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 statements (IDS) submitted on 12/12/2024 and 4/22/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements 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) 1-4 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saito et al. (US 2016/0301271).
In claim 1, Saito discloses (Fig. 1-7) a rotor (250) for a rotary electric machine comprising: a rotor core (252) in which first magnet holes (253, 257c1, 257c2; hereinforth 253-1) are formed symmetrically with respect toa d-axis when viewed in an axial direction, and second magnet holes (253, 257a1, 257a2, 257b1, 257b2; hereinforth 253-2) including two or more hole portions (257a1, 257a2; 257b1, 257b2) arranged successively in a circumferential direction are formed symmetrically with respect to the d-axis when viewed in the axial direction; first permanent magnets (254c) disposed in the first magnet holes (253-1); and second permanent magnets (254a, 254b) disposed in the second magnet holes (253-2), wherein the rotor core (252) includes a first part (Comp_1; annotated in Fig. 7 below) located on a radially outer side of the first magnet holes (235-1) and forming an outer peripheral surface of the rotor core (252), a second part (Comp_2; annotated in Fig. 7 below) passing between the first magnet holes (253-1) and the second magnet holes (253-2), extending to the outer peripheral surface of the rotor core (252) at both circumferential sides, and a third part (Comp_3; annotated in Fig. 7 below) passing through a radially inner side of the second magnet holes (253-2), extending to the outer peripheral surface of the rotor core (252) at both circumferential sides, each first magnet hole (253-1) has a first hole portion (257c2) on a side close to the d- axis and a second hole portion (257c1) on a side far from the d-axis forming a shape protruding toward the second part (Comp_2) when viewed in the axial direction on one circumferential side with respect to the d-axis, and the first hole portions (257c2) on both circumferential sides with respect to the d-axis form a shape protruding toward the first part (Comp_1), centered on the d-axis when viewed in the axial direction, and each first permanent magnet (254c) is extended over at least part of each of the first hole portion (257c2) and the second hole portion (257c1) in one of the first magnet holes (253-1).
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In claim 2, Saito discloses wherein the first hole portion (257c2) is continuous with the second hole portion (257c1), and each first permanent magnet (254c) is extended throughout the second hole portion (254c1).
In claim 3, Saito discloses wherein a magnet portion of each first permanent magnet (254c) in the second hole portion (257c1) has a shorter distance to the outer peripheral surface of the rotor core (252) than a magnet portion of the first permanent magnet (254c) in the first hole portion (257c2) when viewed in the axial direction.
In claim 4, Saito discloses wherein the second magnet holes (253-2) include portions (257b2) or a portion extended on both circumferential sides with respect to the d-axis across the d-axis or through the d-axis, forming a shape protruding toward the second part (Comp_2), centered on the d-axis when viewed in the axial direction.
In claim 6, Saito discloses wherein the second magnet holes (253-2) include portions (257b2) or a portion extended on both circumferential sides with respect to the d-axis across the d-axis or through the d-axis, forming a shape protruding toward the second part (Comp_2), centered on the d-axis when viewed in the axial direction.
In claim 7, Saito discloses wherein the second magnet holes (253-2) include portions (257b2) or a portion extended on both circumferential sides with respect to the d-axis across the d-axis or through the d-axis, forming a shape protruding toward the second part (Comp_2), centered on the d-axis when viewed in the axial direction.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 5 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito et al. (US 2016/0301271) in view of Ozaki et al. (US 2022/0393531).
In claim 5, Saito teaches the rotor of claim 4, with the exception of wherein a magnet portion of each first permanent magnet extended at least in the second hole portion is formed of a bonded magnet material.
However, Ozaki teaches wherein permanent magnets (22) can be made of bonded magnet materials ([0026-0027]).
Therefore in view of Ozaki, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to produce magnets that can more accurately conform to the shape of the magnet holes (Ozaki; [0026]).
In claim 8, Saito teaches the rotor of claim 6, with the exception of wherein a magnet portion of each first permanent magnet extended at least in the second hole portion is formed of a bonded magnet material.
However, Ozaki teaches wherein permanent magnets (22) can be made of bonded magnet materials ([0026-0027]).
Therefore in view of Ozaki, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to produce magnets that can more accurately conform to the shape of the magnet holes (Ozaki; [0026]).
In claim 9, Saito teaches the rotor of claim 7, with the exception of wherein a magnet portion of each first permanent magnet extended at least in the second hole portion is formed of a bonded magnet material.
However, Ozaki teaches wherein permanent magnets (22) can be made of bonded magnet materials ([0026-0027]).
Therefore in view of Ozaki, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have arrived at the claimed invention, in order to produce magnets that can more accurately conform to the shape of the magnet holes (Ozaki; [0026]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sasaki et al. (US 2016/0285327) teaches a motor including a stator that generates a rotating magnetic field and a rotor supported rotatably by a shaft within the stator.
Kubota et al. (US 2022/0294291) teaches a rotor including a rotor core in which a shaft through-hole and a magnet insertion hole forms a plurality of layers in a radial direction toward a central axis of the shaft through-hole are formed.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Koehler can be reached at 571-272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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RASHAD H. JOHNSON
Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/RASHAD H JOHNSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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