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 Amendment
This office action is in response to amendment filed on 03/27/26. Regarding the amendment, claims 1-10 are present for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5-7, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mason (US 3,745,394).
Regarding claim 1, Mason teaches an armature manufacturing method comprising:
disposing an insulating member (10) on a core (12) including a plurality of tooth portions (13) extending radially so that
side faces of the tooth portions (13) of the core (12) are covered with the insulating member (10) and first portions (88, 88a) of the insulating member (10) protrude to one side in an axial direction from end faces of the tooth portions (13) on the one side in the axial direction (col 6 ln 27-30), and
when the insulating member (10) is on the core (12), a portion (89) of the insulating member (10) adjacent to the first portions (88, 88a) in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction protrudes to one side in the axial direction axially beyond one end face of the tooth portions (col 6 ln30-32);
bending, toward each of the tooth portions, the first portions (88, 88a) of the insulating member (10) that protrude from the end face of each of the tooth portions (13) on the one side without bending the portion (89) of the insulating member (10) adjacent to the first portion (88, 88a) in a direction along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction while the insulating member (10) is on the core (12); and
looping a winding (not shown, col 6 ln 33-35) around each of the plurality of tooth portions (13) on which the first portions (88, 88a) are bent (col 6 ln 35-40).
Regarding claim 2, Mason teaches the bending includes disposing the insulating member (10) on the core (12) from the other side in the axial direction.
Regarding claim 5, Mason teaches the bending includes bending the first portions (88, 88a) to bring the first portions (88, 88a) into close surface contact with each of the tooth portions (13, col 6 ln 27-30).
Regarding claim 6, Mason teaches the bending includes bending, toward each of the tooth portions, a pair of the first portions (88, 88a) provided on both sides of each of the tooth portions (13) in a circumferential direction to form a clearance between the pair of the first portions (88, 88a) with the pair of the first portions bent toward each of the tooth portions (13).
Regarding claim 7, Mason teaches the disposing includes disposing the insulating member (10) on the core (12) so that second portions (89) of the insulating member (10) disposed along an annular yoke portion of the core (12) that connects the plurality of tooth portions (13) and adjoin the first portions (88, 88a) protrude to the one side in the axial direction from an end face of the yoke portion (12) on the one side in the axial direction with the insulating member (10) disposed on the core; and the bending includes bending the first portions (88, 88a) without bending the second portions (89).
Regarding claim 10, Mason teaches an armature comprising:
a winding (not shown, col 6 ln 33-35);
a core (12) including a plurality of tooth portions (13) around which the winding is looped, the tooth portions (13) extending along a radial direction; and
an insulating member (10) between the core and the winding, wherein
the insulating member (10) covers side faces of the tooth portions (13) and end faces of the tooth portions on one side in an axial direction,
first portions (88, 88a) of the insulating member (10) that covers the end faces of the tooth portions (13) on the one side are cover the end faces on the one side by being bent toward each of the tooth portions, and
a portion (89) of the insulating member (10) adjacent to the first portions (88, 88a) in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction protrudes to one side in the axial direction axially beyond one end face of the tooth portions (col 6 ln30-32).
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mason in view of Kinpara et al. (US 2012/0326550 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Mason teaches the claimed invention as set forth in claim 1, except for the added limitation of the bending step is a step of plastically deforming the first portions by bending the first portions while heating the first portions.
Kinpara teaches a method of manufacturing a stator having a bending step of plastically deforming the first portions (44) by bending the first portions while heating the first portions (para 0057]) to contact the axial ends of the insulating members to the stator core so that secure the insulating member (para [0057]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Mason’s manufacturing method with the bending step is a step of plastically deforming the first portions by bending the first portions while heating the first portions as taught by Kinpara. Doing so would contact the axial ends of the insulating members to the stator core so that secure the insulating member (para [0057]).
Regarding claim 4, Mason in view of Kinpara teaches the claimed invention as set forth in claim 3, except for the added limitation of a step of bending the first portions while heating the first portions so that a temperature of each of the first portions is equal to or higher than a glass transition point of the insulating member and lower than a melting point of the insulating member.
Kinpara further teaches a method of manufacturing a stator having a step of bending the first portions (44) while heating the first portions (44) so that a temperature of each of the first portions (44) is equal to or higher than a glass transition point of the insulating member (16) and lower than a melting point of the insulating member (para [0056]-[0057]) to contact the axial ends of the insulating members to the stator core so that secure the insulating member (para [0057]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Mason in view of Kinpara’s manufacturing method with a step of bending the first portions while heating the first portions so that a temperature of each of the first portions is equal to or higher than a glass transition point of the insulating member and lower than a melting point of the insulating member as further taught by Kinpara. Doing so would contact the axial ends of the insulating members to the stator core so that secure the insulating member (para [0057]).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mason in view of Kasai (JP 2020072528 A).
Regarding claim 8, Mason teaches the claimed invention as set forth in claim 7, except for the added limitation of the bending step is a step of bending the first portions without bending the second portions out of the first portions and the second portions that are separated from each other by slits provided between the first portions and the second portions.
Kasai teaches a stator motor having a method of make the stator wherein a step of bending the first portions (56) without bending the second portions out of the first portions (56) and the second portions that are separated from each other by slits (54) provided between the first portions and the second portions (fig 5) to improve space factor of the coil in the slot while prevent the insulating member from being displaced.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Mason’s manufacturing method with a step of bending the first portions without bending the second portions out of the first portions and the second portions that are separated from each other by slits provided between the first portions and the second portions as taught by Kasai. Doing so would improve space factor of the coil in the slot while prevent the insulating member from being displaced.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the record of prior art by itself or in combination with other references does not show a armature manufacturing method wherein the insulating member disposing the insulating member on the core so that a protruding length of the first portions from the end faces of the tooth portions on the one side is larger than a protruding length of the second portions from the end face of the yoke portion on the one side, as recited in claim 9.
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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kinoshita (US 10,367,390 B2) teaches a stator capable of preventing the displacement of insulators and securely positioning the insulators at given positions. A stator includes a stator core formed with slots; a coil wound around the stator core, the coil comprising a coil side and a coil end, the coil end arranged outside the slot; and insulators provided in the slots. Each insulator includes a coil side-insulation part arranged between wall surfaces of a slot and a first coil side and electrically insulating the wall surfaces from the first coil side; and a coil end-insulation part formed in one piece with the coil side-insulation part and arranged outside the first slot. The coil end-insulation part is arranged between a first coil end and a second coil end and electrically insulates the first coil end from the second coil end.
Lee (US 2019/0341824 A1) teaches a stator for a compressor motor may include a stator body having a hollow therein, a plurality of coil winding portions that protrudes inward from an inner circumferential surface of the stator body and spaced apart from each other, a coil wound around each of the plurality of coil winding portions, and an insulation portion that extends in an axial direction of the stator body, disposed between a first coil winding portion and a second coil winding portion of the plurality of coil winding portions, and coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the stator body to surround a portion of the coil. The insulation portion may be made of polyether ether ketone, which is a plastic-based material, or one of polyurethane rubber or silicone rubber, which are rubber-based materials.
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 LEDA T PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-5806. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M 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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/LEDA T PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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