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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/28/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
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: “ELECTRIC PROPULSION DEVICE WITH HOLLOW SHAFT AND COOLIGN BLADES AND SUPPORT BODY WITH HEAT MEMBER ON OUTER SURFACE”
Inventorship
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
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 10-13,15-16,19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or USC 102 (a)(2) as anticipated by Cottrell (US PG pub 20210036580 hereinafter “Cottrell”).
Re-claim 10, Cottrell discloses an electric propulsion device (Title) comprising: a hollow shaft (202) extending along an axis and having a shaft flow path (path with arrows inside arrows inside in fig.1) , extending in a direction of the axis (along shaft axis), formed therein; a boss portion (205) having a disc shape (hub is disc shaped, see fig.2) centered on the axis (axis of shaft 202), attached to the hollow shaft (202) on one side in the direction of the axis (see fig.1), and having a space formed therein (200)) ; a plurality of blades (201) extending from an outer circumferential surface of the boss portion (205) in a radial direction, arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction (see fig.1 and fig.2), and having a blade flow path (204), communicating with the space of the boss portion (inside at 200), formed therein; an electric motor (110) having a rotor core (218) that is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the hollow shaft (202) and a stator core (220) that covers the rotor core from an outer circumferential side (see fig.2b, rotor around stator); and a casing (212) having an accommodation space (inside 212), accommodating the electric motor (110) and communicating with the shaft flow path (204,203), formed therein, wherein a suction port (210) is formed to communicate between an outside of the casing (see fig.2b, at least at 210-2) and the accommodation space (inside 212), in a position between each of the plurality of blades (201) and the electric motor (110) in the casing (212), and a blowing port (211) is formed to communicate between the blade flow path (203) and the outside of the casing (outside of 208), in a region including an end portion of each of the plurality of blades (see fig.2b, ends of blades 211 air flow paths) on an outer side in the radial direction (both ends of 208) in the each of the plurality of blades (at end of 208), the suction port (210-1, 210-2)) is open toward the one side in the direction of the axis to face each of the plurality of blades (facing the blades 201), and the blowing port (211) is opened to blow air (air 206) from the end portion of the each of the plurality of blades (at 208) toward a rear edge (rear of the blades 208).
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Re-claim 11, Cottrell discloses the electric propulsion device according to Claim 10, wherein the blowing port (211) is formed on the shape (shape at fig.2a is blade surface shape) of a blade surface of the each of the plurality of blades (ends of 211 are shape of a blade surface the blades 201, they are at the end of the blade forming the surface, at end of edge).
Re-claim 12, Cottrell discloses the electric propulsion device according to Claim 10, wherein the blowing port (211) is formed at an end edge (edge of 208) on a trailing edge (end of edges of blade 201, are trailing edges, ends of 201) of the each of the plurality of blades (201).
Re-claim 13, Cottrell discloses the electric propulsion device according to Claim 10, wherein the blowing port (211) is open to blow out the air (see arrow of air outlet out of 211,206) along a blade tip (tip of blades 201, at 208) of the each of the plurality of blades (201).
Re-claim 15, Cottrell discloses the electric propulsion device according to Claim 10, further comprising: a support body (406, inside shaft) that is supported by the casing (212, is supporting it) and that is inserted inside the shaft flow path (inside in fig.2b, inside of ; and a heater member (406, support 214, are heat supports, ribs) that is provided in the support body (see at least fig.4,402).
Re-claim 16, Cottrell as modified discloses the electric propulsion device according to Claim 15, wherein the support body (406) has a cylindrical shape (tube) centered on the axis (around axis of shaft), and the heater member (402) is attached to an inner circumferential surface of the support body (402).
Re-claim 19, Cottrell as modified discloses the electric propulsion device according to Claim 15, wherein the support body (406) and the heater member (402) extend from an end portion of the hollow shaft (202) on the other side in the direction of the axis to the space of the boss portion (see fig.4).
Re-claim 20, Cottrell discloses the electric propulsion device according to Claim 10, further comprising: a centrifugal fan (214,see annotated fig.1) fixed to a surface inside the boss portion 205) facing the other side in the direction of the axis and be rotated integrally with the boss portion (rotates with 108).
Re-claim 21, Cottrell discloses the electric propulsion device according to Claim 10, further comprising: an axial flow fan (214) configured to be provided on an inner surface of the shaft flow path (flow in 203).
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 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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claim 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cottrell (US PG pub 20210036580a1 hereinafter “Cottrell”) in view of Enevoldsen (US PG PUB 20190078558a1 hereinafter “Enevoldsen”).
Re-claim 14, Cottrell teaches the electric propulsion device according to Claim 10 above.
Cottrell fails to explicitly teach further comprising: a pair of girders arranged at an interval in the direction of the axis inside the each of the plurality of blades, wherein an opening portion is formed in a girder located at a leading edge of the pair of girders, and is the suction port or the blowing port.
However, Enevoldsen teaches teach further comprising: a pair of girders (see fig.8, 10 has 30 and 20) arranged at an interval in the direction of the axis inside the each of the plurality of blades (10), wherein an opening portion (opening at 39, for 5) is formed in a girder (36) located at a leading edge (see fig.7) of the pair of girders, and is the suction port or the blowing port (annotated fig.7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the blade of Cottrell wherein a pair of girders arranged at an interval in the direction of the axis inside the each of the plurality of blades, wherein an opening portion is formed in a girder located at a leading edge of the pair of girders, and is the suction port or the blowing port as suggested by Enevoldsen therefore reducing noise an drag affect on rotor blade, and better manufacturability (Enevoldsen, P[0009-0010]).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17 and 18 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Re-claim 17, “recites inter alia” with claims 15 and claim 10: “10. (New) An electric propulsion device comprising: a hollow shaft extending along an axis and having a shaft flow path, extending in a direction of the axis, formed therein; a boss portion having a disc shape centered on the axis, attached to the hollow shaft on one side in the direction of the axis, and having a space formed therein; a plurality of blades extending from an outer circumferential surface of the boss portion in a radial direction, arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction, and having a blade flow path, communicating with the space of the boss portion, formed therein; an electric motor having a rotor core that is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the hollow shaft and a stator core that covers the rotor core from an outer circumferential side; and a casing having an accommodation space, accommodating the electric motor and communicating with the shaft flow path, formed therein, wherein a suction port is formed to communicate between an outside of the casing and the accommodation space, in a position between each of the plurality of blades and the electric motor in the casing, and a blowing port is formed to communicate between the blade flow path and the outside of the casing, in a region including an end portion of each of the plurality of blades on an outer side in the radial direction in the each of the plurality of blades, the suction port is open toward the one side in the direction of the axis to face each of the plurality of blades, and the blowing port is opened to blow air from the end portion of the each of the plurality of blades toward a rear edge, 15. (New) The electric propulsion device according to Claim 10, further comprising: a support body that is supported by the casing and that is inserted inside the shaft flow path; and a heater member that is provided in the support body. 17. (New) The electric propulsion device according to Claim 15, wherein the support body has a cylindrical shape centered on the axis, and the heater member is attached to an outer circumferential surface of the support body.”
The combination of limitations of claims 18,15 and 10 all combined together is found unique and is allowable. the prior art of record, ip.com search, ai search and other searches and prior art combined or alone do not suggest or teach the combination of limitation as recited above.
Re-claim 18, “recites inter alia” with claims 15 and claim 10: “10. (New) An electric propulsion device comprising: a hollow shaft extending along an axis and having a shaft flow path, extending in a direction of the axis, formed therein; a boss portion having a disc shape centered on the axis, attached to the hollow shaft on one side in the direction of the axis, and having a space formed therein; a plurality of blades extending from an outer circumferential surface of the boss portion in a radial direction, arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction, and having a blade flow path, communicating with the space of the boss portion, formed therein; an electric motor having a rotor core that is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the hollow shaft and a stator core that covers the rotor core from an outer circumferential side; and a casing having an accommodation space, accommodating the electric motor and communicating with the shaft flow path, formed therein, wherein a suction port is formed to communicate between an outside of the casing and the accommodation space, in a position between each of the plurality of blades and the electric motor in the casing, and a blowing port is formed to communicate between the blade flow path and the outside of the casing, in a region including an end portion of each of the plurality of blades on an outer side in the radial direction in the each of the plurality of blades, the suction port is open toward the one side in the direction of the axis to face each of the plurality of blades, and the blowing port is opened to blow air from the end portion of the each of the plurality of blades toward a rear edge, 15. (New) The electric propulsion device according to Claim 10, further comprising: a support body that is supported by the casing and that is inserted inside the shaft flow path; and a heater member that is provided in the support body. 18. (New) The electric propulsion device according to Claim 15, wherein the support body has a rod shape centered on the axis, and the heater member is attached to an outer circumferential surface of the support body.”
The combination of limitations of claims 18,15 and 10 all combined together is found unique and is allowable. the prior art of record, ip.com search, ai search and other searches and prior art combined or alone do not suggest or teach the combination of limitation as recited above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure in PTO892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAGED M ALMAWRI whose telephone number is (313)446-6565. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M. Koehler can be reached on 5712723560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MAGED M ALMAWRI/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834