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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/27/2024, 12/30/2024 and 09/09/2025 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 § 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) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi et al. (US PG Pub 20190207481) in view of Mochizuki (JPH10290596).
As to independent claim 1, Yamaguchi et al. teaches an axially motor comprising: a housing ; a rotor (20) located in the housing (10) and including a rotor shaft (21) and a rotor core (22) radially outside the rotor shaft (21); a stator(30) located in the housing (10) and including a stator core (31) radially outside the rotor (20), and a stator coil (32) wound around the stator core (31); and a cooling medium pump (40) on the housing (10) and drivable by rotation of the rotor shaft (21); wherein at least a portion of the cooling medium pump (40) radially overlaps the stator coil (31) as shown in figures 1-3 and see paragraph [0041-0048].
However Yamaguchi et al. teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except axially connectable.
Mochizuki teaches axially connectable motor (3) as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of providing a motor device capable of changing the motor rotation speed to a plurality of stages without complicating the structure.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Yamaguhi et al. by using axially connectable motor, as taught by Mochizuki, to provide a motor device capable of changing the motor rotation speed to a plurality of stages without complicating the structure.
As to claim 2/1, Yamaguchi et al. teaches further comprising: a wall on at least one of two axial ends of the housing (10) and protruding axially from the housing (10); wherein the cooling medium pump (40) is outside the housing (10); and a total height of the wall is greater than an amount of protrusion of the cooling medium pump (40) from an outer surface of the housing (10) as shown in figures 1 and see paragraph [0040-0045]).
As to claim 3/1, Yamaguchi et al. teaches further comprising: a driving gear attached coaxially to the rotor shaft (21) so as not to protrude axially from an end of the rotor shaft (21) and drivable by the rotor shaft (21); and a driven gear (42) attached coaxially to the cooling medium pump (40) and drivable by engagement with the driving gear (42) as shown in figures 1-3 and see paragraph [0043-0047].
Claim(s) 4-5 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi et al. (US PG Pub 20190207481) and Mochizuki (JPH10290596) as applied in claim 1 above, in view of Song (CN208128076).
As to claim 4/1, Yamaguchi et al. in view of Mochizuki teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except further comprising: a stator flow path to introduce a cooling medium to the stator; wherein the stator flow path includes an inlet provided on one radial side of the housing, an outlet provided on an opposing radial side of the housing, and a flow path to introduce the cooling medium from the inlet to the outlet along a coil end of the stator coil.
However Song teaches a stator flow path (2) to introduce a cooling medium to the stator (3); wherein the stator flow path (2) includes an inlet (20) provided on one radial side of the housing (1), an outlet (11) provided on an opposing radial side of the housing (1), and a flow path to introduce the cooling medium from the inlet (20) to the outlet (11) along a coil end of the stator coil (4) as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of improving the service life of the driving motor.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Yamaguchi et al. in view of Mochizuki by using axially connectable motor, as taught by Song, to improve the service life of the driving motor.
As to claim 5/4, Yamaguchi et al. and Mochizuki in view of Song teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the inlet includes a first inlet at a first axial end of the stator coil , and a second inlet at a second axial end of the stator coil; the outlet includes a first outlet at the first axial end of the stator coil, and a second outlet at the second axial end of the stator coil; and the flow path includes a first flow path from the first inlet to the first outlet, and a second flow path from the second inlet to the second outlet.
However Song teaches the inlet (20) includes a first inlet (20) at a first axial end of the stator coil (4), and a second inlet (20) at a second axial end of the stator coil (4); the outlet (12) includes a first outlet at the first axial end of the stator coil (4), and a second outlet (12) at the second axial end of the stator coil (4); and the flow path includes a first flow path from the first inlet (20) to the first outlet (12), and a second flow path from the second inlet (20) to the second outlet (20) as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of improving the service life of the driving motor.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Yamaguchi et al. and Mochizuki in view of Song by using the inlet includes a first inlet at a first axial end of the stator coil , and a second inlet at a second axial end of the stator coil; the outlet includes a first outlet at the first axial end of the stator coil, and a second outlet at the second axial end of the stator coil; and the flow path includes a first flow path from the first inlet to the first outlet, and a second flow path from the second inlet to the second outlet, as taught by Song, to improve the service life of the driving motor.
As to claim 9/1, Yamaguchi et al. in view of Mochizuki teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except further comprising: a housing flow path inside the housing , extending in a circumferential direction to allow the cooling medium to flow inside the housing, and radially overlapping the stator core.
However Song teaches a housing flow path inside the housing (1), extending in a circumferential direction to allow the cooling medium to flow inside the housing (1), and radially overlapping the stator core (3) as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of improving the service life of the driving motor.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Yamaguchi et al. in view of Mochizuki by using a housing flow path inside the housing , extending in a circumferential direction to allow the cooling medium to flow inside the housing, and radially overlapping the stator core, as taught by Song, to improve the service life of the driving motor.
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi et al. (US PG Pub 20190207481) and Mochizuki (JPH10290596) as applied in claim 1 above, in view of Popov (4,289,985).
As to claim 6/1, Yamaguchi et al. in view of Mochizuki teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except further comprising: a rotor flow path axially extending through the rotor shaft to allow the cooling medium to flow through the rotor.
However Popov teaches a rotor flow path axially extending through the rotor shaft (see annotated figure 1) to allow the cooling medium to flow through the rotor (3) as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of providing a simple construction.
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It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Yamaguchi et al. in view of Mochizuki by using a rotor flow path axially extending through the rotor shaft to allow the cooling medium to flow through the rotor, as taught by Popov, to provide a simple construction.
As to claim 7/1, Yamaguchi et al. and Mochizuki in view of Popov teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except further comprising: a rotor flow path for the cooling medium to flow through the rotor; wherein the rotor shaft is hollow and includes: a partition wall dividing an interior thereof into an upstream side and a downstream side; a first through-hole on the upstream side of the partition wall; and a second through-hole on the downstream side of the partition wall; the rotor core includes a bypass flow path to connect the first through-hole with the second through-hole; and the rotor flow path extends from an upstream-side interior of the rotor shaft, through the first through-hole, the bypass flow path and the second through-hole, to a downstream-side interior of the rotor shaft.
However Popov teaches a rotor flow path for the cooling medium to flow through the rotor (3); wherein the rotor shaft (see annotated figure 1) is hollow and includes: a partition wall (see annotated figure 1) dividing an interior thereof into an upstream side and a downstream side; a first through-hole (see annotated figure 1) on the upstream side of the partition wall; and a second through-hole (see annotated figure 1) on the downstream side of the partition wall (see annotated figure 1); the rotor core includes a bypass flow path (see annotated figure 1) to connect the first through-hole (see annotated figure 1) with the second through-hole (see annotated figure 1); and the rotor flow path extends from an upstream-side interior of the rotor shaft (see annotated figure 1), through the first through-hole (see annotated figure 1), the bypass flow path (see annotated figure 1) and the second through-hole (see annotated figure 1), to a downstream-side interior of the rotor shaft (see annotated figure 1) as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of providing a simple construction.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Yamaguchi et al. and Mochizuki in view of Popov by using a rotor flow path for the cooling medium to flow through the rotor; wherein the rotor shaft is hollow and includes: a partition wall dividing an interior thereof into an upstream side and a downstream side; a first through-hole on the upstream side of the partition wall; and a second through-hole on the downstream side of the partition wall; the rotor core includes a bypass flow path to connect the first through-hole with the second through-hole; and the rotor flow path extends from an upstream-side interior of the rotor shaft, through the first through-hole, the bypass flow path and the second through-hole, to a downstream-side interior of the rotor shaft, as taught by Popov, to provide a simple construction.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi et al. (US PG Pub 20190207481), Mochizuki (JPH10290596) and Popov (4,289,985) as applied in claim 6 above, in view of Atwell (2,454,120).
As to claim 8/6, Yamaguchi et al. and Mochizuki in view of Popov teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein, when a plurality of the motors are connected axially, the rotor flow paths of mutually adjacent motors communicate with each other.
However Atwell teaches a plurality of the motors(31, 32) are connected axially, the rotor flow paths (see figure 1) of mutually adjacent motors communicate with each other as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of providing ventilation to the electrical machine.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Yamaguchi et al. and Mochizuki in view of Popov by using a plurality of the motors are connected axially, the rotor flow paths of mutually adjacent motors communicate with each other, as taught by Atwell, to provide ventilation to the electrical machine.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi et al. (US PG Pub 20190207481), Mochizuki (JPH10290596) as applied in claim 9 above, in view of Johns (2,610,992).
As to claim 10/9, Yamaguchi et al. in view of Mochizuki teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein, when a plurality of the motors are connected axially, the housing flow paths of mutually adjacent motors are independent from each other without communicating with each other.
However Johns teaches plurality of electric machines (1, 2) are connected axially, the housing flow paths of mutually adjacent electric machines (1, 2) are independent from each other without communicating with each other as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of reducing the cost of the machine.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Yamaguchi et al. in view of Mochizuki by using a plurality of the motors are connected axially, the housing flow paths of mutually adjacent motors are independent from each other without communicating with each other, as taught by Johns, to reduce the cost of the machine.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 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.
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/JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 June 26, 2026
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