DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 of U.S. Application No. 18749361 filed on 06/20/2024 are presented for examination.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 06/20/2024, 01/27/2025, 07/10/2025, and 12/30/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 13-14 recites the limitation " the first portion ", “ the first sealing”, “the outer casing”, “the second portion”, and “the second sealing assembly”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
(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 1-2, 12, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jore et al. (US 2021/0351658; Hereinafter, “Jore”).
Regarding claim 1: Jore discloses a motor (10d; fig. 3A, 6-7, 26) comprising a casing (16; para [0045-0046]) provided with a first accommodation cavity (35) inside (inside the casing), wherein the first accommodation cavity (35) is configured to accommodate a cooling medium (“coolant”, para [0045], [0049], [0069]); and a stator (30c) disposed in the first accommodation cavity (35), at least part of the stator being immersed in the cooling medium (fig. 26).
Regarding claim 2/1: Jore discloses the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses a rotor (20), a second accommodation cavity (annotated fig. 3A below) spaced apart from the first accommodation cavity (35) is further provided inside the casing (16), and the rotor (20) is disposed within the second accommodation cavity (annotated fig. 3A below).
PNG
media_image1.png
544
952
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 12/2/1: Jore discloses the limitations of claim 2 and further discloses that the second accommodation cavity comprises a third cavity body (annotated fig. 3A below) and a fourth cavity body (annotated fig. 3A below); the rotor (20) comprises a first rotor disposed (the upper rotor 20 in fig. 3A) in the third cavity body and a second rotor (the lower rotor 20 in fig. 3A) disposed in the fourth cavity body; and the first accommodation cavity (in which stator 30 is disposed) is formed between the third cavity body and the fourth cavity body (annotated fig. 3A below).
PNG
media_image2.png
546
899
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 19/1: Jore discloses the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses that the casing has a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet that are respectively in communication with the first accommodation cavity (35), the cooling medium inlet being located at a height (H1) smaller than a height of the cooling medium outlet (annotated fig. 3A below).
Regarding claim 20/1: Jore discloses the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses an electric drive device (traction motors for hybrid and electric vehicles; para [0002]) comprising a liquid supply mechanism (using pump 48 as seen in fig. 3A); and the motor (10d), wherein the liquid supply mechanism is in communication with the first accommodation cavity (35) to deliver the cooling medium (coolant) into the first accommodation cavity (35).
PNG
media_image3.png
765
595
media_image3.png
Greyscale
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.
Claims 3, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jore in view of Yao et al. (US 2020/0274410; Hereinafter, “Yao”).
Regarding claim 3/2/1: Jore discloses the limitations of claim 2 and further discloses that the rotor (20) comprises a rotor shaft (11, 13, 15) and a rotor disk (20) connected to the rotor shaft.
Jore does not disclose that the rotor shaft internally having a first cooling flow channel, and the first cooling flow channel being in communication with the first accommodation cavity.
Yao discloses the rotor shaft internally having a first cooling flow channel (150; fig. 5), and the first cooling flow channel (150) being in communication with the first accommodation cavity (where stator 102 is disclosed).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have configured the motor of Jore to have the rotor shaft internally having a first cooling flow channel, and the first cooling flow channel being in communication with the first accommodation cavity as disclosed by Yao to use the natural centrifugal forces of the rotor rather than pumps, to simplify the cooling system, and to reduce the cost of making the motor.
Regarding claim 16/1: Jore discloses the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses that the casing (16) has a cooling medium inlet (the inlet in left side of fig. 3A, close to pump 48) and a cooling medium outlet (the outlet from cavity 35 at the right side of the stator in fig. 3A) that are respectively in communication with the first accommodation cavity (35).
the cooling medium inlet comprising a first inlet located at an inner peripheral side of the stator, and the cooling medium outlet being located at an outer peripheral side of the stator.
Yao discloses the cooling medium inlet (156) comprising a first inlet located at an inner (radial inner periphery) peripheral side of the stator, and the cooling medium outlet (180) being located at an outer peripheral side of the stator (fig. 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have configured the motor of Jore to have the cooling medium inlet comprising a first inlet located at an inner peripheral side of the stator, and the cooling medium outlet being located at an outer peripheral side of the stator as disclosed by Yao to use the natural centrifugal forces of the rotor rather than pumps, to simplify the cooling system, and to reduce the cost of making the motor.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jore (the embodiment in fig. 3A) in view of Jore (the embodiment in fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9/2/1: Jore discloses the limitations of claim 2 but does not disclose that the first accommodation cavity comprises a first cavity body and a second cavity body; the stator comprises a first stator disposed in the first cavity body and a second stator disposed in the second cavity body; and the second accommodation cavity is formed between the first cavity body and the second cavity body.
Jore (in fig. 2) disclose the first accommodation cavity comprises a first cavity body and a second cavity body (annotated fig. 2 below); the stator (30) comprises a first stator (30) disposed in the first cavity body and a second stator (30) disposed in the second cavity body; and the second accommodation cavity (annotated fig. 2 below) is formed (at least partially) between the first cavity body and the second cavity body (annotated fig. 2 below).
PNG
media_image4.png
556
894
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have configured the motor of Jore in fig. 3A to have the first accommodation cavity comprises a first cavity body and a second cavity body; the stator comprises a first stator disposed in the first cavity body and a second stator disposed in the second cavity body; and the second accommodation cavity is formed between the first cavity body and the second cavity body as in the embodiment in fig. 2 to increase the stator flux interacting with the rotor thus magnifying the output torque.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jore in view of Yao, and in further view of Jore (the embodiment in fig. 2).
Regarding claim 17/16/1: Jore in view of Yao discloses the limitations of claim 16 and Jore further discloses that a rotor (20), a second accommodation cavity (annotated fig. 3A below) spaced apart from the first accommodation cavity (35) is further provided inside the casing (16), and the rotor (20) is disposed within the second accommodation cavity (annotated fig. 3A below).
PNG
media_image1.png
544
952
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Jore (in the embodiment of fig. 3A) does not disclose the first accommodation cavity comprises a first cavity body and a second cavity body; the stator comprises a first stator disposed in the first cavity body and a second stator disposed in the second cavity body; and the second accommodation cavity is formed between the first cavity body and the second cavity body.
Jore (the embodiment in fig. 2) disclose the first accommodation cavity comprises a first cavity body and a second cavity body (annotated fig. 2 below); the stator (30) comprises a first stator (30) disposed in the first cavity body and a second stator (30) disposed in the second cavity body; and the second accommodation cavity (annotated fig. 2 below) is formed (at least partially) between the first cavity body and the second cavity body (annotated fig. 2 below).
PNG
media_image4.png
556
894
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have configured the motor of Jore in fig. 3A to have the first accommodation cavity comprises a first cavity body and a second cavity body; the stator comprises a first stator disposed in the first cavity body and a second stator disposed in the second cavity body; and the second accommodation cavity is formed between the first cavity body and the second cavity body as in the embodiment in fig. 2 to increase the stator flux interacting with the rotor thus magnifying the output torque.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8, 10-11, 15, 18 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED ELNAKIB whose telephone number is (571)270-0638. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00AM-4:00PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas Patel can be reached at 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AHMED ELNAKIB/Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 2834