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
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 3-4 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wyderski (US 2023/0307980).
Regarding to Claim 1, Wyderski discloses an electric machine (generator 120, as described in paragraph 0030 in Wyderski) comprising a stator having windings in a wye or delta connection including at least one coil [as described in paragraph 0030 in Wyderski). However, Wyderski does not explicitly disclose a method for refurbishing a stator including at least partially disassembling the stator to provide access to a plurality of stator windings connected in a four-circuit star connection having three turns per coil, and reconfiguring the stator such that the plurality of stator windings are connected in a four- circuit delta connection having five turns per coil.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a step of disassembling the stator to provide access to a plurality of stator windings connected in a four-circuit star connection having three turns per coil and reconfigure the stator such that the plurality of stator windings are connected in a four-circuit delta connection having five turns per coil, as a simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results and improved performance.
5. Regarding to Claim 3, Wyderski discloses the method of claim 1, having a plurality of stator windings. However, Wyderski does not explicitly disclose the plurality of stator windings being fully annealed copper windings. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Wyderski, to include the plurality of stator windings being fully annealed copper windings, to obtained desired material properties and as a simple substitution of one known material for another, which would yield predictable results.
6. Regarding to Claim 4, Wyderski discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the stator includes one selected from the group consisting of 36 slots, 48 slots, 60 slots, 72 slots, 84 slots, and 96 slots [the instance of having 36 slots, as described in paragraph 0030 in Wyderski].
Response to Arguments
7. Applicant's arguments filed 11/5/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the prior art of AAPA is considered moot since this reference is no longer being used in the instant rejection.
Applicant’s argues the 103 rational of a substitution of a four-circuit star connection to a four-circuit delta connection and indicates the office uses knowledge gleaned only from applicant’s disclosure. This is not found to be persuasive. Having to replace/repair/refurbish/upgrade an apparatus is a well-known process. The configuration of a four-circuit star connection and four-circuit delta connection is also well known, as rejected above. In response to applicant's argument that the examiner's conclusion of obviousness is based upon improper hindsight reasoning, it must be recognized that any judgment on obviousness is in a sense necessarily a reconstruction based upon hindsight reasoning. But so long as it takes into account only knowledge which was within the level of ordinary skill at the time the claimed invention was made, and does not include knowledge gleaned only from the applicant's disclosure, such a reconstruction is proper. See In re McLaughlin, 443 F.2d 1392, 170 USPQ 209 (CCPA 1971). Applicant has failed to add sufficient structure to define the method to overcome the prior art of record.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/NIRVANA DEONAUTH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726