DETAILED ACTION
1. Claims 1-10 of U.S. Application 18/948095 filed on November 14, 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 statements (IDS) submitted on November 14, 2024, August 28, 2025, September 3, 2025 and May 7, 2026 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 § 102
4. 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.
5. Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Amaya (US 20210257873).
Regarding claim 1, Amaya teaches (see figs. 1-3 and 7 below) a stator (30) (¶ 21 to ¶ 24), comprising: a stator core (31) formed of a plurality of core sheets stacked in an axial direction, and having an annular yoke portion (34) and teeth (35) extending from the yoke portion (34) to an inner peripheral side (¶ 26 to ¶ 29);
a bobbin (60) configured to cover the teeth (35); a coil (50) wound around the bobbin (60) (¶ 29 to ¶ 31); and
a pressing member (80) having an abutting part (see annotated fig. 7 below) that contacts an axial end surface of the yoke portion (34) (¶ 24; ¶ 38 to ¶ 42).
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Regarding claim 2/1, Amaya teaches (see figs. 1-3 and 7 above) the stator core (31) is composed of a plurality of split cores (32) arranged along a circumferential direction, and each of the plurality of split cores (32) has a core back that constitutes the yoke portion (34), and the teeth (35) extending from the core back (¶ 24; ¶ 26; ¶ 27).
Regarding claim 3/1, Amaya teaches (see figs. 1-3 and 7 above) the abutting part (see annotated fig. 7 above) abuts against the axial end surface over the entire circumferential direction of the yoke portion (34) (fig. 1; ¶ 24; ¶ 38 to ¶ 42).
Regarding claim 4/2/1, Amaya teaches (see figs. 1-3 and 7 above) the abutting part (see annotated fig. 7 above) abuts partially in the circumferential direction of the yoke portion (34) on the axial end surface (fig. 7; ¶ 24; ¶ 38 to ¶ 42).
Regarding claim 5/4/2/1, Amaya teaches (see figs. 1-3 and 7 above) the abutting part (see annotated fig. 7 above) contacts the axial end surface at a boundary portion where the core backs adjacent in the circumferential direction are in contact with each other (figs. 1 and 2; ¶ 24; ¶ 38 to ¶ 42).
Regarding claim 6/4/2/1, Amaya teaches (see figs. 1-3 and 7 above) the abutting part (see annotated fig. 7 above) contacts the axial end surface at a circumferential center portion of the core back (figs. 1 and 2; ¶ 24; ¶ 38 to ¶ 42).
Regarding claim 7/1, Amaya teaches (see figs. 1-3 and 7 above) the pressing member (80) is a resin molded portion (80) that covers the coil (50), the coil (50) has one axial end and another axial end, the resin molded portion (80) has a first covering portion (81) covering one axial end portion of the coil (50), a second covering portion (81) covering the other axial end portion of the coil (50) (¶ 24; ¶ 38 to ¶ 42), and
a connecting portion (this is the portion of the molded resin 80 that fills slots 36, see ¶ 39) connecting the first covering portion (81) and the second covering portion (81, and the abutting part (see annotated fig. 7 above) is included in each of the first covering portion (81) and the second covering portion (81) (¶ 24; ¶ 38 to ¶ 42).
Regarding claim 8/7/1, Amaya teaches (see figs. 1-3 and 7 above) the stator core (31) has a plurality of the teeth (35) arranged along a circumferential direction, a plurality of coils (50) are provided corresponding to the plurality of teeth (35), respectively, and the resin molded portion (80) collectively covers the plurality of coils (50) (¶ 24; ¶ 27; ¶ 38 to ¶ 42).
Regarding claim 9/7/1, Amaya teaches (see figs. 1-3 and 7 above) the resin molded portion (80) is made of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the bobbin (60) (Abstract; ¶ 41).
Regarding claim 10, Amaya teaches (see figs. 1-3 and 7 above) a rotating electric machine, comprising: a stator (30); and a rotor (20) facing the stator (30) (¶ 21 to ¶ 24),
wherein the stator (30) includes: a stator core (31) formed of a plurality of core sheets stacked in an axial direction, and having an annular yoke portion (34) and teeth (35) extending from the yoke portion (34) to an inner peripheral side (¶ 26 to ¶ 29);
a bobbin (60) configured to cover the teeth (35); a coil (50) wound around the bobbin (60) (¶ 29 to ¶ 31); and
a pressing member (80) having an abutting part (see annotated fig. 7 below) that contacts an axial end surface of the yoke portion (34) (¶ 24; ¶ 38 to ¶ 42).
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 7-9 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
7. 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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