DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to the Applicant filing on 7.20.26. Claims 14-26 are pending and have been examined.
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 .
Response to Arguments and Amendments
Claim objections from previous Office action is withdrawn in light of amendments to claim 16, 20-21 and clarification regarding claim 22 “excess magnetizable material”.
The Applicant has made amendments to the independent claim 14 and dependents 20-21,23 which will be examined below.
With respect to 35 U.S.C 102 and 103 rejections, the Applicant provides arguments to which the
Examiner will respond accordingly:
Applicant Argument 1: Moreover, Wang Claim 1 Step 4 recites "continuously wind multiple layers of the composite magnetic material... in the circumferential direction" -that is, Wang's "multiple layers" are built up radially by continuous circumferential winding on top of one another, not spaced apart along the axial direction.
Examiner Response 1: Applicant has amended claim 1, specifically “spaced apart along the axial direction” which will be prosecuted in below sections.
Applicant Argument 2: Wang's configuration thus results in a single continuous, gap-free magnetizable layer that covers the full axial length of the rotor, rather than "plurality of magnetizable layers being spaced apart from one another along an axial direction of the rotor" recited by amended claim 14.
Examiner Response 2: See Response 1.
Applicant Argument 3: Even assuming, arguendo, that the Examiner were to contend that Wang's
continuously-wound layer may be modified to provide "a first plurality of magnetizable layers on the composite material, the first plurality of magnetizable layers being spaced apart from one another along an axial direction of the rotor" as recited by amended claim 14, such a modification would not have been obvious. The features highlighted in bold above recited by amended claim 14 serves a specific technical purpose. As explained in paragraph [0034] of the published application, "the magnetizable layer(s) preferably do(es) not run continuously along the rotor axis. Instead, a multitude of magnetizable layers is provided along the rotor axis, which are not directly coherent, in order to prevent leakage flux in axial direction."
Examiner Response 3: See Examiner Response 1.
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 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.
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.
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 14-24,26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tarrant (US20160197532A1) in view of Tarrant092 (US5477092A).
Regarding Claim 14, Tarrant discloses (Figs 1-2) a process for producing a rotor bandage (4,24,28] for a rotor (Abstract) of an electrical machine [0002], comprising:
wrapping a composite material (24) onto a carrier (1) to form and create a rotor bandage; and
applying a magnetizable material (Para 0018 discloses “providing a magnetically loaded tow, including magnetic particles, over said fibre material”) to the composite material to create a plurality of magnetizable layers [0026] on the composite material nut does not explicitly disclose the first plurality of magnetizable layers being spaced apart from one another along an axial direction of the rotor.
Tarrant092 discloses (Fig 2) the first plurality of magnetizable layers (Multiple layers of 36,37 each having 44)[Col 3, Line 63]) being spaced apart from one another along an axial direction (AA) of the rotor (10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed process of Tarrant with magnetizable layers axially separated as taught by Tarrant092 in order to have an efficient electromagnetic interaction between rotor and stator along length of rotor body and maintain balance at high speeds [Tarrant092 Col 1 Line 33-35].
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Regarding Claim 15, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 14. Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 further discloses wherein the composite material (24) [Para 0054 discloses “A thermoplastic resin impregnated tow 24 is supplied from a drum 25 rotatable in the direction of arrow-headed line 26. The tow material 24 has multi-filaments of between 1,000 and 3,000, preferably 2.400, strands “ ]is a prepreg material, or wherein the process comprises: providing a base material (4) comprising a fiber material; and applying matrix material to the base material to create the composite material.
Regarding Claim 16, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 14. Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 further discloses wherein the carrier (Tarrant,1) is a rotating spike (1) or a rotor of an electrical machine.
Regarding Claim 17, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 14. Tarrant in view of Tarrant09further discloses wherein the magnetizable material [0054 discloses “anisotropic NdFeB particulate material].
Regarding Claim 18, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 15. Tarrant in view of Tarrant09 further discloses the base material (4) is a fiber bundle [0054], the process comprising: spreading the fiber bundle; impregnating the fiber bundle with matrix material [24 is “thermoplastic resin impregnated tow 24”Para 0054] ; and applying the magnetizable material (28)[0054 discloses “The mixture of resin and magnetic particles from container 28 is applied to the tow 24”]
Regarding Claim 19, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 14. Tarrant in view of Tarrant09 further discloses comprising: applying the magnetizable material by coating, wherein the coating comprises impregnating/dipping, spraying, or painting [Para 0029 discloses “magnetically loaded pre-impregnated tape”].
Regarding Claim 20, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 14. Tarrant in view of Tarrant09 further discloses (Tarrant Fig 2)[0054] comprising: applying magnetizable material (28 has NdFeB) before, during, and/or after the wrapping (In Fig 2, 24 and magnetic material are being wrapped together).
Regarding Claim 21, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 14. Tarrant in view of Tarrant09 further discloses comprising: applying the magnetizable material (Tarrant, 28 has NdFeB) to the carrier (1).
Regarding Claim 22, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 14. Tarrant in view of Tarrant09 further discloses comprising: removing excess magnetizable material by rotating the carrier (Fig 2 of Tarrant, 22 is rotation, 29 is scraper blade).
Regarding Claim 23, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 14. Tarrant in view of Tarrant09 further discloses comprising: creating a second plurality of magnetizable layers in a radial direction (Para 0026 and Fig 3 of Tarrant discloses “plural layers” and Para 0028 discloses outer layer over intermediate layers).
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Regarding Claim 24, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 14. Tarrant in view of Tarrant09 further discloses a rotor (Tarrant, Abstract) comprising: at least one rotor bandage (4,24,28) produced according to the process according to claim 14 wherein the rotor bandage has at least one magnetizable layer (28)(Para 0026) .
Regarding Claim 26, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 14. Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 further discloses wherein the rotor bandage (4,24,28) has been produced on the rotor (4,24,28 is both rotor and rotor bandage).
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 and Paweletz.
Regarding Claim 25, Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the process according to Claim 24. Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 discloses the rotor bandage disposed on the rotor (bandage and rotor are same in Tarrant) but does not explicitly disclose wherein the rotor bandage has been produced separately.
Paweletz discloses (Fig 3) wherein the rotor bandage (16, Para 0067 discloses it is magnetic) has been produced separately and disposed on the rotor (4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have formed process of Tarrant in view of Tarrant092 with separate rotor bandage disposed on rotor in order to secure the rotor while at the same time providing required magnetic design for application.
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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 VISWANATHAN SUBRAMANIAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4814. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at 5712723560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VISWANATHAN SUBRAMANIAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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