DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after May 19, 2022, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Preliminary Amendment
Receipt of the preliminary amendment filed 09/24/2024 is acknowledged. This amendment amended claims 3-6 and 8. Although the amendment was filed on 09/24/2024, the Examiner notes that the document appears to contain an unamended version of the claims. The Examiner located the amended claims in the submission filed on 07/08/2024 and will rely on that document for purposes of examination.
Claim Objections
Claims 3-6 and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 3, line 1, “A motor” should read “The motor.”
In claim 4, line 1, “A motor” should read “The motor.”
In claim 5, line 1, “A motor” should read “The motor.”
In claim 6, line 1, “A motor” should read “The motor.”
In claim 8, line 1, “A mechanical assembly” should read “The mechanical assembly.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. 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 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tamura, Akito (WO 2020251050 A1; hereinafter, “Akito”).
Regarding claim 1, Akito discloses: a motor (AC motor 10; figs 1-90) comprising a stator (50, fig.1; [0049]) and a rotor (40, fig.1; [0049]), the stator (50) carrying a plurality of phase windings (“the stator winding 51 consists of multiple phase windings”, fig. 1; [0053]) and the rotor (40) carrying a plurality of magnet poles (“the structure of the magnet unit 42 in the rotor 40”; [0135] and “in the magnet unit 42, the magnetic flux flows in an arc shape between adjacent N and S poles due to each magnet 91, 92”; [0148]), and being connected to a shaft (11, [0033]); and
in which the stator (50) comprises a ferromagnetic material [para. 0529 teaches: “the end plate 725 may have a ring-shaped plate portion made of a ferromagnetic material “] defining a yoke (fig. 25, yoke 141; [0214]) and a plurality of teeth (fig. 44 and [para. 0086 teaches: “Specifically, the stator core has multiple teeth extending radially from the yoke at predetermined intervals”]) and further comprising at least one band (“stator winding”; [0086]) of electrically conductive material [para. 0115 teaches: “as shown in figure 14, the strand 86 is composed of a composite of bundles of thin, fibrous conductive material 87”] that encompasses at least a portion (“slot portion’; [0086]) of one of the teeth or encompasses at least a portion of the yoke (141) in a region (at “slot”) between adjacent teeth and is in direct contact with the tooth (143), and in which the band (“winding”) provides an electrical path (via “stator winding”; [0086]) between the band and the portion (“slot portion”; [0086]) of the tooth (143) or yoke (141; [ para. 0086 teaches: “the stator core has multiple teeth extending radially from the yoke at predetermined intervals, with slots formed between adjacent teeth in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, multiple layers of conductors are housed within the slot, for example, in the radial direction, and these conductors constitute the stator winding. and in which the band wraps around upper and lower end regions of the portion of the tooth or yoke and extends axially down the opposing side faces of the tooth or yoke]), and in which the band (“winding”) is isolated (“eddy current can be reduced” as disclosed in para. 0117 via use of carbon fiber and enamel coating and “twisted strands 86” as disclosed in paragraphs 0115 and 0117) from any external source of motor drive current (“eddy current”; [0117]).
Regarding claim 2, Akito further teaches that each band (“winding”) passes only once [para. 0109 teaches: “the conductor region occupied by the stator winding 51 over one turn (equivalent to “passes only once” as claimed) in the circumferential direction] around the portion of the tooth (143; [0232]) or a part of the yoke (141) so as to cross the upper and low surfaces of the portion of the tooth (143) and both sides of the portion of the tooth (fig. 66) or pass only once around the upper and lower surface of the portion of the yoke (141) and both an inner and outer facing side only once [para, 0086 teaches that Specifically, the stator core has multiple teeth extending radially from the yoke at predetermined intervals, with slots formed between adjacent teeth in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, multiple layers of conductors are housed within the slot, for example, in the radial direction, and these conductors constitute the stator winding; thus, cross the upper and low surfaces of the portion of the tooth and both sides of the portion of the tooth or pass only once around the upper and lower surface of the portion of the yoke and both an inner and outer facing side only once].
Regarding claim 3, Akito further teaches that the inner surface (“inner circumferential surface”; [0008]) of the band (“winding 51”) facing the tooth (143) or yoke (141) is uninsulated (via “conductive material”) and in direct contact with the surface of the tooth (143) or yoke (141; [para. 0009 teaches that the conductor material onto projections extending in the axial direction on the end plates on both sides of the axial direction and winding it along the outer peripheral surface on the radially outer side or the inner peripheral surface on the radially inner side of the armature core; thus, the inner surface of the band facing the tooth or yoke is uninsulated and in direct contact with the surface of the tooth or yoke]).
Regarding claim 4, Akito further teaches that the motor in which the band (“winding”) comprises a strip of material shaped (“strip-shaped winding”; [0370]) to provide a flat top part, opposing flat side parts and a flat bottom part (see fig. 44 where it shows a flat top part, opposing flat side parts and a flat bottom part).
Regarding claim 5, Akito further teaches that the motor in which the stator (50) comprises a stack of steel laminations [para. 0054 teaches: “the stator core 52 is formed in an annular shape from laminated steel sheets”] and the band (“winding 51”) comprises a steel band or another material (fibrous conductive material 87; [0115]) which is coated with an electrically conductive material (“each strand 181 has a conductive portion 181a made of copper”; [0290]) that prevents corrosion (via “adhesive strength”; [0289]) due to contact with a dissimilar material
Regarding claim 6, Akito further teaches that the band (winding 51) is welded into position relative to the tooth (143) or yoke (141; [ para. 0366 teaches that other methods besides welding include, for example, joining wires by bending them. At the coil end 526 on the busbar connection side, it is assumed that the busbars will be welded to the ends of each phase winding; thus, the band is welded into position relative to the tooth or yoke]).
Regarding claim 7, Akito discloses: a mechanical assembly (“electric machine”) comprising:
a housing (30; [0154]);
a shaft rotatably (“rotating shaft” 11; [0193]) mounted with respect to the housing [para. 0193 teaches: “the unit base 61 is connected to the rotating shaft 11 via the housing 30; thus, a shaft rotatably mounted with respect to the housing];
one or more motors (AC motor 10) each having a stator (50, [0049]) and a rotor (40), the stator (50) carrying a plurality of phase windings (“the stator winding 51 consists of multiple phase windings”; [0053]) and the rotor (40) carrying a plurality of magnet poles (“the structure of the magnet unit 42 in the rotor 40”; [0135] and “in the magnet unit 42, the magnetic flux flows in an arc shape between adjacent N and S poles due to each magnet 91, 92”; [0148]), and being connected to the shaft (“rotating shaft” 11);
a control circuit (“electrical circuit”; [0030]) adapted to control (via control system) the current (via circuit) flowing into or out of the or each motor (motor 10; [para 0030 discloses: “figure 19 is an electrical circuit diagram of the control system of the rotating electric machine; figure 20 is a functional block diagram showing the current feedback control process by the control device”]) to cause a net torque to be applied to the shaft (11) during normal operation [ para. 0030 teaches: “figure 7 is a
torque diagram showing the relationship between ampere-turns and torque density of the stator winding]; and
in which the stator (50) of at least one of the motors (10) comprises a ferromagnetic material [para. 0529 teaches: “the end plate 725 may have a ring-shaped plate portion made of a ferromagnetic material “] defining a yoke (fig. 25, yoke 141; [0214]) and a plurality of teeth (fig. 44 and [para. 0086 teaches: “Specifically, the stator core has multiple teeth extending radially from the yoke at predetermined intervals”]) and further comprising at least one band (“stator winding”; [0086]) of electrically conductive material [para. 0115 teaches: “as shown in figure 14, the strand 86 is composed of a composite of bundles of thin, fibrous conductive material 87”] that encompasses at least a portion (“slot portion’; [0086]) of one of the teeth (143 among plurality of 143) or encompasses at least a portion of the yoke (141) in a region (at “slot”) between adjacent teeth and is in direct contact with the tooth (143), and in which the band (“winding”) provides an electrical path (via “stator winding”; [0086]) between the band and the portion of the tooth (143) or yoke (141) ; [ para. 0086 teaches: “the stator core has multiple teeth extending radially from the yoke at predetermined intervals, with slots formed between adjacent teeth in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, multiple layers of conductors are housed within the slot, for example, in the radial direction, and these conductors constitute the stator winding. and in which the band wraps around upper and lower end regions of the portion of the tooth or yoke and extends axially down the opposing side faces of the tooth or yoke]) and in which the band (“winding”) wraps around upper and lower end regions of the portion of the tooth (143) or yoke (141) and extends axially down (“axially down”; [0086]) the opposing side faces of the tooth (143) or yoke (141), and in which the band (“winding”) is isolated (“eddy current can be reduced” as disclosed in para. 0117 via use of carbon fiber and enamel coating and “twisted strands 86” as disclosed in paragraphs 0115 and 0117) from the control circuit (“control system”; [0030]) so that it cannot receive current from or cause a flow of current to any external source of current (“eddy current”; [0117]).
Regarding claim 8, Akito further teaches that a mechanical assembly according to claim 7 wherein each band (each “winding” 51) passes only once around the portion [para. 0109 teaches: “the conductor region occupied by the stator winding 51 over one turn (equivalent to “passes only once” as claimed) of the tooth (143) or a part of the yoke 9141) so as to cross the upper and low surfaces of the portion of the tooth and both sides of the portion of the tooth, or pass only once around the upper and lower surface of the portion of the yoke and both an inner and outer facing side only once [para, 0086 teaches that specifically, the stator core has multiple teeth extending radially from the yoke at predetermined intervals, with slots formed between adjacent teeth in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, multiple layers of conductors are housed within the slot, for example, in the radial direction, and these conductors constitute the stator winding; thus, cross the upper and low surfaces of the portion of the tooth and both sides of the portion of the tooth or pass only once around the upper and lower surface of the portion of the yoke and both an inner and outer facing side only once].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20210336496 A1 to Partlett discloses: a rotor for an electric motor includes a plurality of laminated sheets assembled into a puck. The puck defines a plurality of apertures for the receipt of rotor magnets.
US 20200373819 A1 to Williams discloses: a motor apparatus includes a multi-lane permanent magnet synchronous motor having at least two sets of phase windings, and a control circuit.
EP 1659672 A1 to Willi discloses: the invention relates to a stator assembly for an electrical machine, in particular a DC motor, comprising a stator with a stator yoke ring and a plurality of stator teeth between which stator slots are formed for receiving windings, the stator teeth extending from the stator yoke in the radial direction and to the free Stator poles are formed at the ends of the stator teeth, wherein the stator teeth are coupled at their free ends with a sleeve which extends coaxially to the stator body. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a stator arrangement and to a DC motor using such a stator arrangement.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NABIN KUMAR SHARMA whose telephone number is (703)756-4619. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Friday: 8:00am - 5 PM EST.
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/NABIN KUMAR SHARMA/Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/JASON S MORROW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3612
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