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 .
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Remarks
Office Action is in response to the Preliminary Amendment filed 6/22/2024.
Claims 3-5 have been amended. Claims 8-12 are new.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/22/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The 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: STATOR HAVING RESPECTIVE WINDING WIRES CONFIGURED IN A SLOT.
Claim Objections
Claims 6-7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 6:
“… (in a direction that is orthogonal to an aligning direction of the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion and is orthogonal to the extending direction of the second insertion portion), and a width of the second insertion portion in the aligning direction of the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion is larger than a width of the first insertion portion (in the aligning direction of the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion)”.
should read:
“… --, in a direction that is orthogonal to an aligning direction of the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion and is orthogonal to the extending direction of the second insertion portion--, and a width of the second insertion portion in the aligning direction of the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion is larger than a width of the first insertion portion, --in the aligning direction of the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion.—
Claim 7: “,and,” (line 2) should read --, and--
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-6, 8, and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi et al. (US 20170133968; IDS).
In claim 1, Takahashi teaches (Fig. 1-14) a stator (30) comprising: a stator core (31); and a coil (40), wherein a connection state of the coil (40) is switched, the stator core (31) includes a plurality of slots (34) and a plurality of tooth portions (33) that are annularly aligned in an alternating manner, the coil (40) includes winding wires of a plurality of phases (U, V, W; [0054]), including at least a first winding wire (41) and a second winding wire (42) that are wound around the tooth portions (33), connection states of the first winding wire (41) and the second winding wire (42) being switched, the first winding wire (41) includes a first insertion portion (41; Fig. 11) that passes through a slot (34), the second winding wire (42) includes a second insertion portion (42; Fig. 11) that passes through the slot (34) through which the first insertion portion (41) passes, both the first insertion portion (41) and the second insertion portion (42) are disposed in the same slot (34), the first insertion portion (41) includes a first core wire (41, 50) and a first coating portion (57b) that covers the first core wire (41, 50), the second insertion portion (42) includes a second core wire (42, 50) and a second coating portion (57b) that covers the second core wire (42, 50), and a second cross-section area of the second core wire (42, 50) when cut in a plane direction that is orthogonal to an extending direction of the second core wire (42, 50) is larger than a first cross-section area of the first core wire (41, 50) when cut in a plane direction that is orthogonal to an extending direction of the first core wire (41, 50; Fig. 11).
In claim 2, Takahashi discloses wherein the coil (40) is switched between a first energized state where both the first winding wire (41) and the second winding wire (42) are energized and a second energized state where only the second winding wire (42) is energized ([0010]).
In claim 3, Takahashi discloses wherein the stator core (31) includes an annular yoke portion (32), the tooth portions (33) protrude from the yoke portion (32) in a radial direction, each slot (34) is formed by two adjacent tooth portions (33), the plurality of first insertion portions (41) and the plurality of second insertion portions (42) are disposed in the same slot (34), and the plurality of first insertion portions (41) are disposed on a side to which the tooth portions (33) protrude, relative to the plurality of second insertion portions (42).
In claim 5, Takahashi discloses wherein a fourth cross-section area of each second insertion portion (42) when cut in a plane direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the second insertion portion (42) is larger than a third cross-section area of each first insertion portion (41) when cut in a plane direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the first insertion portion (41).
In claim 6, Takahashi discloses wherein the first insertion portion (41) and the second insertion portion (42) are rectangular wires (Fig. 11), and are linearly aligned in the slot, a width of the first insertion portion (41) in a direction that is orthogonal to an aligning direction of the first insertion portion (41) and the second insertion portion (42) and is orthogonal to the extending direction of the first insertion portion (41) is the same as a width of the second insertion portion (42), in a direction that is orthogonal to an aligning direction of the first insertion portion (41) and the second insertion portion (42) and is orthogonal to the extending direction of the second insertion portion (42), and a width of the second insertion portion (42) in the aligning direction of the first insertion portion (41) and the second insertion portion (42) is larger than a width of the first insertion portion (41), in the aligning direction of the first insertion portion (41) and the second insertion portion (42).
In claim 8, Takahashi discloses wherein the stator core (31) includes an annular yoke portion (32), the tooth portions (33) protrude from the yoke portion (32) in a radial direction, each slot (34) is formed by two adjacent tooth portions (33),the plurality of first insertion portions (41) and the plurality of second insertion portions (42) are disposed in the same slot (34), and the plurality of first insertion portions (41) are disposed on a side to which the tooth portions (33) protrude, relative to the plurality of second insertion portions (42).
In claim 10, Takahashi discloses wherein a fourth cross-section area of each second insertion portion (42) when cut in a plane direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the second insertion portion (42) is larger than a third cross-section area of each first insertion portion (41) when cut in a plane direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the first insertion portion (41).
In claim 11, Takahashi discloses wherein a fourth cross-section area of each second insertion portion (42) when cut in a plane direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the second insertion portion (42) is larger than a third cross-section area of each first insertion portion (41) when cut in a plane direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the first insertion portion (41).
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 (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 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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al. (US 20170133968; IDS) in view of WO 2021-137544 (IDS; 544’).
In claim 7, Takahashi teaches the stator of claim 5, with the exception of wherein the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion are round wires, and the first insertion portion is disposed in at least one of a gap formed surrounded by the plurality of second insertion portions, and a gap formed surrounded by at least one of the second insertion portions and an inner wall of the slot.
However, 544’ teaches (Fig. 4) wherein the first insertion portion (310) and the second insertion portion (210) are round wires, and the first insertion portion (310) is disposed in a gap formed surrounded by at least one of the second insertion portions (210) and an inner wall (110) of the slot.
Therefore in view of 544’, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to obtain high torque and speed efficiency of the motor (544’; Pg. 6-7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 9, and 12 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 cited prior art taken singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitation of the (in)dependent claim(s), in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be proper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the features as presented in the (in)dependent claim(s) with the allowable feature being:
Claim 4: “wherein the first insertion portions and the second insertion portions are alternatingly aligned in the same slot in the radial direction.”
Claim 9: “wherein the first insertion portions and the second insertion portions are alternatingly aligned in the same slot in the radial direction.”
The examiner found no prior art satisfies all above conditions by itself or as combined during the examination period.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Suzuki et al. (US 2020/0287437) teaches a stator including a plurality of core constituent members arranged side by side in a circumferential direction, each of which has a tooth extending in a radial direction and a pair of core outer extension portion extending in the both circumferential directions from a radial outer end portion of the tooth.
Toya et al. (US 2020/0127523) teaches a rotary electric machine which achieves miniaturization and high power while preventing winding break of a coil.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHAD H JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1231. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher 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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RASHAD H. JOHNSON
Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/RASHAD H JOHNSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834