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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/24/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fuller (US 6,498,417 B2).
Regarding claim 12, Fuller discloses an electric machine (10), comprising:
a stator comprising a laminated stator core (20) constructed from annular stator elements (FIG. 1) and a first stator-side coupling element (26) located at a height of an axis of the electric machine (10) in an area of the laminated core (20), said first stator-side coupling element (26) comprising a first slot (26; the coupling element is the slot; FIG. 2);
a housing (30, 32, 34) surrounding the stator and comprising a first housing-side coupling element (43, 56, 64) comprising a second slot (key block 64 for inserting key 22; FIG. 5) and arranged in confronting relationship with the first stator-side coupling element (26) when the stator is installed in the housing;
a stabilization element (30), which is connected in a head area (32) and in a foot area (34) to the housing-side coupling element (43, 56, 64) and is oriented at right angles to the first housing-side coupling element (26);
a key (22) inserted in a space formed by the first slot and the second slot between the confronting first stator-side coupling element (26) and the first housing- side coupling element (43, 56, 64), said key (22) constructed for aligning the stator in relation to the housing in order to ensure an exact alignment of the stator with respect to a rotor of the electric machine (10); and
screw connections (15) designed to provide a connection between the first stator-side coupling element (26) and the first housing-side coupling element (43, 56, 64) following alignment of the stator with respect to the housing (FIG. 5).
Regarding claim 13/12, Fuller was discussed above in claim 12. Fuller further discloses wherein the housing comprises a second housing-side coupling element (44, 56, 64), each of the first housing-side coupling element (43, 56, 64) and the second housing-side coupling element (44) comprising a connection to the first stator-side coupling element (26; FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 14/12, Fuller was discussed above in claim 12. Fuller further discloses at least four of said housing-side coupling element (43, 44, 56, 64; total of six elements), wherein the stator is fastened by at least four connections (FIG. 1, 3, 4) between the at least four housing-side coupling elements (43, 44, 56, 64) and the stator-side coupling elements (26) in the housing (30, 32, 34), wherein the at least four connections have a planar configuration to span planes (FIG. 1), with an axis of rotation of the electric machine (10) lying in a space of planes in opposition to one another (FIG. 2; connections on opposite sides).
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 (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.
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 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuller (US 6,498,417 B2) in view of Carbonell et al. (US 6,091,177)
Regarding claim 17/12, Fuller was discussed above in claim 12. Fuller does not disclose wherein the housing comprises a base element and a cover element connectable to the base element.
Carbonell discloses wherein the housing (11, 17) comprises a base element (17) and a cover element (11) connectable to the base element (17).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Fuller in view of Carbonell to disclose wherein the housing comprises a base element and a cover element connectable to the base element, for the advantages of providing a necessary support in both the horizontal and vertical directions (background of inventions).
Claims 18-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuller (US 6,498,417 B2) in view of Ourion et al. (US 10,615,664 B2).
Regarding claim 18/12, Fuller was discussed above in claim 12. Fuller does not disclose wherein the housing comprises a double-walled bearing receptacle.
Ourion discloses wherein the housing (4, 8) comprises a double-walled bearing receptacle (56A, 56B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Fuller in view of Ourion to disclose wherein the housing comprises a double-walled bearing receptacle, for the advantages of improving the strength with respect to mechanical vibrations and reduce wear (col. 1 II. 55-60).
Regarding claim 19/18, Fuller in view of Ourion was discussed above in claim 18. Ourion further discloses a stiffening structure (70) designed to provide a stiffening between a first wall (58) of the double-walled bearing receptacle and a second wall (60) of the double-walled bearing receptacle.
Regarding claim 20/19, Fuller in view of Ourion was discussed above in claim 19. Ourion further discloses wherein the stiffening structure (70) comprises a plurality of ribs (FIG. 4).
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Regarding claim 21/19, Fuller in view of Ourion was discussed above in claim 19. Ourion further discloses wherein the stiffening structure (see annotation above) comprises a plurality of plates (FIG. 4).
Regarding claim 22/18, Fuller in view of Ourion was discussed above in claim 18. Ourion further discloses a bearing (16A, 16B) rigidly connected to walls of the double-walled bearing receptacle (56A, 56B).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINKI CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-0521. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/MINKI CHANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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