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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/30/24 is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
This office is in response to preliminary amendment filed on 08/11/25. Regarding the amendment, claims 5-6, 8-11, 14, 16-17, 19-20, 24, 29-30, 32-33, 36-37 are canceled, claims 1-4, 7, 12-13, 15, 18, 21-23, 25-28, 31, and 34 are present for examination.
Drawings
Figure 1A-1B should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The following guidelines illustrate the preferred layout for the specification of a utility application. These guidelines are suggested for the applicant’s use.
Arrangement of the Specification
As provided in 37 CFR 1.77(b), the specification of a utility application should include the following sections in order. Each of the lettered items should appear in upper case, without underlining or bold type, as a section heading. If no text follows the section heading, the phrase “Not Applicable” should follow the section heading:
(a) TITLE OF THE INVENTION.
(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS.
(c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT.
(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT.
(e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A READ-ONLY OPTICAL DISC, AS A TEXT FILE OR AN XML FILE VIA THE PATENT ELECTRONIC SYSTEM.
(f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR.
(g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
(1) Field of the Invention.
(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
(h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.
(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S).
(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.
(k) CLAIM OR CLAIMS (commencing on a separate sheet).
(l) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE (commencing on a separate sheet).
(m) SEQUENCE LISTING. (See MPEP § 2422.03 and 37 CFR 1.821 - 1.825). A “Sequence Listing” is required on paper if the application discloses a nucleotide or amino acid sequence as defined in 37 CFR 1.821(a) and if the required “Sequence Listing” is not submitted as an electronic document either on read-only optical disc or as a text file via the patent electronic system.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the specification lacks of section headings.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-4, 7, 12-13, 15, 18, 21-23, 25-28, 31, and 34 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 1, line 13 recites the phrase “preferably over an angle exceeding 30 degrees”. The term “preferably” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the term are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 2, lines 2-3 recites the phrase “more preferably 80 degrees”. The term “preferably” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the term are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the first surfaces" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 26 recites the limitation "the first surfaces" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 34, line 20 recites the phrase “preferably in arrange between 1 and 3 mm”. The term “preferably” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the term are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 34, line 22 recites the phrase “preferably between 0.1 and 0.5 mm”. The term “preferably” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the term are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claims 3-4, 7, 12-13, 15, 18, 21-23, 25, 27-28, 31 are rejected because of their dependency.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4, 7, 12-13, 15, 18, 21-23, 25-28, 31, and 34 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the record of prior art by itself or in combination with other references does not show an assembly for winding an edgewise coil, as recited in claim 1, comprising:
a winding core;
at least one wire guiding unit for receiving a wire that has a substantially rectangular cross section, said wire having first side surfaces and second side surfaces that correspond to short edges and long edges of the cross section, respectively, and wherein the at least one wire guiding unit is configured for arranging the wire with one of its first side surfaces on the winding core;
a drive shaft for rotating the winding core relative to the at least one wire guiding unit, wherein the winding core has a first end surface and a second end surface that are opposite to each other in a direction parallel to the drive shaft; and
a first pressing unit, wherein the at least one wire guiding unit comprises a channel for guiding the wire that follows at least a part of a circumference of the winding core over an angle exceeding 30 degrees;
wherein the assembly is configured for operating in a first mode in which mode the first pressing unit presses, in a direction from the first end surface to the second end surface, onto a second side surface of the wire arranged on the winding core at least during winding of a first layer of the wire on the winding core by means of rotating the winding core relative to the at least one wire guiding unit.
Regarding claim 26, the record of prior art by itself or in combination with other references also does not show a method for winding an edgewise coil, comprising:
providing a winding core, wherein the winding core has a first end surface and a second end surface that are opposite to each other;
receiving a wire that has a substantially rectangular cross section, said wire having first side surfaces and second side surfaces that correspond to short and long edges of the cross section, respectively;
arranging the wire with one of its first side surfaces on the winding core for forming a first layer of the wire in a direction from the second end surface to the first end surface while simultaneously:
guiding and bending, using a first wire guiding unit, the wire to follow a circumference of the winding core, preferably over an angle exceeding 30 degrees, such that the first surfaces obtain a curvature that corresponds to a curvature of the winding core, the wire having a substantially rectangular cross section, said wire having first side surfaces and second side surfaces that correspond to short edges and long edges of the cross section, respectively, the first guiding unit being is configured for arranging the wire with one of its first side surfaces on the winding core;
mutually rotating the winding core and the first guiding unit; and pressing, using a first pressing unit, in a direction from the first end surface to the second end surface, onto a second side surface of the wire arranged on the winding core.
Furthermore, regarding claim 34, the record of prior art by itself or in combination with other references also does not show a multi-layer edgewise coil comprising a winding core, and two or more layers of a wire arranged on the winding core, wherein the wire has a substantially rectangular cross section, wherein the wire has first side surfaces and second side surfaces that correspond to short edges and long edges of the cross section, respectively, and wherein the wire is arranged with one of its first side surfaces on the winding core,
wherein the wire comprises a conductive inner core having a rectangular cross section, and an insulating layer arranged around the conductive inner core,
wherein the coil comprises a body of surrounding material in which the conductive inner cores and insulation layers are fixated,
wherein the winding core has a first end surface and a second end surface that are opposite to each other in a direction that is perpendicular to turns of the wire on the winding core,
wherein the coil comprises a first connector electrically connected to and/or formed by one end of the layers of wire and a second connector electrically connected to and/or formed by another end of the layers of wire,
wherein the first connector and second connector extend from the body of surrounding material, and
wherein the wire has a width, corresponding to the long edges of the cross section, that lies in a range between 0.5 and 6 mm, preferably in a range between 1 and 3 mm, and wherein the wire has a thickness, corresponding to the short edges of the cross section, that lies in between 0.05 and 1 mm, preferably between 0.1 and 0.5 mm.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Yamaguchi et al. (US 2013/0056110 A1) is the most relevant prior art. Yamaguchi teaches an edgewise wound coil manufacturing device for manufacturing an edgewise wound coil. The edgewise wound coil manufacturing device is provided with: a plurality of corners; a core having a recess formed between each pair of adjacent corners, and around which a flat wire is wrapped; a rotating part that forces the core to rotate around the central axis of the core; guide parts that hold the flat wire therebetween in the thickness direction, while guiding the flat wire in such a manner that the flat wire wraps around the core; a first moving part that forces at least one of the guide parts and the core to move in the approaching/receding direction of the other; and a controller that adjusts the amount that the first moving part moves such that the edgewise wound coil achieves the desired shape. However, Yamaguchi does not teach a first pressing unit, wherein the at least one wire guiding unit comprises a channel for guiding the wire that follows at least a part of a circumference of the winding core over an angle exceeding 30 degrees; wherein the assembly is configured for operating in a first mode in which mode the first pressing unit presses, in a direction from the first end surface to the second end surface, onto a second side surface of the wire arranged on the winding core at least during winding of a first layer of the wire on the winding core by means of rotating the winding core relative to the at least one wire guiding unit.
Georg et al. (US 2008/0036323 A1) teaches an improved copper filling in the slots (4) of a permanently-stimulated synchronous motor (2) may be achieved, whereby such a motor is disclosed, comprising a stator (1), with parallel-edged slots (4), provided with a winding system of flat wires (5), whereby the flat wires (5) each enclose a tooth (3) and are embodied as a tooth coil (6). The flat wires (5) are wound edgewise such that the narrower side of the flat wire (5) faces the tooth (3) and each tooth coil (6) comprises at least two layers of flat wires (5). However, Georg also does not teach a first pressing unit, wherein the at least one wire guiding unit comprises a channel for guiding the wire that follows at least a part of a circumference of the winding core over an angle exceeding 30 degrees; wherein the assembly is configured for operating in a first mode in which mode the first pressing unit presses, in a direction from the first end surface to the second end surface, onto a second side surface of the wire arranged on the winding core at least during winding of a first layer of the wire on the winding core by means of rotating the winding core relative to the at least one wire guiding unit.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEDA T PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-5806. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00.
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/LEDA T PHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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