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 § 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.
Claim 16 is 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: The last line recites “the sleeve”, there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 1-3 and 5-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Trommer (US 4,603,344).
Regarding claim 1: Trommer discloses a rotor for an externally excited synchronous machine (Fig. 1), comprising:
rotor windings (26) arranged on a rotor shaft (10) having at least one cavity,
a rectifier (24) electrically connected to the rotor windings,
wherein the rectifier is at least partly arranged in the cavity of the rotor shaft (column 3, line 40).
Regarding claim 2: Trommer discloses an at least partly hollow shaft end comprising an interior space is provided (allowing the rectifier assembly to fit in the shaft in Fig. 1), wherein the rectifier is arranged in the interior space of the shaft end and the shaft end is at least partly arranged in the at least one cavity of the rotor shaft (as shown in Fig. 1), or
a sleeve (40, Fig. 2) is provided, wherein the rectifier is arranged in the sleeve and the sleeve is at least partly arranged in the at least one cavity of the rotor shaft (as Fig. 2 shows the rectifier assembly 24, which is all in the cavity in the shaft).
Regarding claim 3: Trommer discloses the rectifier is formed as plug-in printed circuit board comprising diodes (78) arranged on one side or on both sides (inherent as they must be printed on one or both sides since those are the only options on a board).
Regarding claim 5: Trommer discloses the rectifier has electrical contacts (pins 102-110) arranged on the longitudinal end side (shown in Fig. 2) for contacting with a contacting counterpiece (inherent as this is the purpose of a contact).
Regarding claim 6: Trommer discloses the electrical contacts are formed as contact pins (in this case 102-110 are pins), as plug contacts or as spring contacts, and/or
latching elements are provided on the rectifier and mating latching elements on the contacting counterpiece for locking together, or vice versa.
Regarding claim 7: Trommer discloses an end piece or a cover (46) that fixes the rectifier.
Regarding claim 8: Trommer discloses a thermally conductive and electrically insulating material (56-64, Fig. 2) arranged between the rectifier and the rotor shaft (as shown in annotated Fig. 2 below, the insulating material overhangs the rectifier diodes, going between the rectifier and the shaft).
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Regarding claim 9: Trommer discloses cooling ducts (32, 34) for a coolant provided in the rotor shaft or the shaft end (in this case, oil).
Regarding claim 10: Trommer discloses a fluid as coolant is applied directly to the rectifier (column 3, lines 51-53).
Regarding claim 11: Trommer discloses the rectifier is arranged adjacent to an axis of rotation of the rotor shaft (in that the axis of rotation passes through the rectifier, column 4, lines 42-49).
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 12-15, 17-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Trommer, in view of Box (US 2015/0333679).
Regarding claim 12: Trommer discloses an externally excited synchronous machine (Fig. 1), comprising:
a rotor (26, 10) that can be electrically supplied with current, the rotor including:
rotor windings (26) arranged on a rotor shaft (10) having at least one cavity,
a rectifier (24) electrically connected to the rotor windings, wherein the rectifier is at least partly arranged in the cavity of the rotor shaft (column 3, line 40).
Trommer does not explicitly disclose a rotary transformer rotor of a rotary transformer comprising a secondary coil and a rotary transformer stator.
However, Box discloses a rotary transformer rotor of a rotary transformer (paragraph 0055) comprising a secondary coil (370, Fig. 4A) and a rotary transformer stator (380).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the synchronous machine of Trommer to include the rotary transformer of Box in order to provide isolated power (paragraph 0032).
Regarding claim 13: Trommer modified by Box discloses the rotary transformer, Box further discloses the rotary transformer stator has a primary coil (380) and a transformer core (340) of a magnetic core material (paragraph 0055).
Regarding claim 14: Trommer discloses a motor comprising:
a rotor (26, 10) that can be electrically supplied with current, the rotor including:
rotor windings (26) arranged on a rotor shaft (10) having at least one cavity,
a rectifier (24) electrically connected to the rotor windings, wherein the rectifier is at least partly arranged in the cavity of the rotor shaft (column 3, line 40).
Trommer does not explicitly disclose a traction motor of a motor vehicle and a rotary transformer rotor of a rotary transformer comprising a secondary coil and a rotary transformer stator.
However, Box discloses a traction motor of a motor vehicle (paragraph 0036), and
a rotary transformer rotor of a rotary transformer (paragraph 0055) comprising a secondary coil (370, Fig. 4A) and a rotary transformer stator (380).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the synchronous machine of Trommer to include the rotary transformer of Box in order to provide isolated power (paragraph 0032).
Regarding claim 15: Trommer discloses an at least partly hollow shaft end comprising an interior space is provided (allowing the rectifier assembly to fit in the shaft in Fig. 1), wherein the rectifier is arranged in the interior space of the shaft end and the shaft end is at least partly arranged in the at least one cavity of the rotor shaft (as shown in Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 17: Trommer discloses a sleeve (40, Fig. 2), wherein the rectifier is arranged in the sleeve and the sleeve is at least partly arranged in the at least one cavity of the rotor shaft (as Fig. 2 is arranged in the shaft of Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 18: Trommer discloses the rectifier is formed as plug-in printed circuit board comprising diodes (78) arranged on one side or on both sides (inherent as they must be printed on one or both sides since those are the only options on a board).
Regarding claim 20: Trommer discloses an end piece or a cover (46) that fixes the rectifier.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 19 are 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.
Claim 16 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
The prior art of record, alone or in combination does not explicitly teach, suggest, or render obvious, at least to the skilled artisan the rotor of claim 4, specifically comprising:
longitudinal slits running in the axial direction, into which the rectifier formed as a plug-in printed circuit board is inserted and fixed, are provided in a wall of the at least one cavity, of the interior space or of the sleeve, or
longitudinal openings, which run in the axial direction and which are injection-molded with plastic, are provided in a wall of the at least one cavity or of the interior space, wherein longitudinal slits running in the axial direction, into which the rectifier formed as a plug-in printed circuit board is inserted and fixed, are provided in the plastic, in the context of the other components in the claim.
Claims 16 and 19 are allowable for reciting a similar limitation as claim 4.
Conclusion
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/SEAN GUGGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834