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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-4, 6, 8-15, 17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Losey et al. (US 2021/0305862 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Losey discloses a magnetic gear (100) comprising:
a magnetic outer rotor (206);
a magnetic inner rotor (208);
a first array of cladding magnets (212) disposed at a first axial end (106) of the magnetic inner rotor (208); and
a second array of cladding magnets (214) disposed at a first axial end (106) of the magnetic outer rotor (206).
Regarding claim 2/1, Losey was discussed above in claim 1. Losey further discloses a third array of cladding magnets (¶ [0042] a similar or same axial-end Halbach array cladding magnet configuration may be coupled or position at the other axial end 108 of the magnetic gear system.) disposed at a second axial end (108) of the magnetic inner rotor (208); and
a fourth array of cladding magnets (¶ [0042] same as above) disposed at a second axial end (108) of the magnetic outer rotor (206).
Regarding claim 3/1, Losey was discussed above in claim 1. Losey further discloses wherein the first array and second arrays (212, 214) cap magnetic flux at the first and second axial ends (106, 108) of the magnetic inner rotor (208) and the magnetic outer rotor (206; ¶ [0011]).
Regarding claim 4/1, Losey was discussed above in claim 1. Losey further discloses wherein the first array and the second array (212, 214) each include a plurality of axially directed magnets (FIG. 3; the dots and crosses are axially direction magnets), each axially directed magnet positioned over a pole of the magnetic inner rotor (208) and a pole of the magnetic outer rotor (206; each of the axial magnets overlaps a rotor magnet).
Regarding claim 8/1, Losey was discussed above in claim 1. Losey further discloses wherein the magnets in the first array of magnets (212) and the second array of magnets (214) each have a tilt between 0° and 90° (FIG. 2A).
Regarding claim 8/1, Losey was discussed above in claim 1. Losey further discloses an aircraft (¶ [0020]) comprising the magnetic gear (100) of claim 1.
Regarding claim 9/1, Losey was discussed above in claim 1. Losey further discloses a wind turbine (¶ [0021]) comprising the magnetic gear (100) of claim 1.
Regarding claim 10/1, Losey was discussed above in claim 1. Losey further discloses a vehicle (¶ [0022]) comprising the magnetic gear (100) of claim 1.
Regarding claim 11/1, Losey was discussed above in claim 1. Losey further discloses a spacecraft (¶ [0019]) comprising the magnetic gear of claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, Losey discloses a system (FIG. 1) comprising:
a magnetic gear (100) comprising a magnetic outer rotor (206) and a magnetic inner rotor (208);
a first array of cladding magnets (212) disposed at a first axial end (106) of the magnetic inner rotor (208); and
a second array of cladding magnets (214) disposed at a first axial end (106) of the magnetic outer rotor (206).
Regarding claim 13/12, Losey was discussed above in claim 12. Losey further discloses a third array of cladding magnets (¶ [0042] a similar or same axial-end Halbach array cladding magnet configuration may be coupled or position at the other axial end 108 of the magnetic gear system.) disposed at a second axial end (108) of the magnetic inner rotor (208); and
a fourth array of cladding magnets (¶ [0042] same as above) disposed at a second axial end (108) of the magnetic outer rotor (206).
Regarding claim 14/12, Losey was discussed above in claim 12. Losey further discloses wherein the first array and second arrays (212, 214) cap magnetic flux at the first and second axial ends (106, 108) of the magnetic inner rotor (208) and the magnetic outer rotor (206; ¶ [0011]).
Regarding claim 15/12, Losey was discussed above in claim 12. Losey further discloses wherein the first array and the second array (212, 214) each include a plurality of axially directed magnets (FIG. 3; the dots and crosses are axially direction magnets), each axially directed magnet positioned over a pole of the magnetic inner rotor (208) and a pole of the magnetic outer rotor (206; each of the axial magnets overlaps a rotor magnet).
Regarding claim 17/12, Losey was discussed above in claim 12. Losey further discloses wherein the magnets in the first array of magnets (212) and the second array of magnets (214) each have a tilt between 0° and 90° (FIG. 2A).
Regarding claim 19/12, Losey was discussed above in claim 12. Losey further discloses a wind turbine (¶ [0021]) comprising the magnetic gear (100) of claim 12.
Regarding claim 20/12, Losey was discussed above in claim 12. Losey further discloses a vehicle (¶ [0022]) comprising the magnetic gear (100) of claim 12.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 7 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Losey et al. (US 2021/0305862 A1) in view of Toliyat et al. (US 2024/0297563 A1).
Regarding claim 7/1, Losey was discussed above in claim 1. Losey does not disclose wherein the magnetic gear comprises a cycloidal magnetic gear.
Toliyat discloses wherein the magnetic gear comprises a cycloidal magnetic gear (¶ [0100]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Losey in view of Toliyat to disclose wherein the magnetic gear comprises a cycloidal magnetic gear, for the advantages of high gear ratios (¶ [0100]).
Regarding claim 18/12, Losey was discussed above in claim 12. Losey does not disclose wherein the magnetic gear comprises a cycloidal magnetic gear.
Toliyat discloses wherein the magnetic gear comprises a cycloidal magnetic gear (¶ [0100]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Losey in view of Toliyat to disclose wherein the magnetic gear comprises a cycloidal magnetic gear, for the advantages of high gear ratios (¶ [0100]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 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.
Regarding claims 5/1 and 16/12, the specific limitation of “wherein the magnets in the first array of magnets and the second array of magnets each have a tilt of about 15°” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
The closest prior art Losey discloses the first and second array of cladding magnets, which has a tilt between 40-50°, but does not disclose a tilt of 15°.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bird (US 2020/0091809 A1): discloses a magnetic gearbox with flux concentration Halbach rotors.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINKI CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-0521. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/MINKI CHANG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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