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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by You et al. (CN 113949218).
1. You et al. teach:
A grounding brush assembly (figs 2 & 7) for an electric machine (for motor, see abstract), the electric machine including a rotatable shaft 11 rotatable about a central axis and having an inner circumferential surface defining a hollow bore (see fig 1), an outer housing 12, at least one bearing (see fig 1) rotatably coupling the shaft with the housing, and a fixed shaft/bolt 242 extending through the bore of the rotatable shaft (see fig 1) and being electrically grounded (see abstract and background of invention 1st para), the grounding brush assembly comprising:
a conductive base member/conductor 22/conductive ring 222 having a bore sized to receive a portion of the fixed shaft (figs 3, 6 and 9 show the bolt inside of the bore), a centerline coaxially alignable with the central axis and an outer circumferential surface (since the grounding device is central to the bore of the rotating shaft, see fig 1); and
at least one conductive brush 23 coupled with the base member (see figs 3 and 6) and including a plurality of conductive fibers 232 extending radially outwardly from the outer circumferential surface of the base member (see figs 3 and 6) and spaced axially along the centerline (figs 3, 6, and 7), each conductive fiber having an inner radial end coupled with the base member (see figs 3 and 6) and an outer radial end engageable with the inner circumferential surface of the rotatable shaft (fig 1) such that at least one electrically conductive path extends from the rotatable shaft, through the brush and the base member, and to the fixed shaft (since the rotating shaft, brush, base member, and fixed shaft are electrically connected to each other and they all have some degree of electrical conductivity).
2. You et al. teach:
The grounding brush assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the conductive base member includes a generally cylindrical body having an outer surface providing the outer circumferential surface of the base member (see figs 3 and 6), an inner circumferential surface defining the bore of the base member (see figs 3 and 6), a first axial end and an opposing second axial end (see figs 3 and 6).
3. The grounding brush assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the cylindrical body of the base member has at least one axial groove 221 extending radially inwardly from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body (figs 4 and 9) and axially between the first and second axial ends (figs 3, 4, 6, and 9), the radial inner end of each one of the plurality of conductive fibers of the at least one conductive brush being disposed within the at least one axial groove (figs 3, 4, 6, and 9) and the plurality of conductive fibers being spaced along the at least one axial groove (figs 3, 4, 6, and 9).
9. You et al. teach:
A grounding brush assembly (figs 2 & 7) for an electric machine (for motor, see abstract), the electric machine including a rotatable shaft 11 rotatable about a central axis and having an inner circumferential surface defining a hollow bore (see fig 1), an outer housing 12, at least one bearing (see fig 1) rotatably coupling the shaft with the housing, and a fixed shaft/bolt 242 extending through the bore of the rotatable shaft and being electrically grounded (see abstract and background of invention 1st para), the grounding brush assembly comprising:
a conductive base member/conductor 22/conductive ring 222 having a centerline coaxially alignable (figs 1, 3 & 6) with the central axis and including a generally cylindrical body having a first axial end (figs 1, 3 & 6), an opposing second axial end (figs 1, 3 & 6), an outer circumferential surface (figs 1, 3 & 6) and an inner circumferential surface defining a bore sized to receive a portion of the fixed shaft (figs 1, 3 & 6); and
at least one conductive brush 23 coupled with the base member (figs 1, 3 & 6) and including a plurality of conductive fibers 232 extending radially outwardly from the outer circumferential surface of the base member (figs 1, 3 & 6) and spaced axially along the centerline (figs 1, 3 & 6), each conductive fiber being engageable with the inner circumferential surface of the rotatable shaft (fig 1) such that at least one electrically conductive path extends from the rotatable shaft, through the brush and the base member, and to the fixed shaft (since the rotating shaft, brush, base member, and fixed shaft are electrically connected to each other and they all have some degree of electrical conductivity).
10. You et al. teach:
The grounding brush assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein each one of the plurality of conductive fibers of the at least one conductive brush has an inner radial end coupled with the cylindrical body of the base member (figs 1, 3 & 6) and an outer radial end engageable with the inner circumferential surface of the rotatable shaft (fig 1).
11. You et al. teach:
The grounding brush assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein the cylindrical body of the base member has at least one axial groove 221 extending radially inwardly from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body (figs 4 and 9) and axially between the first and second axial ends (figs 3, 4, 6, and 9), the radial inner end of each one of the plurality of conductive fibers of the at least one conductive brush being disposed within the at least one axial groove (figs 3, 4, 6, and 9) and the plurality of conductive fibers being spaced along the at least one axial groove (figs 3, 4, 6, and 9).
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.
Claim(s) 5 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over You et al. in view of Chen et al. (US 20220255407).
5. You et al. teach:
The grounding brush assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one conductive brush includes a retainer/copper pipe 231 disposed within the at least one axial groove of the cylindrical body; but does not teach that the retainer has a base wall and two spaced apart side walls extending from the base wall so as to define an axial channel, the plurality of conductive fibers of the at least one conductive brush being disposed between and engaged by the two side walls so as to retain the conductive fibers within the axial channel.
Chen et al. teach that the retainer/conductive ring 31 has a base wall (annotated fig below) and two spaced apart side walls (annotated fig below) extending from the base wall so as to define an axial channel (annotated fig below), the plurality of conductive fibers 32 of the at least one conductive brush being disposed between and engaged by the two side walls (fig below) so as to retain the conductive fibers within the axial channel. As can be seen, the walls pinch into the fibers to hold the brush better which prolongs the service life of the electric machine.
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As a result, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the invention of You et al. being effectively filed to modify it such that the retainer has a base wall and two spaced apart side walls extending from the base wall so as to define an axial channel, the plurality of conductive fibers of the at least one conductive brush being disposed between and engaged by the two side walls so as to retain the conductive fibers within the axial channel, as taught by Chen et al. so as to prolong the service life of the electric machine.
13. You et al. teach:
The grounding brush assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one conductive brush includes a retainer/copper pipe 231 disposed within the at least one axial groove of the cylindrical body; but does not teach that the retainer has a base wall and two spaced apart side walls extending from the base wall so as to define an axial channel, the plurality of conductive fibers of the at least one conductive brush being disposed between and engaged by the two side walls so as to retain the conductive fibers within the axial channel.
Chen et al. teach that the retainer/conductive ring 31 has a base wall (annotated fig below) and two spaced apart side walls (annotated fig below) extending from the base wall so as to define an axial channel (annotated fig below), the plurality of conductive fibers 32 of the at least one conductive brush being disposed between and engaged by the two side walls (fig below) so as to retain the conductive fibers within the axial channel. As can be seen, the walls pinch into the fibers to hold the brush better which prolongs the service life of the electric machine.
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As a result, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the invention of You et al. being effectively filed to modify it such that the retainer has a base wall and two spaced apart side walls extending from the base wall so as to define an axial channel, the plurality of conductive fibers of the at least one conductive brush being disposed between and engaged by the two side walls so as to retain the conductive fibers within the axial channel, as taught by Chen et al. so as to prolong the service life of the electric machine.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6-8, 12, and 14-16 are 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.
Conclusion
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/TERRANCE L KENERLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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