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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 08/04/2026, with respect to the rejections of Claims 1-6 under 112b have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.
Regarding the 102 Rejection, the rejection has been revised and all the pending claims, including the amendments, are still disclosed by Yamasaki – see below.
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 2-3 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.
Regarding Claim 2, the applicant recites “wherein the housing includes (b) a first projecting part projecting toward the holder, holder includes (a) the projecting part as a second projecting part projecting toward the housing, the second projecting part is opposed to the first projecting part via a first gap in a radial direction.” First, it is unclear if the recited “the projecting part” (refer to “a” above) is the previously first projecting part (refer to “b” above) or different. Moreover, the first projecting part is included in the housing, then also included in the holder “as a second projecting part”. The first projecting part is referred to the housing and the holder then referred to as the second projecting part. Therefore, the limitation is unclear.
Claim 3 is rejected based on the dependency from Claim 1.
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.
Claims 1-4 & 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamasaki (US 2018/0337567).
Regarding Claim 1, Yamasaki discloses a motor [100] (FIG. 1-2, Abstract; fan motor) comprising:
an annular rotor [1] (FIG. 1-2, Claim 1; “rotor”); and
a stator [2] opposing the rotor [1] (FIG. 1-2, Claim 1; “stator”. FIG. 1 shows the rotor 1 on the left side of the motor 100 and the stator 2 on the right side of the motor 100 and therefore “the stator 2 opposing the rotor 1”),
wherein the rotor [1] includes a magnet [13] and a housing [12] covering the magnet [13] (FIG. 1-2, ¶ [0022]),
the stator [2] includes a coil [203] and a holder [20] holding the coil [203] (FIG. 1-2, ¶ [0025]),
the holder [20] includes a projecting part [201] projecting toward the housing [12] in an axial direction (FIG. 1-2, FIG. 1 shows the holder 20 on the right side of motor 100 and the housing on the housing 20 on the left side of the motor 100 where the holder includes projecting part 201 and on the opposite of housing 12 and therefore the projecting part 2101 is “projecting towards the housing 12 in an axial direction), and
an end part [right side “part” of 202] of the projecting part [202] is arranged closer to the housing [12] than an end part [left “end part”] of the coil [203] in the axial direction (FIG. 1, the right side of 202 is “closer to the housing 12” compared to the left side part of the coil 203), and
the housing [12] includes an inner peripheral part [122] and an outer peripheral part [121] opposed to the projecting part [202] in the axial direction (FIG. 1-2).
Regarding Claim 2, Yamasaki discloses the motor according to claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
wherein the housing [12] includes a first projecting part projecting [left side of 11 “projecting a first part”] toward the holder [20] (FIG. 1),
the holder [20] includes the projecting part [11 is also included on the holder 20 on the right side of the motor 100] as a second projecting part [the right side “projecting part” of 11] projecting toward the housing [12] (FIG. 1-2, the right side of 202 is “closer to the housing 12” compared to the left side part of the coil 203),
the second projecting part [the right side “projecting part” of 11] is opposed to the first projecting part [left side of 11 “projecting a first part”] via a first gap [gap shown on the right side of 1a] in a radial direction (FIG. 1-2, [0054]; Accordingly, a gap between the stator core 201 and the magnet 13 of the rotor 1 attached to the stator unit 2 can be reduced),
the rotor [1] includes a yoke [surface of 122 where the magnets are placed] in contact with the magnet [13] (FIG. 1-2, ¶ [0022]),
the holder [20] includes a third projecting part [202] projecting in an axial direction (FIG. 2), and
the third projecting part [202] is opposed to the yoke [122] via a second gap [gap shown on the left side of 1a] in the radial direction (FIG. 1-2).
Regarding Claim 3, Yamasaki discloses the motor according to claim 2 [see rejected Claim 2],
wherein the holder [20] includes a fourth projecting part [204] projecting from the third projecting part [202] in the radial direction (FIG. 1-2), and
the fourth projecting part [204] opposes the yoke [122] via a third gap [gap shown on the right side of 1a] in the axial direction (FIG. 1-2).
Regarding Claim 4, Yamasaki discloses the motor according to claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
wherein the housing [12] includes a first opening part [“part” of the gap facing 12] opening in the axial direction, the holder [20] includes a second opening part [“part” of gap facing 1] opening in the axial direction, and the first opening part and the second opening part [both parts make 2a] are in communication with each other (FIG. 1-2).
Regarding Claim 6, Yamasaki discloses a rotary blade device comprising:
the motor according to claim 1 [see rejected claim 1]; and
a propeller [400] attached to the motor [fan motor] rotatably about an axial line [CENTRAL AXIS] (FIG. 1-2, Abstract).
Regarding Claim 7, Yamasaki discloses the motor according to claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
wherein the housing includes a connection member [“connection member” above 13 and below 121] between the inner peripheral part [121] and the outer peripheral part [122] (FIG. 1-2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening 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 JOSEPH ORTEGA whose telephone number is (469)295-9083. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM - 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TULSIDAS C. PATEL can be reached at (571)272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH ORTEGA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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