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 .
Application Status
This communication is in response to the Amendment and Request for Reconsideration filed 3 December 2025. Claims 1-20 are pending in the application. Claims 1, 8, 9 and 18-20 have been amended.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 11, “comprising motor housing … disposed on side” should read --comprising a motor housing … disposed on a side--.
In claim 1, line 14, “heel side cooling water passage” should read --wheel side cooling water passage--.
In claim 1, line 15, “the coil ends of the stator coils” should read --coil ends of the stator coil--
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-20 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 1, line 14, “the [w]heel side cooling water passage is positioned within the bearing housing” is indefinite for at least two reasons: 1) The “bearing housing” lacks sufficient antecedent basis in the claims because a bearing housing has not been recited or defined previously rendering it unclear if this is part of the previously recited housing or motor housing, and 2) the “wheel side cooling passage” was previously recited in the claim to be positioned in the [motor] housing which is now contradicted by the amended limitation indicating it to be positioned within the bearing housing. These issues render the metes and bounds of the claim subject to uncertainty. Correction is required. For examination, the bearing housing will be interpreted as part of the motor housing located at its ends.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-9 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thompson et al. (U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0308456) as evidenced by Ishihara et al. (U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0160390).
Regarding claim 1, Thompson et al. discloses an electric compressor (FIG.’s 1-4, Abstract) comprising:
a housing 20 (FIG. 1, para. 0020) having a stator 22 Id., that has a cylindrical shape (motor and housing are cylindrical parts shown in cross-section);
a rotary shaft 26 Id., that is disposed inside the housing 20 and that has a rotor 24 facing the stator 22;
a low-pressure stage 42 (para. 0021, low-pressure ‘LP’ side) wheel that is fixed to one side of the rotary shaft 26 in a shaft direction (as shown);
a high-pressure stage wheel 62 (para. 0022, high-pressure ‘HP’ side) that is fixed to the other side of the rotary shaft 26 in the shaft direction (shown);
a motor cooling water passage 25 (para. 0030, refer to an Annotated copy of Thompson FIG. 1 attached below, as shown and indicated, liquid coolant passages form recited water passages under broadest reasonable interpretation of the term because water is well known as a coolant liquid as evidenced by Ishimara1) that is provided on an outer side in a radial direction of the stator 22 in the housing 20;
and a wheel side cooling water passage (Annotated Thompson FIG. 1, as shown and indicated2) that is provided on at least one of the low-pressure stage side and the high-pressure stage side of the stator 22 in the housing 20 (as shown);
the housing 20 comprising motor housing 20 having a cylindrical shape (shown) and is disposed on side in the shaft direction of the motor housing 20 the stator 22 comprising a stator coil (shown), and the [w]heel side cooling water passage is positioned within the bearing housing and outside coil ends (shown, motor stators inherently include coils or windings as shown depicted in the drawing figures as further evidenced by Ishihara3) of the stator coils in the shaft direction (Annotated Thompson FIG. 1, as shown and indicated, passages extending outside coil ends in manner now claimed under broadest reasonable interpretation of the terms)4.
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Annotated Thompson FIG. 1
As to claim 2, Thompson further discloses wherein the motor cooling water passage and the wheel side cooling water passage are connected to each other by a coil side connecting portion 132, 134 (FIG.’s 2-4, para.0033, tie bars 132, 134 interpretable as the recited coil side connection portions) extending along a shaft direction of the stator 22 (Annotated Thompson FIG. 1, as shown and indicated, showing location of bypass passages connected to the motor cooling water passage).
As to claim 3, Thompson further discloses the wheel side cooling water passage is provided discontinuously along a circumferential direction of the stator 20 (FIG.’s 2-4, para. 0033, shown best in FIG. 3 representations of passages 125, 130L/R in coolant core 125 which is a casting mold negative showing passage arrangement in housing 20, note discontinuity where there is a gap between passages and flow arrows), one end side of the wheel side cooling water passage in the circumferential direction is connected to the coil side connecting portion, and the other end side of the wheel side cooling water passage in the circumferential direction is connected to a cooling water inlet portion 27, 127 (para. 0030) or a cooling water outlet portion 29, 129, Id.
As to claim 4, Thompson further discloses the cooling water inlet portion 27 is provided in any one of the motor cooling water passage 25 and the wheel side cooling water passage (shown), and the cooling water outlet portion 29 is provided in the other of the motor cooling water passage 25 and the wheel side cooling water passage (as shown).
As to claim 5, Thompson further discloses the wheel side cooling water passage includes a low-pressure stage side cooling water passage provided on the low-pressure stage side of the stator in the housing, and a high-pressure stage side cooling water passage provided on the high-pressure stage side of the stator (Annotated Thompson FIG. 1, as shown and indicated).
As to claim 6, Thompson further discloses the motor cooling water passage 25 has a low-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage and a high-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage that are provided at intervals in a shaft direction of the stator (Annotated Thompson FIG. 1, as shown and indicated, see also FIG.’s 2-4, showing passages arranged at intervals according to the broadest reasonable interpretation of the terms), and the low-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage and the high-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage are discontinuous in a circumferential direction of the stator 22 and communicate with each other via a motor side connecting portion (FIG. 2-4, para. 0033, representations of passages 125, 130L/R in coolant core 125 which is a casting mold negative of housing 20 showing passage location and configuration; note discontinuity where there is a gap between passages and flow arrows shown best in FIG. 3).
As to claim 7, Thompson further discloses the motor cooling water passage has a low-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage and a high-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage that are provided at intervals in a shaft direction of the stator (Annotated Thompson FIG. 1, as shown, see also FIG.’s 2-4, showing passages arranged at intervals according to the broadest reasonable interpretation of the terms), and the low-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage and the high-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage are discontinuous in a circumferential direction of the stator 22 and communicate with each other via a motor side connecting portion (FIG. 2-4, para. 0033, shown best in FIG. 3 representations of passages 125, 130L/R in coolant core 125 which is a casting mold negative showing passage arrangement and discontinuity where there is a gap between passages, note flow arrows), the low-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage is connected to the low-pressure stage side cooling water passage by a low-pressure coil side connecting portion 132, 134 (para. 0033, tie bars form recited connection portions, see also Annotated Thompson FIG. 1, showing location of connecting portions), and the high-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage is connected to the high-pressure stage side cooling water passage by a high-pressure coil side connecting portion 132, 134, Id.
As to claim 8, Thompson further discloses a passage area of the wheel side cooling water passage varies in a flow circumferential direction of the cooling water [passage] (shown best in FIG.’s 2-4, para.0032, representations of coolant core 125 showing various flow direction and convoluted 130L/R and bypass passages 132 which are depicted with different areas because the passages have different sizes accordingly).
As to claim 9, Thompson further discloses the wheel side cooling water passage continuously bends in the radial direction of the stator in a flow circumferential direction of the cooling water [passage] (shown best in FIG.’s 2-4, representations of coolant core 125 showing curved passages arranged around a cylinder which has continuous radial curvature or bends as claimed).
As to claim 11, Thompson further discloses an air passage 72, 73, 76 (para. 0024, cooling air passages for supplying cooling air to bearing and inside housing) that supplies cooling air to at least the stator 22, wherein the wheel side cooling water passage cools an air bearing 32 (para. 0020) that rotatably supports the rotary shaft 26 with respect to the housing 20.
As to claims 12-14, Thompson further discloses the wheel side cooling water passage includes a low-pressure stage side cooling water passage provided on the low-pressure stage side of the stator 22 in the housing 20 (Annotated Thompson FIG. 1, as shown and indicated), and a high-pressure stage side cooling water passage provided on the high-pressure stage side of the stator 22 (Annotated Thompson FIG. 1, as shown).
As to claims 15-18, Thompson further discloses the motor cooling water passage 25 has a low-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage and a high-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage that are provided at intervals in a shaft direction of the stator 22 (Annotated Thompson FIG. 1, as shown, see also FIG.’s 2-4, showing passages arranged at intervals according to the broadest reasonable interpretation of the terms), and the low-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage and the high-pressure stage side motor cooling water passage are discontinuous in a circumferential direction of the stator 22 and communicate with each other via a motor side connecting portion (FIG. 2-4, para. 0033, representations of passages 125, 130L/R in coolant core 125 which is a casting mold negative showing passage arrangement and discontinuity where there is a gap between passages, note flow arrows, shown best in FIG. 3).
As to claims 19 and 20, Thompson further discloses a passage area of the wheel side cooling water passage varies in a flow circumferential direction of the cooling water [passage] (shown best in FIG.’s 2-4, para.0032, representations of coolant core 125 showing various flow directions for convoluted 130L/R and bypass passages 132 which are depicted with different areas because the passages have different sizes accordingly).
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 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thompson et al. (U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0308456) in view of Gittler (U. S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0087933).
As to claim 10, Thompson is discussed above but is silent as to the motor cooling water passage and the wheel side cooling water passage are set in a range of 10 µm to 100 µm in surface roughness Ra of an inner peripheral surface. However, configuring the surface roughness of parts subject to fluid flow is fairly common in the art. In this regard, Gittler teaches that surface roughness is a result effective parameter that affects hydraulic resistance (para. 0115). With this in mind, one having ordinary skill in the art would recognize modifying the surface roughness of surfaces subject to fluid flow as a routine optimization. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the instant application to modify Thompson so that its inner passage surfaces are ground or machined to have the range of surface roughness claimed in order to optimize hydraulic resistance as indicated by Gittler Id., since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.05(II).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's remarks regarding the 35 U.S.C 102 rejections over Thompson have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues on p. 8, of the response that “the structure of providing a cooling water flow path axially outward of the coil end of a disc-shaped bearing housing is neither disclosed nor suggested in Thompson or Cittler.” “Thompson and Cittler neither discloses nor suggests a cooling water flow path for cooling the wheel.” The Examiner respectfully disagrees. The claim amendments fail to distinguish over Thompson as set forth above in the statement of the rejection and illustrated in the annotated drawing figure. Note the indicated cooling water passages and bearing housing in Annotated Thompson FIG. 1. These features in Thompson anticipate the features recited in amended claim 1 at least according to the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim terms. This argument is not persuasive.
Applicant has not presented any substantive arguments with regard to the rejections of the dependent claims over the art of record including the combinations of proposed modification, rationale, or motivations to make those combinations. Applicant simply asserts that they are allowable for the same reasons made for the independent claims.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH J HANSEN whose telephone number is (571)272-6780. The examiner can normally be reached Monday Friday 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM (MT).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached at (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KENNETH J HANSEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
1 “The cooling water jacket 12c is further connected to a first end and a second end of an external passage (not illustrated) through which cooling water (long life coolant) flows.” (Ishihara at para. 0060). Note that water per se has not be explicitly claimed and is simply used as a descriptive modifier in the passage terms.
2 Ibid.
3 “The stator 42 includes a stator core 43 and a coil 44.” (Ishihara at para. 0037).
4 Note aforesaid 35 U.S.C.112(b) issues, supra.