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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 7 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 7, the limitation recites "the fin portion includes a plurality of fin portions provided radially on the plate portion" in lines 3 - 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
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:
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.
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.
Claims 1, and 7 – 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okada et al. (US20150188383A1) in view of Matsumura (JP2018082553A).
Regarding Claim 1, Okada et al. discloses an electric motor (molded motor 100) (Okada et al. Fig. 3), comprising:
a cylindrical resin outer shell (motor casing 2) that includes an opening end portion (Okada et al. Para [0047] first sentence) on one end in an axial direction (Okada et al. Fig. 1);
a stator (25) that includes a coil (252) and a stator core (251) that are integrally formed with the resin outer shell (Okada et al. Para [0057] whole paragraph);
a rotor (11) that is disposed on an inner diameter side of the stator (Okada et al. Fig. 7);
a lid member (casing cover 3) that is formed of a metal (Okada et al. Para [0128] lines 3 – 6),
the lid member including an inner surface portion (inner surface of casing cover 3) (Okada et al. Fig. 13),
an outer surface portion (outer surface of casing cover 3) (Okada et al. Fig. 13),
the inner surface portion covering the opening end portion of the resin outer shell (Okada et al. Fig. 13),
the outer surface portion being opposite to the inner surface portion (Okada et al. Fig. 13),
and a metal member (bearing conducting member 7) that is disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the resin outer shell and is thermally connected to the outer peripheral surface of the resin outer shell and the lid member (Okada et al. Para [0080] first sentence).
Okada et al does not disclose:
the lid member including a fin portion,
the fin portion protruding from the outer surface portion in the axial direction.
Matsumura discloses:
the lid member (metal cover 61) including a fin portion (615) (Matsumura Fig. 1),
the fin portion protruding from the outer surface portion (outer surface of flange 611) in the axial direction (Matsumura Fig. 5).
Okada et al. and Matsumura disclose metal covers therefore, Matsumura constitutes prior art. Matsumura discloses a motor having a metal cover with fins. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the lid member including a fin portion, and the fin portion protruding from the outer surface portion in the axial direction of Matsumura for the purpose of improving heat dissipation of the lid member.
Regarding Claim 7, Okada et al. and Matsumura disclose the electric motor according to claim 1.
Okada et al. does not disclose:
wherein the fin portion includes a plurality of fin portions provided radially on the plate portion.
Matsumura discloses:
wherein the fin portion includes a plurality of fin portions provided radially on the plate portion (Matsumura Fig. 5 discloses a plurality of fins 615 provided on flange 611).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the fin portion includes a plurality of fin portions provided radially on the plate portion of Matsumura for the purpose of transferring heat away from the plate portion to the plurality of fins.
Regarding Claim 8, Okada et al. and Matsumura disclose the electric motor according to claim 1, further comprising:
a rotation shaft (10) that extends in the axial direction (Okada et al. Fig. 1),
the rotor being fixed to the rotation shaft (Okada et al. Fig. 7);
a first bearing housing portion (upper boss portion 32) that is formed of a metal (Okada et al. Para [0128] lines 3 – 6 discloses a casing cover 3 made of metal and since the casing cover 3 includes the upper boss portion 32, it is also made of metal) and provided on the lid member (Okada et al. Fig.13),
the first bearing housing portion housing a first bearing (upper bearing 8) that rotatably supports the rotation shaft (Okada et al. Fig. 13);
and a second bearing housing portion (lower bearing bracket 24) that is formed of a metal (Okada et al. Para [0055] first sentence) and provided on the resin outer shell (Okada et al. Fig. 13),
the second bearing housing portion housing the second bearing (lower bearing 9) that rotatably supports the rotation shaft (Okada et al. Fig. 13),
the metal member coming into contact with the first bearing housing portion on one end side and coming into contact with the second bearing housing portion on the other end side (Okada et al. Para [0079] first sentence).
Regarding Claim 9, Okada et al. and Matsumura disclose the electric motor according to claim 8, further comprising a vibration isolating member (upper damping member 4) that is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the first bearing housing portion (Okada et al. Fig. 5).
Okada et al. does not disclose:
the lid member further including a regulatory portion that regulates movement of the vibration isolating member to a side of the fin portion in the axial direction to form a predetermined gap between the vibration isolating member and the fin portion.
Okada et al. and Matsumura structurally discloses:
the lid member further including a regulatory portion (upper boss recess 321) that regulates movement of the vibration isolating member (of Okada et al. Para [0073] last sentence) to a side of the fin portion (of Matsumura Fig. 7) in the axial direction to form a predetermined gap between the vibration isolating member (of Okada et al. Fig. 5) and the fin portion (of Matsumura Fig. 7).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the lid member further include a regulatory portion that regulates movement of the vibration isolating member to a side of the fin portion in the axial direction to form a predetermined gap between the vibration isolating member and the fin portion of structurally disclosed Okada et al. and Matsumura for the purpose of preventing the vibration between the lid member and the fin portion.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okada et al. in view of Matsumura and further in view of Zhao (CN 203942406 U).
Regarding Claim 2, Okada et al. and Matsumura disclose the electric motor according to claim 1.
Okada et al. and Matsumura do not disclose:
wherein the outer peripheral surface of the resin outer shell includes a groove portion along the axial direction,
and at least part of the metal member has a band shape and is housed in the groove portion.
Okada et al. and Zhao structurally discloses:
wherein the outer peripheral surface of the resin outer shell (of Okada et al. Fig. 1) includes a groove portion (343) along the axial direction (of Zhao Fig. 2),
and at least part of the metal member has a band shape (of Okada et al. Fig. 4) and is housed in the groove portion (of Zhao Fig. 2).
Okada et al., Matsumura, and Zhao discloses a plastic outer shell for a motor therefore, Zhao constitutes prior art. Zhao discloses a plastic package motor that has a groove with a conductive sheet embedded into it.
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the outer peripheral surface of the resin outer shell includes a groove portion along the axial direction, and at least part of the metal member has a band shape and is housed in the groove portion of structurally disclosed Okada et al. and Zhao for the purpose of axially supporting and securing the metal member to the cylindrical resin outer shell.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okada et al. in view of Matsumura, Zhao, and further in view of Hiwaki et al. (US20150249376A1).
Regarding Claim 3, Okada et al., Matsumura, and Zhao disclose the electric motor according to claim 2.
Okada et al., Matsumura, and Zhao does not disclose:
wherein the resin outer shell includes a plurality of outer-peripheral-surface projecting portions that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface toward an outer diameter side and is formed in a circumferential direction,
and the groove portion is located between two outer-peripheral-surface projecting portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction.
Hiwaki et al. discloses:
wherein the resin outer shell (molded resin body 14) includes a plurality of outer-peripheral-surface projecting portions (14b) that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface toward an outer diameter side and is formed in a circumferential direction (Hiwaki et al. Fig. 1),
and the groove portion (14a) is located between two outer-peripheral-surface projecting portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction (Hiwaki et al. Fig. 1).
Okada et al., Matsumura, Zhao, and Hiwaki et al. discloses a plastic outer shell for a motor therefore, Hiwaki et al. constitutes prior art. Hiwaki et al. discloses a motor with a resin body having a plurality of projections and recesses on an outer circumferential surface of the resin body.
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the resin outer shell includes a plurality of outer-peripheral-surface projecting portions that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface toward an outer diameter side and is formed in a circumferential direction, and the groove portion be located between two outer-peripheral-surface projecting portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of Hiwaki et al. for the purpose of increasing heat dissipation such that heat is moved away from the groove portion.
Claims 4 – 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okada et al. in view of Matsumura and further in view of Ishikawa et al. (JP2014132818A).
Regarding Claim 4, Okada et al. and Matsumura disclose the electric motor according to claim 1, wherein the metal member further includes a first metal portion (end portion of bearing conducting member 7), a second metal portion (middle portion of bearing conducting member 7), and a third metal portion (another end portion of bearing conducting member 7) (Okada et al. Fig. 4),
the first metal portion being disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the resin outer shell along the axial direction (Okada et al. Fig. 1).
Okada et al. and Matsumura do not disclose:
the second metal portion being connected to the first metal portion and disposed on the opening end portion along a radial direction of the resin outer shell,
the third metal portion being connected to the second metal portion and disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the resin outer shell along the axial direction.
Ishikawa et al. discloses:
the second metal portion (bent portion 712) being connected to the first metal portion (base end portion 711) and disposed on the opening end portion (upper surface groove 82) along a radial direction of the resin outer shell (stator holding part 41) (Ishikawa et al. Fig. 6),
the third metal portion (extending portion 713) being connected to the second metal portion and disposed on an inner peripheral surface (inner surface groove 83) of the resin outer shell along the axial direction (Ishikawa et al. Fig. 6).
Okada et al., Matsumura, and Ishikawa et al. disclose a resin outer shell therefore, Ishikawa et al. constitutes prior art. Ishikawa et al. discloses a motor having a lead wire that has portions on and inside a motor molded body. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the second metal portion being connected to the first metal portion and disposed on the opening end portion along a radial direction of the resin outer shell, and the third metal portion being connected to the second metal portion and disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the resin outer shell along the axial direction of Ishikawa et al. for the purpose of extending and thermally connecting the metal member to inside the cylindrical resin outer shell to transfer heat away from the resin shell.
Regarding Claim 5, Okada et al., Matsumura, and Ishikawa et al. discloses the electric motor according to claim 4.
Okada et al. and Matsumura do not disclose:
further comprising a circuit board that is disposed in an internal space covered by the resin outer shell and the lid member,
the lid member further including an annular protruding portion that protrudes from the inner surface portion toward a side of the circuit board and comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the resin outer shell,
the third metal portion including a contact portion that comes into thermal contact with the annular protruding portion.
Ishikawa et al. discloses:
further comprising a circuit board (30) that is disposed in an internal space covered by the resin outer shell and the lid member (first bearing bracket 61) (Ishikawa et al. Fig. 2),
the lid member further including an annular protruding portion (inner fixing portion 603) that protrudes from the inner surface portion toward a side of the circuit board and comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the resin outer shell (Ishikawa et al. Fig. 9),
the third metal portion including a contact portion that comes into thermal contact with the annular protruding portion (Ishikawa et al. Fig. 4 discloses a contact between the inner fixing portion 603 and extending portion 713 and since both are formed of metal, they have a thermal contact as well.).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further comprise a circuit board that is disposed in an internal space covered by the resin outer shell and the lid member, the lid member further including an annular protruding portion that protrudes from the inner surface portion toward a side of the circuit board and comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the resin outer shell, and the third metal portion including a contact portion that comes into thermal contact with the annular protruding portion of Ishikawa et al. for the purpose of transferring heat between the metal member and the lid member.
Regarding Claim 6, Okada et al., Matsumura, and Ishikawa et al. disclose the electric motor according to claim 4.
Okada et al. does not disclose:
wherein the second metal portion or the third metal portion is disposed at a position overlapping with the fin portion when viewed from the axial direction.
Okada et al. and Matsumura structurally discloses:
wherein the second metal portion or the third metal portion (of Okada et al. Fig. 5) is disposed at a position overlapping with the fin portion when viewed from the axial direction (of Matsumura Fig. 7).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the second metal portion or the third metal portion is disposed at a position overlapping with the fin portion when viewed from the axial direction of structurally disclosed Okada et al. and Matsumura for the purpose of axially transferring heat between the second or third metal portion and the fin portion of the lid member.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THEODORE L PERKINS whose telephone number is (703)756-4629. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am- 17:00pm.
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/THEODORE L PERKINS/Examiner, Art Unit 2834 /TERRANCE L KENERLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834