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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 06/17/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cunningham (DE102017221836).
As to independent claim 1, Cunningham teaches a motor comprising: a rotor (3); a stator (2), radially opposite to the rotor (3) and located on a radially outer side of the rotor (3); and a casing (25a, 25b), accommodating at least a portion of the rotor (3) and at least a portion of the stator (2); wherein the stator (2) includes an iron core (7) and a resin portion (11) covering the iron core (7); the resin portion (11) includes an abutting portion to abut against a bottom of the casing on one axial side in the casing; the abutting portion (see annotated figure 7) is connected in a ring shape around an entire circumference of a central axis (A), and is closer to a radially inner side than a radially central position of the stator (2); a gap (42a) is between one axial side of the stator (2) and the casing (25a) in the axial direction, and the gap (42a) defines a first space (see annotated figure 7); and the abutting portion (see annotated figure 7) is located on a radially inner side of the first space (see annotated figure 7) as shown in figure 7.
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As to claim 4/1, Cunningham teaches wherein the abutting portion (see annotated figure 7) abuts against the bottom of the casing (25a) through a seal ring (see annotated figure 7) located on one axial side of the resin portion (11) as shown in figure 7.
As to claim 9/1, Cunningham teaches wherein a radially outer edge of the bottom of the casing (25a) is provided with a hole portion (see annotated figure 7) penetrating through the casing (25a) as shown in figure 7.
As to claim 10/1, Cunningham teaches wherein the abutting portion (see annotated figure 7) is closer to a radially inner side than an outer diameter of the rotor (3) as shown in figure 4.
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(s) 2, 5-6, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cunningham (DE102017221836)as applied in claim 1 above and further in view of Takaki (US PG Pub 20170353090).
As to claim 2/1, Cunningham teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the first space extends towards a radially outer side from the abutting portion to an edge of the casing.
However Takaki teaches the first space (see annotated figure 4) extends towards a radially outer side from the abutting portion (2B) to an edge of the casing (22B) as shown in figure 5, for the advantageous benefit of preventing water droplets from entering the inside.
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It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Cunningham by using the first space extends towards a radially outer side from the abutting portion to an edge of the casing, as taught by Takaki, to prevent water droplets from entering the inside.
As to claim 5/1, Cunningham teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the resin portion includes an insulating portion and a molded resin molded on one axial side of the insulating portion; and the abutting portion is integrally provided on the molded resin.
However Takaki teaches the resin portion (25B) includes an insulating portion (212B) and a molded resin molded on one axial side of the insulating portion (212B); and the abutting portion(2B) is integrally provided on the molded resin as shown in figure 4, for the advantageous benefit of preventing water droplets from entering the inside.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Cunningham by using the resin portion includes an insulating portion and a molded resin molded on one axial side of the insulating portion; and the abutting portion is integrally provided on the molded resin, as taught by Takaki, to prevent water droplets from entering the inside.
As to claim 6/5, Cunningham teaches wherein the molded resin (11) further includes a third space (see annotated figure 7) on one axial side that is recessed toward the other axial side; and the third space (see annotated figure 7) is communicated with the first space (see annotated figure 7) as shown in figure 7.
As to claim 8/6, Cunningham teaches wherein the third space (see annotated figure 7) is located on one axial side of the insulating portion (11) as shown in figure 4.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cunningham (DE102017221836)as applied in claim 1 above and further in view of Okita (WO2019082668).
As to claim 3/1, Cunningham teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein a second space is defined between the stator and the casing in a radial direction; the second space is located on one axial side of a back yoke of the iron core; and the second space is communicated with the first space.
Okita teaches a second space (see annotated figure 8) is defined between the stator (31) and the casing (13) in a radial direction; the second space (see annotated figure 8) is located on one axial side of a back yoke (32) of the iron core; and the second space (see annotated figure 8) is communicated with the first space (see annotated figure 8) as shown in figure 8, for the advantageous benefit of suppressing an increase in manufacturing labor and cost.
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It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Cunningham by using a second space is defined between the stator and the casing in a radial direction; the second space is located on one axial side of a back yoke of the iron core; and the second space is communicated with the first space, as taught by Okita, to suppress an increase in manufacturing labor and cost.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES whose telephone number is (571)270-7850. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:30-2:30 EST.
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/JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 February 19, 2026