DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-9 of U.S. Patent Application No. 19/113,567, filed on 20 March, 2025, were presented for examination. In a preliminary amendment also filed 20 March, 2025, claims 1-9 were canceled and new claims 10-25 were added. Claims 10-25 are currently pending in the application.
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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 20 March, 2025, was filed before the mailing date of this Office Action. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
It is noted that NPL citation A17 was only considered for the portions that are in English. No further action is needed from Applicant on this matter.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “18” has been used to designate both the “upper first insulating element” and the “lower first insulating element” (see ¶ 0034 and figs, 1-2). The Office will not make a new matter objection if new/modified reference numerals (i.e. “18A” and “18B”) are added to the written description and drawings to overcome this objection.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because a word such as “in” should be inserted between the words “arranged” and “a groove” in line 4. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 9, a comma or semicolon should be inserted after the word “groove”.
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.
Claims 10-25 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.
Claim 10 in line 11 recites “as a result…” but there is insufficient direct bases for what the “result” is from/of. For examination on the merits, the Examiner will interpret this limitation to mean “as a result of the wedge geometry…” as he believes this was Applicant’s intent.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the force" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim has already introduced a “force acting… in the axial direction” and a “force acting in the circumferential direction”, such that a reader cannot be 100% certain that the force in line 12 is referring to the latter, even though the Examiner is fairly sure it is – such will be the interpretation during examination on the merits.
Claims 11-17 are rejected for depending from rejected claim 10.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the force" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim has already introduced a “force acting… in the axial direction” and a “force acting in the circumferential direction”, such that a reader cannot be 100% certain that the force in line 12 is referring to the latter, even though the Examiner is fairly sure it is – such will be the interpretation during examination on the merits.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the hairpins" in lines 8 and 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. Earlier in the claim (lines 6-7), the antecedent basis for the hairpins establishes that they are in the plurality of grooves (not just in one groove). However, the relationship between the insulating element and the hairpins in the later portions of the claim is only between the hairpins that are in a single groove. Claim 10 does not have this issue because that claim only deals with “at least one” hairpin, and there is no question in that claim as to how the pressing of the insulating element onto the at least one hairpin might potentially relate to the hairpins in other grooves. For claim 18, all that is needed is to alter the claim limitations such that there is no space to interpret that the pressing of the insulating element has something to do with hairpins in other grooves or various random hairpins.
Claims 19-25 are rejected for depending from rejected claim 18.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 10, 16-18 and 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shirai (JP 2020202611 A, provided with machine translation).
With respect to claim 10, Shirai teaches a coil component for an electric machine of a motor vehicle (see ¶ 0016 which recites “a vehicle 2 in which the rotary electric machine 1 is mounted…”), comprising:
a support [stator 7 including stator core 6] comprising a plurality of grooves [slots 24] that are arranged so that they are distributed in a circumferential direction (the circumferential direction has been labeled by the Examiner in the annotated excerpt of fig. 5 attached below) of the support [6/7] and extend in an axial direction (also labeled) of the support [6/7];
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a plurality of hairpins [coils 21 including U/V/W-phase coils 21U, 21V, 21W], at least portions of which are arranged in the plurality of grooves [24] (see ¶ 0035 and 0038-0039); and
at least one insulating element [combined insulator 33 and insulating member 61] arranged in at least a first groove [24] of the plurality of grooves and is configured to electrically insulate at least one hairpin [21U] arranged in the first groove [24] from a groove wall (labeled by the Examiner in the annotated excerpt of fig. 9 attached below) of the support [7/6] that delimits the groove [24] (see ¶ 0035-0036);
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wherein the insulating element [61/33] is supported against the groove wall [at leg 47] of the support via a wedge geometry [inner side surface 57] (see ¶ 0041 which recites “the inner side surface and the inner side surface 57 are curved so as to approach each other…”), wherein, as a result, a force acting on the wedge geometry [57] in the axial direction (up-to-down in figs. 7 and 9) is converted into a force acting in the circumferential direction (right-to-left in figs. 7 and 9), wherein the force is used to press the insulating element [61/33] onto the at least one hairpin [21U] in the circumferential direction {due to the geometry of element 33, a pushing force externally applied in the direction of the arrow drawn and labeled “Axial Force” by the Examiner in fig. 7, above, will necessarily result in the “Circumferential Force” (also labeled by the Examiner) since the deflection of the axial force must be away from the top corner of the groove wall – although not intentional by the authors of the reference or known by them at the time to be useful, the fact is just a result of vector mechanics}.
With respect to claim 16/10, Shirai teaches the component of claim 10, and further teaches wherein the insulating element [33/61] comprises a stop (labeled by the Examiner in the new fig. 9 excerpt attached below) that is configured to abut against an end side (also labeled) of the support [7/6] and specifies an axial end position of the insulating element [33/61].
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With respect to claim 17/10, Shirai teaches the component of claim 10, and further teaches wherein the insulating element [33/61] is pressed into the at least one hairpin [21U] using a separate groove insulation wedge [57] having the wedge geometry (see fig. 7 above and ¶ 0041 which recites “the inner side surface and the inner side surface 57 are curved so as to approach each other…”).
With respect to claim 18, Shirai teaches a method for producing a coil component for an electric machine of a motor vehicle (see ¶ 0071 which recites the method of manufacturing the rotary electric machine… the coils such as the U-phase coil 21U, and the insulator 33, 34 can be collectively fixed to the stator core…” – also see ¶ 0016 which recites “a vehicle 2 in which the rotary electric machine 1 is mounted…”), comprising:
providing a support [stator 7 including stator core 6] (see abstract which recites “a manufacturing method…. That includes an annular stator core 6…”) comprising a plurality of grooves [slots 24] arranged so that they are distributed in a circumferential direction (the circumferential direction has been labeled by the Examiner in the annotated excerpt of fig. 5 attached below) of the support [6/7] and extend in an axial direction (also labeled) of the support [6/7];
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arranging a plurality of hairpins [coils 21 including U/V/W-phase coils 21U, 21V, 21W] (see fig. 6 which shows the groove before the hairpins have been inserted, and fig. 5 which shows it after they have been inserted), at least portions of which are arranged in the plurality of grooves [24] (see ¶ 0035 and 0038-0039); and at least one insulating element [combined insulator 33 and insulating member 61], at least in portions, in the plurality of grooves [24], wherein the at least one insulating element [33/61] electrically insulates the hairpins [21U/21V/21W] from a groove wall (labeled by the Examiner in the annotated excerpt of fig. 9 attached below) of the support [7/6] that delimits the groove [24] (see ¶ 0035-0036);
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supporting the insulating element [61/33] against the groove wall [at leg 47] of the support via a wedge geometry [inner side surface 57] (see ¶ 0041 which recites “the inner side surface and the inner side surface 57 are curved so as to approach each other…” – the supporting results from the insertion of the hairpins into element 33, which compresses the wedge element 57 – fig. 9 shows the act of supporting), converting a force acting on the wedge geometry [57] in the axial direction (up-to-down in figs. 7 and 9) into a force acting in the circumferential direction (left-to-right in figs. 7 and 9 – see ¶ 0042 which establishes that the hairpins 21U-21W are “inserted into the through hole 49 formed in the insulator 33” during a discussion of fig. 5 – fig. 5 already has element 33 in the groove 24 – when the hairpins are inserted into said hole, axial force will act on the wedge element 57, compressing it circumferentially), wherein the {circumferential} force {see rejection of claim 18 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) above} is used to press the insulating element [61/33] onto the at least one hairpin [21U] in the circumferential direction.
With respect to claim 24/18, Shirai teaches the component of claim 18, and further teaches providing a stop (labeled by the Examiner in the new fig. 9 excerpt attached below) on the insulating element [33/61] that is configured to abut against an end side (also labeled) of the support [7/6] and specifies an axial end position of the insulating element [33/61] (the stop will have been provided during the “forming” steps for element 33 described in ¶ 0037-0038).
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With respect to claim 25/18, Shirai teaches the component of claim 18, and further teaches pressing the insulating element [33/61] into the at least one hairpin [21U] using a separate groove insulation wedge [57] having the wedge geometry (see fig. 7 above and ¶ 0041 which recites “the inner side surface and the inner side surface 57 are curved so as to approach each other…” – it is noted that fig. 9 shows the “curved” shapes having been flattened).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 14-15 and 22-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shirai in view of Tsuiki (US 2018/0358858 A1).
With respect to claim 14/10, Shirai teaches the component of claim 10, but omits teaching wherein the insulating element has a U-shaped cross section.
Tsuiki discloses a support [stator core 110] with hairpins [coils 14] arranged in a plurality of grooves, wherein an insulator [insulating portion 15] is arranged in at least a first groove and configured to electrically insulate at least one hairpin [14] from a groove wall of the support [110].
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Tsuiki teaches wherein the insulating element [15] has a U-shaped cross section (see both figs. 15 and 16 and ¶ 0053-0055, specifically the discussion of lamination portions 150 and 151).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the coil component of Shirai, while using a U-shaped cross section, as taught by Tsuiki, in order to have lamination portions [150/151] overlapping each other, such that a necessary creepage distance is ensured (Tsuiki, end of ¶ 0069).
With respect to claim 15/14/10, Shirai in view of Tsuiki teaches the component of claim 14, Tsuiki further teaches wherein the first groove is configured for at least two insulating elements [5] (see figs. 15-16 and ¶ 0068-0070), wherein respective arms [laminations 150 and 151] of the U-shaped cross section of each of the at least two insulating elements are oriented toward one another, wherein the insulating elements [5] jointly enclose a channel (where the hairpins 14 are) that runs in the axial direction (in/out the page in fig. 15 and up/down in fig. 16) and through which the at least one hairpin [14] extends (see ¶ 0070).
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With respect to claim 22/18, Shirai teaches the method of claim 18, but omits teaching wherein the insulating element has a U-shaped cross section.
Tsuiki discloses a method including providing a support [stator core 110] with hairpins [coils 14] arranged in a plurality of grooves, arranging an insulator [insulating portion 15] in at least a first groove and configured to electrically insulate at least one hairpin [14] from a groove wall of the support [110].
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Tsuiki teaches wherein the insulating element [15] has a U-shaped cross section (see both figs. 15 and 16 and ¶ 0053-0055, specifically the discussion of lamination portions 150 and 151).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the coil component of Shirai, while using a U-shaped cross section, as taught by Tsuiki, in order to have lamination portions [150/151] overlapping each other, such that a necessary creepage distance is ensured (Tsuiki, end of ¶ 0069).
With respect to claim 23/22/18, Shirai in view of Tsuiki teaches the method of claim 14, Tsuiki further teaches wherein the first groove is configured for at least two insulating elements [5] (see figs. 15-16 and ¶ 0068-0070), wherein respective arms [laminations 150 and 151] of the U-shaped cross section of each of the at least two insulating elements are oriented toward one another, wherein the insulating elements [5] jointly enclose a channel (where the hairpins 14 are) that runs in the axial direction (in/out the page in fig. 15 and up/down in fig. 16) and through which the at least one hairpin [14] extends (see ¶ 0070).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-13 and 19-21 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd 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:
.
With respect to claim 11, and claims 12-13 which depend therefrom, the prior art of record does not teach or reasonably suggest, inter alia, a coil component for an electric machine of a motor vehicle, comprising:
a support comprising a plurality of grooves that are arranged so that they are distributed in a circumferential direction of the support and extend in an axial direction of the support;
a plurality of hairpins, at least portions of which are arranged in the plurality of grooves; and
at least one insulating element arranged in at least a first groove of the plurality of grooves and is configured to electrically insulate at least one hairpin arranged in the first groove from a groove wall of the support that delimits the groove;
wherein the insulating element is supported against the groove wall of the support via a wedge geometry, wherein, as a result, a force acting on the wedge geometry in the axial direction is converted into a force acting in the circumferential direction, wherein the force is used to press the insulating element onto the at least one hairpin in the circumferential direction;
wherein the insulating element comprises the wedge geometry so that two side faces of the insulating element converge at an acute angle.
With respect to claim 19, and claims 20-21 which depend therefrom, the prior art of record does not teach or reasonably suggest, inter alia, a method for producing a coil component for an electric machine of a motor vehicle, comprising:
providing a support comprising a plurality of grooves arranged so that they are distributed in a circumferential direction of the support and extend in an axial direction of the support;
arranging a plurality of hairpins and at least one insulating element, at least in portions, in the plurality of grooves, wherein the at least one insulating element electrically insulates the hairpins from a groove wall of the support that delimits the groove; and
supporting the at least one insulating element against the groove wall of the support via a wedge geometry, converting a force acting on the wedge geometry in the axial direction into a force acting in the circumferential direction by way of the wedge geometry, and pressing, using the force, the at least one insulating element onto the hairpins in the circumferential direction;
wherein the insulating element comprises the wedge geometry so that two side faces of the insulating element converge at an acute angle.
Shirai does not teach two side faces converging at an acute angle. In the conclusion section below, the Examiner has included a list of references, with relevant brief summaries and drawing excerpts, that appear to teach this feature. Not one of them (nor any the Examiner could locate during a lengthy prior art search) teaches the conversion of an axial force into a force acting in the circumferential to force the insulation element onto the hairpin in the circumferential direction. Shirai only accomplishes this feature, and inadvertently at best, and thus the Examiner believes there is insufficient evidence that a person of ordinary skill would modify Shirai (or Koori, see below) with the acute-angle-surface-wedge feature of claims 11 and 19, except using hindsight reasoning in light of the present application.
As mentioned, and the Examiner has explained this for each reference summarized below (those teaching the acute-surface wedges), each of them converts a force into another force, usually acting on the hairpin(s). PTO Form 892 contains more evidence like these. The Examiner was able to locate references in this space that convert axial force to radial force as well as radial force to circumferential, and other right-angle conversions as well, but not once could he find the acute-angle-surface-wedge feature converting axial force to circumferential force.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Koori (JP 2021093880 A, provided with machine translation) provides enough evidence that it can be applied against claims 10 and 18 as they currently appear. Applicant is requested to review it before responding.
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The reference has no bearing on claims 11 and 19 or on the allowability indicated above.
JP 6709870 B2 (provided with machine translation) appears, upon brief inspection, to teach claims 10-11 and 18-19. The translation recites “in FIG. 7, the illustration of the filling fixing portion 70 is omitted for convenience of description. In FIG. 7, the inclination of the inclined portion 83 is emphasized more than it actually is…” So, reference numeral 70 exists in fig. 7 as well as the fig. 5 embodiment, and would hypothetically form the wedge required by the claims, and the Examiner has labeled it where it should be. The overall insulation/wedge arrangement of the invention of the present invention appears to have been established (although somewhat inverted).
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However, the Examiner was able to positively establish from the translation that the “fixing portion 70” is a filler formed by being poured into the space and hardened/cured. It is also described as a varnish. Therefore a force pressed against it axially could not be converted into a force acting in the circumferential direction, as required by claims 10 and 18, because the relevant insulation/wedge elements are permanently stuck together.
Carlier (DE 1208805 B, provided in the IDS) appears at first glance to read on claims 11 and 19.
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However, Carlier is actually converting radial (not axial) force into the force acting in a circumferential direction that pushes against the hairpin.
Bath (US 4,547,690 A) teaches the wedge geometry of claims 11 and 19.
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However, Bath is for a slot closure device and the wedge geometry therein only converts axial force into a force acting in the radial direction (and not the circumferential direction).
Khutoretsky (US 4,184,091) also teaches the wedge geometry of claims 11 and 19.
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However, Khutoretsky, like Bath, is for a slot closure device and the wedge geometry therein only converts axial force into a force acting in the radial direction (and not the circumferential direction).
Kildishev appears to read on claims 11-12 and 19-20, but it converts axial force into a radial (not circumferential) force.
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JP S649449 U is like Kildishev with a wedge converting axial force into a force acting in the radial (not circumferential) direction.
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Johansson (US 3,739,214 A) teaches a wedge system, but it converts a radial force (not an axial force) into the force acting in the circumferential direction.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL K SCHLAK whose telephone number is (703)756-1685. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye 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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/Daniel K Schlak/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
