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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: AXIAL FIELD ROTARY ENERGY DEVICE HAVING PCB STATOR AND VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVE AND COOLING FAN.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 6/8/26 is acknowledged.
Applicant's election with traverse of the Species C in the reply filed on 8/7/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is no serious search burden since the embodiments have similar structure (pg 7, last paragraph to pg 8, lns 1-2). This is not found persuasive because the embodiments have distinct structures, as discussed in the restriction requirement mailed 6/8/26 (pg 4 to pg 5) and as can be seen in figures 10F, 10G and 10H.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1 and 10-13 are 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.
In claim 1 “a cooling system integrated within the device and VFD enclosures and configured to cool the axial field rotary energy device and the VFD; and the cooling system comprises a cooling fan located axially outboard of the device and VFD enclosures” is unclear.
The device and VFD enclosures are numbers 200 and 300, respectively. The cooling system includes fans 320a-b (fig 10H). It is unclear how the cooling system is within enclosures 200 and 300 when the components/fans are located outboard of the device and VFD enclosures. In order to further prosecution examiner will interpret the limitation as the cooling system is integrated with the device and VFD enclosures. Claims 10-13 are rejected since they depend on claim 1.
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 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.
Claims 1 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schuler et al. (US20180323689, “Schuler”) in view of Takemura et al. (WO2024004402, “Takemura”, using machine translation).
Re claim 1, Schuler discloses a system, comprising:
an axial field rotary energy device 231 (figs 18-19, para [0094]) having an axis 235 (fig 19), a printed circuit board stator 245 (figs 19-20b & 20e, para [0094]) and a rotor (figs 19-20b, para [0094]) comprising a rotor shaft (fig 19-20a) and rotor disks 242, 244 having permanent magnets 237 (figs 20a-b, para [0094]), and the rotor is configured to rotate about the axis 235 relative to the PCB stator 235 (figs 19-20b);
a variable frequency drive (para [0132], says VFD can be integrated w/ housing or separate from housing) comprising VFD components (para [0132], components inherent in order for the drive to function) coupled to the axial field rotary energy device (para [0132]);
a device enclosure 203 (figs 18-19) containing the axial field rotary energy device 231 (figs 18-19, para [0094]).
Schuler discloses claim 1 except for:
a VFD enclosure containing the VFD, and the device and VFD enclosures are axially aligned and coupled to each other;
a cooling system integrated within the device and VFD enclosures and configured to cool the axial field rotary energy device and the VFD; and
the cooling system comprises a cooling fan located axially outboard of the device and VFD enclosures, and the cooling fan is configured to circulate an air flow radially and axially relative to the device and VFD enclosures.
Takemura discloses an inverter enclosure 90 containing the inverter 81, and the device and inverter enclosures 70, 90 are axially aligned and coupled to each other (figs 13-14, [0023], [0049] & [0106]);
a cooling system integrated within the device and inverter enclosures 70, 90 (as best understood by examiner the cooling system is integrated with the device and inverter enclosures) and configured to cool the axial field rotary energy device and the inverter 81 (figs 13-14, [0119]); and
the cooling system comprises a cooling fan 20, 140 located axially outboard of the device and inverter enclosures 70, 90 (figs 13-14, [0119], either 20 or 140 or both 20 & 140), and the cooling fan 20, 140 is configured to circulate an air flow radially and axially relative to the device and inverter enclosures 70, 90 (figs 13-14 & below).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the axial field rotatory energy device and VFD of Schuler to include a VFD enclosure containing the VFD, and the device and VFD enclosures are axially aligned and coupled to each other; a cooling system integrated within the device and VFD enclosures and configured to cool the axial field rotary energy device and the VFD; and the cooling system comprises a cooling fan located axially outboard of the device and VFD enclosures, and the cooling fan is configured to circulate an air flow radially and axially relative to the device and VFD enclosures, as disclosed by Takemura for an inverter, in order to cool the axial field rotatory energy device and VFD, as taught by Takemura ([0119]) and provide protection from outside elements for the VFD.
Re claim 10, Schuler in view of Takemura discloses claim 1 as discussed above and further discloses the cooling fan 20 is coupled to and driven by the rotor shaft 65 (Takemura, fig 14, [0119]) and located axially outboard of and adjacent to the device enclosure 70 (fig 14), the cooling fan 20 is configured to draw air through an opening 121 concentric with the rotor shaft 65 and to circulate the air flow as a first radial air flow in a radial direction along the device enclosure (Takemura fig 14, at least some air will travel along 70 as indicated below); and
a second cooling fan 140 coupled to and driven by the rotor shaft 65 and located axially outboard of and adjacent to the VFD enclosure (Takemura, fig 14), the second cooling fan 140 is configured to draw air through an opening 123 concentric with the rotor shaft 65 and to circulate a second radial air flow in a radial direction along the VFD enclosure 90 (Takemura, figs 14 & below).
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Re claim 11, Schuler in view of Takemura discloses claim 10 as discussed above and further discloses the cooling system further comprises a first air baffle 125 that redirects the first radial air flow in an axial direction around a device circumferential wall 71 of the device enclosure 70 (Takemura, figs 14 & above for claim 10), and a second air baffle 126 that redirects the second radial air flow in an axial direction around a VFD circumferential wall 91 of the VFD enclosure 90 (Takemura, figs 13-14).
Re claim 12, Schuler in view of Takemura discloses claim 11 as discussed above and further discloses and the VFD enclosure 90 and the axial field rotary energy device enclosures 70 have axially oriented fins (Takemura, figs 3 & 14, [0108], says 70 & 90 have fins 79 & 99 shown in fig 3).
Schuler in view of Takemura disclose claim 12 except for the device and VFD enclosures comprise radial fins on outermost axial walls thereof, respectively.
Takemura discloses in another embodiment the device and VFD enclosures 70, 90 comprise radial fins 105d on outermost axial walls thereof, respectively (fig 8, [0079-0081], walls are axial outermost w/ respect to each enclosure).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the device and VFD enclosures of Schuler in view of Takemura with radial fins on outermost axial walls thereof, respectively, as disclosed by Takemura in another embodiment, in order to provide cooling for electrical connections between the device and VFD enclosures, as taught by Takemura ([0080])
Re claim 13, Schuler in view of Takemura discloses claim 12 as discussed above but are silent with respect to the VFD components are mounted on the outermost axial wall of the VFD enclosure.
Takemura further discloses the inverter enclosure 90 has an inverter which inherently has heat producing switching devices (fig 14, [0023]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to at least try locating heat producing components of the VFD on the outermost axial wall with fins as one of two locations with fins, in order to provide better heat conduction to the cooling air.
Conclusion
Suzuki (WO2024154415, fig 10) reads on at least claim 1.
Komai (JP2012110151, fig 15) has a motor with two fans 8, 9 and inverter enclosure 6 on a radial side of the motor enclosure.
Camps (CA1164032), GB294112 and Onjanow (US3610975) all have motors shafts with fans on each axial end.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5715. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:30-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached on (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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/ERIC JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
Prosecution Insights