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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/13/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments regarding Sturm not disclosing a smart motor, this is not found persuasive as Strum discloses a motor with integrated control which is synonymous with a smart motor (see applicant’s specification para 0003).
In response to applicant’s arguments regarding the shaft not protruding through the electronic housing, this too is not found persuasive as the electronics housing is not just the part that contains the electronics but also contains the perforated section that forms an exhaust of sorts which corresponds to the ref numeral 4. Thus the limitations at question are disclosed by Sturm.
In response to applicant’s argument that Sturm does not disclose a centrifugal pump, this is also not found persuasive as the arrows that perpetrate the flow prove that the the pump in Sturm is centrifugal (see Sturm fig 4). As for applicant’s argument that the wheel is serving as the cavity, one having ordinary skill would know that the wheel is housed in a perforated section of the electronics housing which implies a cavity.
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, 2, 8 & 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sturm et al. (DE 102015105377).
[Claim 1] Sturm et al. teach:
A smart motor (1) comprising:
- an electric machine (rotor 36 and stator 7, fig 2) having at least one turning part 36 mounted to a rotating shaft (12),
- an electronic control unit (2) configured to drive the electric machine (rotor 36 and stator 7, fig 2),
- a casing (14) comprising a first cavity (annotated fig 2 below) in which the electric machine (rotor 36 and stator 7, fig 2) is housed and a second cavity (annotated fig 2 below), adjacent to the first cavity, in which the electronic control unit (2) is housed, the first and second cavities both having the rotating shaft (12) passing therethrough,
- at least one thermal partition (5) mounted at a junction between the first cavity (annotated fig 2 below) and the second cavity (annotated fig 2 below), a centrifugal pump (4) mounted to the rotating shaft (12), at the junction between the first cavity (annotated fig 2 below) and the second cavity (annotated fig 2 below) of the casing, and configured to generate circulation of an air flow from the second cavity to the first cavity of the casing (via intakes 20 & 21).
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[Claim 2] Sturm et al. teach:
The smart motor according to claim 1, wherein the centrifugal pump (4) comprises a plurality of rotary blades (since it is a dual-flow cooling wheel) mounted in a ring to a cylinder (since it is a dual-flow cooling wheel) integral with the rotating shaft (12), the rotary blades (since it is a dual-flow cooling wheel) generating, when rotating, a pressure difference between the first cavity (from intake 10, fig 2 above) and the second cavity (since there is flow leaving the 1st cavity into and out of the 2nd cavity).
[Claim 8] Sturm et al. teach:
The smart motor according to claim 1, wherein the casing (2 & 3) includes drain ports (8 &11) ensuring circulation of the air flow within said casing (see the arrows representing airflow, fig 2 above).
[Claim 9] Sturm et al. teach:
The smart motor according to claim 8, wherein at least one drain port (8 &11) is located in a first outer wall (24) of the second cavity (annotated fig 2 above) and at least one drain port (8 &11) is located in a circular shell (26) of the casing, at the periphery of the first cavity (between cover 24 and electronics housing part 26, fig 2 above).
[Claim 10] Sturm et al. teach:
The smart motor according to claim 2, wherein the rotary blades are positioned at least partially within a clearance between/among/around/in the general vicinity the at least one thermal partition and the rotating shaft.
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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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 3-7 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sturm et al. in view of Bradfield (US 20150042213).
[Claim 3] Sturm et al. has been discussed above, re claim 2; but does not teach that the cylinder of the centrifugal pump includes, at one end, a shoulder providing bypass of the centrifugal air flow.
Bradfield teaches that the cylinder of the centrifugal pump 104 includes, at one end, a shoulder 114 (it protrudes slightly beyond the blades, fig below) providing bypass of the centrifugal air flow to improve air-exchange efficiency which prolongs the service life of the motor (Bradfield para 0006).
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Consequently, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the invention of Sturm et al. being effectively filed to modify it so that the cylinder of the centrifugal pump includes, at one end, a shoulder providing bypass of the centrifugal air flow, as taught by Bradfield so as to prolong the service life of the motor.
[Claim 4] Sturm et al. in view of Bradfield teach:
The smart motor according to claim 3, wherein the shoulder (of Bradfield) is substantially parallel to the thermal partition (of Sturm et al. since it extends slightly radially, Bradfield fig above) so that said thermal partition channels (Sturm et al. fig above, shows outlets which are adjacent to the partition 5) the air flow.
[Claim 5] Sturm et al. in view of Bradfield teach:
The smart motor according to claim 2, wherein the rotary blades (110 of Bradfield) each comprise a bent shape with a convex surface (122 of Bradfield) integral with the cylinder (112 of Bradfield) (see Bradfield fig 3).
[Claim 6] Sturm et al. in view of Bradfield teach:
The smart motor according to claim 2, wherein the rotary blades (of Bradfield) are inclined or cambered (Bradfield annotated fig 3 below), with a shape adapted to the need for air circulation (Bradfield annotated fig 3 below), each rotary blade comprising a side surface (Bradfield annotated fig 3 below) askew relative to a plane perpendicular (Bradfield annotated fig 3 below) to a plane tangential (Bradfield annotated fig 3 below) to the cylinder (112 of Bradfield) of the centrifugal pump.
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[Claim 7] Sturm et al. teach:
The smart motor according to claim 2, wherein the rotary blades (Bradfield annotated fig 3 above) are planar, each rotary blade comprising a side surface (see askewed surface, Bradfield annotated fig 3 above) contained in a plane perpendicular to a plane tangential to the cylinder (Bradfield annotated fig 3 above) of the centrifugal pump (the askewed surface is contained in the plane, Bradfield annotated fig above).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TERRANCE L KENERLY whose telephone number is (571)270-7851. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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/TERRANCE L KENERLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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