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 . This Office Action is responsive to the Applicant's communication filed August 31, 2026. In view of this communication and the amendment concurrently filed: claims 11-21 were previously pending; claims 17 and 20-21 was cancelled and claims 22-24 were added by amendment; and thus, claims 11-16, 18-19, and 22-24 are now pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed August 31, 2026 have been fully considered.
The Applicant's first point (page 10-11 of Remarks) argues that the limitation, “the rotor”, should not need illustration because the rotor is a conventional feature of an electric machine. The Examiner whole disagrees, a rotor is as pertinent to the art of electric machines as a stator (like the one presented in the current application). Additionally, the relative location, orientation, and size of the rotor are all essential to the understanding and operation of the electric machine as a whole. Even if the Examiner was willing to concede that the rotor (as a part of the electrical machine) is a “conventional feature”, as stated under 37 CFR 1.83(a), then the rotors omission of obvious would be relevant since the rotor has been admitted by the Applicant to be “conventional” and “not essential for understanding”. Since it is the Examiners belief that an illustration of the rotor would aid understanding of the invention the objection is maintained.
The Applicant's second point (page 11 of Remarks) cancels claim 21 to make the claim objection moot. The Examiner agrees with the Applicant’s action to render the claim objection moot, thus it is removed.
The Applicant's third point (page 11 of Remarks) cancels claim 20 to make the 112(b) rejection moot. The Examiner agrees with the Applicant’s action to render the 112(b) rejection moot, thus it is removed.
The Applicant's third point (page 11-13 of Remarks) amends claim 11 to include the new limitation, “the conductor section and the associated coil section are embedded in the cap material of the at least one cap.” With respect to amended claims 11 and 13, the Applicant should show support in the original disclosure for the new or amended claims. The Applicant has not pointed out where the amended claims are supported, nor does there appear to be a written description of the claim limitation “the conductor section and the associated coil section are embedded in the cap material of the at least one cap,” in the application as filed. In fact, prior art ARCON shows about just as much evidence that the conductor section and the associated coil section are embedded in the cap material. Both the present application in Fig 7 and ACRON in Fig 3 show a cap (18 and C respectfully) occupying the same space as the conductor section and the associated coil section. For this reason, the new limitation added to claim 11 and 13 will be rejected under 112(a) as the amended material does not seem to be supported by the disclosure, and the 102 rejection will be maintained.
The Applicant's fourth point (page 14 of Remarks) amends claim 15 and 16, the amendment necessitates new grounds of rejection, the new rejection is given below. Additionally, the Applicant is reminded it should use the translation of ARCON supplied by the Office Action mailed on May 29th, 2026 for located the references used I the Office Action mailed on May 29, 2026. This will help the Applicant identify the location of references in future actions.
The Applicant's fifth point (page 14-15 of Remarks) adds new claims 22-24, the amendment necessitates new grounds of rejection, the new rejection is given below.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the rotor must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 11 was amended to include limitation, “the conductor section and the associated coil section are embedded in the cap material of the at least one cap” this limitation is found by the examiner to have new material not previously prevented in the application. The present application has been found to contain sources of, “a cap made of cap material”, but no sources showing the structural limitation of a “the conductor section and the associated coil section are embedded”
Claim 13 was amended to include limitation, “the conductor section of each of the plurality of conductors and the coil section of the associated coil are embedded within the at least one cap” this limitation is found by the examiner to have new material not previously prevented in the application. The present application has been found to contain sources of, “a cap made of cap material”, but no sources showing the structural limitation of a “the conductor section of each of the plurality of conductors and the coil section of the associated coil are embedded”
The Applicant has not pointed out where the new (or amended) claim is supported, nor does there appear to be a written description of the claim limitation ‘embedded’ in the application as filed. See Hyatt v. Dudas, 492 F.3d 1365, 1370, 83 USPQ2d 1373, 1376 (Fed. Cir. 2007) or [MPEP] § 2163.04.
Claims 12, 14-16, 18-19, and 22-24 are rejected solely for being dependent on claim 11 or 13.
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) 11-14, 18-19, and 22-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated ARCON (WO 2022084043 A1).
Regarding claim 11, ARCON teaches:
An electric machine(Fig 2; 1), comprising:
a stator (Fig 3; 15) having an upper side (Fig 3; 21)extending in an axial direction (Fig 3; 20)with at least three coils(Fig 3; 24a, 24b,24c), a respective coil being arranged with an associated coil section (Fig 3; 46) in an associated joint section (Fig 3; 48)on the upper side(Fig 3; 21);
a controller (Fig 2; 16) configured to supply and/or control the at least three coils (Fig 3; 24a, 24b,24c)of the stator(Fig 2; 15)[pg 6; 19-33];
a busbar (Fig 3; 17) with an associated conductor (Fig 8; 44) for the respective-coil(Fig 3; 24), wherein the associated conductor for the associated coil section has a conductor section (Fig 3; 43) and a plug section (Fig 3; 19) spaced from the conductor section (Fig 3; 43) for connection to the controller (Fig 2; 16);
a busbar-subassembly (Fig 3; 17) overmolding the busbar (Fig 3; 17)with an electrically insulating busbar material so that an electrically insulating sheath of the busbar material envelops the busbar and the conductor section (Fig 3; 43) is exposed(overmolding is a specialized form of injection molding also plastic is commonly known to be electrically insulating [pg 6; 57-59]), and wherein the busbar-subassembly (Fig 3; 17) is arranged on the upper side (Fig 3; 21)of the stator (Fig 3; 15) so that the conductor section (Fig 3; 43) is arranged in the associated joint section (Fig 3; 48)of the associated coil section (Fig 3; 46);
wherein the associated coil section (Fig 3; 46) in the associated joint section (Fig 3; 48)is electrically connected to the conductor section (Fig 3; 43) [pg 8; 22-30]and the joint section (Fig 3; 48) is overmolded with an electrically insulating cap (Fig 4; C) material so that at least one cap of the cap material electrically insulates the associated joint section(Fig 4 shows the caps, coving the mated terminals; thus insulating them since the whole assembly 17 is made of plastic);
wherein the busbar (Fig 2; 17) electrically connects the respective coil to the controller[pg 8; 4-9].; and wherein the conductor section (Fig 3; 43)and the associated coil section (Fig 3; 46) are embedded in the cap material of the at least on cap(Fig 3; C)(Fig 3 show a the conductor section 43 and the associated coil section 46 occupying the same space as cap C in Fig 4).
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Regarding claim 12, ARCON teaches the electric machine according to claim 11:
a controller housing (Fig 2; 51) in which the controller (Fig 2; 16) is arranged, wherein the plug section (Fig 2; 19) enters the controller housing (Fig 2; 51) and is connected to the controller (Fig 2; 16) in the controller housing(Fig 2; 51).
Regarding claim 13, ARCON teaches:
A stator-assembly[abstract], comprising:
a stator (Fig 3; 15)
a plurality of joint sections (Fig 3; 48)disposed at an upper side of the stator(Fig 2; 15)
a plurality of coils(Fig 3; 24a,24b,24c), each having a coil section (Fig 3; 46) that is arranged in an associated joint section (Fig 3; 48) of the plurality of joint sections(Fig 3; 48);
a busbar-subassembly (Fig 3; 17)arranged on the upper side of the stator(Fig 2; 15), the busbar -subassembly (Fig 3; 17)includes:
a busbar (Fig 3; 17) including a plurality of conductors that are each associated with a respective coil, the plurality of conductors each having a;
a conductor section (Fig 3; 43) connected to the coil section (Fig 3; 46)of the associated coil (Fig 3; 24a,24b,24c)and
a plug section (Fig 3; 19) disposed spaced apart from the conductor section (Fig 3; 43) and connectable for a controller(Fig 2; 16); and
an electrically insulating sheath (Fig 3; 28)composed of an electrically insulating busbar material[pg 2; 39], the sheath (Fig 8; 28)over molded onto the busbar (Fig 3; 17)such that the sheath (Fig 3; 28) envelops the busbar (Fig 3; 17)and the conductor section(Fig 3; 43)of each of the plurality of conductors is exposed(shown in Fig 3);
at least one cap (Fig 4; C)composed of an electrically insulating cap material, the at least one cap (Fig 4; C)over molded onto the plurality of conductors (Fig 3; 43)and the plurality of coils;
wherein the conductor section (Fig 3; 43) of each of the plurality of conductors(Fig 3; 43) and the coil section (Fig 3; 46)of the associated coil in the associated joint section(Fig 3; 48); and
the conductor section(Fig 3; 43) of each of the plurality of conductors(Fig 3; 43a/b/c) and the coil section (Fig 3; 46)of the associated coil are embedded within the at least one cap (Fig 4; C)in the associated joint section (Fig 3; 48).
Regarding claim 14, ARCON teaches the stator-assembly according to claim 13:
the at least one cap (Fig 4; C)includes a plurality of caps (three in Fig 4) each associated with a respective joint section(Fig 3; 48) of the plurality of joint sections(Fig 3; 48);
the plurality of caps(Fig 4; C) are locally overmolded (product by process) onto a respective conductor (Fig 3; 43)of the plurality of conductors (Fig 3; 43a/b/c)and a respective coil (Fig 3; 46)of the plurality of coils(Fig 3; 24a,24b,24c); and
the plurality of caps (Fig 4; C) are disposed spaced apart from each other(Fig 4).
Regarding claim 18, ARCON teaches the stator-assembly according to claim 13:
wherein the busbar-subassembly (Fig 3; 17) further includes:
a carrier section (Fig 3; 18) extending radially (Fig 3; 31)and in a circumferential direction(Fig 3; 25) in a ring-like manner, the conductor section(Fig 3; 43) of each of the plurality of conductors (Fig 3; 32a/b/c)protruding from the carrier section(Fig 3; 18);
a plug interface (Fig 3; 36) adjoining the carrier section(Fig 3; 18), the plug section(Fig 3; 19) of each of the plurality of conductors (Fig 3; 44)protruding from the plug interface(Fig 3; 36); and
at least one groove (Fig 3; 33) disposed in the carrier section (Fig 3; 18), the at least one groove(Fig 3; 33) opening in an axial direction (Fig 3; 20) with respect to the carrier section(Fig 3; 18) and extending transversely to the axial direction(Fig 3; 20),
the carrier section (Fig 3; 18) is arranged on the upper side (Fig 3; 21) and connected to the stator(Fig 3; 15); and
the plug interface(Fig 3; 36) is loose with respect to the stator (Fig 3; 15) and is disposed axially spaced apart from the stator (Fig 3; 15) such that the plug interface (Fig 3; 36) is axially movable relative to the stator(Fig 3; 15).
Regarding claim 19, ARCON teaches the stator-assembly according to claim 18:
wherein the plug interface (Fig 3; 36) includes an electrical insulating body composed of the cap material, the base body(Fig 3; 38) overmolded onto the plurality of conductors (Fig 3; 43) such that the plug section of each of the conductors(Fig 3; 43a/b/c) protrude from the base body(the plug interface it part of the busbar device, so it is made from the same material as the carrier[pg 2; 52-55]).
Regarding claim 22, ARCON teaches the stator-assembly according to claim 18:
wherein the plug interface (Fig 3; 36)protrudes axially (Fig 3; 20)from the carrier section(Fig 3; 18).
Regarding claim 23, ARCON teaches the stator-assembly according to claim 13:
wherein the plurality of conductors (Fig 3; 43a/b/c) each further include an intermediate section (Fig 3; 45)from which the conductor section and the plug section (Fig 3; 19)protrude axially(Fig 3; 20).
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.
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) 15-16 and 24is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ARCON (WO 2022084043 A1).
Regarding claim 15, ARCON teaches the stator-assembly according to claim 13:
wherein the cap material is a hotmelt adhesive .
ARCON discloses the claimed invention except for hotmelt/polymer adhesive. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use the hotmelt/polymer adhesive, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416 .
Regarding claim 16, ARCON teaches the stator-assembly according to claim 15:
wherein the hotmelt adhesive is a polymer adhesive[pg 8; 39-42].
Regarding claim 24, ARCON teaches the stator-assembly according to claim 13:
wherein the conductor section (Fig 3; 43)of at least one of the plurality of conductors(Fig 3; 43a/b/c) is structured as a hook and receives a portion of the coil section (Fig 3; 46)of the associated coil(Fig 3; 24a,24b,24c).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify ACRON because they disclosed the stator-assembly except for the shape of the plurality of conductors. It would have been an obvious matter of making them hook shaped in order to provide a place for electrical connection. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS L SETZER whose telephone number is (571)272-3021. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm EST.
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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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/N.L.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
