DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-2 & 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamatsu et al. (US Pat.Pub.2020/0127527) in view of Hoshino et al. (US Pat.Pub.2010/0074772) & Suwa (JP 2009-106046).
Regarding claim 1, Nakamatsu teaches a vehicle drive device comprising:
a rotary electric machine (motor) 20 disposed on a first axis J1 with a direction parallel to the first axis being an axial direction (i.e., Y-axis; ¶[0015]; Fig.1);
an inverter device 40 configured to control drive of the rotary electric machine; and
a case (inverter case 41 integral with housing 10, ¶[0029], ¶[0092]) wherein the case includes a case body 10/41 and a cover member (inverter cover) 43 joined to the case body, the case body is integrally formed so as to form a first housing chamber (housing) 10 that houses the rotary electric machine (¶[0019]) and a second housing chamber (inverter case) 41 that houses the inverter device 8 (inverter case 41 integral with housing 10; ¶[0029], ¶[0092]), and has an opening (not numbered) that is open from the second housing chamber 41 toward an outside of the case (i.e., inverter case body 42 has box shape open on upper side; ¶[0030]; Figs.1&3),
the cover member 43 is disposed so as to cover the opening, and includes a flat plate portion (not numbered; top of inverter case 41/cover 43; Figs.1&3),
the inverter device 40 includes at least a power module in which an inverter circuit is structured by a plurality of switching elements (not shown, inherent to inverter)…,
a widthwise (X) direction is a direction perpendicular to the axial (Y) direction and the vertical (Z) direction is a direction perpendicular to both the axial direction and the widthwise direction (Fig.1); and
disposition areas of the power module…in the vertical (Z) direction overlap a disposition area of the rotary electric machine in the vertical direction such that a bottom of the disposition areas of the power module… in the vertical direction is below in the vertical direction a topmost end of the disposition area of the rotary electric machine in the vertical direction (note relative disposition of inverter 40, inclusive of power module, relative to motor housing 10; Fig.3).
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Nakamatsu does not specifically teach the inverter 40 includes: 1) “a sheet-shaped damping member having a function of converting vibration into heat is attached so as to cover at least a part of the flat plate portion” (of cover member 43) or 2) “a smoothing capacitor configured to smooth a voltage on a direct current side of the inverter circuit, and a current sensor configured to detect an alternating current flowing through the rotary electric machine, the power module, the smoothing capacitor, and the current sensor are disposed to adjoin each other in a direction orthogonal to a vertical (Z) direction.”
But, regarding (1), Hoshino teaches a vehicle drive device (compressor for automobile use) comprising: a rotary electric machine (compressor motor; not shown); an inverter device 12 configured to control drive of the rotary electric machine; and a case (housing) 11, wherein
the case 11 includes a cover member 20 disposed so as to cover an opening (not numbered) and includes a flat plate portion 20A (¶[0025]; Fig.1), and a sheet-shaped damping member (resin or rubber-based insulating material) 22 attached so as to cover at least a part of the flat plate portion 20A (Fig.2). Hoshino’s insulating material layer suppresses vibration of the conductive material layer 21, thus reducing vibration and noise of the electric compressor (abstract; ¶[0030]). Further, by suppressing vibration and noise, Hoshino’s sheet-shaped damping member 22 inherently “convert[s] vibration into heat”.
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Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide Nakamatsu with a sheet-shaped damping member having a function of converting vibration into heat and attached so as to cover at least a part of the flat plate portion since Hoshino teaches this would have reduced vibration and noise of the electric machine.
Regarding (2), Suwa teaches a power converter for a rotor electric machine 120 of a vehicle including an inverter device 100 includes at least a power module 103 in which an inverter circuit is structured by a plurality of switching (semiconductor) elements (e.g., MOSFETs or IGBTs), a smoothing capacitor 104 configured to smooth a voltage on a direct current side of the inverter circuit, and a current sensor (in AC main electrode 107c) configured to detect an alternating current flowing through the rotary electric machine, i.e., a three-phase AC current supplied from the power module to the rotating electric machine (last paragraph on p.8 of English translation; Fig.1). Further, the power module 103, the smoothing capacitor 104, and the current sensor are disposed to adjoin each other in a direction orthogonal to an up-down direction and also overlap a disposition area of the rotary electric machine in the up-down direction (Figs.1-2), thereby providing a vehicle power converter with reduced height (abstract).
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Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide the inverter of Nakamatsu and Hoshino with a current sensor disposed to adjoin the power module and the smoothing capacitor in a direction orthogonal to an up-down direction and overlap a disposition area of the rotary electric machine in the up-down direction since Suwa teaches a current sensor would have been desirable to detect three-phase AC current supplied from the power module to the rotating electric machine and, together with the power module and smoothing capacitor, would have provided a vehicle power converter with reduced height.
Regarding claim 2, Nakamatsu’s the cover member 43 includes a first portion 43a and a second portion 43b shorter than the first portion in terms of a dimension in…the widthwise (y) direction (Fig.1) and in Hoshino---assuming that a direction along a rotation axis of Hoshino’s rotary electric machine is an axial direction and a direction orthogonal to an up-down direction and the axial direction is a width direction (Fig.1)---the cover member 20 includes a first portion (large generally rectangular cover 20) and a second portion (not numbered, smaller generally rectangular extension of cover 20) shorter than the first portion in terms of a dimension in the axial direction or the width direction, and the damping member is attached to the first portion (Figs.1-2).
Regarding claim 7, Nakamatsu implicitly teaches the case body includes a partition wall portion that separates the first (motor) housing chamber (housing) 10 and the second (inverter) housing chamber (inverter case) 41 from each other since the inverter case has a box shape and accommodates the inverter 40 (¶[0030]-¶[0031]; Fig.1). Similarly, Hoshino teaches the case body includes a partition wall portion (not numbered) that separates the first housing chamber 11a and the second housing chamber 11b from each other (Fig.1).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamatsu, Hoshino & Suwa as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Littlefield (US 8,813,896).
The combination, in particular Nakamatsu, teaches the vehicle drive device (motor) 20 is mounted on a vehicle (which intrinsically includes a vehicle cabin) near a lower surface of the vehicle in such a manner as to keep the orientation of the vertical (z) direction (¶[0004]; Fig.1), but Nakamatsu does not teach the inverter cover member 43 is disposed between the inverter device 40 and the vehicle cabin side, per se.
But, Littlefield teaches a vehicle 20 including a rotary electric machine (motor/generator) 82, an inverter device 72 configured to control drive of the rotary electric machine; and a case, wherein the case includes a case body (transmission casing) 52 and a cover member (lid) 150 joined to the case body 52 with an opening (not numbered, defined by distal edge 58) that is open from a second housing chamber 66 toward an outside of the case (c.4:62-64; Fig.4), the cover member 150 is disposed so as to cover the opening (Fig.4). Further, as seen in Fig.7, the power inverter module 72 slopes downwardly from the first side 62 toward the second side 64 to define a module angle 110 relative to the longitudinal axis 28 such that the power inverter module 72 defines an angular position and such that the cover member 150 is disposed between the inverter device 72 and a vehicle cabin side 30 where an occupant of the vehicle is present (c.8:13-20; Figs.2&7). This configuration minimizes engagement of the power inverter module with a component (e.g., a brake 44) when it is in the second position (abstract; c.2:8-22; c.8:23-29).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date to position the inverter cover member of Nakamatsu, Hoshino & Suwa between the inverter and the vehicle cabin side since
Littlefield teaches such a configuration would have minimized engagement of the power inverter module with a component.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamatsu, Hoshino & Suwa as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Gotou et al. (US 9,394,004).
The combination, in particular Nakamatsu, teaches the vehicle drive device (motor) 20 is mounted on a vehicle (which intrinsically includes a vehicle cabin) near a lower surface of the vehicle in such a manner as to keep the orientation of the vertical (z) direction (¶[0004]; Fig.1), but Nakamatsu does not teach the inverter cover member 43 is disposed between the inverter device 40 and the vehicle cabin side, per se.
But, Gotou teaches an electric automobile including an electric (traction) motor 28/100 and a power control unit 30 with an inverter (not shown) disposed adjacent a vehicle cabin side (passenger compartment) 22, beneath the dashboard panel 26 (c.3:55-60; c.4:18-20; Figs.1-2). This position prevents the user from easily gaining access to the power control unit, which is a high-voltage component (c.3:58-60).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date to position the inverter cover member of Nakamatsu, Hoshino & Suwa between the inverter and the vehicle cabin side since Gotou teaches positioning the power control unit & inverter adjacent a vehicle cabin side, beneath the dashboard panel, would have prevented the user from easily gaining access to the power control unit, which is a high-voltage component.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamatsu, Hoshino & Suwa as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Eadara et al. (US Pat.Pub.2006/0040096).
In the combination, in particular Hoshino, the damping member (resin or rubber-based insulating material) 22 suitable for vibration suppression (abstract; ¶0011]; ¶[0030]) intrinsically comprises a layer of “viscoelastic” resin but does not further comprise “a hard layer made of a material having higher rigidity than the vibration transmission layer, and the vibration transmission layer is disposed closer to the cover member than the hard layer is.”
But, Eadara teaches a sheet-shaped damping member (acoustic damping composite layer) 10 attached to so as to cover at least a part of a flat plate portion (flat substrate) 12 (abstract; Fig.1). The damping member includes a vibration transmission layer including at least a (first, extensional) layer 14 made of a viscoelastic resin (e.g., viscoelastic polymer, e.g., butyl rubber; ¶[0007]; ¶[0024]-¶[0025]) and a hard (second, constraining) 16 layer made of a material having higher rigidity than the vibration transmission layer (i.e., a second polymeric material which has a modulus of elasticity which is greater than the modulus of elasticity of the first polymeric material; second material is more rigid nature; ¶[0006]; ¶[0014]). The vibration transmission layer 14 is disposed closer to the flat substrate 12 than the hard layer 16 is. The sheet-shaped damping member 10 is disposed on the surface of an article in which acoustic vibrations are to be damped---i.e., flat substrate 12, which may be sheet metal members of motor vehicles or electrical appliances---to control noise (¶[0002]-¶[0004]; ¶[0011]). Also, the sheet-shaped damping member 10 intrinsically functions to convert vibration into heat since it absorbs sound (¶[0003]).
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to configure the damping member of Nakamatsu, Hoshino & Suwa as “a hard layer made of a material having higher rigidity than the vibration transmission layer, and the vibration transmission layer is disposed closer to the cover member than the hard layer is” since Eadara teaches this would have damped acoustic vibrations of the flat plate portion and controlled noise.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 05 December 2025 with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
As noted, the combination, in particular Nakamatsu, teaches the claimed disposition areas of the inverter relative to the rotatory electric machine. Note Nakamatsu Fig.3 which shows a bottom of the disposition area of the inverter 40 is below in the vertical (z) direction a topmost end of the disposition area of the motor housing 10.
Other cited references also teach this feature. See, e.g., Fujimoto et al. (US Pat.Pub.2020/0266680) Fig.2 showing a bottom of the disposition area of the inverter 7 is below in the vertical (z) direction a topmost end of the disposition area of the motor housing 6, or Takenaka (JP 2015-182505) Fig.4 where a bottom of the disposition area of the inverter IN is below in the vertical (z) direction a topmost end of the disposition area of the motor case CS.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/BURTON S MULLINS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834