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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: MOTOR WITH MOLDED ROTOR.
Also, the abstract is too short (less than 50 words).
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.
Claim(s) 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yamagishi et al. (US 2014/0077652 A1, hereinafter Yamagishi).
As to claim 1, Yamagishi shows (FIG. 1, 2):
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A motor, comprising:
a rotor 12; and
a stator 11 opposing the rotor 12 in a radial direction,
the rotor 12 including:
a yoke 12Y;
a magnet 26; and
a resin part 16, 34 covering the yoke and the magnet, wherein
the resin part 16, 34 is disposed adjacent to the magnet 26 in a circumferential direction (motor para [0057]; endplates 16 are resin para [0043], resin filler 34 in holes 32 para [0054],[0055],[0057]) .
As to claim 2/1, Yamagishi further shows (FIG. 1, 2 above) wherein the resin part 16, 34 includes aluminum or silicon (silicon resin 34 para [0055]).
As to claim 3/2/1, Yamagishi further shows (FIG. 1, 2 above) wherein the resin part 16,34 is a non-magnetic material or a soft magnetic material (nonmagnetic resin para [0043],[0055]).
As to claim 4/2/1, Yamagishi further shows (FIG. 1, 2 above) wherein
the stator 11 is disposed at an outer peripheral side of the rotor 12 in the radial direction,
the yoke 12Y includes an outer peripheral surface opposing the stator 11, and
the outer peripheral surface is exposed with respect to the resin part 16, 34 (the resin is not on the outer radial surface of the rotor core 12 FIG. 1) .
As to claim 5/4/2/1, Yamagishi further shows (FIG. 3) wherein
the magnet 26 includes a magnet outer peripheral surface opposing the stator 11, and
the resin part 34 covers the magnet outer peripheral surface (para [0056]).
Claim(s) 1, 7, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi (WO 2021020195 A1 see US 2022/0352780 A1 for English Translation).
As to claim 1, Takahashi shows (FIG. 1, 2):
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A motor 1, comprising:
a rotor 2; and
a stator 5 opposing the rotor 2 in a radial direction,
the rotor 2 including:
a yoke 21;
a magnet 23; 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 (para [0036], [0040], [0050], resin 25P covers the end of the rotor 2).
As to claim 7/1, Takahashi further shows (FIG. 1, 2 above):
a sensor 6 configured to detect a magnetic flux, 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, and
the sensor opposes the thin part 6 in the axial direction (thin part 25T at 24, sensor on circuit board 6 para [0052]).
As to claim 8/1, Takahashi further shows (FIG. 1, 2 above):
a sensor 6 configured to detect a magnetic flux, wherein
a thickness in an axial direction of the resin part 25T disposed at the other side of the magnet 23 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 in the axial direction, and
the sensor 6 opposes the magnet via the resin part 25T at the other side in the axial direction (thin part 25T at 24, sensor on circuit board 6 para [0052]).
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) 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamagishi et al. (US 2014/0077652 A1, hereinafter Yamagishi) in view of Urabe (WO 2019180780 A1).
As to claim 6/2/1, Yamagishi was discussed above with respect to claim 2 except for
the resin part includes, in a face at one side in an axial direction, a recess part recessed toward the other side in the axial direction, and
the recess part forms an injection trace of the resin forming the resin part.
Urabe shows:
the resin part includes, in a face at one side in an axial direction, a recess part 34 recessed toward the other side in the axial direction, and
the recess part 34 forms an injection trace of the resin forming the resin part (FIG. 7, resin injection trace or hole 34 para [0027], hole para [0033], para [0100]).
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 Yamagishi to have:
the resin part 16 includes, in a face at one side in an axial direction, a recess part 34 recessed toward the other side in the axial direction, and
the recess part 34 forms an injection trace of the resin forming the resin part 16
as taught by Urabe, for the advantageous benefit of improved manufacturing quality of the rotor as taught by Urabe (para [0026]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not teach or suggest the second magnet having resin parts on one radial and two circumferential sides.
Conclusion
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