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 .
This Office Action is in response to papers filed on 4/14/2026. Amendments made to the claims and the Applicant's remarks have been entered and considered.
Claims 1, 7, 8 have been amended. Claim 9 is cancelled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/14/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant argued that Takahashi does not show the sensor configured to detect a magnetic flux of the magnet. This argument is not persuasive because Takahashi describes this explicitly, detecting the flux of the magnet 24, in para [0052] cited by the Applicant.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 7, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi (WO 2021020195 A1 see US 2022/0352780 A1 for English Translation) in view of Oikawa et al. (US 2018/0091008 A1, hereinafter Oikawa).
As to claim 7, Takahashi shows (FIG. 1, 2):
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A motor 1, comprising:
a rotor 2;
a stator 5 opposing the rotor 2 in a radial direction,
the rotor 2 including:
a yoke 21;
a magnet 23,24; and
a resin part 25 covering the yoke 21 and the magnet 23, wherein
the resin part 25 is disposed adjacent to the magnet 23 in a circumferential direction 25c, and
a sensor 6 configured to detect a magnetic flux of the magnet 23,24, wherein
the resin part 25 includes a step part 25P in one face at one side in the axial direction, and includes a thin part 25T having a thickness in an axial direction of the resin part 25 at an outer peripheral side from the step part 25P smaller than a thickness in the axial direction of the resin part at an inner peripheral side from the step part 25P, the resin part 25 at an outer peripheral side and the resin part 25 at an inner peripheral side being disposed at one side of the magnet 23 in the axial direction (para [0036], [0040], [0050], resin 25P covers the end of the rotor 2; thin part 25T at sensor magnet 24, sensor on circuit board 6 detects field of sensor magnet 24 para [0052]).
Takahashi does not show the sensor opposes the thin part in the axial direction.
Oikawa shows the sensor 7 opposes the sensor magnet 2d in the axial direction L1 (FIG. 3, para [0012],[0031]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the rotor of Takahashi to have the sensor opposes the thin part 25T in the axial direction as taught by Oikawa, for the advantageous benefit of detecting a position of the rotor 2 as taught by Oikawa (para [0033]:33-37, sensor would oppose the sensor magnet 24 and the thin part 25T underneath).
As to claim 8, Takahashi shows (FIG. 1, 2 above) A motor 1, comprising:
a rotor 2;
a stator 5 opposing the rotor 2 in a radial direction,
the rotor 2 including:
a yoke 21;
a magnet 23,24; and
a resin part 25 covering the yoke 21 and the magnet 23, wherein
the resin part 25 is disposed adjacent to the magnet 23 in a circumferential direction 25c, and
a sensor 6 configured to detect a magnetic flux of the magnet 23,24, wherein
a thickness in an axial direction of the resin part 25T disposed at the other side of the magnet 24 in the axial direction is smaller than a thickness in the axial direction of the resin part 25B disposed at one side of the magnet 23,24 in the axial direction (para [0036], [0040], [0050], resin 25P covers the end of the rotor 2; thin part 25T at 24, sensor on circuit board 6 para [0052]).
Takahashi does not show the sensor opposes the magnet via the resin part at the other side in the axial direction.
Oikawa shows the sensor 7 opposes the sensor magnet 2d in the axial direction L1 (FIG. 3, para [0012],[0031]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the rotor of Takahashi to have the sensor opposes the magnet 23,24 via the resin part at the other side in the axial direction as taught by Oikawa, for the advantageous benefit of detecting a position of the rotor 2 as taught by Oikawa (para [0033]:33-37, sensor would oppose the sensor magnet 24 and the thin part 25T underneath).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art does not teach or suggest the second magnet having resin parts on one radial and two circumferential sides along with the other features recited in claim 1.
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 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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Hans (US 2005/0001503 A1) shows (FIG. 8) a molded rotor with first and second magnets.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT E MATES whose telephone number is (571)270-5293. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 12:00pm to 8pm.
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/ROBERT E MATES/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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