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 .
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.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1-9 are 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.
Regarding claim 1, the recitation “the connection portion radially overlaps the bus bar connection portion” is indefinite because it contradicts the present disclosure. The disclosure describes this recitation in Figs. 6-7 and paragraph [0041]. However, in Figs. 6-7, the connection portion 442 does not appear to overlap bus bar connection portion 412. It appears that they are separated by a gap and there is no overlapping.
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.
Claims 1-2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20170019000 A1 to Sakamoto et al. in view of JP 2018007514 A to Hiroyuki.
Regarding claim 1, Sakamoto et al. discloses a motor unit comprising:
a shaft (Fig. 1: 21) rotatable about a central axis (O) extending vertically;
a rotor (20) rotatable about the central axis together with the shaft;
a stator (10) radially facing the rotor; and
a bus bar unit (50) electrically connecting the stator, wherein the bus bar unit includes at least one bus bar (51) and a temperature detection unit (60).
However, it fails to disclose an inverter unit electrically connected to the stator; a bus bar unit electrically connecting the stator and the inverter unit; a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of the bus bar, and a holding portion that holds the bus bar and the temperature detection unit, the bus bar includes a bus bar connection portion protruding from the holding portion, the temperature detection unit includes a temperature detection element fixed to the holding portion, and an energization unit electrically connected to the temperature detection element, the energization unit includes a connection portion protruding from the holding portion and electrically connected to the inverter unit, and the connection portion radially overlaps the bus bar connection portion.
Hiroyuki teaches an inverter unit electrically connected to the stator [0015]; a bus bar unit (Fig. 1: 30) electrically connecting the stator (10) and the inverter unit [0015]; a temperature detection unit (Fig. 3: 50) that detects a temperature of the bus bar (41), and a holding portion (40) that holds the bus bar (41) and the temperature detection unit (50), the bus bar includes a bus bar connection portion (Fig. 4: 81) protruding from the holding portion, the temperature detection unit includes a temperature detection element (Fig. 3: 50) fixed to the holding portion (40), and an energization unit (51) electrically connected to the temperature detection element (50), the energization unit includes a connection portion (Fig. 4: 84) protruding from the holding portion and electrically connected to the inverter unit [0015], and the connection portion (84) radially overlaps the bus bar connection portion (81).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teaching of the temperature detection as disclosed by Hiroyuki to the motor unit disclosed by Sakamoto et al.
One would have been motivated to do so to improve accuracy of the temperature measurement.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Sakamoto et al. and Hiroyuki discloses the inverter unit (from Hiroyuki) is disposed on an axial one side (Sakamoto et al., Fig. 1: 60d) with respect to the stator (10), the bus bar connection portion (53) protrudes from the holding portion (55) to the axial one side, the connection portion (60d) protrudes from the holding portion (55) to an axial one side, and the connection portion (60d) is disposed radially inward relative to the bus bar connection portion (53).
Regarding claim 5, Sakamoto et al. discloses at least the connection portion of the energization unit is elastically deformable (60d lead wire).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20170019000 A1 to Sakamoto et al. in view of JP 2018007514 A to Hiroyuki as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of JP 2018186643 A to Yuji.
Regarding claim 3, Sakamoto et al. and Yuji discloses a motor unit as described above.
However, it fails to disclose the temperature detection unit includes a cover member covering an outer periphery of the connection portion, and at least one of the inverter unit and the holding portion includes at least a part of the cover member.
Yuji teaches the temperature detection unit (Fig. 1: 40) includes a cover member (50) covering an outer periphery of the connection portion (43), and at least one of the inverter unit and the holding portion (30) includes at least a part of the cover member (50).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teaching of the cover member as disclosed by Yuji to the motor unit disclosed by Sakamoto et al. and Hiroyuki.
One would have been motivated to do so to protect the temperature detection unit.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 6-9 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VIET P NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-9457. The examiner can normally be reached M, T, Th, F from 12pm-8pm.
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/VIET P NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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