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 responsive to the Applicant' s communication filed June 14, 2024. In view of this communication, claims 1-20 are now pending in the application.
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 June 14, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The following guidelines illustrate the preferred layout for the specification of a utility application. These guidelines are suggested for the applicant’s use.
Arrangement of the Specification
As provided in 37 CFR 1.77(b), the specification of a utility application should include the following sections in order. Each of the lettered items should appear in upper case, without underlining or bold type, as a section heading. If no text follows the section heading, the phrase “Not Applicable” should follow the section heading:
(a) TITLE OF THE INVENTION.
(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS.
(c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT.
(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT.
(e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A READ-ONLY OPTICAL DISC, AS A TEXT FILE OR AN XML FILE VIA THE PATENT ELECTRONIC SYSTEM.
(f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR.
(g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
(1) Field of the Invention.
(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
(h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.
(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S).
(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.
(k) CLAIM OR CLAIMS (commencing on a separate sheet).
(l) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE (commencing on a separate sheet).
(m) SEQUENCE LISTING. (See MPEP § 2422.03 and 37 CFR 1.821 - 1.825). A “Sequence Listing” is required on paper if the application discloses a nucleotide or amino acid sequence as defined in 37 CFR 1.821(a) and if the required “Sequence Listing” is not submitted as an electronic document either on read-only optical disc or as a text file via the patent electronic system.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the specification is missing titles for each of the sections outlined above.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 10 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 10: “having a rotor as claimed in claim 1” should read “having the rotor as claimed in claim 1”.
Claim 20: “having a rotor as claimed in claim 2” should read “having the rotor as claimed in claim 2”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-7, 9-11, 14-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chernogorski et al. (DE 102018220810 A1, hereafter referred to as Chernogorski).
Regarding Claim 1, Chernogorski discloses (see Figures 1-2) a rotor (10, Page 4, ¶ 1) for an electric machine (Abstract: “The invention relates to a fluid-cooled rotor for an electrical machine”), comprising: a rotor shaft (14, Page 4, ¶ 1), a laminated core (16, Page 4, ¶ 1), which is arranged on the rotor shaft (14, Page 4, ¶ 1) and formed from stacked electrical laminations and which has radially outwardly projecting laminated core protrusions (Annotated Figure 2), rotor windings (15, Page 4, ¶ 1), which are each wound around a laminated core protrusion (Annotated Figure 2), and a pole separator (25, Page 4, ¶ 3) which is arranged between two adjacent laminated core protrusions (Annotated Figure 2) and in which a cooling duct (24, Page 4, ¶ 3) for a coolant runs.
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Regarding Claim 2/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 1 above) that the cooling duct (24, Page 4, ¶ 3) extends from one axial side of the laminated core (16, Page 4, ¶ 1) to the opposite axial side of the laminated core (16, Page 4, ¶ 1).
Regarding Claim 3/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 2) that the pole separator (25, Page 4, ¶ 3) has an inner section (Annotated Figure 2), which is arranged between two adjacent rotor windings (15, Page 4, ¶ 1), and an outer section (Annotated Figure 2), which is arranged radially outside the two rotor windings (15, Page 4, ¶ 1).
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Regarding Claim 4/3/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 2 above) that the inner section (Annotated Figure 2) is embedded in a potting compound with which the two rotor windings (15, Page 4, ¶ 1) are potted (Page 3, ¶ 5: “In one embodiment, the space between the pole pieces of the laminated core and the air cylinder is filled with a casting compound”).
Regarding Claim 5/3/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 2 above) that the cooling duct (24, Page 4, ¶ 3) runs in the inner section (Annotated Figure 2) and/or the outer section.
Regarding Claim 6/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 2 above) that the cooling duct (24, Page 4, ¶ 3) has a circular or Y-shaped cross section.
Regarding Claim 7/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 1 above) that the cooling duct (24, Page 4, ¶ 3) opens in an end cap (13, Page 4, ¶ 1) of the rotor (10, Page 4, ¶ 1).
Regarding Claim 9/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 2 above) having a plurality of pole separators (25, Page 4, ¶ 3) corresponding to the pole separator (25, Page 4, ¶ 3), which are each arranged between two adjacent laminated core protrusions (Annotated Figure 2) of the laminated core (16, Page 4, ¶ 1).
Regarding Claim 10/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses an electric machine, having a rotor (10, Page 4, ¶ 1) as claimed in claim 1 and a stator surrounding the rotor (10, Page 4, ¶ 1) (Page 3, ¶ 7: “The invention also relates to an externally excited synchronous machine (FSM) which comprises a stator and a rotor according to the invention arranged therein rotatable about an axis of rotation relative to the stator.”).
Regarding Claim 11/10/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses a vehicle having an electric machine as claimed in claim 10, which is provided to drive the vehicle. (Page 2, ¶ 7: “Losses mean heat, which has to be dissipated again, but also energy consumption, which has a negative effect on the range, for example in electrically powered vehicles.”) (Page 2, ¶ 7 – Page 3, ¶ 1: “Examples include air, water-glycol mixtures, gear oils such as MTF (Manual Transmission Fluid - gear oil for manual gearbox) or ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid - gear oil for automatic gearbox) without special measures to protect the stator winding or other axle components. In one embodiment, the cooling fluid is a water-glycol mixture. In another embodiment, the cooling fluid is a transmission oil.”)
Regarding Claim 14/2/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 2) that the pole separator (25, Page 4, ¶ 3) has an inner section (Annotated Figure 2), which is arranged between two adjacent rotor windings (15, Page 4, ¶ 1), and an outer section (Annotated Figure 2), which is arranged radially outside the two rotor windings (15, Page 4, ¶ 1).
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Regarding Claim 15/4/3/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 2 above) that the cooling duct (24, Page 4, ¶ 3) runs in the inner section (Annotated Figure 2) and/or the outer section.
Regarding Claim 16/2/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 2 above) that the cooling duct (24, Page 4, ¶ 3) has a circular or Y-shaped cross section.
Regarding Claim 17/2/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 1) that the cooling duct (24, Page 4, ¶ 3) opens in an end cap (13, Page 4, ¶ 1) of the rotor (10, Page 4, ¶ 1).
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Regarding Claim 19/2/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figure 2 above) having a plurality of pole separators (25, Page 4, ¶ 3) corresponding to the pole separator (25, Page 4, ¶ 3), which are each arranged between two adjacent laminated core protrusions (Annotated Figure 2) of the laminated core (16, Page 4, ¶ 1).
Regarding Claim 20/2/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses an electric machine, having a rotor (10, Page 4, ¶ 1) as claimed in claim 2 and a stator surrounding the rotor (10, Page 4, ¶ 1) (Page 3, ¶ 7: “The invention also relates to an externally excited synchronous machine (FSM) which comprises a stator and a rotor according to the invention arranged therein rotatable about an axis of rotation relative to the stator.”).
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.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chernogorski as applied to claims 1 above, and further in view of Pittard et al. (US 6113024 A, hereafter referred to as Pittard).
Regarding Claim 8/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Chernogorski does not disclose that the pole separator has a plurality of cooling ducts corresponding to the cooling duct.
However, Pittard, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figure 3) wherein the pole separator (22, C4L14) has a plurality of cooling ducts (Annotated Figure 3) corresponding to the cooling duct (Annotated Figure 3) (C1L26-28: “A second technique, which is more commonly utilized in designs that have conduction cooling through their so-called cooling wedges,”).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the rotor disclosed by Chernogorski such that the pole separator has a plurality of cooling ducts corresponding to the cooling duct, as disclosed by Pittard, in order to cool the motor during high-speed rotation (C1L15-19: “The present invention relates to winding wedge retention, and more particularly, to a coil winding retention scheme within a generator rotor to maintain coil form during high speed rotation.”) (C1L26-28: “A second technique, which is more commonly utilized in designs that have conduction cooling through their so-called cooling wedges,”).
Claim 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chernogorski as applied to claims 1 above, and further in view of Herrmann et al. (US 6113024 A, hereafter referred to as Herrmann).
Regarding Claim 12/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Additionally, Chernogorski discloses (see Figures 1-2) a method for producing a rotor (10, Page 4, ¶ 1) as claimed in claim 1, having the following steps: arranging the laminated core (16, Page 4, ¶ 1) on the rotor shaft (14, Page 4, ¶ 1), winding the rotor windings (15, Page 4, ¶ 1) around the laminated core protrusions (Annotated Figure 2) of the laminated core (16, Page 4, ¶ 1), inserting the pole separator (25, Page 4, ¶ 3) between two adjacent laminated core protrusions (Annotated Figure 2) of the laminated core (16, Page 4, ¶ 1), and potting the rotor windings (15, Page 4, ¶ 1) with a potting compound (25, Page 4, ¶ 3).
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Chernogorski does not disclose that the pole separator is embedded in the potting compound.
However, Herrmann, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figure 3) that the pole separator (230, Page 5, ¶ 7) is embedded in the potting compound (Page 5, ¶ 8: “The displacement bodies are preferred 230 in this case designed (and arranged) in such a way that they extend up to the outer circumferential surface of the rotor body 110 extend so that the sleeve 210 or bandage directly on the displacement bodies 230 can apply. After the injection molding and hardening of the casting compound M, the sleeve can optionally 210 be removed again.”).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the method disclosed by Chernogorski such that that the pole separator is embedded in the potting compound, as disclosed by Herrmann, in order to secure the rotor winding during the potting process (Page 5, ¶ 7: “The radial sealing of the rotor slots 115 but can also be done with the help of displacement bodies 230 take place, which in the rotor slots 115 can be used as described above.”).
Regarding Claim 13/12/1, Chernogorski in view of Hermann has been discussed above.
Additionally, Hermann discloses (see Figure 1) that the rotor (100, Page 4, ¶ 7) is positioned for the potting such that its axis of rotation runs vertically, and the potting compound is introduced through a filling opening (Annotated Figure 1) in an end cap (221, Page 5, ¶ 2), wherein the end cap preferably also has a venting opening (Annotated Figure 1).
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Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chernogorski as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Pittard et al. (US 6113024 A, hereafter referred to as Pittard).
Regarding Claim 18/2/1, Chernogorski has been discussed above.
Chernogorski does not disclose that the pole separator has a plurality of cooling ducts corresponding to the cooling duct.
However, Pittard, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figure 3) that the pole separator (22, C4L14) has a plurality of cooling ducts (Annotated Figure 3) corresponding to the cooling duct (Annotated Figure 3) (C1L26-28: “A second technique, which is more commonly utilized in designs that have conduction cooling through their so-called cooling wedges,”).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the rotor disclosed by Chernogorski such that the pole separator has a plurality of cooling ducts corresponding to the cooling duct, as disclosed by Pittard, in order to cool the motor during high-speed rotation (C1L15-19: “The present invention relates to winding wedge retention, and more particularly, to a coil winding retention scheme within a generator rotor to maintain coil form during high speed rotation.”) (C1L26-28: “A second technique, which is more commonly utilized in designs that have conduction cooling through their so-called cooling wedges,”).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Huang et al. (US 20190348894 A1) discloses relevant prior art in Figure 3.
Park et al. (US 20170353092 A1) discloses relevant prior art in Figures 4-5.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLIE FRANK MANN whose telephone number is (703)756-1275. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30AM - 4:30PM PST.
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/C.F.M./Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/ALEXANDER A SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834