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 .
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) 8-10, 13, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sadiku et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No.: US 2009/0261683 A1).
For claim 8, Sadiku et al. disclose the claimed invention comprising: a first mat (reference numeral 12, figure 1) and an identical second mat (reference numeral 10, figure 1), each having at least one conductor strand (see figure 1) which comprises at least one conductor which is formed in parallel webs (reference numeral 20) and winding heads (reference numerals 22, 23, figure 1) which connect respective parallel webs to one another (see figure 1), wherein the webs of the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the webs of the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to alternate in a first mat plane and a second mat plane (i.e. first and second mats 12, 10 alternate in figure 7), wherein the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to be offset relative to one another in a longitudinal direction (see figures 1, 7) perpendicular to the webs (reference numeral 20) such that a single-layer start region (reference numeral 16') is formed only by the first mat (reference numeral 12) and a single-layer end region (reference numeral 18) is formed only by the second mat (reference numeral 10, see figure 1), and wherein the webs of the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the webs of the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to overlap one another in pairs between the start region and the end region (i.e. first and second mats 12, 10 overlap between the start and end region as shown in figure 7).
For claim 9, Sadiku et al. disclose the start region (reference numeral 16') and the end region (reference numeral 18) having an identical length (see figures 1, 7).
For claim 10, Sadiku et al. disclose the claimed invention comprising: a cylindrical lamination stack (i.e. stator lamination packet around which wire portions 22, 23 are wound, see figures 5, 6, and paragraph [0027]) with a plurality of radially extending slots (see figures 5, 6); and a dual-layer wave winding mat (figure 1), comprising: a first mat (reference numeral 12, figure 1) and an identical second mat (reference numeral 10, figure 1), each having at least one conductor strand (see figure 1) which comprises at least one conductor which is formed in parallel webs (reference numeral 20) and winding heads (reference numerals 22, 23, figure 1) which connect the parallel webs to one another (see figure 1), wherein the webs of the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the webs of the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to alternate in a first mat plane and a second mat plane (i.e. first and second mats 12, 10 alternate in figure 7), wherein the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to be offset relative to one another in a longitudinal direction (see figures 1, 7) perpendicular to the webs (reference numeral 20) such that a single-layer start region (reference numeral 16') is formed only by the first mat (reference numeral 12) and a single-layer end region (reference numeral 18) is formed only by the second mat (reference numeral 10, see figure 1), and wherein the webs of the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the webs of the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to overlap one another in pairs between the start region and the end region (i.e. first and second mats 12, 10 overlap between the start and end region as shown in figure 7); wherein the dual-layer wave winding mat is inserted into the slots to form a plurality of concentric winding layers (layers of wires shown in figures 5, 6), wherein the start region is arranged in the first winding layer of the winding layers (i.e. start region 16' shown in a top winding layer in figures 7, 8) and the end region is arranged in a last winding layer of the winding layers (i.e. end region 18 shown in a bottom winding layer in figures 7, 8), and the start region (reference numeral 16') and end region (reference numeral 18) together have a length which corresponds to a length of a portion of the wave winding mat that is arranged in one of the winding layers (i.e. length of start region 16' and end region 18 correspond to length of winding mat represented by head portions 22 shown in figures 5, 6).
For claim 13, Sadiku et al. disclose the claimed invention comprising: a cylindrical lamination stack (i.e. stator lamination packet around which wire portions 22, 23 are wound, see figures 5, 6, and paragraph [0027]) with a plurality of radially extending slots (see figures 5, 6); and a dual-layer wave winding mat (figure 1), comprising: a first mat (reference numeral 12, figure 1) and an identical second mat (reference numeral 10, figure 1), each having at least one conductor strand (see figure 1) which comprises at least one conductor which is formed in parallel webs (reference numeral 20) and winding heads (reference numerals 22, 23, figure 1) which connect the parallel webs to one another (see figure 1), wherein the webs of the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the webs of the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to alternate in a first mat plane and a second mat plane (i.e. first and second mats 12, 10 alternate in figure 7), wherein the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to be offset relative to one another in a longitudinal direction (see figures 1, 7) perpendicular to the webs (reference numeral 20) such that a single-layer start region (reference numeral 16') is formed only by the first mat (reference numeral 12) and a single-layer end region (reference numeral 18) is formed only by the second mat (reference numeral 10, see figure 1), and wherein the webs of the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the webs of the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to overlap one another in pairs between the start region and the end region (i.e. first and second mats 12, 10 overlap between the start and end region as shown in figure 7); wherein the dual-layer wave winding mat is inserted into the slots to form a plurality of concentric winding layers (layers of wires shown in figures 5, 6), wherein the start region is arranged in the first winding layer of the winding layers (i.e. start region 16' shown in a top winding layer in figures 7, 8) and the end region is arranged in a last winding layer of the winding layers (i.e. end region 18 shown in a bottom winding layer in figures 7, 8), and the start region (reference numeral 16') and end region (reference numeral 18) together have a length which corresponds to a length of a portion of the wave winding mat that is arranged in one of the winding layers (i.e. length of start region 16' and end region 18 correspond to length of winding mat represented by head portions 22 shown in figures 5, 6). Applying this structure of the power-dependent component to an apparatus such as an electric motor merely states the intended use of the claimed invention, which does not result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art.
For claim 14, Sadiku et al. disclose the claimed invention comprising: a cylindrical lamination stack (i.e. stator lamination packet around which wire portions 22, 23 are wound, see figures 5, 6, and paragraph [0027]) with a plurality of radially extending slots (see figures 5, 6); and a dual-layer wave winding mat (figure 1), comprising: a first mat (reference numeral 12, figure 1) and an identical second mat (reference numeral 10, figure 1), each having at least one conductor strand (see figure 1) which comprises at least one conductor which is formed in parallel webs (reference numeral 20) and winding heads (reference numerals 22, 23, figure 1) which connect the parallel webs to one another (see figure 1), wherein the webs of the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the webs of the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to alternate in a first mat plane and a second mat plane (i.e. first and second mats 12, 10 alternate in figure 7), wherein the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to be offset relative to one another in a longitudinal direction (see figures 1, 7) perpendicular to the webs (reference numeral 20) such that a single-layer start region (reference numeral 16') is formed only by the first mat (reference numeral 12) and a single-layer end region (reference numeral 18) is formed only by the second mat (reference numeral 10, see figure 1), and wherein the webs of the first mat (reference numeral 12) and the webs of the second mat (reference numeral 10) are arranged to overlap one another in pairs between the start region and the end region (i.e. first and second mats 12, 10 overlap between the start and end region as shown in figure 7); wherein the dual-layer wave winding mat is inserted into the slots to form a plurality of concentric winding layers (layers of wires shown in figures 5, 6), wherein the start region is arranged in the first winding layer of the winding layers (i.e. start region 16' shown in a top winding layer in figures 7, 8) and the end region is arranged in a last winding layer of the winding layers (i.e. end region 18 shown in a bottom winding layer in figures 7, 8), and the start region (reference numeral 16') and end region (reference numeral 18) together have a length which corresponds to a length of a portion of the wave winding mat that is arranged in one of the winding layers (i.e. length of start region 16' and end region 18 correspond to length of winding mat represented by head portions 22 shown in figures 5, 6). Applying this structure of the power-dependent component to an apparatus such as a vehicle with an electric motor merely states the intended use of the claimed invention, which does not result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art.
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(s) 11 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sadiku et al. as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Alexander (Foreign Patent Document No.: DE 102012206684 A1).
For claim 11, Sadiku et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the start region in the first winding layer of the winding layers covering a first half, and the end region in the last winding layer of the winding layers covering a second half. Alexander discloses a first winding region covering a first half (i.e. conductor 14a covering a first half of yoke 4, figure 6) and a second winding region covering a second half (i.e. conductor 14b covering a second half of yoke 4, see figure 6), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a first and second winding region covering a first and second half as disclosed by Alexander for the start region and the end region of Sadiku et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating efficient winding assembly within the device.
For claim 12, Sadiku et al. disclose the claimed invention except for inputs of the at least one conductor of the first mat and of the at least one conductor of the second mat being arranged opposite one another in the last winding layer of the winding layers, and wherein outputs of the at least one conductor of the first mat and of the at least one conductor of the second mat are arranged opposite one another in the first winding layer of the winding layers. Alexander discloses an input/output (reference numeral 14a) of a first mat conductor on one side of the yoke (reference numeral 4, see figure 4) and an input/output (reference numeral 14b) of a second mat conductor on the other side of the yoke (reference numeral 4, see figure 4), which when applied to the inputs and outputs of the first and second mat of Sadiku et al. would disclose inputs of the at least one conductor of the first mat and of the at least one conductor of the second mat being arranged opposite one another in the last winding layer of the winding layers, and wherein outputs of the at least one conductor of the first mat and of the at least one conductor of the second mat are arranged opposite one another in the first winding layer of the winding layers. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the inputs and outputs arranged opposite one another as disclosed by Alexander for the first mat and second mat of Sadiku et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating efficient winding assembly within the device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references disclose embodiments of wave winding configurations: US 11296565 B2 (Herzberger; Andreas et al.), US 11081922 B2 (Ahmed; Adeeb et al.), US 11038391 B2 (Neet; Kirk), US 20220360128 A1 (REUTER; Stefan), EP 1771932 B1 (SADIKU SADIK et al.).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX W MOK whose telephone number is (571)272-9084. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye 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.
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/ALEX W MOK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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