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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS’s) submitted on 01/14/2025 and 06/16/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1,4-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Inoue (US 20170264147).
Regarding claim 1, Inoue teaches:
A stator (1) comprising:
a core (10) having a cylindrical shape about a central axis extending in an axial direction (Fig 1); and
a coil (31, Fig 3) wound around the core, wherein the core comprises:
a cylindrical back yoke (11); and
a plurality of teeth (12) protruding from an inner circumferential surface of the back yoke, extending along the axial direction, and spaced from each other in a circumferential direction (Fig 3), the plurality of teeth comprises:
a first tooth (12); and
a second tooth (12) spaced from the first tooth in the circumferential direction,
the coil (31) comprises a first line portion including a first axial portion (33, Fig 4A) and a first inclined portion (35) connected to the first axial portion;
the first axial portion extends along the axial direction and is located between the first tooth and the second tooth (12, Fig 4A),
the first inclined portion (32) is inclined relative to the first axial portion in the circumferential direction toward the first tooth (12) and extends beyond a first end face (by 41, Fig 4A) which is one end face of the plurality of teeth in the axial direction, and
as viewed along a radial direction (Fig 4A), an intersection (P1, see annotated Fig 4A below) of a straight line extending along a side surface (by 41) of the first tooth (12, Fig 4A) that faces the first line portion (by 32) and a straight line extending along the first end face (by 41) is defined as a first intersection (P1) and an intersection of a straight line extending along a side surface of the second tooth that faces the first line portion (by 32) and the straight line extending along the first end face is defined as a second intersection (P2), and
a shortest distance (L) between the first intersection (P1) and the first tooth is greater than a shortest distance between the second intersection (P2) and the second tooth (see annotated Fig 4A below).
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Regarding claim 4/1, Inoue teaches wherein the first inclined portion extends through an area between the first intersection and the first tooth (see annotated Fig 4A above).
Regarding claim 5/1, Inoue teaches wherein a stepped concavity is provided in a part of an interface between the side surface of the first tooth and the first end face, the part of the interface facing the first inclined portion (see annotated Fig 4A above).
Regarding claim 6/1, Inoue teaches wherein a chamfer (by numeral 36, see annotated Fig 4A above) is provided in a part of an interface between the side surface of the first tooth and the first end face, the part of the interface facing the first inclined portion.
Regarding claim 7/5, Inoue teaches, wherein a bend (by 36, see annotated Fig 4A above) between the first axial portion and the first inclined portion is located, in the axial direction, within a range of the concavity.
Regarding claim 8/6, Inoue teaches wherein a bend (by 36, see annotated Fig 4A above) between the first axial portion and the first inclined portion is located, in the axial direction, within a range of the chamfer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2,3,9-12 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: In claim 2/1 inter alia, the specific limitations of “…wherein the coil comprises a second line portion including a second axial portion and a second inclined portion connected to the second axial portion, the second axial portion extends along the axial direction and is located between the first tooth and the second tooth, the first axial portion and the second axial portion are stacked in the radial direction, the second inclined portion is inclined relative to the second axial portion in the circumferential direction toward the second tooth and extends beyond the first end face, and as viewed along the radial direction, an intersection of a straight line extending along the side surface of the first tooth that faces the second line portion and the straight line extending along the first end face is defined as a third intersection and an intersection of a straight line extending along the side surface of the second tooth that faces the second line portion and the straight line extending along the first end face is defined as a fourth intersection, and a shortest distance between the fourth intersection and the second tooth is greater than a shortest distance between the third intersection and the first tooth.”, in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Claims 3/2 and 10/3, 11/3 and 12/2 are also allowable for depending on claim 2.
In claim 9/1 inter alia, the specific limitations of “…wherein the first line portion comprises a third inclined portion connected to the first axial portion on an opposite side from the first inclined portion, the third inclined portion is inclined relative to the first axial portion in the circumferential direction toward the second tooth and extends beyond a second end face which is another end face of the plurality of teeth in the axial direction and is opposite from the first end face, as viewed along the radial direction, an intersection of the straight line extending along the side surface of the first tooth that faces the first line portion and a straight line extending along the second end face is defined as a fifth intersection and an intersection of the straight line extending along the side surface of the second tooth that faces the first line portion and the straight line extending along the second end face is defined as a sixth intersection, and a shortest distance between the sixth intersection and the second tooth is greater than a shortest distance between the fifth intersection and the first tooth.”, in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for details.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NAISHADH N DESAI whose telephone number is (571)270-3038. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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NAISHADH N. DESAI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/NAISHADH N DESAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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