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 06/12/2024 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.
Claim(s) 1-3,5,7-9,11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang (US 20200244123) in view of Oketani (US 20200321830).
Regarding claim 1, Kang discloses:
A motor (title) comprising:
a rotor (29, Fig 2) including a shaft (38) extending in an axial direction of a central axis (by numeral 48, Fig 2), and
a rotor core (30) having a shaft insertion hole (by 38) into which the shaft (38) is inserted; and
a stator (23) located radially outside the rotor core (30),
wherein the motor further comprises a fan (end-plate 37, Fig 2, para 133) that is fixed to the shaft or the rotor core at a position axially outside the rotor core and rotates together with the rotor core,
the rotor core (30) has an air passage (33, para 88), the shaft (38) has a shaft inner passage (43),
the air passage (33, arrows indicating fluid flow in Fig 2) includes a first rotor core opening (by 32, para 125) opened to an axial end surface of the rotor core and a second rotor core opening (by 34) opened to the shaft insertion hole (by 42), and
the shaft inner passage (43) includes a first shaft opening (by 42) opened at a position on an axially outer side with respect to the fan (end plate 37) and a second shaft opening (arrows by numeral 40) opened at a position connected to the second rotor core opening (by 34), and
the second rotor core opening (by 34) and the second shaft opening (by 40) are connected to each other (Fig 2), so that the shaft inner passage (43) is connected to the air passage (33).
Kang does not disclose the use of a fan (teaches use of end plate 37 instead).
Oketani teaches an apparatus where the end-plate (8, Fig 6) is a fan (paras 33,50,51,55,56).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Kang to use a fan as disclosed by Oketani.
The motivation to do so is it would permit one to cool the rotor as wanted (paras 55-56 of Oketani).
Regarding claim 2/1, Kang discloses wherein the shaft inner passage (43) includes a shaft inner axial passage portion (by 43) extending in an axial direction of the shaft (Fig 2), a first passage portion (by 38,42) connecting the shaft inner axial passage portion and the first shaft opening (by 42) to each other, and a second passage portion (by 32,40) connecting the shaft inner axial passage portion and the second shaft opening to each other (arrows indicating fluid flow in Fig 2 show the connections between the elements).
Regarding claim 3/2, Kang discloses wherein the second passage portion (by 32,40) is located at a position overlapping an axial center portion of the rotor core (30) when the rotor core is viewed in a radial direction.
Regarding claim 5/2, Kang in view of Oketani discloses the invention as discussed above, except for wherein the fan includes a first fan and a second fan, the first fan is located on one side in the axial direction with respect to the rotor core, the second fan is located on another side in the axial direction with respect to the rotor core, the shaft inner passage includes a plurality of first shaft openings, and the plurality of first shaft openings are located on the one side in the axial direction with respect to the first fan and on the other side in the axial direction with respect to the second fan when the shaft is viewed in the radial direction.
However a skilled artisan would readily recognize the benefits of wherein the fan includes a first fan and a second fan, the first fan is located on one side in the axial direction with respect to the rotor core, the second fan is located on another side in the axial direction with respect to the rotor core, the shaft inner passage includes a plurality of first shaft openings, and the plurality of first shaft openings are located on the one side in the axial direction with respect to the first fan and on the other side in the axial direction with respect to the second fan when the shaft is viewed in the radial direction, as it would be based on desired cooling and cost.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Kang in view of Oketani wherein the fan includes a first fan and a second fan, the first fan is located on one side in the axial direction with respect to the rotor core, the second fan is located on another side in the axial direction with respect to the rotor core, the shaft inner passage includes a plurality of first shaft openings, and the plurality of first shaft openings are located on the one side in the axial direction with respect to the first fan and on the other side in the axial direction with respect to the second fan when the shaft is viewed in the radial direction, as it would be based on desired cooling and cost.
The motivation to do so would be based on cost (paras 63,66,79 of Oketani) and desired cooling (paras 33,.50,55,59 of Oketani and abstract, paras 42-46, of Kang).
Since Kang in view of Oketani discloses the claimed invention except for the multiplicity of fans. Nonetheless it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to duplicate the fan, since it has been held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.
In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960).
The motivation to do so would be based on cost (paras 63,66,79 of Oketani) and desired cooling (paras 33,.50,55,59 of Oketani and abstract, paras 42-46, of Kang).
Regarding claim 7/1, Kang discloses wherein the rotor core has a magnet insertion hole into which a rotor magnet (36, Fig 2, para 121) is inserted, and the air passage (33) is located on a radially inner side with respect to the magnet insertion hole in the rotor core.
Regarding claim 8/1, Kang discloses wherein the stator includes a stator core (by 24) having a plurality of slots (25, Fig 3) and a stator coil accommodated in each of the slots of the stator core (para 86) and the end plate (37) overlaps at least a part of a coil end portion of the stator coil (28, Fig 2) protruding axially outward from the stator core (24) when the stator is viewed in the radial direction.
Kang does not disclose the fan is a centrifugal fan having a plurality of blades, and the blade of the fan overlaps at least a part of a coil end portion of the stator coil protruding axially outward from the stator core when the stator is viewed in the radial direction.
Oketani teaches the use of a fan wherein the fan is a centrifugal fan having a plurality of blades (16, Fig 2, para 30).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Kang in view of Oketani wherein the fan is a centrifugal fan having a plurality of blades, and the blade of the fan overlaps at least a part of a coil end portion of the stator coil protruding axially outward from the stator core when the stator is viewed in the radial direction, as Oketani teaches.
The motivation to do so is it would permit one to cool the rotor as wanted (paras 55-56 of Oketani).
Regarding claim 9/8, Kang discloses comprising a cooling unit (by 11, Fig 2) that cools an outer peripheral side of the stator core (24).
Kang dos not teach wherein the blade of the fan overlaps a part of the cooling unit when the stator is viewed in the radial direction.
Oketani teaches wherein the blade of the fan (16) overlaps a part of the cooling unit (33,34) when the stator (3) is viewed in the radial direction.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Kang in view of Oketani wherein the blade of the fan overlaps a part of the cooling unit when the stator is viewed in the radial direction, as disclosed by Oketani.
The motivation to do so is it would permit one to cool the rotor as wanted (paras 55-56 of Oketani).
Regarding claim 11/1, Kang discloses further comprising a casing (19) that accommodates the rotor (29), the stator (23), the shaft (38).
Kang does not teach the casing to accommodate the fan (teaches to accommodate the end plate 37 instead).
Oketani teaches a casing (4a,4b) to accommodate the fan (8,16, para 30).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Kang in view of Oketani to have the casing accommodate the fan, as disclosed by Oketani.
The motivation to do so is it would permit one to cool the rotor as wanted (paras 55-56 of Oketani).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4,6 and 10 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: In claim 4/1 inter alia, the specific limitations of “…wherein the air passage includes a rotor core inner axial passage portion extending in an axial direction of the rotor core, and a plurality of connection passage portions extending radially inward of the rotor core from the rotor core inner axial passage portion and connecting the rotor core inner axial passage portion and the second rotor core opening, and each of the plurality of connection passage portions extends in a direction intersecting the central axis and in a direction away from an axial center of the rotor core as going radially outward.”, in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
In claim 6/2 inter alia, the specific limitations of “…wherein the first passage portion and the second passage portion extend in the radial direction, a first total value that is a sum of passage areas of the second passage portions in the shaft is equal to or larger than a second total value that is a sum of passage areas of the first passage portions in the shaft, the first total value is a value obtained by summing smallest passage areas in the second passage portions when the second passage portions are viewed in the radial direction, and the second total value is a value obtained by summing smallest passage areas in the first passage portions when the first passage portions are viewed in the radial direction.”, in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
In claim 10/8 inter alia, the specific limitations of “…wherein at least a part of the blade of the fan overlaps the first rotor core opening when the rotor core is viewed in the axial direction.”, in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
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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NAISHADH N. DESAI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/NAISHADH N DESAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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