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 .
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 140-147 and 149-151 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nadeau et al (US 20140103767 A1).
With respect to claim 140 Nadeau teaches an electric motor, comprising: a stator (fig. 10, stator 14), the stator comprising at least one coil (fig. 9, toroid coil 134); and a rotor spaced radially from the stator by an air gap and configured to rotate on an axis (fig. 9, rotor 18), the rotor comprising: a mandrel (fig. 13, key member 178); and a magnetic array disposed around the axis and supported by the mandrel (fig. 13 and paragraph 91 “One skilled in the art can appreciate the array of magnets 94 and concentrators 98 disposed about the rotation axis 22.”); wherein an appendage extends from one of the mandrel and the concentrator (fig. 13, plate 124) into a receiver formed on the other one of the mandrel and the concentrator to radially retain the concentrator on the mandrel (fig. 13, fasteners 128 in flange 166).
With respect to claim 141 Nadeau teaches wherein the receiver radially overlaps with the appendage (fig. 13 fasteners 128 and flange 166 overlap).
With respect to claim 142 Nadeau teaches the receiver includes an axial projection that radially overlaps with the appendage (fig. 14, flange 166 has an axial component which radially overlaps with the fastener 128).
With respect to claim 143 Nadeau teaches the projection is disposed radially between the stator and the appendage (see figures 13-14, flange 166 is disposed between the stator and fasteners 128).
With respect to claim 144 Nadeau teaches the projection is disposed radially between the magnetic array and the axis (see figures 13-14, flange 166 is disposed between the magnets 94 and axis 22).
With respect to claim 145 Nadeau teaches the projection radially overlaps with a body of the concentrator and the appendage (see figure 13, axial component of flange 166 overlaps radially with plate 124) and the projection is disposed radially between the body of the concentrator and the appendage (see figure 13, axial component of flange 166 overlaps radially with plate 124).
With respect to claim 146 Nadeau teaches the appendage extends from the concentrator (see figure 13 fastener 128 extends from plate 124).
With respect to claim 147 Nadeau teaches the concentrator comprises a body extending between a first axial end and a second axial end (see figure 13, plates 124), the body having a first radial side oriented towards the stator and a second radial side oriented towards the mandrel (figure 13, plate 124 has a inner and outer radial side, with inner radial side between drive member 62 and fastener and outer being outside the fastener 128); and the appendage extends from the second radial side (see figure 13 plate 124).
With respect to claim 149 Nadeau teaches the appendage forms a first appendage extending from the concentrator and the concentrator includes a second appendage that extends from the concentrator (fig. 13, two fasteners 13).
With respect to claim 150 Nadeau teaches the first appendage includes a first base end and a first distal end (see figure 13 marked below), the first base end connected to a body of the concentrator, and the first distal end offset axially from the first base end (see figure 13 marked below); and the second appendage includes a second base end and a second distal end (see figure 13 marked below), the second base end connected to the body of the concentrator, and the second distal end offset axially from the second base end (see figure 13 marked below).
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Nadeau Figure 13
With respect to claim 151 Nadeau teaches the first distal end is offset in a first axial direction from the first base end (see figure 13 marked above); and the second distal end is offset in the first axial direction from the second base end (see figure 13 marked above).
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.
Claim 148 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nadeau in view of Long et al (US 20200028389 A1)
With respect to claim 148, Nadeau teaches the second radial side includes a corner cutout extending from the first axial end (fig. 18, space 194 of frame 122, Examiner is interpreting frame 122 and plate as one unit), wherein a radial height of the concentrator varies along the corner cutout (fig. 18, frame 122 has space 194 and ridges 268),
Nadeau does not teach “wherein the appendage extends from within the corner cutout.”
Long teaches wherein the appendage extends from within the corner cutout (see figure 6B marked below).
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t
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill, in the art at the time the invention was filed,
to combine the motor of Nadeau with the appendages located with the corner cutouts in order to reduce weight around the joining portions thereby maintaining rotor balance while ensuring rotor integrity during operation.
Conclusion
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/R.O.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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