DETAILED ACTION
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 27 January 2025. In view of this communication, claims 1-13 are now pending in the application.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) or (f), 365(a) or (b), or 386(a), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on 27 January 2025 and 09 July 2025 was/were filed before mailing of the first action on the merits. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Disclosure
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested:
Motor Housing with Water and Oil Supply Channels.
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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.
Claim(s) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2021/0257878 A1), hereinafter referred to as “Kim”.
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a motor housing [100] having a cylindrical shape and extending along a central axis (fig. 1-4; ¶ 0126, 0132-0135), the motor housing [100] comprising:
a water supply channel [1131] configured to be supplied with water-based refrigerant (fig. 2-3, 7; ¶ 0189-0190);
a water drain channel [1132] provided at a position different from the water supply channel [1131] in a circumferential direction with reference to the central axis and configured to drain the water-based refrigerant (fig. 2-3, 7; ¶ 0189-0190);
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a first-range water channel [124] provided in a first range from the water supply channel [1131] toward one side in the circumferential direction to the water drain channel [1132] (fig. 3-5, 7; ¶ 0127, 0177-0181);
an oil supply channel [1151a] configured to be supplied with oil-based refrigerant (fig. 3-6; ¶ 0160, 0168-0169);
a first oil drain channel [1155a] provided at a position different from the oil supply channel [1151a] in the circumferential direction and configured to drain the oil-based refrigerant to an internal space [120] of the motor housing [100] (fig. 3-6; ¶ 0159, 0169-0170); and
a second-range oil channel [115] provided in a second range from the oil supply channel [1151a] toward the other side in the circumferential direction to the first oil drain channel [1155a] (fig. 3-6; ¶ 0149-0159),
wherein at least part of the first range coincides with at least part of the second range in a position in the circumferential direction (fig. 2-3; ¶ 0146-0149, 0179-0181).
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 1, as stated above, wherein:
the first-range water channel [124] includes a plurality of axial water channels [1281,1282] extending in an axial direction parallel to the central axis (fig. 3, 7; ¶ 0199-0202);
the second-range oil channel [115] includes a plurality of axial oil channels [1151-1155] extending in the axial direction (fig. 3, 6; ¶ 0160, 0206-0210); and
at least part of the axial water channel [1281,1282] coincides with at least part of the axial oil channel [1151-1155] in a position in a radial direction with reference to the central axis (fig. 2-3; the inlets/outlets of the axial channels are located in the outer circumferential surface of the motor housing).
Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 1, as stated above, wherein:
the first-range water channel [124] includes a plurality of axial water channels [1281,1282] extending in an axial direction parallel to the central axis (fig. 3, 7; ¶ 0199-0202);
the second-range oil channel [115] includes a plurality of axial oil channels [1151-1155] extending in the axial direction (fig. 3, 6; ¶ 0160, 0206-0210); and
the plurality of axial water channels [1281,1282] and the plurality of axial oil channels [1151-1155] are alternately arranged at least one by one in the circumferential direction (fig. 2-3, 6-7).
Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 1, as stated above, wherein:
the first-range water channel [124] includes a plurality of axial water channels [1281,1282] extending in an axial direction parallel to the central axis (fig. 3, 7; ¶ 0199-0202);
the second-range oil channel [115] includes a plurality of axial oil channels [1151-1155] extending in the axial direction (fig. 3, 6; ¶ 0160, 0206-0210); and
an inner-side end of the axial water channel [1281,1282] is disposed inward of an inner-side end of the axial oil channel [1151-1155] in a radial direction (fig. 2-3).
Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 1, as stated above, wherein the first oil drain channel [1155a] is disposed adjacent to the water supply channel [1131] (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 5, as stated above, wherein:
the first-range water channel [124] includes a plurality of axial water channels [1281,1282] extending in an axial direction parallel to the central axis (fig. 3, 7; ¶ 0199-0202);
the second-range oil channel [115] includes a plurality of axial oil channels [1151-1155] extending in the axial direction (fig. 3, 6; ¶ 0160, 0206-0210); and
the plurality of axial water channels [1281,1282] includes a first axial water channel [1281] connected to the water supply channel [1131] (fig. 7; ¶ 0216);
the plurality of axial oil channels [1151-1155] includes a first axial oil channel [1155] connected to the first oil drain channel [1155a] (fig. 6; ¶ 0210); and
the first axial oil channel [1155] is adjacent to the first axial water channel [1281] (fig. 2-3; the water supply and oil drain, and thus their associated axial channels, are located circumferentially adjacent to one another on the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing).
Regarding claim 7, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 6, as stated above, wherein:
the plurality of axial water channels [1281,1282] further includes a second axial water channel [1282] connected to the water drain channel [1132] (fig. 3, 7; ¶ 0199-0202); and
the first axial oil channel [1155] is located in a range from the first axial water channel [1281] toward the other side in the circumferential direction to the second axial water channel [1282] (fig. 2; the first axial water channel is located circumferentially between said other channels).
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses the motor housing [100,63] according to claim 1, as stated above, wherein:
the motor housing [63] holds a stator [61] (fig. 23; ¶ 0378);
an inner periphery of the motor housing [63] has a contact region [640] being in contact with an outer periphery of the stator [61] (fig. 23; ¶ 0391), and
an opposing region located on one side of the contact region [640] in an axial direction parallel to the central axis and opposed to the stator [61] via a gap (fig. 23; the stator contacts only the axially central region of the inner housing); and
the first oil drain channel [1155a] has at least one opening [673] in the opposing region of the inner periphery of the motor housing [100,63] (fig. 4, 23; ¶ 0210, 0426; the oil drains from locations adjacent to the coil end windings).
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Regarding claim 9, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 8, as stated above, wherein the at least one opening [673] of the first oil drain channel [1155a] includes an opening [673] located vertically above the central axis (fig. 22-23; ¶ 0426-0429).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 8, as stated above, wherein the at least one opening [673] of the first oil drain channel [1155a] includes a plurality of openings [672] arranged in the circumferential direction (fig. 22-23; ¶ 0423).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 8, as stated above, further comprising a guide portion [67] configured to guide the oil-based refrigerant drained from the at least one opening [673] of the first oil drain channel toward [1155a] a coil end [611] of the stator [61] (fig. 23; ¶ 0432-0437).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 8, as stated above, further comprising a second oil drain channel [1155a] configured to drain the oil-based refrigerant from the second-range oil channel [115] to the internal space [120] of the motor housing [100,63] (fig. 3-6; ¶ 0159, 0169-0170; oil drain channels are provided on both axial ends of the oil channel), wherein:
the inner periphery of the motor housing [63] has a second opposing region located on the other side of the contact region [640] in the axial direction and opposed to the stator [61] via a gap (fig. 23; the stator contacts only the axially central region of the inner housing); and
the second oil drain channel [1155a] has at least one second opening [673b] in the second opposing region of the inner periphery of the motor housing [63] (fig. 4, 23; ¶ 0210, 0426; the oil drains from locations adjacent to the coil end windings).
Regarding claim 13, Kim discloses the motor housing [100] according to claim 1, as stated above, further comprising:
a center housing [110,120] extending in an axial direction parallel to the central axis (fig. 5; ¶ 0126-0127);
a first cover [130] connected to one end of the center housing [110,120] in the axial direction (fig. 5; ¶ 0132-0134); and
a second cover [21] connected to the other end of the center housing [110,120] in the axial direction (fig. 5; ¶ 0132-0134).
Citation of Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Prior art:
Kim et al. (US 2021/0336506 A1) discloses a motor housing with both water-based and oil-based cooling distributed in channels occupying different circumferential ranges and including serpentine channels.
Rohwer et al. (US 2014/0069099 A1) discloses a motor comprising a water jacket having axial cooling channels extending around its circumference.
Urano et al. (US 2010/0038981 A1) discloses a motor comprising both water-based and oil-based cooling distributed in channels within the motor housing.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Andrews whose telephone number is (571)270-7554. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday, 8:30am-3:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye Iwarere can be reached at 571-270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Michael Andrews/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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