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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/21/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
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) 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Haran (US 20180287437).
Regarding claim 7, Haran discloses:
A rotor for a rotating electric machine (abstract) including
a magnetic ring (para 42) comprising a predetermined number of pairs of poles (para 42, Figs 3A, 3B),
the magnetic ring being formed by an oriented-flux magnet segmented into at least two sub-magnets (Figs 3A, 3B),
Haran does not explicitly appear to teach wherein the minimum value out of the outer perimeter of the ring and the axial length of the ring is greater than the minimum value out of the value of a predetermined reference length and twice the value Pi.
However, since Haran teaches to choose a radial thickness and length for the magnetic ring (para 42) and to choose inner and outer diameters of a rotor (para 85), a skilled artisan would readily recognize the benefits of wherein the minimum value out of the outer perimeter of the ring and the axial length of the ring is greater than the minimum value out of the value of a predetermined reference length and twice the value Pi, in order to achieve weight savings and direct flux as wanted (para 42).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Haran wherein the minimum value out of the outer perimeter of the ring and the axial length of the ring is greater than the minimum value out of the value of a predetermined reference length and twice the value Pi.
The motivation to do so would be to achieve weight savings and direct flux as wanted (paras 3, 42) and cost (paras 36,37).
Regarding claim 7, If the “acts” of a claimed process manipulate only numbers, abstract concepts or ideas, or signals representing any of the foregoing, the acts are not being applied to appropriate subject matter. Schrader, 22F.3d at 294-95, 30USPQ2d at 1458-59. Thus, a process consisting solely of mathematical operations, i.e., converting one set of numbers into another set of numbers, does not manipulate appropriate subject matter and thus cannot constitute a statutory process. MPEP 2106.
In the instant case, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Haran wherein the minimum value out of the outer perimeter of the ring and the axial length of the ring is greater than the minimum value out of the value of a predetermined reference length and twice the value Pi.
The motivation to do so would be to achieve weight savings and direct flux as wanted (paras 3, 42) and cost (paras 36,37 of Haran).
Regarding claim 8/7, Haran discloses a rotating electric machine including a rotor according to claim 7 (para 77).
Regarding claim 9/7, Haran discloses an aircraft including a rotating electric machine according to claim 8 (para 76).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 1, Haran discloses A method for dimensioning a multi-pole oriented-flux magnetic ring for a rotor of a rotating electric machine (para 42),
the magnetic ring including a predetermined number of pairs of poles (para 42),
the magnetic ring being formed by at least one oriented-flux magnet (para 42, Figs 3A,3B), the method comprises:
determining a characteristic dimension of the magnet equal to the minimum value out of the outer perimeter of the ring and the axial length of the ring (since Haran teaches to choose a radial thickness and length for the magnetic ring (para 42) and to choose inner and outer diameters of a rotor (para 85), a skilled artisan would readily recognize the benefits of wherein the minimum value out of the outer perimeter of the ring and the axial length of the ring is greater than the minimum value out of the value of a predetermined reference length and twice the value Pi, in order to achieve weight savings and direct flux as wanted (para 42)). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Haran wherein the minimum value out of the outer perimeter of the ring and the axial length of the ring is greater than the minimum value out of the value of a predetermined reference length and twice the value Pi. The motivation to do so would be to achieve weight savings and direct flux as wanted (paras 3, 42) and cost (paras 36,37).
However, neither Haran nor any additionally cited art of record teaches or fairly suggests, alone or in combination, inter alia, “determining a reference value equal to the minimum value out of a predetermined reference length and twice the value Pi, comparing the characteristic dimension of the magnet with the reference value, and if the characteristic dimension of the magnet is greater than the reference value, the method comprises the circumferential segmentation of the magnet into at least two sub-magnets.”.
Claims 2-6 are allowable based on their virtue of depending on claim 1.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for details.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NAISHADH N DESAI whose telephone number is (571)270-3038. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at 571-272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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NAISHADH N. DESAI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/NAISHADH N DESAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834