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
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kimoto (US 20180278139).
As to claim 1, Kimoto discloses a magnetic gear (Fig. 2) comprising: a magnetic gear part configured such that each of a multi-pole mechanism (Fig. 2), a fewer-pole mechanism (Fig. 2), and a polepiece (Fig. 2) shares a function of any one of a stator, a first rotor, and a second rotor (Para 0029), the multi-pole mechanism having magnetic poles of first pole numbers arranged along a circumferential direction with permanent magnets (Fig. 2), the fewer-pole mechanism having magnetic poles of second pole numbers that are fewer than those of the first pole numbers and are arranged along the circumferential direction with permanent magnets (Fig. 2), the polepiece having magnetic poles of third pole numbers arranged along the circumferential direction with soft magnetic material through magnetic gaps with respect to each of the magnetic poles of the multi-pole mechanism and of the fewer-pole mechanism (Fig. 2; Para 0037); a first shaft to transmit torque between the first rotor and an outside (Para 0029); and a second shaft to transmit torque between the second rotor and an outside (Para 0029), wherein in the magnetic gear part, between adjacent sections among a plurality of sections divided along an axial direction, the first pole numbers, the second pole numbers, and the third pole numbers are the same with each other (Fig. 2), a positional relationship of magnetic poles among the multi-pole mechanism, the fewer-pole mechanism, and the polepiece is different such that at least one of the multi-pole mechanism, the fewer-pole mechanism, and the polepiece has a phase difference (Fig. 2; Different arrays indicate there is phase difference), and at least one of a greatest common divisor of the first pole numbers and the third pole numbers and a greatest common divisor of the second pole numbers and the third pole numbers is 2 (Fig. 2).
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As to claim 2, Kimoto discloses the magnetic gear according to claim 1, wherein surfaces of the permanent magnets that extend in the axial direction are parallel to the axial direction (Fig. 2), the permanent magnets being used in the multi-pole mechanism and the fewer-pole mechanism (Fig. 2).
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As to claim 7, Kimoto discloses a magnetic gear (Fig. 2) comprising: a magnetic gear part configured such that each of a multi-pole mechanism (Fig. 2), a fewer-pole mechanism (Fig. 2), and a polepiece (Fig. 2) shares a function of any one of a stator, a first rotor, and a second rotor (Para 0029), the multi-pole mechanism having magnetic poles of first pole numbers arranged along a circumferential direction with permanent magnets (Fig. 2), the fewer-pole mechanism having magnetic poles of second pole numbers that are fewer than those of the first pole numbers and are arranged along the circumferential direction with permanent magnets (Fig. 2), the polepiece having magnetic poles of third pole numbers arranged along the circumferential direction with soft magnetic material through magnetic gaps with respect to each of the magnetic poles of the multi-pole mechanism and of the fewer-pole mechanism (Fig. 2; Para 0037); a first shaft to transmit torque between the first rotor and an outside (Para 0029); and a second shaft to transmit torque between the second rotor and an outside (Para 0029), wherein in the magnetic gear part, between adjacent sections among a plurality of sections divided along an axial direction, the first pole numbers, the second pole numbers, and the third pole numbers are the same with each other (Fig. 2), a positional relationship of magnetic poles among the multi-pole mechanism, the fewer-pole mechanism, and the polepiece is different such that at least one of the multi-pole mechanism, the fewer-pole mechanism, and the polepiece has a phase difference (Fig. 2; Different arrays indicate there is phase difference), and at least one of a greatest common divisor of the first pole numbers and the third pole numbers and a greatest common divisor of the second pole numbers and the third pole numbers is 2, and wherein three or more sections that are divided are provided as the plurality of sections (Fig. 2), and wherein at least two sections among the three or more sections have the same positional relationship in the magnetic poles (Fig. 2).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, and 10-12 allowed.
As to claim 3 and 10, Kimoto discloses a magnetic gear (Fig. 2) comprising: a magnetic gear part configured such that each of a multi-pole mechanism (Fig. 2), a fewer-pole mechanism (Fig. 2), and a polepiece (Fig. 2) shares a function of any one of a stator, a first rotor, and a second rotor (Para 0029), the multi-pole mechanism having magnetic poles of first pole numbers arranged along a circumferential direction with permanent magnets (Fig. 2), the fewer-pole mechanism having magnetic poles of second pole numbers that are fewer than those of the first pole numbers and are arranged along the circumferential direction with permanent magnets (Fig. 2), the polepiece having magnetic poles of third pole numbers arranged along the circumferential direction with soft magnetic material through magnetic gaps with respect to each of the magnetic poles of the multi-pole mechanism and of the fewer-pole mechanism (Fig. 2; Para 0037); a first shaft to transmit torque between the first rotor and an outside (Para 0029); and a second shaft to transmit torque between the second rotor and an outside (Para 0029), wherein in the magnetic gear part, between adjacent sections among a plurality of sections divided along an axial direction, the first pole numbers, the second pole numbers, and the third pole numbers are the same with each other (Fig. 2), a positional relationship of magnetic poles among the multi-pole mechanism, the fewer-pole mechanism, and the polepiece is different such that at least one of the multi-pole mechanism, the fewer-pole mechanism, and the polepiece has a phase difference (Fig. 2; Different arrays indicate there is phase difference).
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Kimoto fails to disclose at least one of a greatest common divisor of the first pole numbers and the third pole numbers and a greatest common divisor of the second pole numbers and the third pole numbers is 1, and the plurality of sections are constituted by two types of sections including a section in a first arrangement pattern in which the magnetic poles are arranged in a first positional relationship and a section in a second arrangement pattern in which the magnetic poles are arranged in a second positional relationship in which the phase difference with respect to the section in the first arrangement pattern are in an angle range greater than 120 degrees and less than 240 degrees on a mechanical angle basis, as the positional relationship of the magnetic poles.
As to claim 4 and 11, Kimoto discloses a magnetic gear (Fig. 2) comprising: a magnetic gear part configured such that each of a multi-pole mechanism (Fig. 2), a fewer-pole mechanism (Fig. 2), and a polepiece (Fig. 2) shares a function of any one of a stator, a first rotor, and a second rotor (Para 0029), the multi-pole mechanism having magnetic poles of first pole numbers arranged along a circumferential direction with permanent magnets (Fig. 2), the fewer-pole mechanism having magnetic poles of second pole numbers that are fewer than those of the first pole numbers and are arranged along the circumferential direction with permanent magnets (Fig. 2), the polepiece having magnetic poles of third pole numbers arranged along the circumferential direction with soft magnetic material through magnetic gaps with respect to each of the magnetic poles of the multi-pole mechanism and of the fewer-pole mechanism (Fig. 2; Para 0037); a first shaft to transmit torque between the first rotor and an outside (Para 0029); and a second shaft to transmit torque between the second rotor and an outside (Para 0029), wherein in the magnetic gear part, between adjacent sections among a plurality of sections divided along an axial direction, the first pole numbers, the second pole numbers, and the third pole numbers are the same with each other (Fig. 2), a positional relationship of magnetic poles among the multi-pole mechanism, the fewer-pole mechanism, and the polepiece is different such that at least one of the multi-pole mechanism, the fewer-pole mechanism, and the polepiece has a phase difference (Fig. 2; Different arrays indicate there is phase difference), and wherein at least one of a greatest common divisor of the first pole numbers and the third pole numbers and a greatest common divisor of the second pole numbers and the third pole numbers is 2 (Fig. 2).
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Kimoto fails to disclose the plurality of sections are constituted by two types of sections including a section in a first arrangement pattern in which the magnetic poles are arranged in a first positional relationship and a section in a second arrangement pattern in which the magnetic poles are arranged in a second positional relationship in which the phase difference with respect to the section in the first arrangement pattern are in an angle range greater than 60 degrees and less than 120 degrees or greater than 240 degrees and less than 300 degrees on a mechanical angle basis, as the positional relationship of the magnetic poles.
Claims 8-9, and 12 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.
As to claim 8, Kimoto discloses the magnetic gear according to claim 1.
Kimoto fails to disclose wherein a magnetic hollow portion is provided between adjacent sections among the plurality of sections.
As to claim 9, Kimoto discloses the magnetic gear according to claim 2.
Kimoto fails to disclose wherein a magnetic hollow portion is provided between adjacent sections among the plurality of sections.
As to claim 12, Kimoto discloses the magnetic gear according to claim 7.
Kimoto fails to disclose wherein a magnetic hollow portion is provided between adjacent sections among the plurality of sections.
Conclusion
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/ETHAN NGUYEN VO/
Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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