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 .
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 (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.
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 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakamura et al. (US 2022/0294317).
Regarding claim 1, Nakamura discloses a motor unit (100) comprising:
a rotating body (211);
a large rotating body (1) configured to rotate together with the rotating body (212) and having a size larger than a size of the rotating body (211) in a diametrical direction (FIG. 2); and
a drive circuit (6) including a power module (¶ [0022] inverter unit 6 supplies drive electric power to the motor portion 1), and configured to drive and rotate at least one of the rotating body (212) and the large rotating body (1), wherein
at least a portion of the power module (of the inverter unit 6) is arranged between a first imaginary plane (see annotation below) passing through an edge point (outer circumference of second gear 212) of the rotating body (212) and a second imaginary plane (see annotation below) passing through an edge point (outer circumference of stator 12) of the large rotating body (1) and parallel to the first imaginary plane.
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Regarding claim 6/1, Nakamura was discussed above in claim 1. Nakamura further discloses a connecting rotating body (211) configured to rotate together with the large rotating body (1), wherein
the large rotating body (1) includes a motor mechanism (stator and rotor) as a rotating part,
the connecting rotating body (211) includes a first gear (211) as a rotating part connected to a rotation shaft of the motor mechanism, and
the rotating body (212) includes a second gear (212) meshing and rotating with the first gear (211; FIG. 1, 2).
Regarding claim 7/1, Nakamura was discussed above in claim 1. Nakamura further discloses wherein the motor unit (1) is mounted under a floor at a foot space of a front seat of a vehicle (200; FIG. 3), or under a cargo room of the vehicle.
The drive shaft Ds of the drive unit 100 is connected to the wheel of the vehicle 200 (¶ [0032]), and the axle of the wheels would be under a floor in front of the driver’s seat.
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 (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.
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 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura et al. (US 2022/0294317) in view of Ishikawa (US 2023/0090548).
Regarding claim 2/1, Nakamura was discussed above in claim 1. Nakamura does not disclose a cooling chamber through which coolant flows, the cooling chamber being located opposite to the power module; and
a connecting path communicating with the cooling chamber and at least a portion of which is located in an area surrounded by the first imaginary plane, the rotating body, and the large rotating body.
Ishikawa discloses a cooling chamber (7) through which coolant flows, the cooling chamber being located opposite to the power module (6; FIG. 5); and
a connecting path (71-73) communicating with the cooling chamber (7).
While Ishikawa does not disclose at least a portion of the cooling chamber is located in an area surrounded by the first imaginary plane, the rotating body, and the large rotating body, modifying Nakamura such that the cooling chamber of Ishikawa is located underneath the inverter unit of Nakamura would place the cooling chamber between the first and second imaginary plane similarly to the inverter unit of Nakamura.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Nakamura in view of Ishikawa to disclose a cooling chamber through which coolant flows, the cooling chamber being located opposite to the power module; and a connecting path communicating with the cooling chamber and at least a portion of which is located in an area surrounded by the first imaginary plane, the rotating body, and the large rotating body, to cool the inverter (¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 3/2, Nakamura in view of Ishikawa was discussed above in claim 2. Ishikawa further discloses a rotation axis (J2) of the rotating body (312) and a rotation axis (J1) of the large rotating body (2) are parallel and extending in a rotation axis direction (Y direction),
the cooling chamber (7) has two water channel ports (70, 74) for inflow (70) and outflow (74) of the coolant (FIG. 5), and
one of the water channel ports (70) is open in the rotation axis direction (Y direction; FIG. 6) and communicates with the connecting path (71-73).
Regarding claim 4/3, Nakamura in view of Ishikawa was discussed above in claim 3. Ishikawa further discloses the other water channel port (74) opens in a direction (X direction) different from the rotation axis direction (Y direction; FIG. 6).
While Ishikawa does not disclose the other water channel port is provided between the second imaginary plane and the rotating body, as discussed above in claim 2, Nakamura in view of Ishikawa discloses the cooling chamber between the first and second imaginary plane. Similarly, the channel ports of Ishikawa would be located between the first and second imaginary plane, which is between the second imaginary plane and the rotating body.
Regarding claim 5/2, Nakamura in view of Ishikawa was discussed above in claim 2. Ishikawa further discloses a case (4) housing the rotating body (312), the large rotating body (2), and the drive circuit (6), wherein
the connecting path (71-73) is provided in the case (4; FIG. 6).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINKI CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-0521. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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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/MINKI CHANG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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