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 .
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.
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 1-6 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20230163664 A1 to Zhou et al. in view of US 20190273421 A1 to Velderman et al.
Regarding claim 1, Zhou et al. discloses a motor comprising:
a connecting seat (Fig. 4: 100) including an end frame (Fig. 7: 120), a hollow tube (122) connected to the end frame and having a passage (inside), and a hollow cylindrical body (Fig. 4: 102) connected to the end frame and forming an open space (inside) with the end frame and the hollow tube, the open space communicating with the passage;
a stator module (110) connected to the hollow tube (114/120) and located inside the open space;
a rotary shaft (160) inserted in the passage, two ends of the rotary shaft protruding out of the hollow tube, one of the two ends (left end) of the rotary shaft being located outside the hollow cylindrical body;
a support member (Fig. 5: 162) connected to the rotary shaft and located inside the passage; and
a rotor module (140) inserted in the open space and including a coupling end cover (103) connected to the rotary shaft and exposed outside the open space (of 102);
wherein the stator module drives the rotor module to rotate relative to the connecting seat [0043].
However, it fails to disclose the hollow cylindrical body has a plurality of coupling portions.
Velderman et al. teaches the hollow cylindrical body has a plurality of coupling portions (Fig. 43: 608).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teaching of the coupling portions as disclosed by Velderman et al. to the motor disclosed by Zhou et al.
One would have been motivated to do so to be used as a motor connector or a peripheral connector.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Zhou et al. and Velderman et al. discloses the end frame (Velderman et al., Fig. 39: 660) has a plurality of heat dissipation ports (662) communicating with the open space; the hollow cylindrical body has a plurality of grooves (606) extending from a free end of the hollow cylindrical body to the end frame and arranged on an outside the hollow cylindrical body (670); the free end and the end frame are located at two opposite sides (left side and right side) of the hollow cylindrical body.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Zhou et al. and Velderman et al. discloses the grooves are connected with the heat dissipation ports (Velderman et al., Fig. 16).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Zhou et al. and Velderman et al. discloses each of the coupling portions (Velderman et al., Fig. 43: 608) is a concavity communicating with the adjacent groove (606).
Regarding claim 5, Zhou et al. discloses an inner surface of the hollow cylindrical body is a complete arc surface to define the open space (Fig. 4: hollow space of 102).
Regarding claim 6, Zhou et al. discloses the coupling end cover has a limiting portion (Fig. 6: 13); the rotor module includes an adapter seat (108) connected with the coupling end cover and having a disk body, an engaging portion (right side) formed on the disk body and engaged with the limiting portion, and an adapter (left side connected to 18) protruding from the disk body and facing away from the engaging portion.
Regarding claim 8, Zhou et al. discloses the rotor module further includes a hollow sleeve (Fig. 4: 142) connected to the coupling end cover (114) and located inside the open space (of 102) and spaced between the hollow cylindrical body (102) and the stator module (110), a plurality magnets (Fig. 5: 144) connected to the hollow sleeve and facing the stator module and spaced from the stator module, and a rotor bearing (164/162) connecting to the rotary shaft and the stator module and located between the coupling end cover and the hollow tube.
Regarding claim 9, Zhou et al. discloses the support member (Fig. 5: 162) is close to the end frame (120) of the connecting seat.
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Zhou et al. and Velderman et al. discloses power tool comprising: a housing (Velderman et al., Fig. 3: 102a/b) including a plurality of positioning portions; a tool head (108) installed in the housing; a fan (130) installed in the housing; and an external rotor motor (202) as claimed in claim 1 (see claim 1 above) installed in the housing and located between the tool head (108) and the fan (130), the coupling portions (608) of the hollow cylindrical body being coupled to the positioning portions (motor connector) of the housing, the rotor module (202) being connected to the tool head (108).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is 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 VIET P NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-9457. The examiner can normally be reached M, T, Th, F from 12pm-8pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas C Patel can be reached at 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VIET P NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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