DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the applicant's amendment filed December 15th, 2025. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-20 are currently presented in the instant 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 .
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, 3, 4, 10, 11, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Majumdar et al. (US 5,834,842; hereinafter Majumdar).
With respect to claim 1, Majumdar teaches a power module 105 in at least Figs. 12-14 with Figs. 1-5 teaching overlapping subject matter comprising:
electrical connection parts 83, each having a main plate 85, the main plates extending in one and the same main plane so as to be substantially coplanar, at least one of the electrical connection parts 83 comprising at least one electrical connector (5, 6) projecting from its main plate 85 (see Figs. 1-5, 12-14, column 8, line 15-24, column 10, line 20-28, and column 13, line 6-67);
at least one transistor 11 electrically connected between two upper faces of respectively two of the main plates 85 (see Figs. 1-5, 12-14, column 8, line 15-32, and column 13, line 46-67); and
an electrically insulating overmolding 2 covering each transistor 11 and at least a portion of the upper faces of the main plates 85 (see Figs. 1-5, 12-14, Abstract, column 8, line 33 - column 9, line 25, and column 13, line 46-67);
wherein at least one of the electrical connection parts 83 has at least one attachment tenon (unbent part of 84) for attaching to the overmolding 2, each attachment tenon (unbent part of 84) projecting solely in one projection direction in the main plane from an edge surface of the main plate 85 of the at least one of the electrical connection parts, and wherein the overmolding 2 at least partially covers the attachment tenon (unbent part of 84) (see Figs. 1-5, 12-14, and column 13, line 19-67; also see Fig. 13 annotated below).
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With respect to claim 3, Majumdar teaches the power module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical connection parts 83 are obtained by being cut (C1 and C2) from a metal plate (see Fig. 12 and column 13, line 6-18).
With respect to claim 4, Majumdar teaches the power module as claimed in claim 1, wherein each attachment tenon (unbent part of 84) has: a fixed end secured to the edge surface of the main plate 85, an upper plate, a lower plate, two lateral faces, and a front face, and wherein the overmolding at least partially covers one or more of the following: the lower face, the upper face, the lateral faces and the front face of each attachment tenon (unbent part of 84) (see Figs. 12-14 and column 13, line 19-67.
With respect to claim 10, Majumdar teaches an electronic system 121 comprising a heat sink 55 and a power module 105 as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the heat sink 55 is in thermal contact with at least one lower face left visible by the overmolding 2 (see Figs. 1-5, 12-14, Abstract, column 9, line 27 - column 10, line 28, and column 13, line 46-55).
With respect to claim 11, Majumdar teaches a voltage converter 124 comprising a power module 105 as claimed in claim 1 (see Figs. 1-5, 8, 12-14, Abstract, column 7, line 24-35, column 10, line 20-28, column 11, line 14-63, and column 13, line 46-67; an invertor is a voltage converter).
With respect to claim 18, Majumdar teaches the power module as claimed in claim 3, wherein each attachment tenon (unbent part of 84) has: a fixed end secured to the edge surface of the main plate 85, an upper plate, a lower plate, two lateral faces, and a front face, and wherein the overmolding at least partially covers one or more of the following: the lower face, the upper face, the lateral faces and the front face of each attachment tenon (unbent part of 84) (see Figs. 12-14 and column 13, line 19-67).
With respect to claim 20, Majumdar teaches an electronic system 121 comprising a heat sink 55 and a power module 105 as claimed in claim 3, and wherein the heat sink 55 is in thermal contact with at least one lower face left visible by the overmolding 2 (see Figs. 1-5, 12-14, Abstract, column 9, line 27 - column 10, line 28, and column 13, line 46-55).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the known prior art does not teach the claim as a whole, in particular: fastening lugs for fastening each main plate to at least one of the other part(s); [and] cutting the fastening lugs in order to separate each electrical connection part from the other part(s); wherein the fastening lugs are cut so as to leave a fastening lug residue projecting from one of the main plates in combination with the remaining limitations called for in claim 12.
None of the prior art on record contains such a limitation, nor given the prior art on record is it obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art to add said limitations as recited in claim 12. Therefore, claim 12 is allowed as it is not anticipated by or obvious over the teachings of the prior art on record.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Additionally, claims 2, 5-9, 13-17, and 19 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: the prior art does not disclose or fairly suggest:
wherein at least one of the main plates has, on a lower face, at least one cavity filled by the overmolding, and wherein the overmolding has, in the cavity, a lower face flush with the lower face of the main plate, in combination with the remaining limitations called for in claim 2 (claims 13, 14, 16, and 17 depend from claim 2);
wherein the overmolding has at least one cavity leaving the upper face of at least one of the attachment tenon(s) at least partially uncovered, in combination with the remaining limitations called for in claim 5 (claims 6, 7, 15 and 19 depend from claim 5);
wherein the overmolding has a peripheral protuberance at least partially bordering an external edge of the overmolding in the main plane and projecting further downward than the lower face of the main plate(s), this peripheral protuberance at least partially covering the lower face of at least one of the attachment tenon(s), in combination with the remaining limitations called for in claim 8 (claim 9 depends from claim 8).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 15th, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues that Majumdar fails to disclose each attachment tenon projecting solely in one projection direction in the main plane from an edge surface of the main plate of the at least one of the electrical connection parts. And, that there is no disclosure in Majumdar of the dummy projections 84 projecting solely in the main plane. The examiner respectfully disagrees.
As outlined in the rejection above, Majumdar teaches wherein at least one of the electrical connection parts 83 has at least one attachment tenon (unbent part of 84) for attaching to the overmolding 2, each attachment tenon (unbent part of 84) projecting solely in one projection direction in the main plane from an edge surface of the main plate 85 of the at least one of the electrical connection parts, and wherein the overmolding 2 at least partially covers the attachment tenon (unbent part of 84) (see Figs. 1-5, 12-14, and column 13, line 19-67; also see Fig. 13 annotated above). The unbent part of 84 project solely in the main plain. The claims remain rejected as outlined above.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JORDAN M KLEIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7544. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sue Purvis can be reached at 571-272-1236. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.M.K/Examiner, Art Unit 2893
/SUE A PURVIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2893