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 .
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 1-5 and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WIPO Publication No. 2019/082668 to Okita et al. (hereinafter Okita) in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0128826 to Ruppert et al. (hereinafter Ruppert).
Regarding claim 1, Okita teaches a motor (FIG. 1, 10), the motor comprising:
a main body portion (FIG. 2; 20, 30), including a rotor (FIG. 2, 20) and a stator (FIG. 2, 30);
a case (FIG. 2, 11), which is in an axially extending cylindrical shape, includes a bottom (FIG. 2, bottom part of 11) and an opening (FIG. 2, top part of 11), and accommodates the main body portion;
a busbar assembly (FIG. 2, 60), which is located on an axially upper side of the main body portion; and
a cover portion (FIG. 1, 12), which is located on an axially upper side of the busbar assembly and covers the opening of the case; wherein
a first through hole is defined in the cover portion (FIG. 4, 16); and
the motor is connected to an external device through the first through hole (Paragraph [0018]).
Okita does not teach an upper surface of the busbar assembly being provided with a groove; the first through hole opposite to the groove in an axial direction; and the motor being connected to an external device through the groove.
However, Ruppert teaches an upper surface of a busbar assembly being provided with a groove (FIG. 1; 100, 122); the first through hole opposite to the groove in an axial direction (in view of Okita, the cover through hole would be axially opposite the groove); and the motor being connected to an external device through the groove (Paragraph [Paragraph [0039]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the motor of Okita with the teachings of Ruppert to include a busbar groove provide a more secure connection to the busbar assembly.
Regarding claim 2, Okita in view of Ruppert teaches the motor according to claim 1, wherein Okita further teaches an internal thread to provide threaded connection with the external device being provided in an inner surface of the first through hole (Paragraph [0038]).
Regarding claim 3, Okita in view of Ruppert teaches the motor according to claim 1, wherein Okita further teaches a coupling portion (FIG. 4, 70) being located in the first through hole; and the motor being connected to the external device through the groove, the first through hole and the coupling portion (Paragraph [0018]).
Regarding claim 4, Okita in view of Ruppert teaches the motor according to claim 3, wherein Okita further teaches the coupling portion including a small diameter portion (Fig. 4, inner part of 70) and a large diameter portion (FIG. 5, 72b); the smaller diameter portion passes out of the first through hole and is located on an axially upper side of the cover portion (FIG. 4, 70); and the large diameter portion is located on an axially lower side of the cover portion (FIG. 5, 72b).
Regarding claim 5, Okita in view of Ruppert teaches the motor according to claim 3, wherein Ruppert further teaches the coupling portion being provided with a second through hole (FIG. 1, 120a) that penetrates in the axial direction and is axially opposite to the groove; and an internal thread (Paragraph [0038]) to provide threaded connection with the external device being defined in an inner surface of the second through hole.
Regarding claim 7, Okita in view of Ruppert teaches the motor according to claim 5, wherein Ruppert further teaches a diameter of an inscribed circle of the groove being greater than or equal to an inner diameter of the coupling portion (FIG. 2; 122; 120a).
Regarding claim 8, Okita in view of Ruppert teaches the motor according to claim 1, wherein Okita further teaches the busbar assembly includes a busbar holder (FIG. 1; 44a, 44b, 44c) and a busbar (FIG. 1, 61) embedded in the busbar holder; and the busbar holder being staggered from the groove in the axial direction (FIG. 1; 60, 70).
Regarding claim 9, Okita in view of Ruppert teaches an electrical product (Paragraph [0094]) comprising the motor according to claim 1.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okita in view of Ruppert and in further view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0277290 to Seo et al. (hereinafter Seo).
Regarding claim 6, Okita in view of Ruppert teaches the motor according to claim 3.
Okita in view of Ruppert does not teach the upper surface of the busbar assembly including a recessed portion, the groove being located in the recessed portion, and the large diameter portion of the coupling portion being at least partially located in the recessed portion.
However, Seo teaches a busbar assembly including a recessed portion (FIG. 10, 282), the groove being located in the recessed portion (FIG. 10, 284), and the large diameter portion of the coupling portion being at least partially located in the recessed portion (in view of Ruppert the coupling portion would be located in the recessed portion).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the motor of Okita in view of Ruppert with the teachings of Seo to provide a recessed portion in the busbar assembly to reduce the axial extent of the motor.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA KIEL MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-9881. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30am - 7:00pm ET.
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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.
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/JOSHUA KIEL M RODRIGUEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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