DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
This Action is in response to the Application filed 08/21/2025.
The status of the Claims is as follows:
Claims 1-18 are pending and have been examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/20/2025 was filed after the mailing date of the Application on 08/21/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
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)(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 1-7 and 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fuji (US 20220006347).
Regarding Claim 1 An electric work machine comprising: a brushless DC motor (20) including a rotor (23) configured to rotate about a rotation axis and a stator (24) surrounding the rotor (23); and a housing (2) accommodating the brushless DC motor (20) therein, the stator (24) including:
a stator core (33) including a yoke (37) surrounding the rotor (23) and teeth (38) radially protruding inward from the yoke (37) with respect to the rotation axis; and
an insulator (34) covering at least a portion of the stator core (33), the housing (2) including a first partial housing (96) and a second partial housing (95) facing the first partial housing (96), and accommodating the brushless DC motor (2) between the first partial housing (96) and the second partial housing (95),
the first partial housing (96) including:
at least one first protruding portion (101C) protruding toward the brushless DC motor (20) from an inner surface of the first partial housing; and
at least one second protruding portion (102C) protruding toward the brushless DC motor (20) from the inner surface of the first partial housing (96), the at least one second protruding portion (102C) being located in a position different from that of the at least one first protruding portion (101C) in a circumferential direction of the rotation axis, (Fig. 24)
the second partial (95) housing including:
at least one third protruding portion (101B) protruding toward the brushless DC motor (20) from the inner surface of the second partial housing (95); and
at least one fourth protruding portion (102B) protruding toward the brushless DC motor (20) from the inner surface of the second partial housing (95), the at least one fourth protruding portion (102B) being located in a position different from that of the at least one third protruding portion (101B) in the circumferential direction,
the stator core (33) including:
at least one first abutment portion (113) configured to abut on the at least one first protruding portion (101C) to thereby restrain the stator (24) from moving in a first axial direction along the rotation axis with respect to the housing (2); and
at least one third abutment portion (112) configured to abut on the at least one third protruding portion (101B) to thereby restrain the stator from moving in the first axial direction with respect to the housing,
the insulator (34; par 111) including:
at least one second abutment portion (504) configured to abut on the at least one second protruding portion (102C) to thereby restrain the stator (24) from moving, with respect to the housing (2), in a second axial direction that is opposite to the first axial direction; and
at least one fourth abutment portion (502) configured to abut on the at least one fourth protruding portion (102B) to thereby restrain the stator from moving in the second axial direction with respect to the housing (2).
Regarding Claim 2 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses each of the at least one first abutment portion (113) and the at least one third abutment portion (112) includes at least one protruding abutment portion (fig. 23); the at least one protruding abutment portion (Fig. 23) outwardly protrudes from the yoke (37) with respect to the rotation axis. (par 111-112, 126-127)
Regarding Claim 3 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses each of the at least one first abutment portion includes (113): two protruding abutment portions (113, 114) as the at least one protruding abutment portion (Fig. 23)
Regarding Claim 4 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses each of the at least one third abutment portion (112) includes: two protruding abutment portions (111, 112) as the at least one protruding abutment portion (Fig. 23);
Regarding Claim 5 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses each of the at least one second abutment portion (504) and the at least one fourth abutment portion (502) includes at least one outer arrangement portion arranged farther outward than the yoke (37) in a radial direction of the rotation axis.(Fig. 24)
Regarding Claim 6 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses each of the at least one second abutment portion (504) includes two outer arrangement portions (504, 505) as the at least one outer arrangement portion.
Regarding Claim 7 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses each of the at least one fourth abutment portion (502) includes two outer arrangement portions (501, 502) as the at least one outer arrangement portion.
Regarding Claim 11 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses the first partial housing (96) and the second partial housing (95) are formed of resin. (par 68)
Regarding Claim 12 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses the brushless DC motor (20) includes:
a first bearing rotatably supporting a first end of the rotor (23) in the first axial direction; and
a second bearing rotatably supporting a second end of the rotor (23) in the second axial direction;
the housing includes a third partial housing (Fig. 1) covering an end of the brushless DC motor (20) in the second axial direction; the first partial housing (96) and/or the second partial housing (95) supports the first bearing (front covered by both/either first and second housing portions par 92); and the third partial housing supports the second bearing (rear of rotor covered by a rear portion of the housing; Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 13 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses
the first partial (96) housing includes
at least one fifth protruding portion (101D) protruding toward the brushless DC motor (20) from the inner surface of the first partial housing (96);
the second partial (95) housing includes
at least one sixth protruding portion (101A) protruding toward the brushless DC motor (20) from the inner surface of the second partial housing (95); and
the stator core includes:
at least one fifth abutment portion (114) configured to abut on the at least one fifth protruding portion to thereby restrain the stator from moving in the circumferential direction with respect to the housing; and
at least one sixth abutment portion (111) configured to abut on the at least one sixth protruding portion to thereby restrain the stator from moving in the circumferential direction with respect to the housing.
Regarding Claim 14 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses the at least one first protruding portion (101C) of the first partial housing (96) and the at least one third protruding portion (101B) of the second partial housing (95) face each other across the brushless DC motor (20) with the first partial housing (96) and the second partial housing (95) facing each other. (Fig. 23)
Regarding Claim 15 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses the at least one second protruding portion (102C) of the first partial housing (96) and the at least one fourth protruding portion (102B) of the second partial housing face each other across the brushless DC motor (20) with the first partial housing (96) and the second partial housing (95) facing each other. (Fig. 23)
Regarding Claim 16 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses the first axial direction is a direction from the rotation axis toward a driven tool (fig. 21); and the driven tool is configured to be driven by a rotational force of the brushless DC motor (20). (Fig. 1)
Regarding Claim 17 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses the electric work machine is an electric impact driver. (par 23)
Regarding Claim 18 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses:
the at least one first abutment portion (113) and the at least one first protruding portion (101C) are configured to abut on each other; (par 203)
the at least one third abutment portion (112) and the at least one third protruding portion (101B) are configured to abut on each other; (par 203)
the at least one second abutment portion (504) and the at least one second protruding portion (102C) are configured to abut on each other; (par 204) and
the at least one fourth abutment portion (502) and the at least one fourth protruding (102B) portion are configured to abut on each other. (par 204)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 8 Fuji discloses the invention as described above. Fuji further discloses the brushless DC motor includes a rotational position sensor (22) configured to detect a rotational position of the rotor (23); (par 75)
However the Prior Art does not teach the insulator includes;
a first insulator including the at least one second abutment portion and/or the at least one fourth abutment portion; and a second insulator distinct from the first insulator; and the rotational position sensor is fixed to the first insulator.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHINYERE J RUSHING-TUCKER whose telephone number is (571)270-5944. The examiner can normally be reached 4 pm - 11:59 pm Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at 571-270-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHINYERE J RUSHING-TUCKER/Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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