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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: 48 and 52 in Claim 9. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 objected to because of the following informalities: “Wherein at least of the following holds” appears to be supposed to be “wherein at least one of the following holds.” Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 9, 10, 14, and 15 are 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.
Claim 9 recites the limitation “the reflection surfaces.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “the first auxiliary measurement members.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “the second auxiliary measurement members.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitation “the first connection surface.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitation “the stator shaft.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitation “the second connection surface.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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)(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 1-6, 11, 12, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Airoldi (US 20150276931 A1).
Claim 1: Airoldi teaches a method of measuring a geometric characteristic of a stator component (2) of an electrical machine (30), the method comprising:
arranging an optical measurement device (5) at a predetermined position (6) relative to the stator component (2), in particular at a first side of the stator component (Fig. 1, laser module 30 and [0032] - directing laser at air gap)
measuring, by the optical measurement device (5), positions of plural measurement locations (10a, l0b) being in predetermined spatial relations to plural stator component locations (23a, 23b) while keeping the position of the optical measurement device (5) and the stator segment (2) fixed ([0019] - scanning multiple regions and [0032] - measuring)
determining the geometric characteristic based on the measured positions of the plural measurement locations ([0032] - computation unit)
Claim 2: Airoldi teaches the method according to the claim 1, wherein determining the geometric characteristic comprises: determining the geometric characteristic of at least one connection surface (14a, 14b) of the stator component (2), the connection surface including the stator component locations ([0032] and Fig. 1, magnet poles 220).
Claim 3: Airoldi teaches the method according to claim 1, the stator component comprising:
a first connection surface (1 4a), in particular first flange surface, and a second connection surface (I14b), in particular second flange surface, being spaced apart from the first connection surface (14a) in an axial direction (15) (Fig. 1, piece 211 having flange on each side in direction of R axis)
the measuring the plural measurement locations comprising:
measuring first plural measurement locations (1 0a) being in predetermined spatial relations to plural first connection surface locations (23a); and measuring second plural measurement locations (l0b) being in predetermined spatial relations to plural second connection surface locations (23b) ([0032] - measuring specifically through air gap would cause the position and spatial relations to be predetermined)
Claim 4: Airoldi teaches the method according to the claim 1, wherein determining the geometric characteristic comprises, in particular based on the measured first plural measurement locations (10a) and/or measured second plural measurement locations (10b), at least one of: determining at least one geometric characteristic, in particular center point (39a, 39b) and/or shape and/or position and/or orientation, of the first connection surface (14a) and/or the second connection surface (14b); determining an orientation and/position of an axes (16) joining center points (39a, 39b) of the first connection surface (14a) and the second connection surface (14b); determining whether the first connection surface (14a) is parallel to the second connection surface (14b) (Fig. 6, showing irregularities, specifically where the surfaces are not parallel and [0037]).
Claim 5: Airoldi teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein at least of the following holds:
the stator component (2) being integrally formed;
the stator component (2) substantially having cylinder symmetry (Fig. 2, symmetry);
the stator component (2) being a stator shaft at which plural stator segments are to be mounted;
the first connection surface (14a) substantially being a circular ring (Fig. 2);
the first connection surface (14a) facing a first side of the stator component; the second connection surface (14b) substantially being a circular ring;
the second connection surface (14b) facing a second side of the stator component; the first connection surface (14a) is arranged at a first axial end of the stator component; the second connection surface (14b) is arranged at a second axial end of the stator component;
the first connection surface (14a) serves to mount a bearing (32) for rotationally supporting a rotor relative to the stator component,
the second connection surface (14b) serves to mount the stator component to a nacelle.
Claim 6: Airoldi teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the optical measurement device (5) is configured as light detection and ranging device (LIDAR) ([0008] - describing TOF - would mean LiDAR as laser beam is used).
Claim 11: Airoldi teaches the arrangement (1) for measuring a geometric characteristic of a stator component (2) of an electrical machine (30), the arrangement comprising:
a support system (3) for supporting the stator component (2) in a fixed manner (Fig. 1, rear cover 223);
an optical measurement device (5) arrangeable at a predetermined position (6) relative to the supported stator component (2), in particular at a first side of the stator component (Fig. 1, laser module 30 and [0032] - directing laser at air gap)
the optical measurement device (5) being configured: to measure positions of plural measurement locations (10a, lOb) being in predetermined spatial relations to plural stator component locations (23a, 23b) while keeping the position of the optical measurement device (5) fixed ([0019] - scanning multiple regions and [0032] - measuring)
to determine the geometric characteristic based on the measured positions of the plural measurement locations ([0032] - computation unit).
Claim 12: Airoldi teaches the arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the optical measurement device (5) comprises at least one of:
a laser configured to emit a laser beam (19) (Abstract, laser beam L);
a deflector (12), in particular including a mirror, rotatable around at least one axis (13, 14), in particular rotatable around two axes that are perpendicular to each other, the deflector (12) being arranged to deflect the laser beam (11, 19) towards the stator component; a scan drive system to rotate the deflector; a detector to detect a laser beam (20) reflected from the stator component in a time resolved manner;
a processor configured to determine a distance (d) between the optical measurement device (5) and the measurement location (10a, 1Gb) based on time-of-flight determination and/or frequency shift determination of the reflected laser beam versus the emitted laser beam, the processor being configured to determine a position of the measurement location based on the associated distance and angle setting of the deflector.
Claim 15: Airoldi teaches the method of assembling an electric machine according to claim 1, the method comprising: mounting the electric machine at the second connection surface (14b) of the stator shaft to a nacelle (40) (Fig. 1, rear cover 223).
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Airoldi (US 20150276931 A1), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Pennecot (US 9063549 B1).
Claim 7: Airoldi teaches the method according to Claim 1. Airoldi does not teach, but Pennecot does teach directing a laser beam (11) onto a deflector (12), in particular mirror; rotating the deflector (12) to plural angle settings such that the deflected laser beam (19) impacts at least on the plural measurement locations (10a, lb) (Fig. 4A, Col 14, lines 34-45).
the method comprising, for each angle setting:
detecting the laser beam (20) reflected from the respective measurement location in a time resolved manner (Col 13, lines 8-23),
determining a distance (d) between the optical measurement device (5) and the respective measurement location (10a, lb) based on the detected laser beam; determining the position of the respective measurement location (10a, lOb) based on the associated distance and angle setting of the deflector (Col 1, lines 22-40).
It would have been prima facie obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to been obvious to use the mirror, as taught by Pennecot, in the method as taught by Airoldi, because this would allow for different parts of the FOV to be scanned without the entire system being moved, thus decreasing time needed per scan and between scans.
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Airoldi (US 20150276931 A1), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Oh (US 20190305634 A1).
Claim 13: Airoldi teaches the method of assembling an electric machine, the method comprising: performing a method of measuring a geometric characteristic of a stator component (2) of an electrical machine, according to claim 1,
the geometric characteristic of the stator shaft comprising a geometric characteristic of an axis (16) of the stator shaft (Fig. 6, showing irregularities, specifically where the surfaces are not parallel along axis and [0037]);
mounting a plurality of stator segments (35) at the stator shaft (2), in particular at mounting members (33, 34) protruding radially outwards, such that an outer surface (37) of the stator segments (35) is substantially cylinder symmetric with respect to the axis (16) of the stator shaft (Fig. 2, symmetry and stator windings 211).
Airoldi does not teach, but Oh does teach, the stator component is a stator shaft ([0015]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a stator shaft, as taught by Oh, as the component as taught by Airoldi, because, although Airoldi doesn’t explicitly teach a shaft, it does teach a rotation axis R (Fig. 1), around which the stator rotates, which would be analogous to the shaft in Oh. Further, a shaft is a regular and known part of a stator.
Claim 14: Airoldi teaches the method of assembling an electric machine, according to Claim 1. Airoldi does not teach, but Oh does teach, the method comprising: mounting a rotor bearing (32) to the stator at the first connection surface (14a) of the stator shaft ([0015]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the assembly as taught by Oh, in the method as taught by Airoldi, because, as Oh teaches, the assembly taught in Oh simplifies the structure of the motor (Oh, abstract).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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.
Claims 9 and 10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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: Claims 8-10 all claim reflection surfaces and the attachment and arrangement of said reflection surfaces on the stator shaft. Prior art teaching attaching reflection surfaces to a stator element in order to aid measurement was not found, and there is no obvious reason to add a reflection surface, used in a more generic LiDAR system such as US 20180231654 A1 to the system of Airoldi, as Airoldi works without it.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CLARA CHILTON whose telephone number is (703)756-1080. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6-2 MT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Helal Algahaim can be reached at 571-270-5227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CLARA G CHILTON/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/JAMES R HULKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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