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 12/20/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 1-19 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the shaft part" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the motor driver" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the stator iron core" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the water inlet" in lines 5-6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the water outlet" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the water inlet" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the water outlet" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim
Claims 2-19 inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, deficiency from parent claims 1 and 5 respectively.
Claim 12 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted structural cooperative relationships are: the relationship between the through-hole, the cavity and the motor driver cooling apparatus. The claim recites “a through-hole is provided on the motor driver cooling apparatus, which makes the cavity is communicated with the outside of the motor.” This fails to clearly define the location of the through-hole.
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)(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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Van Seventer [US 2020/0290451].
Claim 1, as best understood, Van Seventer discloses an outer rotor motor [1], wherein comprising: a motor driver cooling apparatus [120; paragraph 0044]; a liquid-cooling system [37; paragraph 0039], and a stator [30] having a cavity in the shaft part [Figures 1A and 1B], wherein the motor driver [42] is at least partly arranged in the cavity [Figures 1A and 1B], the motor driver [42] is arranged on the motor driver cooling apparatus [120]; the liquid-cooling system [37] is arranged on the stator [30; figure 1A and 1B; paragraph 0039] and/or the motor driver cooling apparatus, the liquid-cooling system is used for cooling the stator [paragraph 0039] and/or the motor driver, and the liquid-cooling system at least partly extends to the outside of the motor [via passages 44/45 in stub 33; figures 12A and 1B].
Claim 2, as best understood, Van Seventer discloses the outer rotor motor according to claim 1, wherein the liquid-cooling system [37] comprises: an internal cooling apparatus [37], an external cooling apparatus [heat exchanger; paragraph 0033], and a power apparatus for driving cooling medium to loop through the internal cooling apparatus and the external cooling apparatus [inherent to circulate the coolant as disclosed [paragraph 0039], the internal cooling [37] apparatus is arranged inside the motor [figures 1A and 1B], the external cooling apparatus is arranged outside of the motor [on the vehicle; paragraph 0039], the power apparatus is communicated with the internal cooling apparatus by pipes [44/46/38; paragraph 0039].
Claim 3, as best understood, Van Seventer discloses the outer rotor motor according to claim 2, wherein the internal cooling apparatus comprises: a stator cooling part [37] and a driver cooling part [125] which are communicated with each other, the stator cooling part is arranged on the stator for cooling the stator, the driver cooling part is arranged on the motor driver cooling apparatus for cooling the motor driver [figures 1A and 1B], the driver cooling part is communicated with the power apparatus, so that the cooling medium sequentially flows [via coolant path F; Figures 1A and 1B] through the driver cooling part [120] and the stator cooling part [37].
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.
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.
Claims 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van Seventer [US 2020/0290451] in view of Jiang [CN-207098804-U].
Claim 4, as best understood, Van Seventer discloses the outer rotor motor according to claim 3 wherein the stator cooling part [37] has interconnected channels [38] for circulating coolant [paragraph 00039], but fails to the claimed channel structure.
Jiang teaches an outer rotor motor [abs] comprising a stator cooling part [102] comprises: a plurality of first channels arranged along the axial direction of the stator and a plurality of second channels arranged along the circumferential direction of the stator [figures 10 and 14], the plurality of first channels are arranged sequentially along the circumferential direction of the stator, the plurality of second channels are arranged sequentially along the circumferential direction of the stator, and the plurality of second channels are arranged at the both ends of the plurality of first channels, each second channel is communicated with the both ends of the two adjacent first channels, so that the plurality of first channels are connected to the plurality of second channels in one-by-one turn, constructing a curved channel structure [figures 10 and 14].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the cooling channel structure of Jiang in the outer rotor motor of Van Seventer to provide coolant flow along the stator since a simple substitution of one known element for another [thew shape of the cooling channels on the stator], producing a predictable result, renders the claim obvious.
Claim 5, as best understood, Van Seventer as modified discloses the outer rotor motor according to claim 4, wherein Van Seventer further discloses that the stator [30] comprises a stator core [31], accommodating channels [38] are arranged in the stator iron core [31] for placing the stator cooling part [paragraph 0039].
Claim 6, as best understood, Van Seventer as modified discloses the outer rotor motor according to claim 5, wherein Van Seventer further discloses that the driver cooling part [125] is of spiral linear channel structure [124; figure 3C].
Claim 7, as best understood, Van Seventer as modified discloses outer rotor motor according to claim 6, wherein Van Seventer further discloses that accommodating grooves [124/124a] are arranged on the side surface which deviates from the motor driver of the motor driver cooling apparatus [120], the driver cooling part [125] is arranged in the accommodating grooves.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-11, 13-16 and 19 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bernard Rojas whose telephone number is (571)272-1998. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. thru Fri. 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S Ismail can be reached at (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BERNARD ROJAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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