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 01/08/2025 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 § 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, 5-7, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu (CN211239493) in view of Zhou(CN216699737).
As to independent claim 1, Zhu teaches a rotor (see figure 1) of a rotating electric machine, in particular of an electromagnetic retarder for a vehicle (see title, and see paragraph [0038]), the rotor (see figure 1) being able to rotate about a rotation axis in a direction of rotation, the rotation axis extending in an axial direction, the rotor (see figure 1) comprising: a cylindrical body (1) comprising a peripheral face (see annotated figure 1), a lateral connection face (see annotate figure 1) and a free lateral face (see annotate figure 1) opposite the lateral connection face (see annotate figure 1); the peripheral face (see annotate figure 1) comprising a first edge (see annotate figure 1) adjacent to the lateral connection face (see annotate figure 1) and a second edge (see annotate figure 1); an inner ring (2) intended to be fastened to a rotary shaft (see paragraph [0028]), the inner ring (2) and the cylindrical body (1) being coaxial; fastening arms (4) connected to the inner ring (2) and to the lateral connection face (see annotate figure 1) of the cylindrical body (1); a plurality of first cooling fins (11) arranged on the peripheral face (see annotate figure 1) of the cylindrical body (1), the first cooling fins (11) being arranged in a first row extending along the first edge as shown in figure 1.
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However Zhu teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except the first cooling fins being curved and having a concavity oriented forwards with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor; and a plurality of second cooling fins arranged on the peripheral face of the cylindrical body, the second cooling fins being arranged in a second row extending parallel to the first row, the second cooling fins being curved and having a concavity oriented rearwards with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor.
Zhou teaches the first cooling fins (300a) being curved and having a concavity oriented forwards with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor (100); and a plurality of second cooling fins (400a) arranged on the peripheral face of the cylindrical body, the second cooling fins (400a) being arranged in a second row extending parallel to the first row, the second cooling fins (400a) being curved and having a concavity oriented rearwards with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor (100) as shown in figures 1 and 2, for the advantageous benefit of reducing the heating of the power motor and improving the power density of the 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 Zhu by using the first cooling fins being curved and having a concavity oriented forwards with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor; and a plurality of second cooling fins arranged on the peripheral face of the cylindrical body, the second cooling fins being arranged in a second row extending parallel to the first row, the second cooling fins being curved and having a concavity oriented rearwards with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor, as taught by Zhou, to reduce the heating of the power motor and improving the power density of the motor.
As to claim 5/1, Zhu in view of Zhou teaches the claimed limitation as discussed above except wherein the first cooling fins have a median plane, and wherein the median plane of the first cooling fins forms an angle with the radial plane; the angle being between 40 degrees and 60 degrees, the radial plane being perpendicular to the rotation axis.
However Zhou teaches the first cooling fins (300a) have a median plane, and wherein the median plane of the first cooling fins (300a) forms an angle with the radial plane; the angle being between 40 degrees and 60 degrees, the radial plane being perpendicular to the rotation axis as shown in figure 1, for the advantageous benefit of reducing the heating of the power motor and improving the power density of the 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 Zhu by using the first cooling fins being curved and having a concavity oriented forwards with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor; and a plurality of second cooling fins arranged on the peripheral face of the cylindrical body, the second cooling fins being arranged in a second row extending parallel to the first row, the second cooling fins being curved and having a concavity oriented rearwards with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor, as taught by Zhou, to reduce the heating of the power motor and improving the power density of the motor.
As to claim 6/5, Zhu teaches wherein the second cooling fins (see annotated figure 1) have a median plane, and wherein the median plane of the second cooling fins is parallel to the median plane of the first cooling fins (see annotated figure 1) as shown in figure 1.
As to claim 7/1, Zhu teaches wherein the second row extends along the second edge and wherein the rotor includes a crown coaxial with the cylindrical body (1), and wherein the crown extends only above a central part of the peripheral face (see annotated figure 1), a part of the first cooling fins (see annotated figure 1) and a part of the second cooling fins (see annotated figure 1) being open to the outside as shown in figure 1.
As to claim 12/1, Zhu teaches an electromagnetic retarder and generator assembly comprising a stator and a rotor; the stator comprising an outer face and an inner face (see annotated figure 1); the outer face (see annotated figure 1) carrying a retarder inductor arranged to face an inner face of the cylindrical body (1); the inner face carrying a generator armature; the rotor being formed the cylindrical body (1) forming a retarder armature, the inner fastening ring comprising a generator inductor arranged to face the inner face of the stator as shown in figure 1-4 and (see paragraph [0040]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 8-11 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES whose telephone number is (571)270-7850. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:30-2:30 EST.
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/JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 July 24, 2026
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