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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Endo et al (JP H1084662A) in view of Mitsuba (JP 7055852 B1).
Regarding claims 1 and 2, Endo discloses a signal generating device for an engine (Abstract and Fig. 1), comprising:
a rotor 1 rotatable along with an engine crank shaft (Fig. 1, shown rotatable rotor on a crankshaft as per ¶ [0004]}, the rotor including a rotor yoke 101 and, equipped in an outer periphery of the rotor yoke a reluctor including a first step reluctor 102a and a second step reluctor 102b (¶ [0011];
the first step reluctor having a first width dimension extending in a rotational direction of the engine crank shaft and a tip facing a forward direction of the rotational direction of the engine crank shaft (Fig. 1, shown);
the second step reluctor having a second width dimension, which is larger than the first width dimension, extending in the rotational direction of the engine crank shaft and a tip integrated with a rear end of the first step reluctor (Fig. 1, and ¶ [0011], second reluctor being twice the width of the first reluctor); and
a stator 3 (Fig. 1,A, shown stator 3) including:
a stator iron core having a magnetic pole disposed at a tip of the stator iron core sequentially faced by the first step reluctor and the second step reluctor during rotation of the engine crank shaft (¶ [0014], the stator 3 includes iron core 301 which faces the reluctors);
a signal coil 302 wound about the stator iron core (Fig. 1a, shown); and
a permanent magnet 303 magnetically coupled with the stator iron core, the permanent magnet providing magnetic flux into a magnetic path that includes the stator iron core, the first step reluctor, and the second step reluctor (Fig. 1a, shown magnet 303 attached to iron core 301 and moves across reluctors);
wherein the stator is configured to induce a first signal and a second signal having the same polarity in the signal coil as a result of changes that occur in the magnetic flux when the tip of the first step reluctor starts to face the magnetic pole of the stator iron core and when the tip of the second step reluctor starts to face the magnetic pole of the stator iron core (Fig. 4 and ¶ [0019] to [0020], the magnetic flux changes cause signals Pa1 and pa2 from reluctors to be generated by the signal coil shown with the same polarity).
Endo fails to disclose wherein a deformed part disposed in the tip of the first step reluctor and/or in the magnetic pole of the stator iron core, the deformed part configured to control the changes in the magnetic flux when the tip of the first step reluctor starts to face the magnetic pole of the stator iron core, such that a crest value of the first signal is limitable to a value equal to or less than a crest value of the second signal. Endo, for its part, does not disclose the respective shapes of its reluctors other than width as they pertain to crest height of the signals; and wherein the deformed part is defined by a portion having a roundness disposed at the tip of the first step reluctor. Endo does disclose its reluctors producing signals of the same amplitude or less (Fig. 4, shown).
Mitsuba discloses a device for producing signals to determine ignition timing (¶ [0023]), wherein the device includes reluctors 25 which are curved on surfaces 25c to reliably suppress breakage and produce a stronger device that also has more gradual signal increases (¶ [0035] and [0038]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to produce the reluctors of Endo in a “deformed” manner such that they are curved in order to strengthen them and suppress abrupt signal rises.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Endo et al (JP H1084662A) in view of Mitsuba (JP 7055852 B1) and further in view of Sekita (WO 2022039145).
Regarding claim 3, Endo discloses signal generating device of claim 1, wherein, of each part of a plurality of corners of the magnetic pole at the tip of the stator iron core, the part that will be first to face the tip of the first step reluctor during rotation of the rotor (Fig. 1 of Endo and as modified the stator corner will face the reductor), but fails to disclose includes a part having a roundness that defines the deformed part.
Sekita discloses a signal generating device for determining a rotating machine’s position (Abstract), wherein the stator for sensing reluctors is provided with a curved tip 404b1 (Fig. 5b), this shape allowing for a consistent air gap and magnetic coupling (“In the present embodiment, the tip surface 404b…” to “…may be.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify the modified Endo with the rounded stator of Sekita in order to produce a consistent air gap and magnetic signal gap by having a consistent rounding portion.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN A LATHERS whose telephone number is (571)272-1050. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10a-6p.
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/KEVIN A LATHERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747