DETAILED ACTION
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 01 July 2024. In view of this communication, claims 1-7 are now pending in the application.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) or (f), 365(a) or (b), or 386(a), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on 01 July 2024 was/were filed before mailing of the first action on the merits. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Disclosure
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 Insulator with Jumper Wire Grooves having Different Shapes.
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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, 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.
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) 1, 3, and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kimura et al. (US 2013/0115064 A1), hereinafter referred to as “Kimura”, in view of Hori et al. (US 2023/0208240 A1), hereinafter referred to as “Hori”.
Regarding claim 1, Kimura discloses an insulator [21] disposed between a stator core [20] and a three-phase coil [23] wound around the stator core [20] (fig. 1-3; ¶ 0064-0068), the insulator [21] comprising:
a main body section [21b] that covers a portion around which the coil [23] is wound in the stator core [20] and insulates the stator core [20] from the coil [23] (fig. 5; ¶ 0083); and
a jumper wire holding section [21d] that is disposed on a radial direction outer side of the main body section [21b] and holds a jumper wire [23a,23b,23c] of the coil [23] (fig. 5-9; ¶ 0085, 0089-0097), and
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wherein the jumper wire holding section [21d] includes a first groove [21da] in which a jumper wire [23a] of a first-phase coil [A-phase] is housed, a second groove [21db] that is disposed on an axial direction other side with respect to the first groove [21da] and in which a jumper wire [23b] of a second-phase coil [B-phase] is housed, and a third groove [21dc] that is disposed on the axial direction other side with respect to the second groove [21db] and in which a jumper wire [23c] of a third-phase coil [C-phase] is housed (fig. 5-6; ¶ 0089-0097).
Kimura does not disclose that the first groove [21da], the second groove [21db], and the third groove [21dc] are formed in different shapes.
Hori discloses an insulator [300] comprising a jumper wire holding section [310] that includes a first groove [315A], a second groove [315B], and a third groove [315C] (fig. 4, 17; ¶ 0128, 0192), wherein the first groove [315A], the second groove [315B], and the third groove [315C] are formed in different shapes (fig. 17; ¶ 0192; the grooves “have different axial depths”, i.e. the widths of the grooves in the axial direction are different from one another).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the grooves of Kimura having different shapes, e.g. different widths, as taught by Hori, in order to prevent contact between the crossover wires (¶ 0192 of Hori). Further, it has been held that a mere change in shape of a particular component of a device is a matter of design choice involving only routine skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Regarding claim 3, Kimura, in view of Hori, discloses the insulator [21] according to claim 1, as stated above, wherein Hori further discloses that the first groove [315A], the second groove [315B], and the third groove [315C] are different in widths in an axial direction (fig. 17; ¶ 0192; the grooves “have different axial depths”, i.e. the widths of the grooves in the axial direction are different from one another).
Regarding claim 6, Kimura, in view of Hori, discloses a stator [10] of a motor [1] comprising the insulator [21] according to claim 1, as stated above;
the stator core [20] to which the insulator [21] is attached (fig. 1-3; ¶ 0064-0065); and the coil [23] wound around the stator core [20] via the insulator [21] (¶ 0067-0068).
Regarding claim 7, Kimura, in view of Hori, discloses a motor [1] comprising the stator [10] according to claim 6, as stated above; and a rotor [14] that rotates with respect to the stator [10] (fig. 1-2; ¶ 0059).
Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kimura in view of Yamasaka et al. (JP 2013-211956 A), hereinafter referred to as “Yamasaka”.
Regarding claim 1, Kimura discloses an insulator [21] disposed between a stator core [20] and a three-phase coil [23] wound around the stator core [20] (fig. 1-3; ¶ 0064-0068), the insulator [21] comprising:
a main body section [21b] that covers a portion around which the coil [23] is wound in the stator core [20] and insulates the stator core [20] from the coil [23] (fig. 5; ¶ 0083); and
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a jumper wire holding section [21d] that is disposed on a radial direction outer side of the main body section [21b] and holds a jumper wire [23a,23b,23c] of the coil [23] (fig. 5-9; ¶ 0085, 0089-0097), and
wherein the jumper wire holding section [21d] includes a first groove [21da] in which a jumper wire [23a] of a first-phase coil [A-phase] is housed, a second groove [21db] that is disposed on an axial direction other side with respect to the first groove [21da] and in which a jumper wire [23b] of a second-phase coil [B-phase] is housed, and a third groove [21dc] that is disposed on the axial direction other side with respect to the second groove [21db] and in which a jumper wire [23c] of a third-phase coil [C-phase] is housed (fig. 5-6; ¶ 0089-0097).
Kimura does not disclose that the first groove [21da], the second groove [21db], and the third groove [21dc] are formed in different shapes.
Yamasaka discloses an insulator [7a] comprising a jumper wire holding section [72] that includes a first groove [76a], a second groove [76b], and a third groove [76c] (fig. 1-8; ¶ 0027), wherein the first groove [76a], the second groove [76a], and the third groove [76a] are formed in different shapes (fig. 8; ¶ 0028; each of the grooves have different depths relative to one another).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the grooves of Kimura having different shapes, e.g. different depths, as taught by Yamasaka, in order to prevent contact between the crossover wires (¶ 0070 of Yamasaka). Further, it has been held that a mere change in shape of a particular component of a device is a matter of design choice involving only routine skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Regarding claim 2, Kimura, in view of Yamasaka, discloses the insulator [21] according to claim 1, as stated above, wherein the first groove [76a], the second groove [76b], and the third groove [76c] are different in depths in a radial direction (fig. 5-6, 9; the coil end portions are disposed at the bottom of each groove; in combination with Yamasaka, the bottoms of the grooves, and thus the locations of each coil end portion, are disposed at different radial positions).
Regarding claim 4, Kimura, in view of Yamasaka, discloses the insulator [21] according to claim 1, as stated above, wherein a first coil end portion of the jumper wire [23a] of the first-phase coil [A-phase] in the first groove [21da], a second coil end portion of the jumper wire [23b] of the second-phase coil [B-phase] in the second groove [21db], and a third coil end portion of the jumper wire [23c] of the third-phase coil [C-phase] in the third groove [21dc] are present at different positions in a radial direction (fig. 5-6, 9; the coil end portions are disposed at the bottom of each groove; in combination with Yamasaka, the bottoms of the grooves, and thus the locations of each coil end portion, are disposed at different radial positions).
Regarding claim 5, Kimura, in view of Yamasaka, discloses the insulator according to claim 4, as stated above, wherein the coil [23] entering a slot [21ca,21cb,21cc] from each of the first coil end portion, the second coil end portion, and the third coil end portion is separated from the jumper wires [23a,23b,23c] of the coil [23] of other phases (fig. 5; ¶ 0088-0092; the “wire pulled out from the coil 23” of each phase passes through a different radial opening in the jumper wire holding section).
Citation of Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Prior art:
Ueta et al. (US 2009/0243408 A1) discloses an insulator covering a stator core, having a main body section between the tooth and the coil and a jumper wire holding section radially outside the main body section, the jumper wire holding section having grooves for jumper wires of different phases.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Andrews whose telephone number is (571)270-7554. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday, 8:30am-3:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye Iwarere can be reached at 571-270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Michael Andrews/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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