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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following limitation must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
“each winding slot includes an insulative slot liner, a rotor winding, and a liner wedge disposed radially between the rotor winding and each of the tooth tip caps disposed about the stator teeth defining the slot” in claim 18.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 18 recited: “each winding slot includes an insulative slot liner, a rotor winding, and a liner wedge disposed radially between the rotor winding and each of the tooth tip caps disposed about the stator teeth defining the slot”.
However, claim 18 depends on claim 7 which recited a stator and the windings slots as claimed in claim 7 are stator windings slot. Therefore, the stator winding slots cannot contain rotor winding and a liner wedge disposed radially between the rotor winding and each of the tooth tip caps disposed about the stator teeth defining the slot in the same manner as claimed.
Therefore, the claim contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art.
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 1-4 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fella et al. (US 2021/0013771 A1).
RE claim 1, Fella teaches a tooth tip cap 42 (Figs.1-6) for an electric machine 2, the tooth tip cap 42 comprising: a first connection portion 54 and a second connection portion 54 spaced apart from the first connection portion 54 (Fig.6); a first leg 52 and a second leg 52 connecting the first connection portion 54 to the second connection portion 54; and wherein the tooth tip cap 42 is configured such that each leg 52 partially reduces an air gap 30 (Fig.2) of a radial insertion slot winding of a stator 6 (intended result and/or functional language, because Hauger disclosed the same structure as claimed, the structure disclosed by Hauger is capable of performing the language as claimed).
RE claim 2/1, Fella teaches each of the first leg 52 and the second leg includes a set of slots 59a (Fig.6a).
RE claim 3/1, Fella teaches a first retention tab 56 extending axially from one of the first connection portion 54 and the second connection portion 54, relative to an axis of a stator of the electric machine (Fig.6).
RE claim 4/3, Fella teaches a second retention tab 56 extending axially from the other of the first connection portion 54 and the second connection portion 54 (Fig.6).
RE claim 7, Fella teaches a stator 6 (Figs.2-6) comprising: a plurality of stator teeth 36 arranged about an inner diameter of the stator 6 and extending radially inward; a plurality of winding slots 30, wherein each winding slot 30 in the plurality of winding slots is defined between two corresponding stator teeth 36 of the plurality of stator teeth 36; and a plurality of tooth tip caps 42, each tooth tip cap 42 including a first leg 52 and a second leg 52, each leg 52 being disposed in a corresponding winding slot 30 of the plurality of winding slots 30 (Figs.1-6)
Claims 1, 6-8, 16, 17 and 19-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hauger (US 2006/0108890 A1).
RE claim 1, Hauger teaches a tooth tip cap 12 (Figs.1-10) for an electric machine (DC motor, see ¶ 1), the tooth tip cap 12 comprising: a first connection portion 34 and a second connection portion 34 spaced apart from the first connection portion 34; a first leg (L1) (see annotated Fig.5 below) and a second leg (L2) connecting the first connection portion 34 to the second connection portion 34; and wherein the tooth tip cap is configured such that each leg (L1), (L2) partially reduces an air gap of a radial insertion slot winding of a stator (intended result and/or functional language, because Hauger disclosed the same structure as claimed, the structure disclosed by Hauger is capable of performing the language as claimed).
[AltContent: textbox (Second leg (L2))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First leg (L1))][AltContent: arrow]
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RE claim 6/1, Hauger teaches the tooth tip cap 12 is a single magnetic permeable material (¶ 38).
RE claim 7, Hauger teaches a stator 10 (Figs.7-10) comprising: a plurality of stator teeth 16 arranged about an inner diameter of the stator 10 and extending radially inward; a plurality of winding slots (S) (see Figs.1, 2 annotated Fig.10b and ¶ 37), wherein each winding slot in the plurality of winding slots is defined between two corresponding stator teeth 16 of the plurality of stator teeth 16; and a plurality of tooth tip caps (L1, L2), each tooth tip cap including a first leg (L1) and a second leg (L2), each leg (L1, L2) being disposed in a corresponding winding slot of the plurality of winding slots (see Fig.10b).
[AltContent: textbox (Slot (S))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Nub (N2))][AltContent: textbox (Nub (N1))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Second leg (L2))][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (First leg (L1))]
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RE claim 8/7, Hauger teaches a first leg (L1) of each tooth tip cap is disposed in a different corresponding winding slot than the second leg L(2) of the tooth tip cap (see Fig.10).
RE claim 16/7, Hauger teaches each stator tooth 16 includes a first nub (N1) (see annotated Fig.10b above) extending circumferentially into a first adjacent slot at an inner diameter of the stator tooth and a second nub (N2) extending circumferentially into a second adjacent slot at the inner diameter of the stator tooth 16.
RE claim 17/16, Hauger teaches the tooth tip cap (L1, L2) is disposed radially outward of the first nub (N1) and the second nub (N2).
RE claim 19/7, Hauger teaches a second tooth tip cap (L1, L2) disposed around stator tooth 16 (Fig.10).
RE claim 20/7, Hauger teaches each tooth tip cap (L1, L2) further includes a connecting bridge 46 structurally connecting the tooth tip cap to at least one circumferentially adjacent tooth tip cap (L1, L2) (Fig.10).
RE claim 21/7, Hauger teaches the tooth tip cap (L1, L2) is formed of magnetic permeable material (¶ 7).
RE claim 22/21, Hauger teaches the tooth tip cap is formed from electrical steel lamination material (¶ 10, 47).
RE claim 23/22, Hauger teaches the tooth tip cap is formed from high silicon electrical lamination material (¶ 10, 47).
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hauger (US 2006/0108890 A1).
RE claim 9/7, Hauger has been discussed above. In embodiment of Figs.7-10, Hauger does not teach each tooth tip cap includes a first connection portion and a second connection portions spaced apart by the first and second legs.
However, in embodiment of Fig.5, Hauger teaches each tip cap 12 includes a first connection portion 34 and a second connection portions 34 spaced apart by the first (L1, L2) and second legs (see annotated Fig.5 above), doing so would hold the sleeve (tip cap) together (¶ 39).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hauger by having each tooth tip cap includes a first connection portion and a second connection portions spaced apart by the first and second legs, as suggested by Hauger, for the same reasons as discussed above.
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hauger as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Fella et al. (US 2021/0013771 A1).
RE claim 10/9, Hauger has been discussed above. Hauger does not teach each of the first legs and the second legs includes a set of slots.
Fella teaches each of the first legs 52 and the second legs 52 includes a set of slots 59a (Fig.6a), doing so reduce contact between the reinforcing element and the laminated core such that associated reduction in the contact area between the reinforcing element and the laminated core of the stator, the formation of eddy currents is prevented or at least reduced. As a result, the efficiency of the electric motor may be also improved, i.e. increased (¶ 15).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hauger by having each of the first legs and the second legs includes a set of slots, as taught by Fella, for the same reasons as discussed above.
RE claim 11/9, Hauger has been discussed above. Hauger does not teach a first retention tab extending axially from one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion, relative to an axis of the stator.
Fella teaches a first retention tab 56 extending axially from one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion 54, relative to an axis of the stator (Figs.4, 6), doing so provide a form fit to the stator in assembled state (¶ 62).Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hauger by having a first retention tab extending axially from one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion, relative to an axis of the stator, as taught by Fella, for the same reasons as discussed above.
RE claim 12/11, as discussed above, Fella teaches a second retention tab 56 extending axially from the other of the first connection portion 54 and the second connection portion 54 (Fig.6).
Claim 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hauger as applied to claim 23 above, and further in view of Baba et al. (US 2018/0358846 A1).
RE claim 24/23, Hauger has been discussed above. Hauger does not teach the tooth tip cap is formed of at least 4% silicon electrical lamination material.
Baba suggests that 4% silicon electrical lamination material is well-known in the art (see claim 6 and ¶ 35), such content can be optimized to reduce iron loss (¶ 42).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hauger by having the tooth tip cap is formed of at least 4% silicon electrical lamination material, as taught by Baba, for the same reasons as discussed above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 13-15 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.
RE claim 5/3, the prior-art does not teach, inter alia, the first retention tab extends toward the other of the first connection portion and the second connection portion.
RE claim 13/11, the prior-art does not teach, inter alia, the first retention tab extends toward the other of the first connection portion and the second connection portion.
RE claim 14/11, the prior-art does not teach, inter alia, wherein the first retention tab is received in an intrusion in the stator tooth about which the tooth tip cap is disposed.
Claim 15 is allowable for its dependency on claim 14.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-5532. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-6PM 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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/THOMAS TRUONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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