H04108354 U).
Regarding claim 1, Kinouchi discloses a magnetic wedge (100) to be installed in a slot opening (260) of a stator (270) of a dynamo-electric machine (200), the magnetic wedge (100) comprising:
wherein defining that a long side of the magnetic wedge is a longitudinal direction, a short side is defined as a thickness direction, and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction is a width direction (FIG. 1, 2).
a projection shape of the magnetic wedge (100) projected onto a plane perpendicular to a width direction is a rectangle, a parallelogram, or a right angle trapezoid (wedge in FIG. 2 when viewed from the side would be a rectangle).
Kinouchi does not disclose corners of the rectangle, the parallelogram, or the right angle trapezoid have a rounded shape.
Document 1 discloses corners of the rectangle, the parallelogram, or the right angle trapezoid have a rounded shape (FIG. 1, 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Kinouchi in view of Document 1 to disclose corners of the rectangle, the parallelogram, or the right angle trapezoid have a rounded shape, for the advantages of as the curvature allows the wedges to be inserted easily into the slots.
Regarding claim 2/1, Kinouchi in view of Document 1 was discussed above in claim 1. Kinouchi further discloses including a plurality of soft magnetic particles (2) and an electrically insulating substance (coating layer ¶ [0084], intermediate phase ¶ [0087]) between the soft magnetic particles (2; ¶ [0083]).
Regarding claim 3/2, Kinouchi in view of Document 1 was discussed above in claim 2. Kinouchi further discloses wherein the soft magnetic particles (2) are Fe-based soft magnetic particles (¶ [0064]),
the Fe-based soft magnetic particles (2) contain an element M (coating layer on magnetic particles; ¶ [0084] Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Zr, Ti, Hf, Zn, Mn, Ba, Sr, Cr, Mo, Ag, Ga, Sc, V, Y, Nb, Pb, Cu, In, Sn, and rare earth elements) that is more easily oxidized than Fe (the presence of the coating layer increases oxidation resistance, suggesting the element is oxidized before iron),
the electrically insulating substance (coating layer, intermediate phase) is an oxide phase containing the element M (¶ [0084] one secondary element consisting of oxygen (O), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and fluorine (F), preferably is an oxide or a composite oxide), and
the Fe-based soft magnetic particles are bound by the oxide phase (¶ [0087] the intermediate phase also plays the role of mechanically adhering magnetic bodies to other magnetic bodies).
Regarding claim 4/3, Kinouchi in view of Document 1 was discussed above in claim 3. Kinouchi further discloses wherein the element M is at least one selected from a group consisting of Al, Si, Cr, Zr, and Hf (¶ [0084]).
Regarding claim 7, Kinouchi discloses a dynamo-electric machine (200) having:
a stator (270) which has a plurality of teeth (250) and a plurality of slots (260) formed by the plurality of teeth (250) and in which a magnetic wedge (100) is fitted between tips of the teeth (250) adjacent to each other; and
a rotor (210) disposed at a position by which an axis is shared with the stator (270) for the dynamo-electric machine (200),
wherein defining that a dimension of the magnetic wedge (100) in a circumferential direction of the dynamo-electric machine (200) is a width, and
a projection shape of the magnetic wedge (100) projected onto a plane perpendicular to a line in a width direction is a rectangle, a parallelogram, or a right angle trapezoid (wedge in FIG. 2 when viewed from the side would be a rectangle).
Kinouchi does not disclose corners of the rectangle, the parallelogram, or the right angle trapezoid have a rounded shape.
Document 1 discloses corners of the rectangle, the parallelogram, or the right angle trapezoid have a rounded shape (FIG. 1, 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Kinouchi in view of Document 1 to disclose corners of the rectangle, the parallelogram, or the right angle trapezoid have a rounded shape, for the advantages of as the curvature allows the wedges to be inserted easily into the slots.
Regarding claim 15, Kinouchi discloses a magnetic wedge (100) to be installed in a slot opening (260) of a stator (270) of a dynamo-electric machine (200),
wherein defining that a dimension of the magnetic wedge (100) in a circumferential direction of the dynamo-electric machine is a width (FIG. 1, 2),
a projection shape of the magnetic wedge (100) projected onto a plane perpendicular to a width direction is a rectangle, a parallelogram, or a right angle trapezoid (wedge in FIG. 2 when viewed from the side would be a rectangle).
Kinouchi does not disclose corners of the rectangle, the parallelogram, or the right angle trapezoid have a rounded shape, wherein a radius of the rounded shape is 40% or less of a thickness of the magnetic wedge.
Document 1 discloses corners of the rectangle, the parallelogram, or the right angle trapezoid have a rounded shape (FIG. 1, 2), wherein a radius (R) of the rounded shape is 40% or less of a thickness of the wedge (6; FIG. 2 discloses the length of the rounded shape is shorter than the length of the wedge in both y and z direction).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Kinouchi in view of Document 1 to disclose corners of the rectangle, the parallelogram, or the right angle trapezoid have a rounded shape, wherein a radius of the rounded shape is 40% or less of a thickness of the magnetic wedge, for the advantages of as the curvature allows the wedges to be inserted easily into the slots.
Claims 5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kinouchi et al. (US 2019/0238021 A1) in view of Document 1 (JP H04108354 U) as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of Hauger et al. (EP 1659672 A1).
Regarding claim 5/4, Kinouchi in view of Document 1 was discussed above in claim 4. Kinouchi in view of Document 1 does not disclose wherein the Fe-based soft magnetic particles are Fe-Al-Cr alloy particles.
Hauger discloses wherein the Fe-based soft magnetic particles are Fe-Al-Cr alloy particles (see excerpt below).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Kinouchi in view of Document 1, further in view of Hauge to disclose wherein the Fe-based soft magnetic particles are Fe-Al-Cr alloy particles, for the advantages of a magnetic material having a ferromagnetic state below 1050 degree Celsius and paramagnetic state above 1050 degree Celsius.
Regarding claim 8/5, Kinouchi in view of Document 1 and Hauger was discussed above in claim 5. Kinouchi further discloses a dynamo-electric machine (200) having:
a stator (270) which has a plurality of teeth (250) and a plurality of slots (260) formed by the plurality of teeth (250) and in which the magnetic wedge (100) according to claim 5 is fitted between tips of the teeth (250) adjacent to each other; and
a rotor (210) disposed at a position by which an axis is shared with the stator (270) for the dynamo-electric machine (200).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kinouchi et al. (US 2019/0238021 A1) in view of Document 1 (JP H04108354 U) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yamaguchi et al. (US 2004/0124730 A1).
Regarding claim 6/1, Kinouchi in view of Document 1 was discussed above in claim 1. Kinouchi further discloses wherein the magnetic wedge (100) has a shape with a width that differs in the thickness direction of the magnetic wedge (100; FIG. 1, 2).
Kinouchi in view of Document 1 does not disclose a cross-sectional shape of the magnetic wedge when viewed from the longitudinal direction has a shape in which a straight portion and an inclined portion are smoothly connected.
Yamaguchi discloses a cross-sectional shape of the magnetic wedge (1) when viewed from the longitudinal direction has a shape in which a straight portion (111) and an inclined portion (112) are smoothly connected (FIG. 10a, b).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Kinouchi in view of Document 1, further in view of Yamaguchi to disclose a cross-sectional shape of the magnetic wedge when viewed from the longitudinal direction has a shape in which a straight portion and an inclined portion are smoothly connected, for the advantages of improved insertion performance (¶ [0062]).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi et al. (US 2004/0124730 A1) in view of Kinouchi et al. (US 2019/0238021 A1) and Iyoda et al. (US 2003/0127157 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Yamaguchi discloses a method for manufacturing a wedge (1) that is to be installed in a slot opening (52) of a stator (5) of a dynamo-electric machine (¶ [0003]), the method comprising:
defining that a long side of the wedge (1) is a longitudinal direction, a short side is defined as a thickness direction, and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction is a width direction (FIG. 1),
a die (¶ [0038] discloses the wedge is integrally molded implying that a die is used) having a rectangular, parallelogram, or right angle trapezoidal (FIG. 1 discloses a right angle trapezoid shaped wedge) opening with rounded corners (the bottom has rounded corners in FIG. 1).
Yamaguchi does not disclose the wedge is a magnetic wedge,
a pressing step of pressing raw material powder containing soft magnetic particles in a width direction to obtain a green compact,
a punch configured to be inserted into the opening of the die are used.
Kinouchi discloses the wedge (100) is a magnetic wedge (abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamaguchi in view of Kinouchi to disclose the wedge is a magnetic wedge, for the advantages of reducing harmonic loss (¶ [0005]).
Iyoda discloses a pressing step (¶ [0048] apply the pressure force of 600 Mpa) of pressing raw material powder (20) containing soft magnetic particles (¶ [0047] iron system powder) in the width direction (pressed with die 30) to obtain a green compact (40),
a punch (32-34, 36-38) configured to be inserted into the opening of the die (30) are used (FIG. 1).
The method of Iyoda can be implemented to manufacture the magnetic wedges of Kinouchi.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamaguchi in view of Iyoda to disclose a pressing step of pressing raw material powder containing soft magnetic particles in a width direction to obtain a green compact, a punch configured to be inserted into the opening of the die are used, for the advantages of to achieve a magnetic mold of high strength to be easily ejected from a die (¶ [0010]).
Regarding claim 10/9, Yamaguchi in view of Kinouchi and Iyoda was discussed above in claim 9. Yamaguchi in view of Iyoda does not disclose including a plurality of the soft magnetic particles and an electrically insulating substance between the soft magnetic particles.
Kinouchi discloses including a plurality of the soft magnetic particles (2) and an electrically insulating substance (coating layer ¶ [0084], intermediate phase ¶ [0087]) between the soft magnetic particles (2; ¶ [0083]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamaguchi in view of Iyoda, further in view of Kinouchi to disclose including a plurality of the soft magnetic particles and an electrically insulating substance between the soft magnetic particles, for the advantages of increasing electrical, thermal and oxidization resistance of the magnetic particles (¶ [0084] “the coating layer not only enhances the thermal stability or oxidation resistance … but can also enhance the electrical resistance of the magnetic body”).
Regarding claim 11/10, Yamaguchi in view of Kinouchi and Iyoda was discussed above in claim 10. Kinouchi further discloses wherein the raw material powder is mixed powder of a binder ((¶ [0088] intermediate phase is used as adhering magnetic bodies to each other) and powder of Fe-based soft magnetic particles (2) containing an element M (coating layer on magnetic particles; ¶ [0084] Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Zr, Ti, Hf, Zn, Mn, Ba, Sr, Cr, Mo, Ag, Ga, Sc, V, Y, Nb, Pb, Cu, In, Sn, and rare earth elements) that is more easily oxidized than Fe (the presence of the coating layer increases oxidation resistance, suggesting the element is oxidized before iron), and
a surface oxide phase (¶ [0087] the intermediate phase also plays the role of mechanically adhering magnetic bodies to other magnetic bodies) of the Fe-based soft magnetic particles (2) that binds the Fe-based soft magnetic particles (2) together between the Fe-based soft magnetic particles (2) is provided.
Yamaguchi in view of Kinouchi does not disclose after the pressing step, a heat treatment step of heat-treating the green compact to form a protective surface.
Iyoda discloses after the pressing step, a heat treatment step (50; ¶ [0049]) of heat-treating the green compact (40) to form a protective surface (410; ¶ [0050]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamaguchi in view of Kinouchi, further in view of Iyoda to disclose after the pressing step, a heat treatment step of heat-treating the green compact to form a protective surface, as it is well known that heating accelerates the oxidation process to create a layer of oxide to treat metal surface.
Regarding claim 12/11, Yamaguchi in view of Kinouchi and Iyoda was discussed above in claim 11. Kinouchi further discloses wherein the element M is at least one selected from a group consisting of Al, Si, Cr, Zr, and Hf (¶ [0084]).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi et al. (US 2004/0124730 A1) in view of Iyoda et al. (US 2003/0127157 A1) and Kinouchi et al. (US 2019/0238021 A1) as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Hauger et al. (EP 1659672 A1).
Regarding claim 13/12, Yamaguchi in view of Iyoda and Kinouchi was discussed above in claim 12. Yamaguchi in view of Iyoda and Kinouchi does not disclose wherein the Fe-based soft magnetic particles are Fe-Al-Cr alloy particles.
Hauger discloses wherein the Fe-based soft magnetic particles are Fe-Al-Cr alloy particles (see excerpt below).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamaguchi in view of Iyoda and Kinouchi, further in view of Hauge to disclose wherein the Fe-based soft magnetic particles are Fe-Al-Cr alloy particles, for the advantages of a magnetic material having a ferromagnetic state below 1050 degree Celsius and paramagnetic state above 1050 degree Celsius.
Regarding claim 14/13, Yamaguchi in view of Iyoda, Kinouchi and Hauger was discussed above in claim 13.
Yamaguchi further discloses a cross-sectional shape of the magnetic wedge (1) when viewed from the longitudinal direction has a shape in which a straight portion (111) and an inclined portions (112) are smoothly connected (FIG. 10a, b).
While Yamaguchi in view of Iyoda does not disclose wherein the punch has a punch surface that is asymmetrical with respect to a center line in a thickness direction of the magnetic wedge, when Iyoda’s method of pressing the soft magnetic powder is used to create Yamaguchi’s wedge in FIG. 1, the surface of the punch (32-34, 36-38 in Iyoda) would be asymmetrical, as the shape of Yamaguchi’s wedge is asymmetrical (W1 is shorter than W2). Thus, it is obvious that Yamaguchi in view of Iyoda discloses wherein the punch has a punch surface that is asymmetrical with respect to a center line in a thickness direction of the magnetic wedge.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINKI CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-0521. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MINKI CHANG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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