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 .
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 1-6, 8, 10 and 13-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhou (US 2020/0153297 A1).
RE claim 1, Zhou teaches a rotor (Fig.1) comprising: a rotor core 10a including a cavity section having a plurality of cavities 28, 30a for each magnetic pole (Fig.1), and a first rib (46a) disposed between one of the plurality cavities 28a, 30a of the cavity section and an other one of the plurality of cavities 28a, 30a adjacent to the one of the plurality of cavities 28a, 30a in a circumferential direction, the first rib (46a) extending from a radially inner side of the cavity section to a radially outer side of the cavity section (Fig.1), the first rib (46a) being provided not to be on a first reference line 12a that bisects an angle between two lines (L1, L2) (see annotated Fig.1), one (L1) of which (L1, L2) connecting a rotation center (CE) of the rotor core 10a and one of circumferential ends of a set of the plurality of cavities 28a, 30a of the cavity section, and an other one (L2) of which (L1, L2) connecting the rotation center of the rotor core and an other one of the circumferential ends of the set of the plurality of cavities of the cavity section (Fig.1), and the first rib (46a) including a linear part (part of ribs 46a) extending from the radially inner side of the cavity section to the radially outer side of the cavity section in a direction of a force acting on the first rib (46a) while the rotor core is rotating (Fig.3), and
the force acting on the first rib while the rotor core is rotating being a force corresponding to a centrifugal force (¶ 25), an electromagnetic force (¶ 45 for magnetic field line), and a torque acting on the rotor core (see ¶ 3, 4 for motor are subject to torque).
[AltContent: textbox (CE)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (L2)][AltContent: textbox (L1)]
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RE claim 2/1, Zhou teaches the first rib (46a) is formed so that a center line the first rib (54a, 56a, 46a) extends in the direction of the force acting on the first rib (54a, 56a, 46a) while the rotor core is rotating.
RE claim 3/1, Zhou teaches the rotor core includes a center rib 54a, 56a, 46a disposed between one of the plurality cavities of the cavity section and an other one of the plurality of cavities adjacent to the one of the plurality of cavities 28a, 30a in a circumferential direction, and the center rib (54a, 56a, 46a) extends along the first reference line 12a from the radially inner side of the cavity section to the radially outer side of the cavity section 28a, 30a.
RE claim 4/1, Zhou teaches the rotor core 10a includes a second rib 46a disposed between one of the plurality cavities 28a, 30a of the cavity section and an other one of the plurality of cavities 28a, 30a adjacent to the one of the plurality of cavities 28a, 30a in a circumferential direction, and the second rib 46a extends from the radially inner side of the cavity section to the radially outer side of the cavity section, and the second rib 46a is provided not to be on the first reference line 12a, and the second rib 46a includes a linear part extending from the radially inner side of the cavity section to the radially outer side of the cavity section in the direction of the force acting on the second rib 46a while the rotor core 10a is rotating.
RE claim 5/1, Zhou teaches the second rib 46a is line-symmetric to the first rib 46a with respect to the first reference line 12a
RE claim 6/1, Zhou teaches in the rotor core 10a, a plurality of cavity sections (16a, 17a, 18a) arranged in a radial direction for each magnetic pole of the rotor core are formed, and the cavity section 18a in which the first rib 46a is provided is a radially innermost one of the plurality of cavity sections (Fig.1).
RE claim 8/7, Zhou teaches a line of action (F) (see annotated Fig.1 below) is located in a second range that is located inward of a first range between a first imaginary line (IM1) and a second imaginary line (IM2), the line of action (F) extends from a first intersection (IS1) in the direction of the force acting on the first rib while the rotor core is rotating, the first intersection (IS1) is an intersection (S1) between the first rib 46a and the radially inner wall surface of the cavity section (28a), the first imaginary line (IM1) extends from the first intersection (IS1) in a direction parallel to the first reference line 12a and is provided radially outward of the radially inner wall surface of the cavity section 18a, the second imaginary line (IM2) extends from the first intersection (IS1) and passes through a second intersection (IS2), and the second intersection (IS2) is an intersection between the first reference line 12a and an outer circumferential edge of the rotor core 10a.
[AltContent: textbox (F)][AltContent: textbox (IM2)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (IM1)]
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RE claim 10/1, Zhou teaches a motor (¶ 6) including the rotor of claim 1.
RE claims 13/2, such claim is rejected for similar reason as claim 3/1.
RE claims 14/2 and 15/3, such claims are rejected for similar reason as claim 4/1.
RE claim 16/2, 17/3, 18/4, 19/5, such claims are rejected for similar reason as claim 6/1.
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.
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 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou in view of Yabe (US 2021/0066979 A1).
RE claims 11/10 and 12/11, Zhou has been discussed above. Zhou does not teach the motor of claim 10 being utilized in a compressor of a refrigeration apparatus.
Yabe suggests that permanent magnet synchronous motor is well-known to be highly efficient and can be utilized in application such as compressor for a refrigeration apparatus (¶ 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the motor as claimed in claim 10 in any applicable application such as compressor for a refrigeration apparatus.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is allowed.
RE claim 9, as previously indicated as containing allowable subject matter, the prior-art does not teach, inter alia, the second range being between a third imaginary line and a fourth imaginary line, the third imaginary line extending from the first intersection and being located inward of the first imaginary line in the first range, and the fourth imaginary line extending from the first intersection and being located inward of the second imaginary line in the first range, an angle between the first imaginary line and the third imaginary line being 1.9°×4/n, an angle between the second imaginary line and the fourth imaginary line being 3.2°×4/n, and n representing the number of magnetic poles of the rotor core.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/07/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On pages 9-12 of the Remark, Applicant argued that the Zhou does not teach the amended limitation “the force acting on the first rib while the rotor core is rotating being a force corresponding to a centrifugal force, an electromagnetic force, and a torque acting on the rotor core”. Further, Applicant argue that Zhou does not teaches determining the shape of the rib in consideration of centrifugal force, but also electromagnetic force and torque.
In response:
Applicant’s argument was not found persuasive for the following reasons:
“the shape of the rib” was not claimed. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993)”
the amended limitation appeared to identify the loads acting on the first rib while the rotor core is rotating. However, such limitation adds no structure to the claim. It is noted that a recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim.
Further, Zhou structure appeared to disclose rib 46a between cavities 28a, 30a of the inner most layer 18a offset from the axis 12a (¶ 35, 43). Zhou further teaches that the rotor subject to torque (¶ 3, 4) as well as centrifugal force (¶ 25) and electromagnetic force (see ¶ 45 for magnetic field line).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-5532. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-6PM 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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/THOMAS TRUONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
