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 § 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 16 – 17 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 16, lines 3 – 4, state “the distance between the axes of the adjacent oil spray holes is equal to 0”. In Applicant’s figures, regarding the adjacent oil spray holes 40, the adjacent oil spray holes are not shown to have a distance between them that is equal to 0, thus it is unclear what Applicant’s claim limitation is referring to and is therefore rejected. For the purposes of examination, “the distance between the axes of the adjacent oil spray holes is equal to 0” will be construed to “the distance between the axes of the adjacent oil spray holes is greater than 0”.
Regarding Claim 17, it is also rejected as being dependent on rejected claim 16.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(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 1, 15 – 16, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Graves et al. (US 20190006914 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Graves et al. discloses an oil cooled motor heat dissipation structure (first jet ring 120 and second jet ring 121) (Graves et al. Fig. 3),
wherein the oil cooled motor heat dissipation structure (Graves et al. Fig. 3) comprising:
oil spray parts (also first jet ring 120 and second jet ring 121) (Graves et al. Fig. 3),
the oil spray parts are disposed on two ends of a stator core (116) (Graves et al. Fig. 3);
an outside diameter of the oil spray part is not less than an outside diameter of the stator core (Graves et al. Fig. 3 discloses the oil spray part is greater than the outside diameter of stator 116),
and the oil spray part is in contact with a case (310) (Graves et al. Fig. 3);
an outer surface of the stator core (side surface 304), the case (aperture 303 of housing 310) and the oil spray parts (first space 305 and second space 307 defined between housing 310, and first jet ring 120 and second jet ring 121, respectively) construct a cooling medium flow chamber (first stator cooling channels 202 and second stator cooling channels 203) (Graves et al. Fig. 3),
so as to facilitate the flowing of a cooling medium (oil, abstract) in the cooling medium flow chamber along the outer surface of the stator core (Graves et al. Fig. 3);
the oil spray part comprises an oil spray channel (oil hole 312 of first jet ring 120 and oil hole 314 of second jet ring 121) (Graves et al. Fig. 3);
one end of the oil spray channel is communicated with the cooling medium flow chamber (Graves et al. Fig. 3),
and the other end of the oil spray channel is communicated with a chamber inside the motor (Graves et al. Fig. 3);
the oil spray channel is tilted from an end face of the oil spray part to a direction of a stator end winding (first end-windings 306 and second end-windings 308) (Graves et al. Fig. 3 and Para [0036] lines 4 – 6 disclose the angle of oil holes 312 and 314 can be changed such that they can be tilted towards a direction of respective stator windings 306 and 308),
so that the cooling medium is sprayed to the stator end winding from the cooling medium flow chamber along the oil spray channel (Graves et al. Fig. 3);
the oil spray channel comprises a plurality of oil spray holes (Graves et al. Para [0032] lines 25 – 28);
the plurality of oil spray holes are sequentially disposed along one side surface of the oil spray part which faces the stator core to the other side surface of the oil spray part (Graves et al. Para [0032] lines 28 – 33);
there is a distance between axes of the adjacent oil spray holes (Graves et al. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4B discloses the circumferential distance between adjacent oil spray holes on one side near stator end winding 306),
and the plurality of oil spray holes are arranged in an inclined direction (Graves et al. Fig. 3 and Para [0036] lines 4 – 6 disclose the angle of oil holes 312 and 314 can be changed such that they can be in an inclined direction towards respective stator windings 306 and 308).
Regarding Claim 15, Graves et al. discloses the oil cooled motor heat dissipation structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of oil spray channels is multiple (the plurality of oil spray channels is explicitly and inherently multiple, since there is a plurality of oil spray channels, MPEP 2112 and Graves et al. Para [0032] lines 25 – 28),
the oil spray channels are disposed on an upper half part of the oil spray part which is at least located inside the motor (Graves et al. Fig. 3);
and multiple oil spray channels are disposed in a circumferential direction of the oil spray part (Graves et al. Para [0032] lines 25 – 28).
Regarding Claim 16, Graves discloses the oil cooled motor heat dissipation structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oil spray part is an annular structure (Graves et al. Fig. 4B discloses first jet ring 120 has an annular structure);
the oil spray part is disposed at an end (first end 300 and second end 302, respectively) and which is close to an outside diameter side of the stator core (Graves et al. Fig. 3) ;
the distance between the axes of the adjacent oil spray holes is greater than 0 (Graves et al. Fig. 4B discloses the adjacent oil spray holes flow structure such that the circumferential distance between them is greater than 0),
and the oil spray channel is a hole structure with a smooth inner wall (Graves et al. Fig. 3 discloses respective oil spray holes 312 and 314 have a smooth inner wall).
Regarding Claim 18, Graves et al. discloses a motor (112) (Graves et al. Fig. 1),
comprising the oil cooled motor heat dissipation structure as claimed in claim 1 (see above in rejection of claim 1).
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:
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.
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 9 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Graves et al.
Regarding Claim 9, Graves et al. discloses the oil cooled motor heat dissipation structure as claimed in claim 1.
Graves does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the axes of the oil spray channel and the stator core intersect and form a predetermined angle a,
and the predetermined angle a satisfies the following relational expression:
0<a<arctan (L/H) wherein L is the length of the stator end winding,
and H is a distance from the oil outlet of the oil spray channel to the stator end winding.
However, Graves et al. discloses the angle of the oil spray channel can be easily changed, this shows that one of ordinary skill in the art would look to Graves et al. to have wherein the axes of the oil spray channel and the stator core intersect and form a predetermined angle a, such to satisfy the relational expression 0<a<arctan (L/H) wherein L is the length of the stator end winding, and H is a distance from the oil outlet of the oil spray channel to the stator end winding in order to optimize cooling efficiency for the stator end windings.
As a result, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Graves et al. so that wherein the axes of the oil spray channel and the stator core intersect and form a predetermined angle a, and the predetermined angle a satisfies the following relational expression: 0<a<arctan (L/H) wherein L is the length of the stator end winding, and H is a distance from the oil outlet of the oil spray channel to the stator end winding as to optimize cooling efficiency for the stator end windings.
Regarding Claim 17, Graves et al. discloses the oil cooled motor heat dissipation structure as claimed in claim 16.
Graves does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the axes of the oil spray channel and the stator core intersect and form a predetermined angle a,
and the predetermined angle a satisfies the following relational expression:
0<a<arctan (L/H) wherein L is the length of the stator end winding,
and H is a distance from the oil outlet of the oil spray channel to the stator end winding.
However, Graves et al. discloses the angle of the oil spray channel can be easily changed, this shows that one of ordinary skill in the art would look to Graves et al. to have wherein the axes of the oil spray channel and the stator core intersect and form a predetermined angle a, such to satisfy the relational expression 0<a<arctan (L/H) wherein L is the length of the stator end winding, and H is a distance from the oil outlet of the oil spray channel to the stator end winding in order to optimize cooling efficiency for the stator end windings.
As a result, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Graves et al. so that wherein the axes of the oil spray channel and the stator core intersect and form a predetermined angle a, and the predetermined angle a satisfies the following relational expression: 0<a<arctan (L/H) wherein L is the length of the stator end winding, and H is a distance from the oil outlet of the oil spray channel to the stator end winding as to optimize cooling efficiency for the stator end windings.
Claims 13 – 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Graves et al. in view of Kong et al. (CN 211183563 U).
Regarding Claim 13, Graves et al. discloses the oil cooled motor heat dissipation structure as claimed in claim 1.
Graves et al. does not disclose:
wherein a plurality of heat sinks are disposed on an outer surface of the stator core;
and the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core.
Kong et al. discloses:
wherein a plurality of heat sinks (first partition 31, second partition 32, and third partition 33) (Kong et al. Fig. 1) are disposed on an outer surface of the stator core (1) (Kong et al. Fig. 6);
and the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core (Kong et al. Fig. 2).
Graves et al. and Kong et al. disclose stator cores therefore, Kong et al. constitutes prior art. Kong et al. discloses a stator core with a plurality of partition walls that form a flow channel on the outer surface of the stator core. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein a plurality of heat sinks are disposed on an outer surface of the stator core; and the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core of Kong et al. for the purpose of having a plurality of cooling areas for the outer surface of the stator core.
Regarding Claim 14, Graves et al. and Kong et al. disclose the oil cooled motor heat dissipation structure as claimed in claim 13.
Graves et al. does not disclose:
wherein the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks comprises a first blocking rod, a second blocking rod and a third blocking rod; the first blocking rod, the second blocking rod and the third blocking rod are all disposed in an axis direction of the stator core, and the first blocking rod and the second blocking rod are disposed on a same straight line; a gap is disposed between the first blocking rod and the second blocking rod; the third blocking rod is disposed at any side of the first blocking rod; the third blocking rod corresponds to the gap between the first blocking rod and the second blocking rod;
or, the length of the heat sink is less than the length of the stator core, and the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in an S-shape;
or, the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; the multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the axis direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core, and each heat sink intersects the axis of the stator core; the heat sinks in adjacent two groups are disposed in a staggered manner; in the axis direction of the stator core, a plurality of heat dissipation areas are disposed on the outer surface of the stator core; the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed on each of the heat dissipation areas; first inclination directions of the heat sinks in two groups which are disposed on both sides of the heat dissipation area are consistent; the second inclination directions of the heat sinks in the remaining groups except the two groups which are disposed on both sides of the heat dissipation area are consistent, and the second inclination directions of the heat sinks in the remaining groups and the first inclination directions of the heat sinks in the two groups which are disposed on both sides of the heat dissipation area are disposed symmetrically;
or, the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; the multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the axis direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core, and each heat sink intersects the axis of the stator core; the heat sinks in adjacent two groups are disposed in a staggered manner, and the inclination directions of the heat sinks in the two groups are 6 disposed symmetrically;
or, the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; the multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the axis direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core, and the heat sink comprises a first blocking piece and a second blocking piece; the first blocking piece is connected with the second blocking piece; both the first blocking piece and the second blocking piece are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core; the first blocking piece and the second blocking piece are disposed in a stepped manner; the heat sinks in the two adjacent groups are disposed in a staggered manner; and the heat sinks in the two adjacent groups are disposed symmetrically.
Kong et al. discloses:
wherein the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks comprises a first blocking rod, a second blocking rod and a third blocking rod; the first blocking rod, the second blocking rod and the third blocking rod are all disposed in an axis direction of the stator core, and the first blocking rod and the second blocking rod are disposed on a same straight line; a gap is disposed between the first blocking rod and the second blocking rod; the third blocking rod is disposed at any side of the first blocking rod; the third blocking rod corresponds to the gap between the first blocking rod and the second blocking rod (since the wording of the claim is such that there are multiple alternatives in “or” form which makes the alternative forms to be obvious of one another.);
or, the length of the heat sink is less than the length of the stator core (Kong et al. Fig. 1 discloses the first partition 31, second partition 32, and third partition 33 have respective lengths that is less than the length of the stator core, which comprise cylinder 10 and pressure plates 11), and the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in an S-shape (Kong et al. Fig. 1);
or, the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; the multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the axis direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core, and each heat sink intersects the axis of the stator core; the heat sinks in adjacent two groups are disposed in a staggered manner; in the axis direction of the stator core, a plurality of heat dissipation areas are disposed on the outer surface of the stator core; the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed on each of the heat dissipation areas; first inclination directions of the heat sinks in two groups which are disposed on both sides of the heat dissipation area are consistent; the second inclination directions of the heat sinks in the remaining groups except the two groups which are disposed on both sides of the heat dissipation area are consistent, and the second inclination directions of the heat sinks in the remaining groups and the first inclination directions of the heat sinks in the two groups which are disposed on both sides of the heat dissipation area are disposed symmetrically (since the wording of the claim is such that there are multiple alternatives in “or” form which makes the alternative forms to be obvious of one another);
or, the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; the multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the axis direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core, and each heat sink intersects the axis of the stator core; the heat sinks in adjacent two groups are disposed in a staggered manner, and the inclination directions of the heat sinks in the two groups are 6 disposed symmetrically (since the wording of the claim is such that there are multiple alternatives in “or” form which makes the alternative forms to be obvious of one another);
or, the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; the multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the axis direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core, and the heat sink comprises a first blocking piece and a second blocking piece; the first blocking piece is connected with the second blocking piece; both the first blocking piece and the second blocking piece are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core; the first blocking piece and the second blocking piece are disposed in a stepped manner; the heat sinks in the two adjacent groups are disposed in a staggered manner; and the heat sinks in the two adjacent groups are disposed symmetrically (since the wording of the claim is such that there are multiple alternatives in “or” form which makes the alternative forms to be obvious of one another).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks comprises a first blocking rod, a second blocking rod and a third blocking rod; the first blocking rod, the second blocking rod and the third blocking rod are all disposed in an axis direction of the stator core, and the first blocking rod and the second blocking rod are disposed on a same straight line; a gap is disposed between the first blocking rod and the second blocking rod; the third blocking rod is disposed at any side of the first blocking rod; the third blocking rod corresponds to the gap between the first blocking rod and the second blocking rod; or, the length of the heat sink is less than the length of the stator core, and the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in an S-shape; or, the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; the multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the axis direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core, and each heat sink intersects the axis of the stator core; the heat sinks in adjacent two groups are disposed in a staggered manner; in the axis direction of the stator core, a plurality of heat dissipation areas are disposed on the outer surface of the stator core; the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed on each of the heat dissipation areas; first inclination directions of the heat sinks in two groups which are disposed on both sides of the heat dissipation area are consistent; the second inclination directions of the heat sinks in the remaining groups except the two groups which are disposed on both sides of the heat dissipation area are consistent, and the second inclination directions of the heat sinks in the remaining groups and the first inclination directions of the heat sinks in the two groups which are disposed on both sides of the heat dissipation area are disposed symmetrically; or, the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; the multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the axis direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core, and each heat sink intersects the axis of the stator core; the heat sinks in adjacent two groups are disposed in a staggered manner, and the inclination directions of the heat sinks in the two groups are 6 disposed symmetrically; or, the plurality of heat sinks are disposed in multiple groups; the multiple groups heat sinks are sequentially disposed in the axis direction of the stator core; each of the multiple groups heat sinks are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core, and the heat sink comprises a first blocking piece and a second blocking piece; the first blocking piece is connected with the second blocking piece; both the first blocking piece and the second blocking piece are disposed in the circumferential direction of the stator core; the first blocking piece and the second blocking piece are disposed in a stepped manner; the heat sinks in the two adjacent groups are disposed in a staggered manner; and the heat sinks in the two adjacent groups are disposed symmetrically of Kong et al. for the purpose of expanding the cooling flow length around the outer surface of the stator core.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 – 8, 10 – 12, and 19 – 20 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.
Regarding Claim 2, the prior art discloses various oil cooled motor heat dissipation structures having an oil spray cooling structure to cool stator end windings. However, the particular structure of the oil cooled motor heat dissipation structure, in combination with previously recited features, wherein the oil spray channel is a hole structure with a stepped inner wall is not disclosed in the prior art. Thus, the invention recited above is neither anticipated nor rendered obvious by the art.
Regarding Claims 3 – 8, 10 – 12, and 19 – 20, they are objected to as being dependent on allowable claim 2 or objected as being dependent on another claim dependent on allowable claim 2.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/THEODORE L PERKINS/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TERRANCE L KENERLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834