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 .
Response to Amendment
The preliminary amendment to the claims dated 11/15/2024 is acknowledged. Claim 5 was amended.
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 (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 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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent No. 2012-219488 to Koiwai et al. (hereinafter Koiwai; provided by Applicant on 11/15/2024) in view of Japanese Patent No. 3174891 to Nakagawa et al. (hereinafter Nakagawa; provided by Applicant on 11/15/2024).
Regarding claim 1, Koiwai teaches a rotor (FIG. 1; 5, 17) for an electric motor (FIG. 1, 2) for powering a rotary device (FIG. 1, 3; Paragraph [0024]), the rotor comprising:
a rotor body (FIG. 1; 5, 17) rotatably disposed inside a stator (FIG. 1, 18);
an adapter (FIG. 1, 20) that is attached to the rotor body; and
a fixing part (FIG. 2, 20) configured to detachably fix the adapter to the rotor body (Paragraph [0035]-[0037]).
Koiwai does not teach a recess on one end surface of the rotor body in an axial direction; and
an adapter into which a shaft part of the rotary device is non-rotatably inserted.
However, Nakagawa teaches a recess (FIG. 2, 21a) on one end surface of a rotor body in an axial direction; and an adapter (FIG. 2, 21) into which a shaft part (FIG. 2, 20) of the rotary device is non-rotatably inserted (Paragraph [0039]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the rotor of Koiwai with the teachings of Nakagawa to provide a recess ion an end surface of the rotor body to provide a more secure shaft coupling.
Regarding claim 2, Koiwai in view of Nakagawa teaches the rotor for an electric motor according to claim 1, wherein Koiwai further teaches the fixing part comprising a screw member (FIG. 1, 21) that is screwed into the rotor body via the adapter.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koiwai in view of Nakagawa and in further view of U.S. Patent No. 6,328,655 to Zimmermann et al. (hereinafter Zimmermann).
Regarding claim 3, Koiwai in view of Nakagawa teaches the rotor for an electric motor according to claim 2.
Koiwai in view of Nakagawa does not teach the fixing part comprising a pin inserted into an insertion hole in the rotor body through a passing hole in the adapter.
However, Zimmermann teaches a pin (FIG. 11, 62) inserted into an insertion hole in the rotor body through a passing hole in an adapter (FIG. 11, 61; Column 6 lines 12-17).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the rotor of Koiwai in view of Nakagawa with the teachings of Zimmermann to provide pins to provide further strength for the rotor coupling.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koiwai in view of Nakagawa and Zimmermann and in further view of German Patent No. 198 46 235 to Kil et al. (hereinafter Kil).
Regarding claim 4, Koiwai in view of Nakagawa and Zimmermann teaches the rotor for an electric motor according to claim 3.
Koiwai in view of Nakagawa and Zimmermann does not teach the insertion hole having a diameter larger than a diameter of the passing hole.
However, Kil teaches a passing hole (FIG. 1, hole in 16.1) for a screw (FIG. 1, 17) having a diameter larger than a diameter of an insertion hole (FIG. 1, 4 into which the screw is screwed into.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the rotor of Koiwai in view of Nakagawa and Zimmermann with the teachings of Kil to provide different sized holes as it allows for thermal expansion of the motor shaft (Paragraph [0021]).
Koiwai in view of Nakagawa, Zimmermann, and Kil does not teach the diameter of the insertion hole being larger than the diameter of the passing hole.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the rotor of Koiwai in view of Nakagawa, Zimmermann, and Kil to swap the sizing of the insertion hole and the passing hole as it would have been obvious to try as choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation of success, in this case the finite number of predictable solutions being the relative sizing of the insertion hole and passing hole and would achieve the same result as in allowing for thermal expansion of the motor shaft.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Koiwai in view of Nakagawa and in further view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0393546 to Makino et al. (hereinafter Makino).
Regarding claim 5, Koiwai in view of Nakagawa teaches the rotor for an electric motor according to claim 1, wherein Nakagawa further teaches the adapter having a cylindrical shape into which the shaft part is inserted (FIG. 2, 21a).
Koiwai in view of Nakagawa does not teach an annular spigot part protruding radially outward of the adapter on an outer peripheral surface thereof, and wherein the recess comprises, at one end part of an inner peripheral surface thereof in the axial direction, an annular fitted part onto which the spigot part is inserted and which protrudes radially inward of the recess.
However, Makino teaches a shaft coupling wherein an annular spigot part (FIG. 10, 81c) protruding radially outward of an adapter (FIG. 10, 8C) on an outer peripheral surface thereof, and a recess (FIG. 10, 221) comprising, at one end part of an inner peripheral surface (FIG. 10, 223) thereof in the axial direction, an annular fitted part (FIG. 10, 224) onto which the spigot part is inserted and which protrudes radially inward of the recess (Paragraph [0110]-[0114]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the rotor of Koiwai in view of Nakagawa with the teachings of Makino to provide a spigot and fitted part to the coupling to provide a more secure coupling between the two shafts.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA KIEL MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-9881. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30am - 7:00pm ET.
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/JOSHUA KIEL M RODRIGUEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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