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 .
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.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Japan on August 25, 2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the JP2023-137077 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 7, 12, and 15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1, 15, “a leg configured to protrudes radially outward” should be changed to “a leg configured to protrude radially outward”
Claim 7, “cylindrica-shape” should be changed to “cylindrical-shape”
Claim 12, “an axial direction of the stator as it extends radially outward” should be changed to “an axial direction of the stator as the tilting surface extends radially outward”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(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.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nagahama (US 10,749,405).
Regarding claim 7, Nagahama discloses a motor (10 of Figure 1-2) used for an electric power tool (1 of Figure 1), comprising:
a stator that is cylindrical-shaped (12 of Figure 1-8; Col. 3:20-24, stator has tubular shape) and includes an outer cylinder portion;
a plurality of teeth each of which protrudes radially inward from the outer cylinder portion (Col. 6:25-30) and a coil (112 of Figure 6; Col. 6:46-47) is wound around;
a rotor (14 of Figure 1-2) arranged on an inner circumferential side of the plurality of teeth,
a sensor board (116 of Figure 3-7) arranged at an axial end of the stator (see Figure 7), wherein:
the sensor board further comprises:
a board main body that is annular and disposed along a radially inward of an inner circumferential end of each of the plurality of teeth when viewed from an axial direction of the stator (see Figures 3-7); and
a sensor (Col. 12:35-39, a plurality of three rotation detection elements) that is mountable on the sensor board so as to face the rotor and detects rotation of the rotor, and
a center of at least one inner circumferential end of each of the plurality of teeth is exposable in a direction radially outward of the board main body (see Figures 3-7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6 and 12-20 are allowed.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Claims 8-11 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With respect to claim 1 and claims dependent thereon, Nagahama (US 10,749,405) is regarded as being the closest prior art to the subject-matter of claim 1 and shows:
a motor (10 of Figure 1-2) used for an electric power tool (1 of Figure 1), comprising:
a stator that is cylindrical-shaped (12 of Figure 1-8; Col. 3:20-24, stator has tubular shape);
a rotor (14 of Figure 1-2) arranged on an inner circumferential side of the stator (Col. 3:20-24, rotor is disposed in the interior of the stator); and
a sensor board (116 of Figure 3-7) arranged at an axial end of the stator (see Figure 7), wherein:
the sensor board further comprises:
a board main body located radially inside of the stator when viewed from an axial direction of the stator (see Figures 3-7); and
a sensor (Col. 12:35-39, a plurality of three rotation detection elements) that is mountable so as to face the rotor and detects rotation of the rotor, and
the stator is configured to be exposable on at least one side of the leg in a circumferential direction of the stator.
The subject-matter of claim 1 differs from Nagahama reciting a leg configured to protrudes radially outward from the board main body; and
a sensor (Col. 12:35-39, a plurality of three rotation detection elements) that is mountable on the leg so as to face the rotor and detects rotation of the rotor.
A detailed search and review of the prior art revealed a notable absence of the teachings recited in claim 1. The search was unable to find any prior art that teaches the limitation(s) “a leg configured to protrudes radially outward from the board main body” and “a sensor that is mountable on the leg.” Therefore, the prior art of record when considered as a whole, alone or in combination, neither anticipates nor renders obvious the subject-matter of claim 1.
With respect to claims 8-10 and claims dependent thereon, Nagahama (US 10,749,405) is regarded as being the closest prior art to the subject-matter of claim 7 and shows:
a stator that is cylindrical-shaped (12 of Figure 1-8; Col. 3:20-24, stator has tubular shape) and includes an outer cylinder portion;
a plurality of teeth each of which protrudes radially inward from the outer cylinder portion (Col. 6:25-30) and a coil (112 of Figure 6; Col. 6:46-47) is wound around;
a rotor (14 of Figure 1-2) arranged on an inner circumferential side of the plurality of teeth,
a sensor board (116 of Figure 3-7) arranged at an axial end of the stator (see Figure 7), wherein:
the sensor board further comprises:
a board main body that is annular and disposed along a radially inward of an inner circumferential end of each of the plurality of teeth when viewed from an axial direction of the stator (see Figures 3-7); and
a sensor (Col. 12:35-39, a plurality of three rotation detection elements) that is mountable on the sensor board so as to face the rotor and detects rotation of the rotor, and
a center of at least one inner circumferential end of each of the plurality of teeth is exposable in a direction radially outward of the board main body (see Figures 3-7).
The subject-matter of claim 8 differs from Nagahama reciting wherein the sensor board further comprises a mounting leg that is configured to protrude radially outward from the board main body and that is attachable to the stator.
The subject-matter of claim 9 differs from Nagahama reciting wherein: the sensor board further comprises a leg radially outward from the board main body, and the sensor is mountable on the leg.
The subject-matter of claim 10 differs from Nagahama reciting wherein: the sensor board includes (a) at least one mounting leg that is configured to protrude radially outward from the board main body and that is attachable to the stator and (b) at least one leg which is configured to protrude outward from the board main body and on which a sensor is mountable, and each of the at least one leg and each of the at least one mounting leg are positioned differently than a center of an inner circumferential end of each of the plurality of teeth, such that the center of the inner circumferential end of each of the plurality of teeth is configured to be exposable when viewed from the axial direction of the stator.
A detailed search and review of the prior art revealed a notable absence of the teachings recited in claims 8-10. The search was unable to find any prior art that teaches the limitation(s) “a leg configured to protrudes radially outward from the board main body” and “a sensor that is mountable on the leg.” Therefore, the prior art of record when considered as a whole, alone or in combination, neither anticipates nor renders obvious the subject-matter of claims 8-10.
With respect to claim 12 and claims dependent thereon, Nagahama (US 10,749,405) is regarded as being the closest prior art to the subject-matter of claim 12 and shows:
a motor (10 of Figure 1-2) used for an electric power tool (1 of Figure 1), comprising:
a stator that is cylindrical-shaped (12 of Figure 1-8; Col. 3:20-24, stator has tubular shape);
a rotor (14 of Figure 1-2) arranged on an inner circumferential side of the stator (Col. 3:20-24, rotor is disposed in the interior of the stator); and
a sensor board (116 of Figure 3-7) arranged at an axial end of the stator (see Figure 7), wherein:
the sensor board further comprises:
a board main body located radially inward of an inner circumferential edge of the stator when viewed from an axial direction of the stator (see Figures 3-7);
an outer side surface of the board main body disposed on a side opposite to the rotor;
a sensor (Col. 12:35-39, a plurality of three rotation detection elements) that is mountable on the sensor board so as to face the rotor and detects rotation of the rotor, and
a space is formed between an outer circumferential edge of the board main body and the inner circumferential edge of the stator when viewed from the axial direction of the stator.
The subject-matter of claim 12 differs from Nagahama reciting a tilting surface on the outer side surface of the board main body so as to be tilted toward an inner side in an axial direction of the stator as it extends radially outward.
A detailed search and review of the prior art revealed a notable absence of the teachings recited in claim 1. The search was unable to find any prior art that teaches the limitation(s) “a tilting surface on the outer side surface of the board main body so as to be tilted toward an inner side in an axial direction of the stator as it extends radially outward.” Therefore, the prior art of record when considered as a whole, alone or in combination, neither anticipates nor renders obvious the subject-matter of claim 12.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Seki (US 2021/0062802), Nishidate (US 2015/0214811), Sugimoto (US 2009/0121664), Kinoshita (US 2009/0026859), Huang (CN 105758568 A) disclose a motor comprising a stator, rotor, and a sensor board.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES H REID whose telephone number is (571)272-9248. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-4:45 PM.
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/Charles Reid Jr./ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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