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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 21 April 2026 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claim 11 contains the phrase “wherein the embedded copper-graphite thermal conductor comprises an interior of at least within a copper shell…” [emphasis added]. Examiner is interpreting this claim without the words “at least”, to be in agreement with amendments made to pending claim 1.
Claim Interpretation
While features of a device may be recited either structurally or functionally, claims directed to a device must be distinguished from the prior art in terms of structure rather than function or intended use. See MPEP 2114; see also MPEP 2103(C), generally. The intended function or use of a claimed structure is given patentable weight only so far as the structure is capable of performing that function or capable of the intended use. This capability is compared against the prior art, as opposed to prior teachings of the particular function or use. The claim language "for use in a vehicle" in the preamble of claim 1 has not been given full patentable weight because it is merely descriptive of an intended use or function. Therefore, structural limitations found in the prior art capable of performing said intended use or function, even if not explicitly disclosed, will be applied to the relevant claims in the instant application.
In addition, and for the same reasons stated above, the phrase “configured to” found in claims 1, 4, 11, and 14 is merely descriptive of a function, and structure capable of performing that function will be applied to the relevant claims in the instant application.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 11-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20210327791 (Zhou).
As to Claim 1, Zhou teaches a power card for use in a vehicle (Zhou Fig 9), the power card comprising:
a N lead frame (bottom plate in Fig 9, see annotated Zhou Fig 9);
a P lead frame (top plate in Fig 9, see annotated Zhou Fig 9);
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an O lead frame (806) comprising in part an embedded copper-graphite thermal conductor (Fig 11 shows a view of O lead frame 1104. Further discloses that it comprises graphite and copper ¶0142), wherein the embedded copper-graphite thermal conductor comprises an interior of graphite within a copper shell, wherein the coper shell defines an exterior encapsulating the interior or graphite (Fig 11, landing 1102 comprises a shell on graphite body portion 1106, further disclosed that the frame may be coated with the second material, i.e., with a shell of copper ¶0146), part of the O lead frame being located between the N lead frame and the P lead frame;
a first power device being located on a first side of the O lead frame between the N lead frame and the O lead frame (device 202A); and
a second power device being located on a second side of the O lead frame between the O lead frame and the P lead frame (device 202B), the O lead frame configured to receive heat from the first power device and the second power device and transfer the heat for heat dissipation (thermally conductive O lead frame capable of receiving and transferring heat as claimed).
As to Claim 2, Zhou teaches the power card of claim 1, and further teaches wherein:
the N lead frame comprises a body portion (bottom plate below 202A) and a terminal portion (206), the terminal portion extending outward from the body portion (206 extends away from bottom plate); and
the P lead frame comprises a body portion (top plate above 202B) and a terminal portion (208), the terminal portion extending outward from the body portion (208 extends away from top plate).
As to Claim 3, Zhou teaches the power card of claim 2, and further teaches wherein the O lead frame includes a body portion (806) and a cooling portion (808), the cooling portion extending from the body portion such that the body portion of the P lead frame and the body portion of the N lead frame are non-overlapping with the cooling portion (808 extends away from 806; 808 non-overlapping with P lead frame body and with N lead frame body).
As to Claim 4, Zhou teaches the power card of claim 3, and further teaches wherein:
the first power device being located between the body portion of the N lead frame and the body portion of the O lead frame (Fig 9 202A); and
the second power device being located between the body portion of the O lead frame and the body portion of the P lead frame (202B), the body portion of the O lead frame configured to receive the heat from the first power device and the second power device and transfer the heat for heat dissipation (body portion 806 capable of transferring heat generated from 202A/202B).
As to Claim 5, Zhou teaches the power card of claim 4, and further teaches wherein the terminal portion of the P lead frame (208) and the terminal portion of the N lead frame (206) lie along respective parallel planes, such that current flow through the P lead frame is parallel to current flow through the N lead frame (Fig 2A shows different view of Fig 9, showing 206/208 lying on parallel planes. Current flow through 206 necessarily flows parallel to that through 208).
As to Claim 6, Zhou teaches the power card of claim 1, and further teaches wherein the embedded copper-graphite thermal conductor comprises a plurality of axes, wherein a first axis of the plurality of axes comprises a first thermal conductivity, wherein a second axis of the plurality of axes comprises a second thermal conductivity, wherein a third axis of the plurality of axes comprises a third thermal conductivity, wherein the third thermal conductivity is lower than the first thermal conductivity and lower than the second thermal conductivity, and wherein the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are perpendicular to each other (Fig 9 thermal conductivities axes kxx, kyy and kzz, respectively, where kyy has lower thermal conductivity than kxx and kzz ¶0135).
As to Claim 7, Zhou teaches the power card of claim 6, and further teaches wherein the first axis is a vertical axis, the second is a lengthwise axis, and the third axis is a widthwise axis (kxx, kyy, and kzz may reasonably be considered vertical, lengthwise, and widthwise axes, respectively).
As to Claim 11, Zhou teaches a power system comprising a power card (Zhou Fig 9) having:
a N lead frame (bottom plate in Fig 9, see annotated Zhou Fig 9);
a P lead frame (top plate in Fig 9, see annotated Zhou Fig 9);
an O lead frame (806) comprising in part an embedded copper-graphite thermal conductor (Fig 11 shows a view of O lead frame 1104. Further discloses that it comprises graphite and copper ¶0142), wherein the embedded copper-graphite thermal conductor comprises an interior of graphite at least within a copper shell, wherein the copper shell defines an exterior encapsulating the interior of graphite (Fig 11, landing 1102 comprises a shell on graphite body portion 1106, further disclosed that the frame may be coated with the second material, i.e., with a shell of copper ¶0146), part of the O lead frame being located between the N lead frame and the P lead frame;
a first power device being located on a first side of the O lead frame between the N lead frame and the O lead frame (device 202A); and
a second power device being located on a second side of the O lead frame between the O lead frame and the P lead frame (device 202B), the O lead frame configured to receive heat from the first power device and the second power device and transfer the heat for heat dissipation (thermally conductive O lead frame capable of receiving and transferring heat).
As to Claim 12, Zhou teaches the power system of claim 11, and further teaches wherein the N lead frame comprises a body portion (bottom plate below 202A) and a terminal portion (206), the terminal portion extending outward from the body portion (206 extends away from bottom plate); and
the P lead frame comprises a body portion (top plate above 202B) and a terminal portion (208), the terminal portion extending outward from the body portion (208 extends away from top plate).
As to Claim 13, Zhou teaches the power system of claim 12, and further teaches wherein the O lead frame includes a body portion (806) and a cooling portion (808), the cooling portion extending from the body portion such that the body portion of the P lead frame and the body portion of the N lead frame are non-overlapping with the cooling portion (808 extends away from 806; 808 non-overlapping with P lead frame body and with N lead frame body).
As to Claim 14, Zhou teaches the power system of claim 13, and further teaches wherein:
the first power device being located between the body portion of the N lead frame and the body portion of the O lead frame (Fig 9 202A); and
the second power device being located between the body portion of the O lead frame and the body portion of the P lead frame (202B), the body portion of the O lead frame configured to receive the heat from the first power device and the second power device and transfer the heat for heat dissipation (body portion 806 capable of transferring heat generated from 202A/202B).
As to Claim 15, Zhou teaches the power system of claim 14, and further teaches wherein the terminal portion of the P lead frame (208) and the terminal portion of the N lead frame (206) lie along respective parallel planes, such that current flow through the P lead frame is parallel to current flow through the N lead frame (Fig 2A shows different view of Fig 9, showing 206/208 lying on parallel planes. Current flow through 206 necessarily flows parallel to that through 208).
As to Claim 16, Zhou teaches the power system of claim 11, and further teaches wherein the embedded copper-graphite thermal conductor comprises a plurality of axes, wherein a first axis of the plurality of axes comprises a first thermal conductivity, wherein a second axis of the plurality of axes comprises a second thermal conductivity, wherein a third axis of the plurality of axes comprises a third thermal conductivity, wherein the third thermal conductivity is lower than the first thermal conductivity and lower than the second thermal conductivity, and wherein the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are perpendicular to each other (Fig 9 thermal conductivities axes kxx, kyy and kzz, respectively, where kyy has lower thermal conductivity than kxx and kzz ¶0135).
As to Claim 17, Zhou teaches the power system of claim 16, and further teaches wherein the first axis is a vertical axis, the second is a lengthwise axis, and the third axis is a widthwise axis (kxx, kyy, and kzz may reasonably be considered vertical, lengthwise, and widthwise axes, respectively).
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.
Claim(s) 10 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of US 20220271008 (Arora et al).
As to Claim 10, Zhou teaches the power card of claim 1, but fails to explicitly teach wherein the copper shell has a thickness of 0.2 mm.
Arora teaches a device similar to that of Zhou and explicitly teaches a copper layer (Arora Fig 2B, 122a copper ¶0022) on a lead frame (122a on 122b) wherein the thickness of the copper layer is 0.2 mm (122a may range from 35 µm to more than 200 µm ¶0035).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the leadframe having a general copper layer taught by Zhou with the copper shell layer being .2 mm taught by Arora in order to enhance heat dissipation from the device, improving performance of said device (Arora ¶0020).
As to Claim 20, Zhou teaches the power system of claim 11, but fails to explicitly teach wherein the copper shell has a thickness of 0.2 mm.
Arora, just as applied to claim 10 above, teaches a copper layer (Arora Fig 2B, 122a copper ¶0022) on a lead frame (122a on 122b) wherein the thickness of the copper layer is 0.2 mm (122a may range from 35 µm to more than 200 µm ¶0035).
It would have been obvious, for the same reasons as presented in the claim 10 rejection above, to combine Zhou and Arora.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 21 April 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s argument that Zhou does not teach an interior of graphite within a copper shell is moot in light of the new rejections to claims 1 and 11 above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Corbyn D Mellinger whose telephone number is (703)756-5683. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6 Eastern.
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/Corbyn D Mellinger/Examiner, Art Unit 2899
/ZANDRA V SMITH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2899
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