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 responsive to the Applicant's communication filed on March 12, 2024. In view of this communication, claims 1-6 are now pending in the application.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they fail to show a rotor, a permanent magnet, an electrical motor, and a stator as described in the specification. Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Claim 5 recites an "electric motor and stator" comprising the rotor of claim 4, but does not recite any additional limitations of said rotor. Thus, the claim does not further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated ZHU (US 20180278100 A1).
Regarding claim 1, ZHU teaches:
A core sheet for an electric motor[0008], comprising:
a silicon steel sheet (Fig 5; 400) having a modified portion(Fig 5; 414)[0062] obtained by being melted together with a modifying material;(product by process) and
a wedge portion (Fig 5; 426’)configured such that a part of a boundary portion (Fig 5; 414’)between the modified portion (Fig 5; 414)and an unmodified portion (Fig 5; 411)[0062] of the silicon steel sheet(Fig 5; 400) protrudes at least on one side of the modified portion(Fig 5; 414) and the unmodified portion(Fig 5; 411).
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727
840
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Regarding claim 2, ZHU teaches the core sheet according to claim 1:
wherein the modified portion (Fig 5; 414)is provided in at least a part of a region that becomes a bridge (Fig 5; 426)[0062]portion of a rotor core(Fig 1B; 10)[0051].
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451
547
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Regarding claim 3, ZHU teaches a rotor core (Fig 1B; 10)obtained by stacking a plurality of core sheets(Fig 5; 400)[0051,0062] according to claim 1.
Regarding claim 4, ZHU teaches a rotor [0008] comprising: the rotor core (Fig 1B; 10)according to claim 3;
a permanent magnet (Fig 5; 410)embedded in a magnet hole (Fig 5; 408)of the rotor core(Fig 1B; 10)[0062].
Regarding claim 5, ZHU teaches an electric motor[0001] comprising: the rotor [0008]according to claim 4;
a stator[0001].
Regarding claim 6, ZHU teaches:
A high-strength steel sheet [0001]comprising:
a silicon steel sheet (Fig 5; 400) having a modified portion(Fig 5; 414)[0062] obtained by being melted together with a modifying material;(product by process) and
a wedge portion (Fig 5; 426’)configured such that a part of a boundary portion (Fig 5; 414’)between the modified portion (Fig 5; 414)and an unmodified portion (Fig 5; 411)[0062] of the silicon steel sheet(Fig 5; 400) protrudes at least on one side of the modified portion(Fig 5; 414) and the unmodified portion(Fig 5; 411).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS L SETZER whose telephone number is (571)272-3021. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye 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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/N.L.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834