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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted 11/19/2024, 04/22/2025, 10/01/2025 and 05/14/2026 are 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 § 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) 1-5,7,8,10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Kumagai et al. (US 20230134155).
Regarding claim 1, Kumagai et al. disclose:
A motor (para 21) comprising:
a stator core (20);
a coil (30, para 29) that is wound around the stator core (20);
a neutral bus bar (10, para 38), that is connected to the coil (30, better seen in Fig 3); and
a bus bar holder (5) that holds the neutral bus bar (10),
wherein the bus bar holder (5) includes a coolant flow path capable of receiving coolant from the motor (para 78) and
also supplying the coolant toward a coil end (30e, para 78) exposed from the stator core (20).
Regarding claim 2/1, Kumagai et al. disclose wherein the coolant flow path includes a coolant guide (96, para 78) that is open and that guides the coolant toward the coil end.
Regarding claim 3/1, Kumagai et al. disclose wherein the coolant flow path includes an internal coolant flow channel (96, para 78 since it is a hole) that passes through the bus bar holder and also includes an opening that discharges the coolant toward the coil end.
Regarding claim 4/1, Kumagai et al. disclose further comprising a coolant supply channel (96-98, paras 76-78) configured to supply the coolant to the coolant flow path.
Regarding claim 5/4, Kumagai et al. disclose, wherein: the coolant flow path includes a coolant guide that is open and that guides the coolant toward the coil end (para 78); and the coolant supply channel is configured to communicate with the coolant guide such that the coolant flows through the coolant guide, or to discharge the coolant into the coolant guide (paras 76-78).
Regarding claim 7/4, Kumagai et al. disclose wherein: the coolant flow path includes an internal coolant flow channel that passes through the bus bar holder and that also includes an opening that discharges the coolant toward the coil end (paras 76-78); and the coolant supply channel communicates with the internal coolant flow channel such that the coolant can flow through the internal coolant flow channel, or discharges the coolant into a coolant intake hole of the internal coolant flow channel (paras 76-78).
Regarding claim 8/1, Kumagai et al. disclose wherein the bus bar holder (5, Fig 1) includes a skirt portion (7) extending toward the coil end (30e) to supply the coolant that passed through the coolant flow path (95-98) to the coil end (30e).
Regarding claim 10/4, Kumagai et al. disclose wherein the coolant supply channel (95, Fig 6) is disposed on an outer periphery of the stator core (20).
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.
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.
Claim(s) 6 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kumagai et al. (US 20230134155) in view of Sun et al. (CN 112953120).
Regarding claim 6/5, Kumagai et al. disclose the invention as discussed above, except wherein: the coolant supply channel is disposed spaced apart from the bus bar holder; and the coolant guide is configured to receive the coolant discharged from the coolant supply channel.
Sun et al. teach an apparatus wherein: the coolant supply channel (44) is disposed spaced apart from the bus bar holder (Fig 6 shows no busbar holder); and the coolant guide is configured to receive the coolant discharged (coolant outlet 45) from the coolant supply channel (44, see annotated Fig 6 below).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Kumagai et al. wherein: the coolant supply channel is disposed spaced apart from the bus bar holder; and the coolant guide is configured to receive the coolant discharged from the coolant supply channel, as Sun et al. teach.
The motivation to do so is it would allow one to cool the machine as wanted (abstract of Sun et al.).
Regarding claim 9/1, Kumagai et al. disclose the invention as discussed above, except wherein the bus bar holder is configured to supply the coolant to the coil end over a range of at least a quarter of a circumference of the stator core.
Sun et al. teach wherein the bus bar holder is configured to supply the coolant to the coil end over a range of at least a quarter of a circumference of the stator core (Figs 3 and 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Kumagai et al. wherein: the coolant supply channel is disposed spaced apart from the bus bar holder; and the coolant guide is configured to receive the coolant discharged from the coolant supply channel, as Sun et al. teach.
The motivation to do so is it would allow one to cool the machine as wanted (abstract of Sun et al.).
Claim(s) 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kumagai et al. (US 20230134155) in view of Okamoto et al. (US 20160190886).
Regarding claim 11/4, Kumagai et al. disclose the invention as discussed above, except wherein the coolant supply channel passes through inside of the stator core.
Okamoto et al. teach a device wherein the coolant supply channel passes through inside of the stator core (para 27).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the invention to modify Kumagai et al. wherein the coolant supply channel passes through inside of the stator core, as Okamoto et al. teach.
The motivation to do so is it would allow one to cool the machine as wanted (paras 5-7,9,27,28 of Okamoto et al.).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for details.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NAISHADH N DESAI whose telephone number is (571)270-3038. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher M Koehler can be reached at 571-272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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NAISHADH N. DESAI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/NAISHADH N DESAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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