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 .
Remarks
Office Action is in response to the Preliminary Amendment filed 9/27/2024.
Claims 2-8 have been amended.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 9/27/2024, 8/7/2025, and 12/4/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsuka et al. (JP 2019092355; IDS).
In claim 1, Tsuka discloses (Fig. 1-9) a split-type stator core (10) having a cylindrical yoke (20b) and a plurality of teeth (30) that project from the yoke (20b) inward in a radial direction of the yoke (20b), comprising: a band-like first core (20b); and a plurality of second cores (30b) that are fixed to the first core (20b) so as to project from the first core (20b) inward in the radial direction of the yoke (20b), wherein the first core (20b) has a plurality of first yoke forming parts (inner radially protruding portions of 20b; hereinforth 20b’) that form the yoke (20b) and are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction of the yoke (20b), and a plurality of connection parts (outwardly recessed portions of 20b; hereinforth 20b’’) that connect outer edges in the radial direction of the first yoke forming parts (20b’) adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction to each other, each of the second cores (30b) has a second yoke forming part (31) that forms the yoke (20b) and is sandwiched between a pair of the first yoke forming parts (20b’) adjacent in the circumferential direction, and a tooth forming part (inner radially protruding portion of 30b; hereinforth 36) that projects inward in the radial direction from the pair of first yoke forming parts (20b’) to form one of the teeth (30b), the first yoke forming part (20b’) has a first connection surface (23) to be connected to the second yoke forming part (31) on each side in the circumferential direction, the second yoke forming part (31) has a second connection surface (33) to be connected to the first connection surface (23) of the first yoke forming part (20b’) on each side in the circumferential direction, when viewed in an axial direction of the yoke (20b), provided that a virtual straight line extending in the radial direction by passing through a center of the first yoke forming part (20b’) in the circumferential direction is a reference line of the first yoke forming part (20b’), the first connection surface (23) includes a first inclined surface (25b) that is inclined with respect to the reference line so as to come closer to the reference line in the circumferential direction as it goes outward in the radial direction, and a second inclined surface (portion of 24b corresponding to 36) that is provided on an inner side of the first inclined surface (25b) in the radial direction and is inclined with respect to the reference line so as to come closer to the reference line in the circumferential direction as it goes inward in the radial direction, and when viewed in the axial direction, the second connection surface (33) to be connected to the first connection surface (23) of the first yoke forming part (20b’) has a third inclined surface (35b) and a fourth inclined surface (36) that are inclined with respect to the reference line so as to extend along the first inclined surface (25b) and the second inclined surface (portion of 24b corresponding to 36) of the first yoke forming part (20’), respectively.
In claim 2, Tsuka discloses wherein the tooth forming part (36) has a coil supporting part (radial end portion of 30b; hereinforth 30b’) that supports a coil (80), and in the circumferential direction, a width of the second yoke forming part (36) is smaller than a width of the coil supporting part (30b’).
In claim 4, Tsuka discloses wherein the connection part (20b’’) is formed integrally with the pair of first yoke forming parts (20b’) adjacent to each other.
In clam 6, Tsuka discloses wherein the first core (20b) and the plurality of second cores (30b) each include a plurality of non-oriented electromagnetic steel sheets stacked on one another ([0013]).
In claim 7, Tsuka discloses a method of manufacturing a stator (10) including a stator core (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first core (20b) in an expanded state is disposed on an outer side of a coil (80) arranged in an annular shape, and the coil (80) and the plurality of second cores (30b) are attached to the first core (20b) by sequentially inserting the plurality of second cores (30b) into the coil (80) and the first core (20b) from an inner side of the coil (80) while bending the first core (20b) along an outer circumference of the coil (80; see NOTE).
NOTE: Claim 7 is a product-by-process limitation. “[E]ven though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
In claim 8, Tsuka discloses a rotary electric machine, comprising: a stator core (10) according claim 1; a coil (80) supported by the plurality of teeth (30b) of the stator core (10); and a rotor ([0013]) disposed inside the stator core (10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The cited prior art taken singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitation of the (in)dependent claim(s), in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be proper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of all the features as presented in the (in)dependent claim(s) with the allowable feature being:
Claim 3: “wherein when viewed in the axial direction, provided that a virtual circle that is centered on an axial center of the yoke and circumscribes the plurality of first yoke forming parts is a reference circle, a recess that is recessed inward from the reference circle in the radial direction is formed in an outer surface of the connection part in the radial direction.”
Claim 5: “wherein the connection part has a first connection part and a second connection part arranged side by side in the circumferential direction, the first connection part has a third connection surface that faces to the second connection part in the circumferential direction, the second connection part has a fourth connection surface that faces to the first connection part in the circumferential direction and is to be connected to the third connection surface and the first connection part and the second connection part are integrally continuous to each other on an outer side of the third connection surface and the fourth connection surface in the radial direction.”
The examiner found no prior art satisfies all above conditions by itself or as combined during the examination period.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hino et al. (US 2019/0131829) teaches an armature core configured by arranging into an annular shape: at least one first core segment that including: a first core back portion; a first tooth portion; and a mounting portion that is formed on an outer circumferential portion of the first core back portion.
Kawamura et al. (US 2019/0036390) teaches a stator core of a rotary electric machine including: an outer core that is an annular back yoke portion; and an inner core in which a plurality of teeth are radially arranged and inner side end portions of the teeth adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction are connected to each other in the circumferential direction by connection portions and which is fitted to an inner side of the outer core.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHAD H JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1231. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am-5pm.
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RASHAD H. JOHNSON
Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/RASHAD H JOHNSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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