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 . This Office Action is responsive to the Applicant' s communication filed December 13, 2024. In view of this communication, claims 1-20 are now pending in the application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on December 13, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on August 14, 2025 is 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 § 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 14-15 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.
Regarding Claim 14, the limitation “a second seam” is recited in line 1. It is unclear whether this “a second seam” is referring to the “a second seam” recited in line 1 of claim 13, or a different “second seam”. For the purpose of examination, this limitation is being interpreted as the same “second seam” recited in claim 13.
Regarding Claim 15, the limitation “a third structural segment disposed in a third plane” is recited in line 7. It is unclear whether this “a third structural segment” is the same “a third structural segment positioned in a second plane”, or a separate structural segment. For the purpose of examination, this “a third structural segment” is being interpreted as a different, unique structural segment.
Additionally, the limitation “a fourth structural segment positioned adjacent to the fourth structural segment” is recited in lines 9-10. For the purpose of examination, this limitation is being interpreted as reading “a fourth structural segment positioned adjacent to the third structural segment”.
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.
(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, 12-14, and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saito et al. (US 20100052463 A1, hereafter referred to as Saito).
Regarding Claim 1, Saito discloses (see Figures 1-2) a rotor rim structure (10a, ¶ [0081]) comprising: a plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]), each structural segment (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) of the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) having a curved profile and stacked in a substantially parallel arrangement to form a structurally integrated hoop structure; a permanent magnet (¶ [0088]: “magnets (not shown) are inserted into the respective magnet holes 28”) retained in a salient pole configuration (¶ [0269]: “Specifically, since the pins 22 are made of a nonmagnetic material, magnetic flux formed by the flow of magnetism passing through the rotor core does not pass through the pins 22, and hence heat due to eddy currents is reduced, thereby minimizing a reduction in fuel economy and output power, because the magnetic flux does not pass through the nonmagnetic material.”); and a tie bar (22, ¶ [0083]) extending axially through each structural segment (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) of the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]).
Regarding Claim 2/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Additionally, Saito discloses (see Figures 1-2) that the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) comprise: a first structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]: “Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the first core plate 14, which serves as the odd-numbered first layer (lowermost layer), has the first separate core plates 12, whose ends abut at three positions A1 that are angularly spaced by a predetermined angle .theta.1 (120.degree. in the present embodiment).”) disposed in a first plane and comprising a first cavity (28, ¶ [0088]); a second structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) positioned adjacent to the first structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) in the first plane; and a third structural segment (16, ¶ [0085]: “The separate core plates of the layers, which are interposed on one another, i.e., the odd-numbered layers (the first layer, the third layer, etc.) and the even-numbered layers (the second layer, the fourth layer, etc.) have abutting ends (abutting ends) disposed at positions that are angularly spaced by a predetermined angle (predetermined distance).”) (¶ [0086]: “The second core plate 18, which serves as the even-numbered second layer, has the second separate core plates 16,”) positioned in a second plane parallel to the first plane, wherein: the third structural segment (16, ¶ [0085]) is circumferentially offset from the first structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) (¶ [0085]: “Ends of the separate core plates in each of the odd-numbered layers are disposed in a total of three positions, which are spaced 120.degree. from a reference position A1 in FIG. 1, and ends of the separate core plates in each of the even-numbered layers are disposed in a total of three positions, which are spaced 120.degree. from a reference position A2 in FIG. 1, which in turn is spaced 60.degree. from the reference position A1.”); and the second structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) and the third structural segment (16, ¶ [0085]) comprise a second cavity (28, ¶ [0088]) aligned with the first cavity (28, ¶ [0088]).
Regarding Claim 3/2/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Additionally, Saito discloses (see Figures 1-2 above) a second set of the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) comprising: a fourth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) disposed in a third plane parallel to the first plane and the second plane; and a fifth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) positioned adjacent to the fourth structural (12, ¶ [0086]) segment in the third plane; and a sixth structural segment (16, ¶ [0085]) positioned in a fourth plane parallel to the third plane, wherein the sixth structural segment (16, ¶ [0085]) is circumferentially offset from the fourth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) and the fifth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) (¶ [0085]: “Ends of the separate core plates in each of the odd-numbered layers are disposed in a total of three positions, which are spaced 120.degree. from a reference position A1 in FIG. 1, and ends of the separate core plates in each of the even-numbered layers are disposed in a total of three positions, which are spaced 120.degree. from a reference position A2 in FIG. 1, which in turn is spaced 60.degree. from the reference position A1.”), the sixth structural segment (16, ¶ [0085]) comprising a third cavity (28, ¶ [0088]) aligned with the first cavity (28, ¶ [0088]) (see Figures 1-2, each rotor layer is made up of multiple segments adjacent to each other, the segments are offset from the segments in axially different planes by a predetermined angle, and the cavities of one layer align with the cavities of all axially different planes.).
Regarding Claim 4/2/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Additionally, Saito discloses (see Figures 1-2 above) that the permanent magnet (¶ [0088]) is retained within the first cavity (28, ¶ [0088]) and the second cavity (28, ¶ [0088]).
Regarding Claim 12/2/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Additionally, Saito discloses that the first structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]), the second structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]), and the third structural segment (16, ¶ [0085]) comprise a first set of the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]), wherein the first set of the plurality of structural segments comprises (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) a first seam (A1, ¶ [0085]) between the first structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) and the second structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) in the first plane, and wherein the rotor rim structure further comprises: a second set of the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) comprising: a fourth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) disposed in a third plane parallel to the first plane and the second plane; and a fifth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) positioned adjacent to the fourth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) in the third plane. (see Figures 1-2 above, all layers comprise multiple structural segments with offset seams between axially adjacent segments).
Regarding Claim 13/12/2/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Additionally, Saito discloses (see Figures 1-2 above) that a second seam (A2, ¶ [0085]) formed between the fourth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) and the fifth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) in the third plane is circumferentially offset from the first seam (A1, ¶ [0085]) in the first plane (¶ [0085]: “Ends of the separate core plates in each of the odd-numbered layers are disposed in a total of three positions, which are spaced 120.degree. from a reference position A1 in FIG. 1, and ends of the separate core plates in each of the even-numbered layers are disposed in a total of three positions, which are spaced 120.degree. from a reference position A2 in FIG. 1, which in turn is spaced 60.degree. from the reference position A1.”).
Regarding Claim 14/13/12/2/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Additionally, Saito discloses (see Figure 2 above) a second seam (A2, ¶ [0085]) is circumferentially offset from the first seam (A1, ¶ [0085]) in the first plane (¶ [0085]: “Ends of the separate core plates in each of the odd-numbered layers are disposed in a total of three positions, which are spaced 120.degree. from a reference position A1 in FIG. 1, and ends of the separate core plates in each of the even-numbered layers are disposed in a total of three positions, which are spaced 120.degree. from a reference position A2 in FIG. 1, which in turn is spaced 60.degree. from the reference position A1.”).
Regarding Claim 15/2/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Additionally, Saito discloses (see Figure 2 above) that the first structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) and a second structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) comprise a first set of the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]), wherein the first set of the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) comprises a first seam (A1, ¶ [0085]) between the first structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) and the second structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) in the first plane, and wherein the rotor rim structure (10a, ¶ [0081]) further comprises: a second set of the plurality of structural segments comprising: a third structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) disposed in a third plane parallel to the first plane and the second plane; and a fourth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) positioned adjacent to the fourth structural segment (12, ¶ [0086]) in the third plane.
Regarding Claim 16/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Additionally, Saito discloses (see Figures 1-2) that the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) comprises a non-permeable material (¶ [0084]: “The nonmagnetic material of the pins 22 may be aluminum, brass, austenitic stainless steel, or the like.”) (see Figures 1-2, each structural segment comprises a nonpermeable pin).
Regarding Claim 17/16/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Additionally, Saito discloses that the non-permeable material comprises stainless steel (¶ [0084]: “The nonmagnetic material of the pins 22 may be aluminum, brass, austenitic stainless steel, or the like.”).
Regarding Claim 18/17/16/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Additionally, Saito discloses that the stainless steel comprises a 200 series stainless steel (¶ [0084]: “The nonmagnetic material of the pins 22 may be aluminum, brass, austenitic stainless steel, or the like.”).
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.
Claims 5-7, 9, 11, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito as applied to claims 1-2 above, and further in view of Semken et al. (US 20180212481 A1, hereafter referred to as Semken).
Regarding Claim 5/2/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Saito does not disclose a plurality of rim segments stacked parallel to the plurality of structural segments, wherein an outer edge of each of the plurality of rim segments is positioned radially inward from the second cavity in the third structural segment.
However, Semken, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figures 1, 3-4) a plurality of rim segments (120, 122, 124, 126, ¶ [0115]) stacked parallel to the plurality of structural segments (130, ¶ [0121]), wherein an outer edge of each of the plurality of rim segments (120, 122, 124, 126, ¶ [0115]) is positioned radially inward from the second cavity (142, ¶ [0121]) in the third structural segment (see Figures 3-4, the outer edges of the rim segments are radially inward of the cavities).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the rotor rim structure disclosed by Saito such that a plurality of rim segments is stacked parallel to the plurality of structural segments, wherein an outer edge of each of the plurality of rim segments is positioned radially inward from the second cavity in the third structural segment, as disclosed by Semken, in order to axially brace the rotor during operation (¶ [0115]: “In other words, for example, the rotor ring support tube assemblies mechanically couple the rotor rings together in an axial direction so as to resist torsion and radial forces on the rotor rings”).
Regarding Claim 6/5/2/1, Saito in view of Semken has been discussed above.
Additionally, Semken discloses that the plurality of rim segments (120, 122, 124, 126, ¶ [0115]) comprises a ferromagnetic material (¶ [0109]: “such as rotor segment 116, which provide the necessary magnetic paths and excitation for the generator.”) (¶ [0213]: “In examples, the rotor laminations and/or the stator laminations are formed by stamping the appropriate profile from metallic sheet material such as steel sheet”).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the rotor rim structure disclosed by Saito in view of Semken such that the plurality of rim segments comprises a ferromagnetic material, as further disclosed by Semken, in order to provide magnetic paths for the rotor during operation (¶ [0109]: “such as rotor segment 116, which provide the necessary magnetic paths and excitation for the generator.”).
Regarding Claim 7/5/2/1, Saito in view of Semken has been discussed above.
Additionally, Semken discloses a plurality of cap segments (134, ¶ [0121]) stacked parallel to the third structural segment (130, ¶ [0121]), the plurality of cap segments (134, ¶ [0121]) being positioned on a portion of the third structural segment (130, ¶ [0121]) that is positioned radially outward from the second cavity (142, ¶ [0121]) (see Figure 7, all structural segments appear radially inward of cap segment 134).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the rotor rim structure disclosed by Saito in view of Semken such that a plurality of cap segments are stacked parallel to the third structural segment, the plurality of cap segments being positioned on a portion of the third structural segment that is positioned radially outward from the second cavity, as further disclosed by Semken, in order to brace the rotor (¶ [0121]: “The binding rods pass through the rotor segment side plates in an axial direction and the rotor laminations (i.e. parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor) so that the laminations are compressed together by the rotor side plates”).
Regarding Claim 9/7/5/2/1, Saito in view of Semken has been discussed above
Additionally, Semken discloses (see Figures 3, 7 and 13) that the permanent magnet (140, ¶ [0121]) extends through the structurally integrated hoop structure between the plurality of rim segments (120, 122, 124, 126, ¶ [0115]) and the plurality of cap segments (134, ¶ [0121]) (see Figures 3 and 7, permanent magnets 140 extend at least partially between the rim segments and cap segments).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the rotor rim structure disclosed by Saito in view of Semken such that the permanent magnet extends through the structurally integrated hoop structure between the plurality of rim segments and the plurality of cap segments, as further disclosed by Semken, in order that the magnets may be secured to the rotor (Abstract: “The segment comprises a plurality of elongate compression devices passing internally through the lamination stack in the first direction and arranged to compress together the laminations in the lamination stack”).
Regarding Claim 11/5/2/1, Saito in view of Semken has been discussed above.
Additinlally, Saito discloses that the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) comprises a 200 series stainless steel material (¶ [0084]: “The nonmagnetic material of the pins 22 may be aluminum, brass, austenitic stainless steel, or the like.”) (see Figures 1-2, each structural segment comprises a nonpermeable pin).
Regarding Claim 19/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Saito does not explicitly disclose a first fastener attached on a first end of the tie bar; and a second fastener attached on a second end of the tie bar to axially couple the plurality of structural segments together on the tie bar.
However, Semken, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figures 7-8) a first fastener (170a, ¶ [0144]) attached on a first end of the tie bar (138, ¶ [0121]); and a second fastener (170b, ¶ [0144]) attached on a second end of the tie bar (138, ¶ [0121]) to axially couple the plurality of structural segments (12, 16, ¶ [0082]) together on the tie bar (138, ¶ [0121]).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the rotor rim structure disclosed by Saito such that a first fastener is attached on a first end of the tie bar; and a second fastener is attached on a second end of the tie bar to axially couple the plurality of structural segments together on the tie bar, as disclosed by Semken, in order to secure the different structural segments (¶ [0146]: “In examples, to hold the binding rods so that they compress the rotor laminations”).
Regarding Claim 20/1, Saito has been discussed above.
Saito does not explicitly disclose a first end cap fastened to a first end of the permanent magnet; and a second end cap fastened to a second end of the permanent magnet to axially retain the permanent magnet in the rotor rim structure with the first end cap.
However, Semken, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figure 4 above) a first end cap (134, ¶ [0121]) fastened to a first end of the permanent magnet (140, ¶ [0121]); and a second end cap (136, ¶ [0121]) fastened to a second end of the permanent magnet (140, ¶ [0121]) to axially retain the permanent magnet in the rotor rim structure with the first end cap (134, ¶ [0121]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the rotor rim structure disclosed by Saito with a first end cap fastened to a first end of the permanent magnet; and a second end cap fastened to a second end of the permanent magnet to axially retain the permanent magnet in the rotor rim structure with the first end cap, as disclosed by Semken, in order to compress and secure the rotor components (¶ [0122]: “The binding rods pass through the rotor segment side plates in an axial direction and the rotor laminations (i.e. parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor) so that the laminations are compressed together by the rotor side plates. ”).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito in view of Semken as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Van Dam et al. (US 20130026871 A1, hereafter referred to as Van Dam).
Regarding Claim 8/7/5/2/1, Saito in view of Semken has been discussed above.
Saito in view of Semken does not explicitly disclose that the plurality of rim segments and the plurality of cap segments comprise a carbon steel material.
However, Van Dam, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figure 2) a plurality of rim segments (204A-B, ¶ [0027]) and a plurality of cap segments (208, ¶ [0027]) comprising a carbon steel material (¶ [0027]: “In one embodiment, pole segments 204A-B and pole tip segment 208 are made of a magnetically conductive material such as ferromagnetic materials with relative a permeability greater than 10 and preferably greater than 100. Examples of magnetically conductive materials include, but are not limited to, carbon steel or steel made of silicon-iron, cobalt-iron, or nickel-iron.”).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the rotor rim structure disclosed by Saito in view of Semken such that the plurality of rim segments and the plurality of cap segments comprise a carbon steel material, as disclosed by Van Dam, in order to prevent interference with the rotor magnetic flux (¶ [0027])
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito in view of Semken as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Fang et al. (EP 2806538 A1, hereafter referred to as Fang).
Regarding Claim 10/9/7/5/2/1, Saito in view of Semken has been discussed above.
Saito in view of Semken does not explicitly disclose that the permanent magnet is configured to have a radial direction of magnetization.
However, Fang, in the same field of technology, does disclose (see Figure 2) that the permanent magnet (13, Page 6, ¶ 2) is configured to have a radial direction of magnetization.
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the rotor rim structure disclosed by [] such that the permanent magnet is configured to have a radial direction of magnetization, as disclosed by Fang, in order to improve magnetic flux concentration (Page 2, ¶ 4: “According to the relationship between the magnetization direction of the permanent magnet and the rotation direction of the rotor, the magnetic path structure of the built-in type rotor can also be divided into three types including a radial type, a tangential type and a mixed type. Compared with the surface type rotor, the built-in permanent-magnet motor rotor may protect the permanent magnet with the lower mechanical properties. According to performance requirements of the permanent-magnet motor, the size of the permanent magnet may be tremendously increased.”)
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fouquart et al. (WO 2012046190 A1) discloses relevant prior art in Figures 1-6.
Conclusion
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/C.F.M./Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/ALEXANDER A SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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