DETAILED ACTION
1. Claims 1-8 of U.S. Application 18/944967 filed on November 12, 2024 are presented for examination.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on November 12, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. 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.
5. Claim 4 is 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.
Regarding claim 4, lines 2-3, “a width of the embossing is formed in a circumferential direction of the lamina member,” it is unclear how the width can be measured in a circumferential direction between a first and second turning radius, when the first and second turning radius extend radially and not circumferentially. The examiner will interpret as -- a width of the embossing is formed in a radial direction of the lamina member --.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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.
7. Claims 1, 2 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (KR 20230142262, see English Machine Translation attached).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches (see figs. 8 and 12 below) a stator core (see annotated fig. 8 below) for a motor, comprising: a laminated core (C) formed by laminating a plurality of lamina members having an embossing (d1) formed along a circumferential direction on a radial outside thereof (Abstract; pages 2-3); and
an insulation layer (RL) having a certain thickness and formed on an inner circumferential surface of a hairpin inserting hole (e) (Abstract; pages 3-4),
the hairpin inserting hole (e) formed along a circumferential direction on a radial inside of the laminated core (Abstract; pages 3-4).
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Regarding claim 2/1, Kim teaches (see figs. 8 and 12 above) the laminated core (C) further comprises: a guide portion (see annotated fig. 12 above) recessed inward from a radial outer end and formed in plurality along a circumferential direction, and wherein the embossing (d1) is formed between the plurality of guide portions (see annotated fig. 12 above) (pages 5-6).
Regarding claim 8/1, Kim teaches (see figs. 8 and 12 above) the laminated core (C) is formed by integrating a plurality of lamina members as the embossing (d1) fastens and fixes a radial outside and the insulation layer (RL) fastens and fixes a radial inside (Abstract; pages 4-6).
8. Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kinpara (US 20120326554).
Regarding claim 1, Kinpara teaches (see figs. 2 and 6 below) a stator core (7) for a motor (1), comprising: a laminated core (7) formed by laminating a plurality of lamina members (11) having an embossing (15) formed along a circumferential direction on a radial outside thereof (¶ 29 to ¶ 33); and
an insulation layer (26) having a certain thickness and formed on an inner circumferential surface of a hairpin inserting hole (S), the hairpin inserting hole (S) formed along a circumferential direction on a radial inside of the laminated core (7) (¶ 40).
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
9. 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.
10. Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kinpara in view of Jang (KR 20220005875, see English Machine Translation attached).
Regarding claim 6/1, Kinpara teaches (see figs. 2 and 6 above) the insulation layer (26) comprises: a vertical insulation layer (26) formed in an axial direction along an inner circumferential surface of the hairpin inserting hole (S) (¶ 40).
Kinpara does not explicitly teach a horizontal insulation layer radially extending from both ends of the vertical insulation layer and formed in a ring shape covering a circumference of the hairpin inserting hole.
However, Jang teaches (see fig. 1 below) a horizontal insulation layer (21, 22) radially extending from both ends of the vertical insulation layer (23) and formed in a ring shape covering a circumference of the hairpin inserting hole (S) (Abstract; pages 2-3) in order to improve insulation between coils and core and improve the coupling force between core sheets, thereby improving reliability (Jang, page 3).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kinpara and provide a horizontal insulation layer radially extending from both ends of the vertical insulation layer and formed in a ring shape covering a circumference of the hairpin inserting hole as taught by Jang in order to improve insulation between coils and core and improve the coupling force between core sheets, thereby improving reliability (Jang, page 3).
11. Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kinpara in view of Jang as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Tsuchiya (US 20210376671).
Regarding claim 7/6/1, Kinpara in view Jang teaches the device of claim 6 but does not explicitly the insulation layer is formed to close an opening formed to pass through a radial inside in the hairpin inserting hole.
However, Tsuchiya teaches (see figs. 2 and 3 below) the insulation layer (52) is formed to close an opening formed to pass through a radial inside in the hairpin inserting hole (42) (¶ 38; ¶ 41; ¶ 42) in order to suppress displacement of the insulation layer thereby improving reliability, reducing radiant heat from the stator and lowering manufacturing costs (Tsuchiya, Abstract, ¶ 59).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Kinpara in view Jang and provide the insulation layer is formed to close an opening formed to pass through a radial inside in the hairpin inserting hole as taught by Tsuchiya in order to suppress displacement of the insulation layer thereby improving reliability, reducing radiant heat from the stator and lowering manufacturing costs (Tsuchiya, Abstract, ¶ 59).
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Allowable Subject Matter
12. Claims 3 and 5 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.
13. Claim 4 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
14. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER A SINGH whose telephone number is (571)270-0243. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am to 5pm.
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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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/ALEXANDER A SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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