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.
Specification
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.
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.
Claims 1-2 and 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cho et al. (KR20110072324, “Cho”, using machine translation).
Re claim 1, Cho discloses a motor-driven compressor, comprising:
a rotary shaft (fig 2, pg 4, indicated text, part of rotor 31b);
a motor 31 configured to rotate the rotary shaft (fig 2, pg 4, indicated text);
a compression unit 32 configured to compress a fluid by rotation of the rotary shaft (fig 2, pg 4, indicated text);
an inverter 50 configured to drive the motor 31 (figs 1-3, pg 4, indicated text); and
a housing that accommodates the rotary shaft, the compression unit 32, the motor 31, and the inverter 50 (figs 1-2), wherein
the inverter includes a circuit board 60 on which a drive element 63 configured to drive the motor (figs 1-3, pg 5, indicated text) and an electronic component 64 configured to remove noise are mounted (figs 1-3, pg 5 indicated text),
the housing includes:
a motor housing member that accommodates the motor 31 and defines a suction chamber configured to draw in the fluid (figs 1-2 & below, pg 4, indicated text, motor housing 30 except for 35 indicated below; 34 suction port);
a compression unit housing member that accommodates the compression unit 32 and is configured to discharge the compressed fluid (figs 1-2 & below);
an inverter housing member that defines an inverter accommodating chamber that accommodates the inverter 50 (figs 1-3 & below); and
a partition wall that separates the suction chamber and the inverter accommodating chamber from each other (figs 2 & below),
the electronic component includes:
a main body that acts to remove noise (figs 1-3 & below, pg 5, indicated text, 64 capacitor which is capable of filter or removing noise); and
a connection portion that electrically connects the main body and the circuit board 60 to each other (figs 1-2, pg 5, indicated text),
the inverter accommodation chamber includes:
a first accommodation space in which the circuit board 60 is disposed to face the partition wall (figs 2 & below); and
a second accommodation space that opens in an axial direction of the rotary shaft and is arranged such that the main body faces an outer peripheral surface of the motor housing member in a radial direction of the rotary shaft (figs 2 & below), and
a projected area of the main body onto the circuit board 60 in the axial direction is smaller than a projected area of the main body onto the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing member in the radial direction (figs 2 & below).
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Re claim 2, Cho discloses claim 1 as discussed above and further discloses the electronic component 64 includes a capacitor (figs 1-3, pg 5, indicated text), the capacitor is accommodated in the second accommodation space (figs 2 & above for claim 1), the main body is a capacitor main body of the capacitor (figs 1-3 & above for claim 1), the capacitor main body including two electrodes and a case accommodating the two electrodes (figs 1-3, electrodes inherent for capacitor since forming capacitor w/ two electrodes separated by a dielectric is known in the art), and a projected area of the capacitor main body onto the circuit board 60 in the axial direction is smaller than a projected area of the capacitor main body onto the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing member in the radial direction of the rotary shaft (figs 2 & above for claim 1).
Re claim 4, Cho discloses claim 1 as discussed above and further discloses the connection portion is a lead wire (figs 1-3), and the lead wire extends such that a projected area of the main body onto the circuit board 60 in the axial direction is smaller than a projected area of the main body onto the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing member in the radial direction of the rotary shaft (figs 2 & above for claim 1).
Re claim 5, Cho discloses claim 1 as discussed above and further discloses a heat transfer member 56 is provided between the main body and the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing member (figs 2-3, pg 6, indicated text).
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fukasaku et al. (US20140076434, “Fukasaku”)
Re claim 1, Fukasaku discloses a motor-driven compressor, comprising:
a rotary shaft (figs 1 & below);
a motor 17 configured to rotate the rotary shaft (figs 1 & below, [0042-0043] & [0046]);
a compression unit 16 configured to compress a fluid by rotation of the rotary shaft (fig 1, [0044]);
an inverter configured to drive the motor (figs 1 & 9, [0046] & [0049], inverter includes 23-24 & 30); and
a housing that accommodates the rotary shaft, the compression unit 32, the motor 31, and the inverter 50 (figs 1-2), wherein
the inverter includes a circuit board 23 on which a drive element 24 configured to drive the motor (figs 1 & 9, [0046], interpreting 23 as circuit board since it comprises electrically conductive material & electrically non-conductive material to form a circuit) and an electronic component 30 configured to remove noise are mounted (figs 1-2 & 4-6, [0049]),
the housing includes:
a motor housing member that accommodates the motor 31 and defines a suction chamber configured to draw in the fluid (fig 1 & below, [0044]);
a compression unit housing member that accommodates the compression unit 32 and is configured to discharge the compressed fluid (figs 1 & below, [0043]);
an inverter housing member that defines an inverter accommodating chamber 22, 25 that accommodates the inverter (figs 1 & below, [0046] & [0048]); and
a partition wall that separates the suction chamber and the inverter accommodating chamber from each other (figs 1 & below),
the electronic component 30 includes:
a main body that acts to remove noise (figs 1-3 & 6-7c, [0049] & [0058], includes 50 & everything inside of 50); and
a connection portion 31-34 & 45 that electrically connects the main body 50 and the circuit board 23 to each other (figs 1, 6-7c & 9, [0049]),
the inverter accommodation chamber includes:
a first accommodation space in which the circuit board 23 is disposed to face the partition wall (figs 1 & below); and
a second accommodation space that opens in an axial direction of the rotary shaft and is arranged such that the main body faces an outer peripheral surface of the motor housing member in a radial direction of the rotary shaft (figs 1 & below), and
a projected area of the main body onto the circuit board 23 in the axial direction is smaller than a projected area of the main body onto the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing member in the radial direction (figs 1 & below).
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukasaku in view of Naito et al. (US20170012506, “Naito”).
Re claim 3, Fukasaku discloses claim 1 as discussed above and further discloses the electronic component 30 includes a common coil component 37 (figs 4-6, [0053]), the coil component is accommodated in the second accommodation space (figs 1 & above for claim 1), the main body is a coil main body of the coil component (figs 5-6, coil main body includes 37 & 50), and a projected area of the coil main body onto the circuit board 23 in the axial direction is smaller than a projected area of the coil main body onto the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing member in the radial direction of the rotary shaft (figs 1 & above for claim 1).
Fukasaku discloses claim 3 except for:
a common coil component instead of a magnetic component; and
the magnetic main body including a magnetic core formed of a magnetic material and a coil wound around the magnetic core.
Naito discloses the common coil component 51 includes a magnetic component with a magnetic main body (figs 2-5, [0039] & [0045-0046], flux leakage inherently travels around core), and the magnetic main body including a magnetic core 52 formed of a magnetic material body (figs 2-5, [0039] & [0045-0046], flux leakage inherently travels around core) and a coil 53a, 53b wound around the magnetic core 52 (figs 2 & 4, [0039]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the common coil component of Fukasaku with a common coil component instead of a magnetic component; and the magnetic main body including a magnetic core formed of a magnetic material and a coil wound around the magnetic core, as disclosed by Naito, in order to provide a path for leakage flux, as demonstrated by Naito ([0045-0046]).
Conclusion
Shin (US20250105706) appears to disclose at least claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5715. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:30-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached on (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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/ERIC JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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