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 .
2 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.
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed on 12/13/2024 have been fully considered and are made of record.
Claims 1-15 have been amended.
Claims 16-17 have been newly added.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 8-10 and 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a2) as being anticipated by Sasaki et al. (Pub NO. US 2024/0272212 A1; hereinafter Sasaki).
Regarding Claim 1, Sasaki teaches a monitoring device for monitoring winding insulation condition of an electric motor (device in fig. 1 for monitoring insulation condition of motor 3; See [0028]-[0030]), motor phases of which are connected to a variable frequency drive (motor 3 is connected to variable frequency drive 11 in fig. 1; See [0028]-[0030]), wherein the monitoring device is configured to:
receive or obtain a signal indicative of a standby mode of the variable frequency drive (stand by mode is when variable frequency drive 11 is open state while close circuit 102 is formed in Fig. 1; See [0044]-[0055]), and
measure a standby voltage, being applied by the variable frequency drive during the standby mode (14 measures stand by voltage being applied to 11 in stand by mode of close circuit 102 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0056]), between at least one of the motor phases and a frame of the motor while the variable frequency drive is determined to be in the standby mode (14/33 measure voltage between motor phase 2 and frame 22 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0057]), the standby voltage being indicative of the winding insulation condition (See [0044], [0055]-[0062]).
Regarding Claim 2, Sasaki teaches the monitoring device according to claim 1, further configured to close a voltage measuring circuit to start measuring the standby voltage automatically after the variable frequency drive is determined to be in the standby mode (closed circuit 102 is formed then 33 measures in fig. 1; See [0066]-[0072]) and to open the voltage measuring circuit to stop measuring the standby voltage automatically once the variable frequency drive is determined to be in a mode other than the standby mode (second close circuit 102 is formed then 33 measures, otherwise 33 doesn’t measure in Fig. 1; See [0066-[0067]).
Regarding Claim 3, Sasaki teaches the monitoring device according to claim 2, further configured to compare the measured standby voltage to a predetermined threshold value and to perform at least one action based on the a comparison result (See [060]-[0062]).
Regarding Claim 4, Sasaki teaches the monitoring device according to claim 2, further configured to activate a notification unit when the measured standby voltage drops below a first threshold value (See [0060]-[0062]), said notification unit configured to issue a warning indicating deteriorated condition of the winding insulation of the motor (alarm is warning; See [0045], [0051]).
Regarding Claim 8, Sasaki teaches the monitoring device according to claim 1, further configured to monitor winding insulation condition of a plurality of motors, motor phases of which are connected to one or more variable frequency drives (plurality of motor 3 phases are connected to variable frequency driver 2 in Fig. 1);
Regarding Claim 9, Sasaki teaches a system for monitoring winding insulation condition of a motor (device in fig. 1 for monitoring insulation condition of motor 3; See [0028]-[0030]), motor phases of which are connected to a variable frequency drive (motor 3 is connected to variable frequency drive 11 in fig. 1; See [0028]-[0030]), said system comprising:
a monitoring device (14 measures stand by voltage being applied to 11 in stand by mode 102 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0056]) according to claim 1 connected to or comprised within the variable frequency drive for receiving or obtaining a signal indicative of the standby mode (14 measures stand by voltage being applied to 11 in stand by mode 102 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0056]), and
the variable frequency drive configured to be connected to the motor phases of the motor (variable frequency driver 11 is connected to motor phase 3 in fig. 1), wherein the monitoring device is configured to be connected to at least one of the motor phases as well as to the frame of the motor to measure the standby voltage applied by the variable frequency drive between the at least one of the motor phases of the motor (14/33 measure voltage between motor phase 2 and frame 22 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0057]) and the frame of the motor when the variable frequency drive is in the standby mode (14 measures voltage between motor phase 2 and frame 22 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0057]).
Regarding Claim 10, Sasaki teaches the system according to claim 9, further comprising a notification unit configured to issue a warning indicating deteriorated condition of the winding insulation of the motor when the measured standby voltage drops below a first threshold value (alarm is warning; See [0045], [0051]).
Regarding Claim 12, Sasaki teaches a method for monitoring winding insulation condition of a motor (device in fig. 1 for monitoring insulation condition of motor 3; See [0028]-[0030]), motor phases of which are connected to a variable frequency drive (motor 3 is connected to variable frequency drive 11 in fig. 1; See [0028]-[0030]), the method comprising:
receiving or obtaining, by a monitoring device, a signal indicative of a standby mode of the variable frequency drive (stand by mode is when variable frequency drive 11 is open state in Fig. 1; See [0055]), and
measuring a standby voltage, being applied by the variable frequency drive during the standby mode (14 measures stand by voltage being applied to 11 in stand by mode 102 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0056]), between at least one of the motor phases and the a frame of a motor with the monitoring device, while the variable frequency drive is determined to be in the standby mode (14 measures voltage between motor phase 2 and frame 22 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0057]), the standby voltage being indicative of the winding insulation condition of the motor (See [0055]-[0062]).
Regarding Claim 13, Sasaki teaches the method according to claim 12, further comprising: stopping the measuring no later than once the variable frequency drive is determined to be in a mode other than the standby mode (second close circuit 102 is formed then 33 measures in Fig. 1; See [0059]-[0060]).
Regarding Claim 14, Sasaki teaches the method according to claim 13, further comprising:
comparing the measured standby voltage to a predetermined threshold value (See [060]-[0062]), and
performing at least one action based on a comparison result (display is action; See [0051]).
Regarding Claim 15, Sasaki teaches the method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one action comprises one or more of the following: issuing a warning indicating deteriorated condition of the winding insulation (warning is display; See [0051]), issuing a critical warning indicating severely deteriorated condition of the winding insulation, removing one or both of the warnings, activating heating of the winding insulation, deactivating heating, stopping the measuring by the monitoring device, enabling and/or disabling starting of the variable frequency drive.
Regarding Claim 16, Sasaki teaches a system for monitoring winding insulation condition of a motor (device in fig. 1 for monitoring insulation condition of motor 3; See [0028]-[0030]), motor phases of which are connected to a variable frequency drive (motor 3 is connected to variable frequency drive 11 in fig. 1; See [0028]-[0030]), said system comprising:
a monitoring device (14 measures stand by voltage being applied to 11 in stand by mode 102 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0056]) according to claim 3 connected to or comprised within the variable frequency drive for receiving or obtaining a signal indicative of the standby mode (stand by mode is when variable frequency drive 11 is open state in Fig. 1; See [0055]), and
the variable frequency drive configured to be connected to the motor phases of the motor (plurality of motor 3 phases are connected to variable frequency driver 11 in Fig. 1),
wherein the monitoring device is configured to be connected to at least one of the motor phases as well as to the frame of the motor to measure the standby voltage applied by the variable frequency drive between the at least one of the motor phases of the motor (14 measures stand by voltage being applied to 11 in stand by mode 102 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0056]) and the frame of the motor when the variable frequency drive is in the standby mode (14 measures voltage between motor phase 2 and frame 22 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0057]).
Regarding Claim 17, Sasaki teaches a system for monitoring winding insulation condition of a motor (device in fig. 1 for monitoring insulation condition of motor 3; See [0028]-[0030]), motor phases of which are connected to a variable frequency drive (variable frequency drive 11 is connected to phases of motor 3 in fig. 1), said system comprising:
a monitoring device according to claim 8 connected to or comprised within the variable frequency drive for receiving or obtaining a signal indicative of the standby mode (stand by mode is when variable frequency drive 11 is open state in Fig. 1; See [0055]), and
the variable frequency drive configured to be connected to the motor phases of the motor (variable frequency drive 11 is connected to phases of motor 3 in fig. 1),
wherein the monitoring device is configured to be connected to at least one of the motor phases and to the frame of the motor to measure the standby voltage applied by the variable frequency drive (14/33 measure stand by voltage being applied to 11 in stand by mode 102 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0056]) between the at least one of the motor phases of the motor and the frame of the motor when the variable frequency drive is in the standby mode (14 measures voltage between motor phase 2 and frame 22 in fig. 1; See [0055]-[0057]).
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) 5-7 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sasaki in view of Ben Ahmed et al. (Pub NO. 2016/0221444 A1; hereinafter Ben).
Regarding Claim 5, Sasaki teaches the monitoring device according to claim 2. Sasaki is silent about further configured to activate a dryer when the measured standby voltage drops below a second threshold value, said dryer configured to dry the winding insulation of the motor.
Ben teaches further configured to activate a dryer when the measured standby voltage drops below a second threshold value (standby voltage depends on insulation resistance; See [0034]), said dryer configured to dry the winding insulation of the motor (See [0034]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify the system of Sasaki to activate a dryer when the measured standby voltage drops below a second threshold value, said dryer configured to dry the winding insulation of the motor, as taught by Ben in order to avoid passage to a degraded mode of the use of device (Ben; [0034]).
Regarding Claim 6, Sasaki in view of Ben teaches the monitoring device according to claim 5. Ben further teaches further configured to deactivate the dryer when the measured standby voltage exceeds a third threshold value (until above preset threshold; See [0034]).
Regarding Claim 7, Sasaki in view of Ben teaches the monitoring device according to claim 6. Ben further teaches configured to open the voltage measuring circuit once the measured standby voltage value exceeds the third threshold value (relay is measuring circuit is open; See [0039]-[0041]).
Regarding Claim 11, Sasaki teaches the system according to claim 9. Sasaki is silent about further comprising a dryer for drying winding insulation of the motor, said dryer configured to be activated when the measured standby voltage drops below a second threshold value.
Ben teaches comprising a dryer for drying winding insulation of the motor (standby voltage depends on insulation resistance; See [0034]), said dryer configured to be activated when the measured standby voltage drops below a second threshold value (See [0034]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify the system of Sasaki to use dryer for drying winding insulation of the motor, said dryer configured to be activated when the measured standby voltage drops below a second threshold value, as taught by Ben in order to avoid passage to a degraded mode of the use of device (Ben; [0034]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Satou et al. (Pub NO. US 2018/0091083 A1) discloses Motor Driver having function of Detecting Insulation Resistance.
Tateda et al. (Pub NO. US 2015/0293165 A1) discloses Motor Drive Device.
Horikoshi et al. (Pub No. US 2008/0150549 A1) discloses Insulation Deterioration Detection Device.
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/ZANNATUL FERDOUS/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/LEE E RODAK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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