CTNF 18/834,420 CTNF 86175 DETAILED ACTION 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 30 July 2024. In view of this communication, claims 1-4 and 6-15 are now pending in the application. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) or (f), 365(a) or (b), or 386(a), which papers have been placed of record in the file. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on 30 July 2024 was/were filed before mailing of the first action on the merits. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner. Disclosure 06-31 AIA The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION. — The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 AIA Claim (s) 10-11 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Claim 10 recites the limitation “the housing” in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims, which renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether it was intended to read “a housing” or whether the claim was intended to depend from a different claim. Claim 11 recites the limitations “the support structure” in line 3 and “the end shield” in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims, which render the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether they were intended to read “a support structure” or “an end shield”, or whether the claim was intended to depend from a different claim. Claim 15 recites the limitation “the receiving device” in lines 4-5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims, which renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether it was intended to read “a receiving device” or whether the claim was intended to depend from a different claim. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-4, 7-13, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kaneko et al. (US 2003/0057797 A1) . Regarding claim 1 , Kaneko discloses an electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump (fig. 1; ¶ 0033) comprising: a first liquid-free area [22a] (fig. 1; ¶ 0038; “sealing member 15” prevents cooling medium from leaking from the stator to the rotor); a second liquid-containing area [10a] (fig. 1; ¶ 0034, 0038, 0051-0052; cooling medium circulates around and through the stator while being sealed off from the rotor); a can [15] separating the first area [22a] from the second area [10a], the can [15] defining a stator-side [10a] and a rotor-side [22a] (fig. 1; ¶ 0034); and a sealing element [28] at an axial end of the can [15] (fig. 1; ¶ 0050-0052); wherein the sealing element [28] is arranged symmetrically with respect to force effect on the can [15] (fig. 1; the U-shaped elements are shaped identically on the radial inner and outer sides of the can) so that forces acting at the axial end of the can [15] due to the seal are equalized (fig. 1; this characteristic does not imply any additional structural limitations beyond the sealing element being arranged symmetrically on both the rotor and stator sides of the can). PNG media_image1.png 637 616 media_image1.png Greyscale Regarding claim 2 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 1, as stated above, further comprising a sealing element [28] at each axial end of the can [15] (fig. 1; ¶ 0050-0052). Regarding claim 3 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine or liquid pump as claimed in claim 1, as stated above, comprising two sealing elements [28] at each axial end of the can [15] (fig. 1; ¶ 0050-0052; each “rubber seal 28” comprises a U-shape with two projections, one on each of the radially inner and outer sides of the can). Regarding claim 4 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 1, as stated above, comprising an optically symmetrical arrangement of multiple sealing elements [28] on the inside and outside of the can [15] (fig. 1; the U-shaped elements are shaped identically on the radial inner and outer sides of the can). Regarding claim 7 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 1, as stated above, further comprising a receiving device [26g] holding the sealing element [28] in position (fig. 1; ¶ 0050; “circular rubber seals 28 are fixed in recesses formed in the interior surfaces of the side plates 26B and 26C”). Regarding claim 8 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 7, as stated above, further comprising a support structure [26B,26C] in which the receiving device [26g] is arranged (fig. 1; ¶ 0050; “circular rubber seals 28 are fixed in recesses formed in the interior surfaces of the side plates 26B and 26C”). Regarding claim 9 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 7, as stated above, wherein the receiving device [26g] comprises a groove [26g] (fig. 1; ¶ 0050; “circular rubber seals 28 are fixed in recesses formed in the interior surfaces of the side plates 26B and 26C”). Regarding claim 10 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 8, as stated above, wherein the support structure [26B,26C] is part of the housing [26] (fig. 1; ¶ 0050). Regarding claim 11 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 1, as stated above, wherein the support structure [26B,26C] is part of the end shield [26B,26C] (fig. 1; ¶ 0050). Regarding claim 12 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 1, as stated above, wherein the sealing element [28] comprises sealing lips (fig. 1; ¶ 0050-0052; each “rubber seal 28” comprises a U-shape with two projections, i.e. lips, one on each of the radially inner and outer sides of the can). Regarding claim 13 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 1, as stated above, wherein the sealing element [28] comprises a sealing lip (fig. 1; ¶ 0050-0052; each “rubber seal 28” comprises a U-shape with two projections, i.e. lips, one on each of the radially inner and outer sides of the can). Regarding claim 15 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 1, as stated above, further comprising two sealing lips surrounding and sealing the can [15] during joining and mounting of the can [15] in the receiving device [26g] (fig. 1; ¶ 0050-0052; each “rubber seal 28” comprises a U-shape with two projections, i.e. lips, one on each of the radially inner and outer sides of the can) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaneko in view of Gysin (EP 0678964 A1), hereinafter referred to as “Gysin” . Regarding claim 6 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 1, as stated above. Kaneko does not disclose that the sealing element [28] comprises an O-ring. Gysin discloses an electric rotating machine comprising a rotor [14], a stator [13], a can [1], and a sealing element [20] (fig. 2-3; ¶ 0013-0014), wherein the sealing element [20] comprises an O-ring (fig. 3; ¶ 0014). PNG media_image2.png 243 914 media_image2.png Greyscale It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the sealing elements of Kaneko using O-rings as taught by Gysin, in order to reduce the complexity and manufacturing costs of the electrical machine since O-rings are common, and widely available, off-the-shelf components . 07-22-aia AIA Claim (s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaneko and Gysin as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Cattabiani (US 3,426,690 A), hereinafter referred to as “Cattabiani” . Regarding claim 14 , Kaneko discloses the electric rotating machine [1] or liquid pump as claimed in claim 8, as stated above. Kaneko does not disclose that the receiving device [26g] and/or the support structure [26B,26C] comprises a bulge and/or lug. Cattabiani discloses an electric rotating machine [10] comprising a rotor [28], a stator [42], a can [60] (fig. 1; col. 2, lines 47-72), and a sealing element [56,58] located in a receiving device of a support structure [51,53] (fig. 1; col. 3, lines 9-18), wherein the receiving device and/or the support structure [51,53] comprises a bulge and/or lug [53L] (fig. 1; the can and sealing element are each shown having openings through which a protrusion, i.e. lug, of the support structure extends). PNG media_image3.png 368 718 media_image3.png Greyscale It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to form the receiving device and/or the support structure of Kaneko having lugs as taught by Cattabiani, in order to fix the can and sealing element within the receiving device thereby ensuring proper contact to maintain the seal between the rotor and stator spaces. Citation of Relevant Prior Art 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Prior art: Finney et al. (US 2014/0001901 A1) discloses a canned motor having seals formed by O-rings positioned both radially inside and outside the can. Tsuneyoshi et al. (US 2003/0042817 A1) discloses an electric rotating machine comprising: a first liquid-free area; a second liquid-containing area; a can separating the first area from the second area, and a sealing element at an axial end of the can; wherein the sealing element is arranged symmetrically with respect to force effect on the can. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Andrews whose telephone number is (571)270-7554. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday, 8:30am-3:00pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. 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. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /Michael Andrews/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/834,420 Page 2 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/834,420 Page 3 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/834,420 Page 4 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/834,420 Page 5 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/834,420 Page 6 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/834,420 Page 7 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/834,420 Page 8 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/834,420 Page 9 Art Unit: 2834
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