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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, and 3-4, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Regarding Claim 1; “the positive-electrode terminal” in line 15, and “the negative-electrode terminal” in line 17 is unclear; whereas the terms do not readily refer back to a plurality of positive-electrode terminals and a plurality of negative-electrode terminals in line(s) 2-3 or denote a respective one of the aforementioned or intended to denote a different positive electrode terminal and negative electrode terminal—if otherwise intended.
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.
Claim(s) 1, and 3, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by (Kitamura 2020/0195189).
Regarding Claim 1; Kitamura discloses an electric power conversion apparatus (as constituted by a power conversion unit--abstract) comprising: a plurality of positive-electrode terminals (whereas 121A comprises positive electrode terminals--as constituted by Pm—as set forth by para. 0034); a plurality of negative-electrode terminals (whereas 121A comprises negative electrode terminals--as constituted by Nm—as set forth by para. 0034); a positive-electrode common conductor as a common conductor with respect to the plurality of positive-electrode terminals (whereas 111p constitutes a common conductor for positive electrodes—as depicted by Fig. 3); a negative-electrode common conductor as a common conductor with respect to the plurality of negative-electrode terminals (whereas 111n constitutes a common conductor for negative electrodes—as depicted by Fig. 3); a plurality of positive-electrode heat release members each separately connecting the positive-electrode common conductor to each of the positive-electrode terminals (as depicted by Fig.’s 3 and 5--whereas 121A and the positive electrode terminals-PM thereof is connected via connection portion 4p which constitutes a heat release member of the common conductor-11p to a positive pattern-110p further coupled to 1p via a solder connection coupled to a heat transfer holding plate-115 fixed in pressure contact with a cooling plate-150—as further depicted by Fig. 5, as set forth by para.’s 0034 and 0037); and a plurality of negative-electrode heat release members each separately connecting the negative-electrode common conductor to each of the negative-electrode terminals (as depicted by Fig. 3--whereas 121A and the positive electrode terminals-NM thereof is connected via connection portion 4n which constitutes a heat release member of the common conductor-11n of the common conductor to a positive pattern-110n further coupled to 1n via a solder connection to a heat transfer holding plate-115 fixed in pressure contact with a cooling plate-150—as further depicted by Fig. 5, as set forth by para.’s 0034 and 0037), wherein each of the positive-electrode heat release members is connected to a heat generation body via the positive-electrode terminal, and each of the negative-electrode heat release members is connected to the heat generation body via the negative-electrode terminal (whereas the 121A includes modules-90 and denotes a heat generating body, and PM and NM thereof is respectively connected to respective release members 4p and 4n—as already set forth).
Regarding Claim 3; Kitamura discloses the electric power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a capacitor that is provided on each of the plurality of phases; and a connection member that connects the capacitors of the plurality of phases in parallel (whereas capacitors-113 are connected in parallel 113 to phases U1, V1, and W1 via a circuit board-110—as depicted by Fig.’s 3 and 5, surface conductor layer-114-thereof and/or copper —para.’s 0012, 0031, 0035, 0044, and/or 0055).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is 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.
Regarding Claim 4; Kitamura discloses the electric power conversion apparatus according to claim 3, comprising: a housing, wherein the heat release member is provided along a wall surface of the housing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20200350830 A1
HANO; Mitsuru et al.
Fig.’s 5-6, 8, and 18
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/COURTNEY L SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835