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.
Claim(s) 1 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chamberlin et al. (US Patent Application Pub. No.: US 2014/0246177 A1).
For claim 1, Chamberlin et al. disclose the claimed invention comprising: a cylindrical housing (reference numeral 72, figures 11, 12) that accommodates a stator (reference numeral 44) and a rotor (reference numeral 42, see figures 17, 18) inside; and a first cover (reference numeral 158, see figures 11-14, 17, 18) that blocks an opening of the housing (i.e. first cover 158 covering one axial side of housing 72, see figures 11, 12, 17, 18), wherein the housing is provided with a refrigerant flow path (reference numerals 78, 96, see figures 13, 14), and wherein each of an upper portion and a lower portion of the first cover (i.e. upper portion of first cover 158 having first hole 56, lower portion of first cover 158 having first hole 154, see figure 14) is provided with a first hole (reference numerals 56, 154) through which an inside and an outside of the refrigerant flow path communicate with each other (see figures 13-18).
For claim 6, Chamberlin et al. disclose the housing having a first opening and a second opening (i.e. first and second axial end of housing 72, figures 11, 12), wherein the first cover (reference numeral 158) blocks the first opening (i.e. first cover 158 covering one axial side of housing 72, see figures 11, 12, 17, 18), and wherein the motor includes a second cover (reference numeral 60) that blocks the second opening of the housing (i.e. second cover 60 covering the other axial side of housing 72, see figures 11, 12, 17, 18).
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.
Claim(s) 2-5 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chamberlin et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Uchiumi (Japanese Patent Document No.: JP 11341744 A).
For claim 2, Chamberlin et al. disclose the claimed invention except for one of the housing and the first cover being provided with a second hole through which the inside and the outside of the refrigerant flow path communicate with each other. Providing a second hole for the cover is a known skill as exhibited by Uchiumi which discloses multiple holes (reference numerals 24a, 24b, 24c) on the end surface (see figure 6), which when applied to the first cover of Chamberlin et al. would disclose the first cover being provided with a second hole through which the inside and the outside of the refrigerant flow path communicate with each other. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the second hole as disclosed by Uchiumi for the first cover of Chamberlin et al. for predictably providing desirable configurations for facilitating optimal cooling characteristics for the device.
For claim 3, Chamberlin et al. in view of Uchiumi disclose the claimed invention except for the second hole being provided in the first cover. Uchiumi further discloses the second hole (i.e. multiple holes 24a, 24b, 24c) being disposed on the side surface (see figure 6), which when applied to the first cover of Uchiumi would disclose the second hole being provided in the first cover. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the second hole as disclosed by Uchiumi for the first cover of Chamberlin et al. in view of Uchiumi for predictably providing desirable configurations for facilitating optimal cooling characteristics for the device.
For claim 4, Chamberlin et al. in view of Uchiumi disclose the claimed invention except for the second hole being located between the two first holes in an up-and-down direction. Having a second hole located in between two holes is a known skill as exhibited by Uchiumi (i.e. hole 24c is located between two holes 24a, 24b as shown in figure 6), which when applied to the second hole of Chamberlin et al. in view of Uchiumi would disclose the second hole being located between the two first holes in an up-and-down direction. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the second hole as disclosed by Uchiumi in between the two first holes of Chamberlin et al. in view of Uchiumi for predictably providing desirable configurations for facilitating optimal cooling characteristics for the device.
For claim 5, Chamberlin et al. disclose the claimed invention except for a bolt that fixes a component to the first cover blocking the first hole. Having a bolt to block the first hole is a known skill as exhibited by Uchiumi (reference numeral 24, see figure 6), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the bolt as disclosed by Uchiumi for the first hole of Chamberlin et al. for predictably controlling the flow of the coolant within the device.
For claim 8, Chamberlin et al. in view of Uchiumi disclose the claimed invention except for the first hole being smaller in diameter than the second hole. Uchiumi further discloses holes (reference numerals 24a, 24b, 24c) having different diameters (i.e. hole 24a having a smaller diameter than hole 24c, see figure 6), and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a smaller diameter for the hole as disclosed by Uchiumi so that the first hole is smaller in diameter than the second hole for Chamberlin et al. in view of Uchiumi for predictably providing desirable configuration for controlling the flow of the coolant within the device.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chamberlin et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Scharlach (US Patent No.: 10770949).
For claim 7, Chamberlin et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the two first holes being located to interpose an axial line of the housing between the two first holes. Having the holes located to interpose an axial line between the holes is a known skill as exhibited by Scharlach which discloses holes (reference numerals 12, 13) and the axial line (i.e. along center of shaft 6, see figure 1) in between holes (reference numerals 12, 13, see figure 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the axial line in between the holes as disclosed by Scharlach for the two first holes of Chamberlin et al. for predictably providing desirable configuration for facilitating the cooling flow of the device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following references disclose embodiments of housing/cooling configurations: US 11670981 B2 (Sung; Wonjung et al.), US 9762106 B2 (Gauthier; Jean-Philippe et al.), US 6087744 A (Glauning; Juergen), US 20160164377 A1 (Gauthier; Jean-Philippe et al.), US 20160099633 A1 (YOSHINORI; Manabu et al.), US 20080024020 A1 (Iund; Trevor N. et al.), WO 2023079719 A1 (GOTO HIDEAKI et al.).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX W MOK whose telephone number is (571)272-9084. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-4pm.
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/ALEX W MOK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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