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 Objections
Claims 2 and 4 are objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 2, "the recessed shape that include a first portion" should read "that includes a first portion." In claim 4, "the second cross-sectional area" (final clause) is inconsistent with the previously introduced "second cross-sectional surface area" and should read "the second cross-sectional surface area." Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites "the connection part between the yoke inner peripheral surface and the tooth first side surface." There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. A connection part between the tooth first side surface and the yoke inner peripheral surface is introduced in claim 1 only within the tooth-projection alternative of the "at least one of" limitation; claim 3, however, depends from claim 2, which requires the cutout alternative and introduces only "a connection part between the tooth second side surface and the yoke inner peripheral surface." Within the chain of claims 1–2–3 as required, no connection part between the yoke inner peripheral surface and the tooth first side surface has been positively introduced. For purposes of examination, the limitation is interpreted as "a connection part between the yoke inner peripheral surface and the tooth first side surface," i.e., the corner at which those two surfaces meet. Amendment to recite "a connection part" is suggested.
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 and 6–7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shirasaka(US 2021/0336504 A1) in view of Takano(US 2003/0085314 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Shirasaka teaches a motor (motor 3; ¶[0057]), comprising:
a rotor and a stator(rotor 6, stator 5; ¶[0078]),
wherein: the stator includes a stator core, an electrical insulation body, and stator windings(stator core 510, insert-molded insulator 530, coils 520; ¶[0076], [0078]–[0079]),
the stator core has a cylindrical shape extending in an axial direction, and includes: a yoke extending in a circumferential direction; and teeth extending radially inward from the yoke(annular back yoke 511; nine teeth 512 protruding radially inward from the inner periphery of back yoke 511; ¶[0076]);
each of the teeth has: a tooth base part extending radially inward from the yoke; and a tooth tip part that is continuous with a radially inward tip end of the tooth base part(radially extending base portions of teeth 512 and circumferentially widened tip ends thereof at the inner periphery; ¶[0076]; FIG. 6);
the tooth base part has a tooth first side surface on a first side in the circumferential direction and a tooth second side surface on a second side in the circumferential direction(circumferentially opposite side surfaces of each tooth 512 facing the slot portions 514; ¶[0080]–[0081]),
the electrical insulation body includes: a first outer wall part on a first side in the axial direction of the yoke(annular base part 531 with wall part 533 on the first axial end face of back yoke 511; ¶[0079], [0090]);
a first drum part on the first side in the axial direction of the tooth base part(portion of tube part 532 covering the first axial side of tooth 512; ¶[0079]);
and a first inner wall part on the first side in the axial direction of the tooth tip part(flange 532a at the tip of tube part 532 for preventing detachment of coil 520; ¶[0090]);
and the first drum part includes a first side surface on the first side in the circumferential direction and a second side surface on the second side in the circumferential direction(circumferentially opposite side surfaces of tube part 532 facing the slot portions 514; ¶[0079]–[0080]),
each of the stator windings is wound around the respective tooth base part with at least the first drum part being arranged on the first side in the axial direction of the tooth base part(coils 520 wound by concentrated winding around each tooth 512 over the tube parts 532 of insulator 530; ¶[0078]–[0079]).
Shirasaka does not explicitly teach that the electrical insulation body includes a projection formed at a connection part between the first drum part and the first outer wall part, the projection having an inclined wall surface that connects an inner peripheral surface of the first outer wall part to the first side surface, nor that the stator core includes at least one of a cutout and a tooth projection formed at a connection part between the tooth first side surface and the yoke inner peripheral surface, and protruding toward the slot.
However, Takano teaches a stator core for a needle-wound electric machine in which angularly disposed surfaces 56 are formed on opposite sides of the bases of each of the pole teeth 49 at the ends of the slots 54 adjacent the circular yoke portion 48, the surfaces 56 acting as projections that protrude toward the slots and cooperate to locate the insulating bobbin forming members 57 and the individual windings (¶[0036]; FIG. 4), i.e., a tooth projection formed at a connection part between a tooth side surface and the yoke inner peripheral surface and protruding toward the slot.
Takano further teaches that the insulating bobbin forming member 57 comprises a circular portion 58 covering the yoke and legs 59 snugly received on the pole teeth, with inclined surfaces 60 at the bases of the legs 59 that overlie the angularly disposed surfaces 56 and extend from the circular portion 58 to the side surfaces of the legs 59, so as to provide a stop or abutment against which the coil windings actually engage (¶[0038]; FIG. 5), i.e., a projection of the insulation body formed at the connection part between the drum part and the outer wall part and having an inclined wall surface connecting an inner peripheral surface of the outer wall part to the side surface of the drum part.
One would be motivated to provide the stator core of Shirasaka with tooth projections at the connection parts between the tooth side surfaces and the yoke inner peripheral surface, and to provide the insert-molded insulator of Shirasaka with corresponding projections having inclined wall surfaces at the connection parts between the tube parts and the wall parts, as taught by Takano, in order to provide a stop or abutment that locates the windings and the insulation relative to the teeth (Takano ¶[0036], [0038]) and to permit winding at maximum coil density while keeping the winding nozzle outside of the slots (Takano abstract; ¶[0045]). The claim requires "at least one of" the cutout and the tooth projection, and the combination teaches the tooth projection alternative. The combination of familiar elements according to known methods, yielding no more than predictable results, would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention; see KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007).
Regarding claim 6/1, Shirasaka in view of Takano teaches the motor of claim 1.
Shirasaka further teaches the electrical insulation body further includes: a second outer wall part on a second side in the axial direction of the yoke(annular base part 531 with wall parts 533 disposed upright on the opposite axial end face of back yoke 511; ¶[0090]);
a second drum part on the second side in the axial direction of the tooth base part(portion of tube part 532 covering the second axial side of tooth 512; ¶[0079]);
and a second inner wall part on the second side in the axial direction of the tooth tip part(portion of flange 532a on the second axial side of the tip of tube part 532; ¶[0090]),
wherein: a first electrical insulation part includes the first outer wall part, the first drum part, and the first inner wall part(first axial-side portion of insulator 530 including annular end part 531a; ¶[0090]);
a second electrical insulation part includes the second outer wall part, the second drum part, and the second inner wall part(second axial-side portion of insulator 530 including the opposed annular end part 531a; ¶[0090]),
and an insulation body connection part extends continuously between the first electrical insulation part and the second electrical insulation part in an integral manner with no seam therebetween(coupling portions 535 disposed on the outer periphery along the axial direction to couple the opposed annular end parts 531a; the insulator 530 is molded integrally with the stator core 510 as a single body through insert molding, such that the portions are connected with no seam; ¶[0090], [0095], [0098]).
Regarding claim 7/1, Shirasaka in view of Takano teaches the motor of claim 1.
Shirasaka further teaches a compressor (vertical high-pressure dome type rotary compressor; ¶[0057]),
comprising: a compression mechanism configured to compress a refrigerant(compression mechanism 2 disposed in hermetic container 1, suctioning refrigerant gas through suction pipe 11 and compressing it to a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas by revolving movement of roller 27 on eccentric pin 26 within cylinder chamber 22; ¶[0057]–[0060], [0066]);
and the motor according to claim 1 configured to drive the compression mechanism(motor 3 disposed in hermetic container 1 and driving compression mechanism 2 via shaft 12; ¶[0057]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 4–5 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.
Claim 3 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 (see In re Kahn, 441 F.3d 977, 78 USPQ2d 1329 (Fed. Cir. 2006)):
Regarding claim 2/1, the prior art of record does not teach "the cutout is provided at a connection part between the tooth second side surface and the yoke inner peripheral surface" with "a first portion formed on the yoke inner peripheral surface and a second portion formed on the tooth second side surface." Shirasaka’s stator core presents plain slot surfaces, its ridge parts 534 being resin of the insulator 530 rather than part of the stator core (¶[0082]); Takano’s surfaces 56 protrude toward the slot rather than being recessed away from it (¶[0036]); and Yamamoto’s (US 2005/0146232 A1, of record) grooves 34n lie at the centers of the tooth side faces, its grooves 34m being dovetail fastening features occupied by the yoke core in the assembled stator core (¶[0056]–[0057]).
Regarding claim 3/2, the prior art of record does not teach a cutout curved portion having "a smaller radius of curvature than a radius of curvature of the connection part" between the yoke inner peripheral surface and the tooth first side surface. No reference of record has a connection-part cutout, and none discloses any radius-of-curvature relationship at the tooth-yoke corners.
Regarding claim 4/2, the prior art of record does not teach "the first cross-sectional surface area is not equal to the second cross-sectional area" as between the insulation body projection and the cutout. No reference of record shows both features together, and none compares their cross-sectional areas.
Regarding claim 5/1, the prior art of record does not teach "the first thickness equals the second thickness" as between the insulation over the tooth projection and the insulation over the tooth first side surface. Shirasaka gives only a general 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm range for the slot covering (¶[0080]), and Takano is silent as to the wall thicknesses of the insulating bobbin forming members 57.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
Yamamoto(US 2005/0146232 A1) teaches a resin insert-molded rotating electric machine in which grooves 34n are formed in the side faces of the winding wound portions of the tooth cores for preventing short shot or expansion of a resin at the time of resin insert molding (¶[0057]).
Watanabe(US 2020/0313492 A1) teaches a motor stator insulator having an extended portion with a second guide surface, parallel to the side surface of the wind portion, that guides the winding onto the wind portion to improve the space factor (¶[0063]).
Hasegawa(US 2023/0291265 A1) teaches electrical insulators for a motor stator having projections protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the first flange for fixing the ends of the stator windings.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)-272-8310. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas Patel can be reached on 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pairdirect. uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/MOHAMMED AHMED QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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