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 Objections
Claims 9 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 9 recites “a conductive tab” which was already recited in claim 6.
Claim 14 recites “a conductive tab” which was already recited in claim 11.
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Heeter et al. (US 2025/0112523 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Heeter discloses an electric motor (532) including a rotor (540) and a stator (570), the rotor (540) comprising:
a circumferential wall (539) configured to receive and support an array of magnets (550);
a plurality of magnets (550) arranged against the circumferential wall (539) to form the array of magnets (550); and
an adhesive (580, ¶ [0062] adhesive) coupling the plurality of magnets (550) to the circumferential wall (539), the adhesive (580, adhesive) being in contact with the plurality of magnets (550) and with one or more recesses (553, FIG. 5 annotation below) formed in the circumferential wall (539).
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Regarding claim 2/1, Heeter was discussed above in claim 1. Heeter further discloses a recess (553) of the one or more recesses (553, FIG. 5) is formed with an undercut (555) such that a mechanical joint is formed between the undercut and adjacent adhesive (the undercut makes sure that the adhesive applied to the inner surface 542 of rotor body and outer surface 552 of magnet are in contact).
Regarding claim 3/1, Heeter was discussed above in claim 1. Heeter further disclose the rotor (540) further comprises a ledge (see annotation below) adjacent to the circumferential wall (539) for receiving and supporting the array of magnets (550), the ledge having a recess (see annotation below) formed therein for receiving the adhesive (580).
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Regarding claim 4/2, Heeter was discussed above in claim 2. Heeter further disclose the rotor (540) further comprises a ledge (see annotation above) adjacent to the circumferential wall (539) for receiving and supporting the array of magnets (550), the ledge having a recess (see annotation above) formed therein for receiving the adhesive (580).
Claims 10-11 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Krug et al. (US 2022/0109341 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Krug discloses an electric motor including a rotor (¶ [0022]) and a stator (118), the stator (118) comprising:
a plurality of teeth (122); and
a wire coil (124) wound around each one of the plurality of teeth (122), an end of the wire coil (124) being stripped of insulation (the coil around protrusion 174 is connected to the busbar 114) and wound around two spaced-apart posts (144, 174) formed on or adjacent to each one of the plurality of teeth (122).
Regarding claim 11/10, Krug was discussed above in claim 10. Krug further discloses a circuit board (126) for receiving the plurality of teeth (connected by arms 132), the circuit board (126) including a plurality of spaced-apart conductive tabs (FIG. 3, 6) positioned to make contact with the stripped ends of the wire coils (124) of the plurality of teeth (122), the circuit board (126) further comprising electrical conductors (142) between the conductive tabs and a plurality of terminals (184, 186, 188) in an electrical connector (168).
Regarding claim 15/10, Krug was discussed above in claim 10. Krug further discloses the plurality of teeth (122) are arranged in pairs comprising a first tooth and a second tooth, the first tooth having a first stripped end of a wire coil (124) wrapped around a first set of posts, and the second tooth having a second stripped end of the wire coil (124) wrapped around a second set of posts.
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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 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heeter et al. (US 2025/0112523 A1) in view of Krug et al. (US 2022/0109341 A1).
Regarding claim 5/1, Heeter was discussed above in claim 1. Heeter further discloses the stator (270) comprises:
a plurality of teeth (see annotation below); and
a wire coil wound around each one of the plurality of teeth (see annotation below).
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Heeter does not disclose an end of the wire coil being stripped of insulation and wound around two spaced-apart posts formed on or adjacent to each one of the plurality of teeth.
Krug discloses an end of the wire coil (124) being stripped of insulation (the coil around protrusion 174 is connected to the busbar 114) and wound around two spaced-apart posts (144, 174) formed on or adjacent to each one of the plurality of teeth (122).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Heeter in view of Krug to disclose an end of the wire coil being stripped of insulation and wound around two spaced-apart posts formed on or adjacent to each one of the plurality of teeth, for the advantages of routing winding wires extending from stator coils in an efficient manner so that the winding wires may be connected to a wire harness via a connection unit (¶ [0020]).
Regarding claim 6/5, Heeter in view of Krug was discussed above in claim 5. Krug further discloses a circuit board (126) for receiving the plurality of teeth (connected by arms 132), the circuit board (126) including a plurality of spaced-apart conductive tabs (FIG. 3, 6) positioned to make contact with the stripped ends of the wire coils (124) of the plurality of teeth (122), the circuit board (126) further comprising electrical conductors (142) between the conductive tabs and a plurality of terminals (184, 186, 188) in an electrical connector (168).
Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heeter et al. (US 2025/0112523 A1) in view of Krug et al. (US 2022/0109341 A1) as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Chou et al. (US 2022/0271577 A1).
Regarding claim 7/6, Heeter in view of Krug was discussed above in claim 6. Krug further discloses the circuit board (126) is formed as a flat ring (FIG. 5) with an inner circumference and an outer circumference (FIG. 6).
Heeter in view of Krug does not disclose the conductive tabs are arranged at intervals along the inner circumference and the outer circumference.
Chou discloses the conductive tabs (511, 612) are arranged at intervals along the inner circumference and the outer circumference (FIG. 5, 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Heeter in view of Krug, further in view of Chou to disclose the conductive tabs are arranged at intervals along the inner circumference and the outer circumference, for the advantages of easy assembly for saving time (¶ [0005]).
Regarding claim 8/7, Heeter in view of Krug and Chou was discussed above in claim 7. Krug further discloses the plurality of teeth (122) are arranged in pairs comprising a first tooth and a second tooth, the first tooth having a first stripped end of a wire coil (124) wrapped around a first set of posts, and the second tooth having a second stripped end of the wire coil (124) wrapped around a second set of posts.
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Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krug et al. (US 2022/0109341 A1) in view of Chou et al. (US 2022/0271577 A1).
Regarding claim 12/11, Krug was discussed above in claim 11. Krug further discloses the circuit board (126) is formed as a flat ring (FIG. 5) with an inner circumference and an outer circumference (FIG. 6).
Krug does not disclose the conductive tabs are arranged at intervals along the inner circumference and the outer circumference.
Chou discloses the conductive tabs (511, 612) are arranged at intervals along the inner circumference and the outer circumference (FIG. 5, 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Krug in view of Chou to disclose the conductive tabs are arranged at intervals along the inner circumference and the outer circumference, for the advantages of easy assembly for saving time (¶ [0005]).
Regarding claim 13/12, Krug in view of Chou was discussed above in claim 12. Krug further discloses the plurality of teeth (122) are arranged in pairs comprising a first tooth and a second tooth, the first tooth having a first stripped end of a wire coil (124) wrapped around a first set of posts, and the second tooth having a second stripped end of the wire coil (124) wrapped around a second set of posts.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 14 and 16-20 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 9/8 and 14/13, the specific limitation of “the first set of posts (1202) is positioned such that the first stripped end of the wire coil (1102) wrapped around the first set of posts (1202) makes contact with a conductive tab (1404) located along the inner circumference of the circuit board (1400) and the second set of posts (1204) is positioned such that the second stripped end of the wire coil (1102) wrapped around the second set of posts (1204) makes contact with a conductive tab (1406) located along the outer circumference of the circuit board (1400)” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
The closest prior art Krug does not disclose a first set of posts that is located radially inward of a second set of posts, and a pair of winding wire ends wrapped around the first set of posts and the second set of posts each.
Regarding claim 16/15, the specific limitation of “the first set of posts (1202) is located radially inward of the second set of posts (1204)” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
The closest prior art Krug does not disclose a first set of posts that is located radially inward of a second set of posts, and a pair of winding wire ends wrapped around the first set of posts and the second set of posts each.
Claims 17-20 are allowable for depending upon claim 16.
Conclusion
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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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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/MINKI CHANG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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