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 .
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 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.
Claims 15-20 and 24-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schluchter et al. (DE3506628, “Schluchter”, using machine translation) in view of Williams et al. (US20090183923, “Williams”).
Re claim 15, Schluchter discloses an electric machine, comprising:
a housing comprising a bearing receptacle 5, 6 for receiving a bearing (figs 1-2, [0014] & [0016]); and
a segmented ring adapter 22 designed to fasten the bearing to the housing (figs 1-2, [0023]).
Schluchter discloses claim 15 except for the segmented ring adapter having at least one gradation.
Williams discloses the ring adapter 120 has at least one gradation (figs 7 & below).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the segmented ring adapter of Schluchter to have at least one gradation, as disclosed by Williams, in order to provide an interlocking mounting structure between the housing and the segmented housing and provide axial positioning of the bearing as demonstrated by Williams.
Re claim 16, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 15 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses the bearing receptacle 5, 6 is double-walled (fig 1, [0016], has walls 9 & 10), the electric machine further comprising a reinforcement arranged between a first wall 9 of the double-walled bearing receptacle and a second wall 10 of the double-walled bearing receptacle (fig 1, reinforcements formed by 11-14, [0016]).
Re claim 17, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 16 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses the reinforcement comprises a plurality of ribs 11, 12 (fig 1).
Re claim 18, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 16 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses the reinforcement comprises a plurality of plates 13, 14 (fig 1).
Re claim 19, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 16 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses the bearing is rigidly connected to one of the first and second walls of the double-walled bearing receptacle (figs 1-2).
Re claim 20, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 15 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses the housing comprises a first housing-side coupling element 28 (fig 4c, [0034-0035]), the electric machine further comprising a stator comprising a stator laminated core 4 (fig 1, [0014]) and a first stator-side coupling element 29 (fig 4c, [0034-0035]), wherein the first stator-side coupling element 29 and the first housing-side coupling element 28 are located at an axial height of the electric machine in a region of the stator laminated core 4 (figs 1 & 4c).
Re claim 24, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 20 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses the housing comprises a second housing-side coupling element 28 (figs 4c & below), each of the first housing-side coupling element 28 and the second housing-side coupling element 28 comprising a connection to the first stator-side coupling element 29 (fig 4c, 1st housing coupling element is connected to itself & 2nd housing coupling element connected to 1st housing coupling element through 10).
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Re claim 25, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 20 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses the stator comprises stator ring elements ([0035], states 29 connected to stator end plate which is inherently ring shaped to match stator core), the first stator-side coupling element 28 being accommodated in the stator ring elements ([0035]).
Re claim 26, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 20 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses at least four of said housing-side coupling element 28 (figs 1, 4c & above for claim 24, two on each axial sides since 10 is on both sides of the stator), wherein the stator is fastened by at least four connections between the at least four housing-side coupling elements 28 and stator-side coupling elements 29 in the housing (figs 1, 4c & above for claim 24), wherein the at least four connections have a flat configuration to span planes (figs 4c & below), with an axis of rotation of the electric machine lying in a space between planes in opposition to one another (figs 4c & below).
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Re claim 27, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 26 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses at least one of the housing-side coupling elements 28 is connected to a base point of the housing (figs 1 & 4c, 10 connected to bottom or base point of the housing or 7-8).
Re claim 28, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 20 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses at least one of the housing-side coupling elements 28 is connected to a stabilization element (figs 1 & 4c, 7-8, 10-14).
Re claim 29, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 15 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses the housing comprises a base element (figs 1 & below, bottom of housing) and a cover element 2, 3 connectable to the base element (figs 1 & below).
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Re claim 30, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 15 as discussed above and further discloses the at least one gradation comprises an internal gradation that engages in and is positioned in the bearing receptacle (Williams, figs 7 & above for claim 15), and an external gradation, wherein the bearing engages in and is positioned in the external gradation (Williams, figs 7 & above for claim 15).
Claims 20-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schluchter in view of Williams and in further view of Winkler (US20150349592, “Winkler”).
Re claim 20, Schluchter in view of Williams discloses claim 1 as discussed above. Schluchter further discloses the electric machine further comprising a stator comprising a stator laminated core 4 (fig 1, [0014]), but is silent with respect to:
the housing comprises a first housing-side coupling element, the electric machine further comprising a first stator-side coupling element, wherein the first stator-side coupling element and the first housing-side coupling element are located at an axial height of the electric machine in a region of the stator laminated core.
Winkler discloses the housing 10 comprises a first housing-side coupling element 60, 62 (figs 1, 3, 5 & 8-9, [0047], slot for 16), the electric machine further comprising a first stator-side coupling element 28 (figs 2, 5, & 8-9, [0038] & [0040]), wherein the first stator-side coupling element 28 and the first housing-side coupling element 60, 62 are located at an axial height of the electric machine in a region of the stator laminated core 22 (fig 8, axial height @ horizontal dashed line).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the housing and stator of Schluchter in view of Williams so the housing comprises a first housing-side coupling element, the electric machine further comprising a first stator-side coupling element, wherein the first stator-side coupling element and the first housing-side coupling element are located at an axial height of the electric machine in a region of the stator laminated core, as disclosed by Winkler, in order to provide torque support for the stator core, as taught by Winkler ([0038]).
Re claims 21, 22 and 23, Schluchter in view of Williams and Winkler disclose claim 20 as discussed above and further discloses:
screw connections 36 designed to provide a connection between the first stator-side coupling element 28 and the first housing-side coupling element 60, 62 (Winkler, [0040]);
a feather key 16 forming part of the connection between the first stator-side coupling element 28 and the first housing-side coupling element 60, 62 (Winkler, figs 5 & 8-9, [0040]); and
the stator 22 is aligned to the housing 10 via at least two of said feather key 16 (Winkler, figs 5 & 8-9, [0038]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims 6/4/26 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.
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5715. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:30-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached on (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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/ERIC JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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