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 § 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.
Claims 1-5 are 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.
Regarding Claim 1, the applicant recites –
“the magnet holes including an outermost hole located farthest from the axis and a middle hole located next to the outermost hole in a radial direction of the rotor core,”
The applicant’s “magnet holes” – “an outermost hole”, a middle hole”, appears to be recited in terms of location in the rotor core (For instance, outermost and middle). However, as recited it is not clear the location of such holes.
“the permanent magnets include an outermost main magnet and an auxiliary magnet, and a middle main magnet, the outermost main magnet and the auxiliary magnet being disposed in the outermost hole, the middle main magnet being disposed in the middle hole,” and
Similarly to the magnet holes, the applicant’s “permanent magnets” – an outermost main magnet, an auxiliary magnet, and a middle main magnet, appears to be recited in terms of location in the rotor core (For instance, outermost, middle). However, as recited it is not clear the location of such magnets. Additionally, it is unclear what the “auxiliary magnet” terms is recited to.
“the auxiliary magnet is adjacent to the outermost main magnet on a side farther from the d-axis and faces the middle main magnet.”
The same reasoning apples as for element a-b.
The examiner suggests similar to the following based on FIG. 1 (amend accordingly and other amendments appears necessary):
wherein the magnet holes comprise middle holes and outer holes;
wherein the outer holes and the middle holes are adjacent to each other and located in different axis in the d-axis of the rotor core;
wherein the plurality of magnets comprises middle magnets, auxiliary magnets, and outer magnets;
wherein the middle holes comprise the middle magnets;
wherein the outer holes comprise the auxiliary magnets and outer magnets; and
wherein the auxiliary magnets and outer magnets are adjacent to each other in the outer holes.
Claims 2-5 are rejected based on the dependency from Claim 1.
Claim 2 recites the limitation " the outermost main magnets and the middle main magnets". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding Claim 4, the applicant recites “wherein the auxiliary magnet is higher in strength than the outermost main magnet and the middle main magnet”. It is unclear to what the applicant is referring to with “strength” – in terms of what such as magnetism or the material, etc.?
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dlala (US 2020/0127508) and in further view of Luo (US 2024/0364156).
Regarding Claim 1, Dlala discloses a rotor for an electric motor [A rotor assembly for an electric motor] (Claim 1), the rotor comprising:
a rotor core [309] having a plurality of magnet holes [315] (FIG. 3); and
a plurality of permanent magnets [305s, 307s] disposed in the respective magnet holes [315] (FIG. 3), wherein
the magnet holes [315] extend along an axis of the rotor core [309] and are disposed to have line symmetry with respect to a d-axis as viewed along the axis (FIG. 3),
the magnet holes [315] including an outermost hole [OH] located farthest from the axis and a middle hole [MH] located next to the outermost hole [OH] in a radial direction of the rotor core [309] (Annotated FIG. Below for FIG. 3),
the permanent magnets [305s, 307s] include an outermost main magnet [307 - OMM] and an aux. magnet [307 - AM], and a middle main magnet [305 - MMM], the outermost main magnet [307 - OMM] and the aux. magnet [307 - AM] being disposed in the outermost hole [OH], the middle main magnet [MM] being disposed in the middle hole [MH] (Annotated FIG. Below for FIG. 3), and
the aux. magnet [307 - AM] is adjacent to the outermost main magnet [307 - OMM] on a side farther from the d-axis and faces the middle main magnet [305 - MM] (Annotated FIG. Below for FIG. 3).
However, Dlala is not explicit to disclose the aux. magnet [AM] is an auxiliary magnet.
Luo discloses an auxiliary magnet [43] (FIG. 2, ¶ [0024]).
It would be motivated to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate Lou’s auxiliary magnet into Dlala’s aux. magnet. One would be motivated to do so, so the magnetic flux density in the d-axis Ad direction can be further increased, and the output torque of the electric motor can be increased.
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Regarding Claim 2, Dlala in view of Luo disclose the rotor according to claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
Dlala further discloses wherein
the permanent magnets [305s, 307s] include the outermost main magnets [307s - OMM] and the middle main magnets [305s - MM] (FIG. 3),
the outermost main magnets [307s - OMM] are disposed to have a V-shape having line symmetry with respect to the d-axis (FIG. 3), and
the middle main magnets [305s - MM] are disposed to have a V-shape having line symmetry with respect to the d-axis (FIG. 3).
Regarding Claim 3, Dlala in view of Luo disclose the rotor according to claim 2 [see rejected Claim 2],
Dlala further discloses wherein an interior angle of the V-shape made up of the outermost main magnets [307s - OMM] is larger than an interior angle of the V-shape made up of the middle main magnets [305s - MM] (FIG. 3).
Regarding Claim 4, Dlala in view of Luo disclose the rotor according to claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
Dlala further discloses wherein the auxiliary magnet [307 - AM] is higher in strength [307 is closer to the stator and therefore higher magnetism] than the outermost main magnet [307 - OMM] and the middle main magnet [305 - MMM] (FIG. 3).
Regarding Claim 5, Dlala in view of Luo disclose the rotor according to claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
Luo further discloses wherein the auxiliary magnet is fixed in the outermost hole with a foaming agent or an adhesive [9] (FIG. 7, ¶ [0073]).
It would be motivated to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate Lou’s teachings into Dlala’s aux. magnet. One would be motivated to do so since adhesive holds the magnet without adding bulky retainers or fasteners that would interfere with a compact design.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH ORTEGA whose telephone number is (469)295-9083. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM - 5 PM.
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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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/JOSEPH ORTEGA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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