DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-8 of U.S. Patent Application No. 18/897,492, filed on 26 September, 2024, were presented for examination, and are currently pending in the application.
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 26 September, 2024, and 21 August, 2025, were filed before the mailing date of this Office Action. The submissions 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 § 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 4-8 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 4 recites the limitation “portion of the outer end face opposite to the winding start portion…” in line 3. The Examiner cannot tell what the basis for “opposite” is. It seems that this could mean that it is on the opposite side of the tooth, the opposite side of the projection, etc. For examination on the merits, the Examiner will interpret this as meaning “on the opposite side of the tooth”.
Claim 5 recites the limitation “at a tip” in line 2, but a reader cannot tell what the tip is a tip of. It could be the tip of the end face, the tip of the protrusion, etc. For examination on the merits, the Examiner will interpret this as meaning a tip of the protrusion.
Claim 5 recites the limitation “on a side opposite to the insulator base…” in line 4. The Examiner cannot tell what the basis for “opposite” is. It seems that this could mean that it is on the opposite side of the tooth, the opposite side of the protrusion, the etc. For examination on the merits, the Examiner will interpret this as meaning on an opposite side of the protrusion.
Claim 6 recites the limitations “outer side” and “first side” in the last line. A reader cannot tell what the outer side and the first side are outer/first sides of. It could be the outer/first side of the outer end face, of the tooth, of the insulator, etc. The Examiner does not know which of these to interpret them as, and has tried to deal with the limitation accordingly in the application of art, doing the best he can.
Claim 8 recites the limitation “at a tip” in line 2, but a reader cannot tell what the tip is a tip of. It could be the tip of the end face, the tip of the protrusion, etc. For examination on the merits, the Examiner will interpret this as meaning a tip of the protrusion.
Claim 8 recites the limitation “on a side opposite to the insulator base…” in line 4. The Examiner cannot tell what the basis for “opposite” is. It seems that this could mean that it is on the opposite side of the tooth, the opposite side of the protrusion, the etc. For examination on the merits, the Examiner will interpret this as meaning on an opposite side of the protrusion.
Claim 7 is rejected for depending from rejected claim 6.
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.
Claims 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fujisue (WO 2017179115 A1).
With respect to claim 6, Fujisue teaches an insulator [45/45a/45b] included in a stator [41] for a rotating electric machine [DC motor], wherein the stator includes:
a stator core [42] including a tubular yoke [43] and teeth [44] extending from an inner circumferential surface of the yoke [43] (see fig. 4 attached below) toward an inner side in a radial direction of the yoke, wherein a slot [47] is defined between adjacent ones of the teeth [44] in a circumferential direction of the yoke [43] (see ¶ 0042-0044 of the provided translation); and
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a coil [winding 46] formed by a winding wound around the stator core [42] (see ¶ 0046), the winding passing through the slot [47],
the insulator [45/45a/45b] faces a core end face (labeled by the Examiner in the fig. 7 excerpt attached below – because many of the things are only labeled on only one of the insulators 45a and 45b and the other things are only labeled on the other one, the Examiner will sometimes have to use things seen in one to explain their existence/orientation in the other, as the insulators/halves 45a/45b are identical except for the wire lead-in groove) and configured to insulate between the coil and the core end face (they are called “coil end insulating members”), the core end face being located on an end face of the stator core in an axial direction [Z direction] (see axes in the bottom-right-hand corner of fig. 7) of the yoke [43/43a],
the insulator [45/45a/45b] includes: a tubular insulator base (labeled by the Examiner in the fig. 7 excerpt) facing the yoke in the axial direction [Z direction]; and
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insulator extensions [peripheral walls 451 combined with outer end face, labeled by the Examiner] extending from an inner circumferential surface (the face visible in fig. 7) of the insulator base toward the inner side in the radial direction [X direction in fig. 7] and respectively facing the teeth [44] in the axial direction [Z direction],
the insulator extension includes an outer end face (labeled by the Examiner in the fig. 7 excerpt) located on a side opposite to the stator core [42], and
the outer end face includes a protrusion [yoke side support member 454] (see ¶ 0070) located at an end of the outer end face on an outer side in the radial direction [X direction] and located on a first side in the circumferential direction [Y direction] (the Examiner has labeled the end and first side in the fig. 7 excerpt).
With respect to claim 7/6, Fujisue teaches the insulator of claim 6, and further teaches wherein the protrusion [454] includes an inclined surface continuous with a top of the protrusion [454] (the Examiner has labeled the top and inclined surface in the enlarged snap-shot of fig. 10 below), wherein a protrusion height of the inclined surface from the outer end face gradually increases from a second side of the outer end face in the circumferential direction [Y direction] toward the top.
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With respect to claim 8/6, Fujisue teaches the insulator of claim 6, and further teaches wherein
the protrusion [454] includes a protrusion end face located at a tip in a protruding direction from the outer end face (the Examiner has labeled all these elements in the fig. 6 excerpt below), and
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an edge (also labeled above) of the protrusion end face located on a side opposite to the insulator base {see rejection of claim 18 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) above} is chamfered in an arcuate shape.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Otsuji (US 2006/0022550 A1).
With respect to claim 6, Otsuji teaches an insulator [32] in a stator [3] for a rotating electric machine, wherein the stator [3] includes:
a stator core [combined teeth 31 and cylindrical outside section 30] including a tubular yoke [30] and teeth [31] extending from an inner circumferential surface of the yoke [30] toward an inner side in a radial direction [the Y direction in fig. 4] of the yoke [31/30], wherein a slot (see joint annotated excerpts of figs. 2 and 4 below, wherein the Examiner has labeled the inner side, the inner circumferential surface, the slot, etc.) is defined between adjacent ones of the teeth [31] in a circumferential direction [the X direction in fig. 4] of the yoke [30];
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a coil [35] formed by a winding [conductor] (see ¶ 0033) wound around the stator core [31/30], the winding [35] passing through the slot (see figs. 10-13 and ¶ 0033, 0038, and 0054); and
the insulator [partition 323, part of insulator 32] faces a core end face [upper-end surface of teeth 31] (see ¶ 0048 which recites “the first partitions 323 cover the upper-end surface of the teeth 31…”) and configured to insulate between the coil [35] and the core end face (¶ 0047 recites “the insulators 32 are provided with a first partition 323…” so 323 is insulative), the core end face being an end face of the stator core [31/30] in an axial direction [the Z direction in figs. 2 and 4 above] of the yoke [30],
the insulator [323/32] includes:
a tubular insulator base (labeled in figs. 5 and 8 below by the Examiner) facing the yoke [31/30] in the axial direction [the Z direction] (see also fig 1); and
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insulator extensions [32] (one is jointly labeled by the Examiner in figs. 5 and 8 above and including surfaces 3231a, but it is apparent from fig. 3 that there are nine of them on the side/end facing the viewer in figs. 2, 4, and 10-13) extending from an inner circumferential surface (labeled in fig. 5) of the insulator base toward the inner side in the radial direction [Y direction] and respectively facing the teeth in the axial direction (the tooth will be in the gap between insulator surfaces 3231a in fig. 8 – this clause is actually best shown in fig. 2, where the tubular insulator base is wholly visible and the nine radially-inwardly insulator extensions 32 are shown with the teeth/yoke depicted by dashed lines),
the insulator extension includes an outer end face (labeled by the Examiner in fig. 8 above and in figs. 7/10 below – the end face is the side facing the viewer in fig. 4-5 and 10) located on a side opposite to the stator core (all sides shown in figs. 5 and 8, except surfaces 3231a, are “opposite” the stator core),
the outer end face (labeled in the joint annotated excerpt of figs. 10 and 7 below) includes a protrusion [first outer protruding wall 3214] located at an end [top end] of the outer end face on an outer side (the side facing the viewer in fig. 10) in the radial direction [Y direction] and located on a first side (the side facing the viewer in fig. 10) in the circumferential direction [X direction].
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With respect to claim 7/6, Otsuji teaches the insulator of claim 6, and further teaches wherein
the protrusion [3214] includes an inclined surface continuous with a top (see annotated excerpt of fig. 4 below, wherein the Examiner has labeled the inclined surface and top) of the protrusion, wherein a protrusion height of the inclined surface from the outer end face (the face shown in fig. 4) gradually increases from a second side (labeled by the Examiner) of the outer end face in the circumferential direction toward the top.
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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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Otsuji (US 2006/0022550 A1) in view of Kinugawa (US 8,593,031 B2).
With respect to claim 1, Otsuji teaches a stator [3] for a rotating electric machine [1] (see fig. 1 and title), the stator [3] comprising:
a stator core [combined teeth 31 and cylindrical outside section 30] including a tubular yoke [30] and teeth [31] extending from an inner circumferential surface of the yoke [30] toward an inner side in a radial direction [the Y direction in fig. 4] of the yoke [31/30], wherein a slot (see joint annotated excerpts of figs. 2 and 4 below, wherein the Examiner has labeled the inner side, the inner circumferential surface, the slot, etc.) is defined between adjacent ones of the teeth [31] in a circumferential direction [the X direction in fig. 4] of the yoke [30];
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a coil [35] formed by a winding [conductor] (see ¶ 0033) wound around the stator core [31/30], the winding [35] passing through the slot (see figs. 10-13 and ¶ 0033, 0038, and 0054); and
an insulator [partition 323, part of insulator 32] facing a core end face [upper-end surface of teeth 31] (see ¶ 0048 which recites “the first partitions 323 cover the upper-end surface of the teeth 31…”) and configured to insulate between the coil [35] and the core end face (¶ 0047 recites “the insulators 32 are provided with a first partition 323…” so 323 is insulative), the core end face being an end face of the stator core [31/30] in an axial direction [the Z direction in figs. 2 and 4 above] of the yoke [30], wherein
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the teeth [31] each include a first tooth side surface located on a first side in the circumferential direction and a second tooth side surface located on a second side in the circumferential direction [the X direction] (see annotated excerpt of figs. 5 and 8 below wherein the Examiner has labeled the first tooth side surface and the second tooth side surface – the tooth is designated in fig. 5 by dotted lines),
the insulator [323] includes:
a tubular insulator base (labeled in figs. 5 and 8 below by the Examiner) facing the yoke [31/30] in the axial direction [the Z direction] (see also fig 1); and
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insulator extensions [32] (one is jointly labeled by the Examiner in figs. 5 and 8 above and including surfaces 3231a, but it is apparent from fig. 3 that there are nine of them on the side/end facing the viewer in figs. 2, 4, and 10-13) extending from an inner circumferential surface (labeled in fig. 5) of the insulator base toward the inner side in the radial direction [Y direction] and respectively facing the teeth in the axial direction (the tooth will be in the gap between insulator surfaces 3231a in fig. 8 – this clause is actually best shown in fig. 2, where the tubular insulator base is wholly visible and the nine radially-inwardly insulator extensions 32 are shown with the teeth/yoke depicted by dashed lines),
the insulator extension includes an outer end face (labeled by the Examiner in fig. 8 above) located on a side opposite to the stator core (all sides shown in figs. 5 and 8, except surfaces 3231a, are “opposite” the stator core),
the coil [35] is formed by the winding [35] wound in a concentrated manner over multiple layers around the teeth [31] and the insulator extensions [32/323],
a first layer (labeled by the Examiner in the joint annotated excerpts of figs. 12-13 below) of the coil [35] is formed by the winding wound from an outer side toward the inner side (outer/inner sides also labeled) in the radial direction [Y direction],
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the coil [35] includes a specific [second] layer (specific layer labeled jointly by the Examiner in the excerpt above) that is a second layer or a layer subsequent to the second layer [it is the second layer in figs. 12-13] of the coil [35] and is formed by the winding [35] wound from the inner side toward the outer side in the radial direction [Y direction] (the numberings 1s-7s in fig. 12 indicate that the specific winding is wound from the inner side toward the outer side, just as the numberings 1s-8s in fig. 10 show that the first layer is wound from the outer side to the inner side),
of a portion of each of the slots that is proximate to the inner circumferential surface of the yoke [30], a portion proximate to the first tooth side surface is referred to as a first innermost part and a portion proximate to the second tooth side surface is referred to as a second innermost part (the Examiner has labeled the first tooth side surface, the second tooth side surface, the yoke inner circumferential surface, the first innermost part, and the second innermost part in the new fig. 10 annotated excerpt below – the first and second innermost parts have also been shaded gray);
a first turn [1s/1e] of the winding that forms the first layer (see ¶ 0055-0058) includes:
a winding start portion [1s] extending along the first tooth side surface (see 2nd half of ¶ 0058) through the first innermost part;
a portion [1e] extending along the second tooth side surface (see ¶ 0055) through a position in the slot farther from the inner circumferential surface of the yoke [30] than the second innermost part; and
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a portion (shaded gray by the Examiner in fig. 10) wound around the outer end face (outer end face labeled in the joint fig. 7/10 excerpt by the Examiner – also depicted in the annotated excerpts of figs. 5 and 8 above) of the insulator extension [323],
the outer end face includes a protrusion [first outer protruding wall 3214] protruding from a portion of the outer end face (see ¶ 0053 and figs. 7 and 10) that is closer to the insulator base (labeled again in fig. 10 by the Examiner and the same as that labeled in fig. 8 above) than the first turn [1s-1e] and relatively close to the winding start portion, and
the winding that forms the specific layer is extended through the second innermost part along the second tooth side surface.
Otsuji omits teaching wherein the winding that forms the specific [second] layer is then arranged on the protrusion.
Kinugawa discloses a stator core including a yoke and teeth extending from an inner circumferential surface toward an inner side in a radial direction, a coil formed by a winding [5] wound around the stator core, the winding passing through a slot between adjacent teeth, an insulator [4] including insulator extensions, etc. Kinugawa further teaches a first layer (see fig. 12a) and a protrusion [7c] (see fig. 11), as well as a specific [second] layer (see fig. 12b).
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Kinugawa teaches wherein the winding that forms the specific layer is extended through the second innermost part (corresponding to the same area in Otsuji, so further discussion will be omitted, but the Examiner has shaded it in the fig. 12a excerpt above) and then arranged on the protrusion [7c].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the machine of Otsuji, while wrapping the specific layer on the protrusion, in combination with tapers [10 and 11 in fig. 12a/12b], as taught by Kinugawa, in order to fit part of the winding in a final row of a second layer and a part of the winding into a groove formed by the taper and a part of the winding in an upper row of the first layer to prevent the wound winding from collapsing (Kinugawa col. 6, lines 41-48).
With respect to claim 2/1, Otsuji in view of Kinugawa teaches the machine of claim 1, Kinugawa further teaches wherein
a protrusion height (labeled by the Examiner in the new fig. 12a excerpt attached below) of a top of the protrusion from the outer end face (also labeled) appears to be equal to an outer diameter of the winding, and
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the protrusion [7c] is configured to guide the winding [5] that has been extended through the second innermost part (see rejection of claim 1) along the second tooth side surface such that the winding that has been extended through the second innermost part along the second tooth side surface is wound around the winding that forms the first layer (see fig. 12b).
Kinugawa does not explicitly disclose the relationship of the protrusion height to the outer diameter of the winding, but a person of ordinary skill in the art, when making the machine of Otsuji in view of Kinugawa, would have found it obvious to try having them equal since that is what is shown in fig. 12, assuming that Kinugawa shows them the same height for a logical and/or functional reason that wasn’t gotten around to being discussed in the written description, in order to avail of all the advantages of Kinugawa’s teachings, knowing it is possible and possibly likely that to diverge from what is obviously shown in the figures might lead to the winding not conforming to the stated advantages of Kinugawa, which are cited above in the rejection of claim 1.
With respect to claim 3/1, Otsuji in view of Kinugawa teaches the machine of claim 1, Otsuji further teaches (as does Kinugawa) wherein the winding that extends through the second innermost part (see all drawing excerpts above wherein the Examiner has labeled the second innermost part) along the second tooth side surface is the winding that forms the second layer.
With respect to claim 4/1, Otsuji in view of Kinugawa teaches the machine of claim 1, Kinugawa further teaches (as does Otsuji) wherein
the protrusion includes an inclined surface [taper 10] continuous with a top (labeled by the Examiner in the new fig. 12a excerpt attached below) of the protrusion [7c], wherein a protrusion height of the inclined surface [10] from the outer end face gradually increases from a portion of the outer end face opposite to the winding start portion (see rejection of claim 4 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) above) toward the top {the Examiner is interpreting “opposite” to mean the opposite side of the tooth – the winding start position in Kinugawa (or Otsuji) is going to be on the side of the tooth not shown in figs. 12a/12b, behind the tooth and opposite to the side with the projection}.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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, and amended to overcome the rejections of claim 5 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) addressed above.
With respect to claim 5, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest a stator for a rotating electric machine, the stator comprising:
a stator core including a tubular yoke and teeth extending from an inner circumferential surface of the yoke toward an inner side in a radial direction of the yoke, wherein a slot is defined between adjacent ones of the teeth in a circumferential direction of the yoke;
a coil formed by a winding wound around the stator core, the winding passing through the slot; and
an insulator facing a core end face and configured to insulate between the coil and the core end face, the core end face being an end face of the stator core in an axial direction of the yoke, wherein
the teeth each include a first tooth side surface located on a first side in the circumferential direction and a second tooth side surface located on a second side in the circumferential direction,
the insulator includes:
a tubular insulator base facing the yoke in the axial direction; and
insulator extensions extending from an inner circumferential surface of the insulator base toward the inner side in the radial direction and respectively facing the teeth in the axial direction,
the insulator extension includes an outer end face located on a side opposite to the stator core,
the coil is formed by the winding wound in a concentrated manner over multiple layers around the teeth and the insulator extensions,
a first layer of the coil is formed by the winding wound from an outer side toward the inner side in the radial direction,
the coil includes a specific layer that is a second layer or a layer subsequent to the second layer of the coil and is formed by the winding wound from the inner side toward the outer side in the radial direction,
of a portion of each of the slots that is proximate to the inner circumferential surface of the yoke, a portion proximate to the first tooth side surface is referred to as a first innermost part and a portion proximate to the second tooth side surface is referred to as a second innermost part,
a first turn of the winding that forms the first layer includes:
a winding start portion extending along the first tooth side surface through the first innermost part;
a portion extending along the second tooth side surface through a position in the slot farther from the inner circumferential surface of the yoke than the second innermost part; and
a portion wound around the outer end face of the insulator extension,
the outer end face includes a protrusion protruding from a portion of the outer end face that is closer to the insulator base than the first turn and relatively close to the winding start portion, and
the winding that forms the specific layer is extended through the second innermost part along the second tooth side surface and then arranged on the protrusion;
wherein the protrusion includes a protrusion end face located at a tip in a protruding direction from the outer end face, and an edge of the protrusion end face located on a side opposite to the insulator base is chamfered in an arcuate shape.
Otsuji in view of Kinugawa teaches much of the claim, but neither reference has a protrusion end face with an edge that is chamfered in an arcuate shape. Fujisue teaches this feature, as does WO 2020067556 A1, but the projections of Kinugawa/Otsuji are very different from those of Fujisue such that they cannot be reasonably combined with it or other references like it.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Figs. 3 and 5 of FR 3033454 A1 are relevant to the claimed invention.
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WO 2020/067556 A1 was discussed in the reasoning for indicating allowable subject matter of claim 5
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Fig. 2 of CN 104917305 A is relevant to the claimed invention. The Examiner believes it is the best reference showing a projection geometry that has the inclined surface along the same plane as that of the instant application.
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Fig. 6 of US 20110273053 A1 is relevant to the claimed invention.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL K SCHLAK whose telephone number is (703)756-1685. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270 - 5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Daniel K Schlak/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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