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 .
Election/Restriction
Applicant’s previous election of Species 1 (Figs 12-13) is noted.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-9 and 11-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 Line 10 currently states:
“a cooling flow channels embedded in the housing,”.
Should be changed to state:
--[[a ]]cooling flow channels embedded in the housing,--.
Claim 1 Line 13-15 currently states in part:
“the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel are communicates at the inside of the housing.”.
Should be changed to state:
--the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel communicate .--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
--It is noted that when claim 6 is read in light of the SPEC (see Page 3-4 ¶0016-¶0022 & Page 17 ¶0107-¶0109), the claim language of “a configuration of the filter unit” broadly means an electrical component part of (e.g. a transistor 510 of) the filter unit 500.--.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-6 & 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujiki US 2018/0023593 in view of KR 20200142292 and Watanabe US 2013/0049550. Examiners Note: For the purposes of examining the instant application, the examiners submitted English translation of KR 20200142292, is referenced hereinafter.
Regarding Claim 1: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 discloses the limitations:
a housing (18,11,41,40,51, Fig 1)_;
a rotating shaft (shaft Ma that rotates 17 in Fig 1, ¶0019) disposed inside the housing (Fig 1);
a compression unit (17, ¶0020-¶0021, Fig 1) that is connected to the rotating shaft and compresses (¶0020) and discharges introduced air (¶0021);
a motor unit (M, ¶0016-¶0017) that drives the rotating shaft (¶0019);
a control board (= circuit board 56 having drive circuit 55 on it, ¶0028) that controls the motor unit (¶0031); and
a circuit that receives external power and supplies the external power to the control board (circuit = heat generating electronics of drive circuit 55 which are located on the circuit board 56; the drive circuit would inherently have some kind of electronic connection to receive and supply external power in order to operate the drive circuit 55 to control the motor M as described in ¶0031); and
cooling flow channels (= space between fins 52 and fins 11a in Fig 1) formed in the housing (Fig 1),
wherein the cooling flow channels includes a first cooling flow channel (i.e. channels formed by fins 11a in Fig 1) for cooling the motor unit (as seen in from Fig 1, ¶0035 – the channels formed by fins 11a are for transferring heat away from the motor) and a second cooling flow channel (channels formed by fins 52) for cooling the circuit (as seen in Fig 1, ¶0028, ¶0036-¶0038 – the channels formed by fins 52 are for transferring heat away from the circuit). Fujiki US 2018/0023593 is silent regarding the limitations: cooling flow channels embedded in the housing , the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel are connected in series, and the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel communicate inside of the housing. The prior art of KR 20200142292 which is directed to a motor with an integrated inverter (Line 147-166) like Fujiki US 2018/0023593, is noted.
However, KR 20200142292 does disclose the limitations: cooling flow channels (cooling flow channels = cooling flow path 200 formed by 210, 220 and 230) embedded in the housing (as understood from Figs 1-3 & Line 147-166, Line 261-345, and Line 346-368, the cooling flow channels are formed in (i.e. embedded in) the housing 100; the housing = housing 100, Line 159-166), wherein the cooling flow channels includes a first cooling flow channel (the first cooling flow channel = 210, Figs 1-4) for cooling the motor unit (i.e. for cooling the motor 10 located inside motor housing 100; Line 253-273, Line 364-368, Figs 1-5; the motor unit = motor 10, Line 178-190) and a second cooling flow channel (the second cooling flow channel = 220,230, Figs 1-4) for cooling the circuit (the circuit = heat generating components in inverter 20, Line 106-122 and heat generating components in terminal 30, Line 123-133, Line 284-288, Line 321-328), the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel are connected in series (as seen in the Figs and described in Line 253-260, Line 280-283 the first 210 and second (220,230) cooling flow channels are connected in series as claimed), and the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel communicate inside of the housing (as understood from the Figs and the description at Line 253-260, Line 280-283 the cooling flow channels communicate inside of the housing 110 as claimed).
Hence it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the water cooling circuit 200,210,220,230 inside the motor housing 100 of KR 20200142292 that provides water cooling for the motor, the inverter, and the terminal into the housing 11 & bottom 51 (¶0028) of Fujiki US 2018/0023593, in light of the teachings of KR 20200142292, in order to provide a motor cooling structure which increases productivity (KR, Line 14-29).
Fujiki US 2018/0023593 is silent regarding the limitations: the circuit/heat generating electronics of drive circuit 55 includes a filter unit that filters noise of external power. The prior art of Watanabe US 2013/2013/0049550 which is directed to an inverter for an electric motor (title, abstract) like Fujiki US 2018/0023593, is noted.
However, Watanabe US 2013/2013/0049550 discloses the limitations: an inverter device (i.e. inverter device 12, Figs 2-6, ¶0058-¶0059) including a filter unit (i.e. noise removing filter circuit 26, ¶0058, ¶0065-¶0066, ¶0076) that filters noise of external power and supplies the external power (¶0076-¶0077).
Hence it would have been obvious, to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the drive circuit 55 of Fujiki US 2018/0023593 with the noise removing filter circuit 26 of Watanabe US 2013/2013/0049550 in order to reduce the common mode noise from the power supply to the inverter (¶0076).
Regarding Claim 2: KR 20200142292 does disclose the limitations: wherein the first cooling flow channel 210 is disposed in an axial direction of the motor unit (as understood from Figs 1-3 & Fig 5 the part of the first cooling flow channel defined by main housing 110 (e.g. see Fig 1 & Fig 3) is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the motor unit 10; an axial direction of the motor unit = longitudinal direction in Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 3: KR 20200142292 does disclose the limitations: wherein the first cooling flow channel 210 is provided in plurality (as understood from Figs 1-3 and Fig 5 – there are a plurality of longitudinally extending passages which make up the D shape / zig-zag of the first cooling channel 210 along the circumferential direction of the motor receiving part 111, Line 247-273; thus because of the plurality of longitudinally extending passages – the first cooling flow channel is provided in plurality as claimed).
Regarding Claim 4: KR 20200142292 does disclose the limitations: wherein the plurality of first cooling flow channels are connected through a connection passage (connection passage = connecting passages – which connect respective parallel recessed ones of the plurality of first cooling passages when the main housing 110, the rear housing 120, and the front housing 130 are combined as described in Line 253-279),
the connection passage is disposed so that a heat exchange medium (i.e. the cooling water) moving in the plurality of first cooling flow channels moves in a zigzag pattern (Line 253-279, Figs 1-3).
Regarding Claim 5: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 does disclose the limitations: wherein the second cooling flow channel (KR – 220,230) is disposed along a radial direction of the motor unit (in the combination of prior art, since the inverter (Fujiki - 55) is located at an axial end of the device 10 in Fig 1 of Fujiki; and KR teaches that element 230 of the cooling passage 200 is for cooling the inverter (KR – Line 317-320) – it follows that in the combination of prior art element 230 of the cooling passage 200/second cooling flow channel would be located along the axial end of the device 10 in Fig 1 of Fujiki such that element 230 would be at least partially located/disposed along a radial direction of the motor unit M of Fujiki as claimed). Further, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand the need to cover as much of the external surface of the motor as possible with cooling channels, including in the longitudinal and radial directions, in order to optimize cooling of the motor unit.
Regarding Claim 6: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 and Watanabe US 2013/2013/0049550 does disclose the limitations: wherein the second cooling flow channel performs heat exchange with a configuration of the filter unit (in the combination of prior art, since the inverter (Fujiki - 55) is cooled by element 230 of the cooling passage 200 as taught by KR ‘292 (KR – Line 317-320); and the filter unit 26 of Watanabe is part of the inverter – it follows that in the combination of prior art the second cooling flow channel 220,230 of KR ‘292 would cool at least a portion of the filter unit 26 of Watanabe – since KR teaches cooling the inverter with element 230 of the cooling passage 200 as taught by KR ‘292 (KR – Line 317-320)).
Regarding Claim 9: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 does disclose the limitations: wherein the second cooling flow channel is disposed behind the motor unit (in the combination of prior art, since the inverter (Fujiki - 55) is located at an axial end of the device 10 in Fig 1 of Fujiki; and KR teaches that element 230 of the cooling passage 200 is for cooling the inverter (KR – Line 317-320) – it follows that in the combination of prior art element 230 of the cooling passage 200/second cooling flow channel would be located behind the motor unit M of Fujiki as claimed). Further, as noted above, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand the need to cover as much of the external surface of the motor as possible with cooling flow channels, including behind the motor unit, in order to optimize cooling of the motor unit.
Claim(s) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujiki US 2018/0023593 in view of KR 20200142292 and Watanabe US 2013/0049550 as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Pal US 2015/0007969.
Regarding Claim 7: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 and Watanabe US 2013/0049550 discloses in the above mentioned Figures and Specifications the limitations set forth in claim 6. Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 and Watanabe US 2013/0049550 is silent regarding the limitations: the second cooling flow channel is disposed inside a heat exchanger. The prior art of Pal US 2015/0007969 which is directed to providing cooling for motor controllers (¶0002) like Fujiki US 2018/0023593 and KR 20200142292, is noted.
However Pal US 2015/0007969 does disclose the limitations: the second cooling flow channel (the second flow channel = flow between 14 and 18 in Fig 7 OR = flow between 54 and 56 in 58, ¶0032-¶0032) is disposed inside a heat exchanger (heat exchanger = heat exchanger 100 illustrated in Figs 1-4 which are used in Fig 7 & Fig 8; additionally as understood from Fig 4, the articulated second flow channel would be partially defined by the flow through slits 110 located inside heat exchanger 100; accordingly Pal teaches the second flow channel is disposed inside a heat exchanger as claimed).
Hence it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the heat exchanger 100 having successive sets of parallel slits 110 and plena 112 located between inlet 104 and outlet 106 of the heat exchanger of Pal US 2015/0007969 in the second flow channel of Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 and Watanabe US 2013/0049550, in light of the teachings of Pal US 2015/0007969, in order to provide the second flow channel with a high heat transfer coefficient (Pal – ¶0025-¶0031).
Regarding Claim 8: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 and Pal US 2015/0007969 does disclose the limitations: wherein heat exchange is performed on at least one surface of the heat exchanger (in the combination of prior art heat exchange would inherently be performed on multiple surfaces of the layers (Pal – 114, see Figs 2-4) which form the flowpath through the heat exchanger (Pal – 100, see Figs 2-4 & Figs 7-8); accordingly in the combination, heat exchange would be performed on multiple (e.g. at least one) surfaces of the heat exchanger as claimed).
Claim(s) 1 and 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujiki US 2018/0023593 in view of KR 20200142292 and Ikeda USPN 8303271. Examiners Note: For the purposes of examining the instant application, the examiners submitted English translation of KR 20200142292, is referenced hereinafter.
Regarding Claim 1: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 discloses the limitations:
a housing (18,11,41,40,51, Fig 1)_;
a rotating shaft (shaft Ma that rotates 17 in Fig 1, ¶0019) disposed inside the housing (Fig 1);
a compression unit (17, ¶0020-¶0021, Fig 1) that is connected to the rotating shaft and compresses (¶0020) and discharges introduced air (¶0021);
a motor unit (M, ¶0016-¶0017) that drives the rotating shaft (¶0019);
a control board (= circuit board 56 having drive circuit 55 on it, ¶0028) that controls the motor unit (¶0031); and
a circuit that receives external power and supplies the external power to the control board (circuit = heat generating electronics of drive circuit 55 which are located on the circuit board 56; the drive circuit would inherently have some kind of electronic connection to receive and supply external power in order to operate the drive circuit 55 to control the motor M as described in ¶0031); and
cooling flow channels (= space between fins 52 and fins 11a in Fig 1) formed in the housing (Fig 1),
wherein the cooling flow channels includes a first cooling flow channel (i.e. channels formed by fins 11a in Fig 1) for cooling the motor unit (as seen in from Fig 1, ¶0035 – the channels formed by fins 11a are for transferring heat away from the motor) and a second cooling flow channel (channels formed by fins 52) for cooling the circuit (as seen in Fig 1, ¶0028, ¶0036-¶0038 – the channels formed by fins 52 are for transferring heat away from the circuit). Fujiki US 2018/0023593 is silent regarding the limitations: cooling flow channels embedded in the housing, the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel are connected in series, and the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel communicate inside of the housing. The prior art of KR 20200142292 which is directed to a motor with an integrated inverter (Line 147-162) like Fujiki US 2018/0023593, is noted.
However, KR 20200142292 does disclose the limitations: cooling flow channels (cooling flow channels = cooling flow path 200 formed by 210, 220 and 230) embedded in the housing (as understood from Figs 1-3 & Line 147-166, Line 261-345, and Line 346-368, the cooling flow channels are formed in (i.e. embedded in) the housing 100; the housing = housing 100, Line 159-166), wherein the cooling flow channels includes a first cooling flow channel (the first cooling flow channel = 210, Figs 1-4) for cooling the motor unit (i.e. for cooling the motor 10 located inside motor housing 100; Line 253-273, Line 364-368, Figs 1-5; the motor unit = motor 10, Line 178-190) and a second cooling flow channel (the second cooling flow channel = 220,230, Figs 1-4) for cooling the circuit (the circuit = heat generating components in inverter 20, Line 106-122 and heat generating components in terminal 30, Line 123-133, Line 284-288, Line 321-328), the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel are connected in series (as seen in the Figs and described in Line 253-260, Line 280-283 the first 210 and second (220,230) cooling flow channels are connected in series as claimed), and the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel communicate inside of the housing (as understood from the Figs and the description at Line 253-260, Line 280-283 the cooling flow channels communicate inside of the housing 110 as claimed).
Hence it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the water cooling circuit 200 inside the motor housing 100 of KR 20200142292 that provides water cooling for the motor, the inverter, and the terminal into the housing 11 and bottom 51 (¶0028) of Fujiki US 2018/0023593, in light of the teachings of KR 20200142292, in order to provide a motor cooling structure which increases productivity (KR – Line 14-29).
Fujiki US 2018/0023593 is silent regarding the limitations: the circuit/heat generating electronics of drive circuit 55 includes a filter unit that filters noise of external power. The prior art of Ikeda USPN 8303271 which is directed to an inverter for an electric motor (title, abstract) like Fujiki US 2018/0023593, is noted.
However, Ikeda USPN 8303271 discloses the limitations: an inverter device (i.e. inverter circuit 20, Column 7 Line 36-67, Column 10 Line 24-41) including a filter unit (i.e. circuit 20 includes semiconductor elements 19, capacitor 21 and noise filter 22, see Fig 7 & Fig 10, Column 7 Line 36-50; inverter circuit 20 & elements 24,19,21,22 are the claimed filter unit) that filters noise of external power (filters noise from external battery 23, Column 7 Line 36-50) and supplies the external power (i.e. supplies the power to the motor control circuit 27 which includes control board 29, Column 7 Line 36-67).
Hence it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the simple substitution of: the drive circuit 55 in the motor driven compressor (¶0016, ¶0028) of Fujiki US 2018/0023593 with the prior art elements of: the inverter circuit 20,24,19,21,22 (Column 7 Line 36-67) of Ikeda USPN 8303271 in order to obtain the predictable results of: being able to control the electricity supplied to the motor of a compressor in a vehicle as taught by Ikeda (Column 4 Line 49-56, Column 7 Line 36-62).
Since all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded no more than the predictable results of controlling the electricity suppled to the motor of a compressor in a vehicle as taught by Ikeda (Column 4 Line 49-56, Column 7 Line 36-62.
Regarding Claim 5: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 does disclose the limitations: wherein the second cooling flow channel (KR – 220,230) is disposed along a radial direction of the motor unit (in the combination of prior art, since the inverter (Fujiki - 55) is located at an axial end of the device 10 in Fig 1 of Fujiki; and KR teaches that element 230 of the cooling passage 200 is for cooling the inverter (KR – Line 317-320) – it follows that in the combination of prior art element 230 of the cooling passage 200/second cooling flow channel would be located along the axial end of the device 10 in Fig 1 of Fujiki such that element 230 would be at least partially located/disposed along a radial direction of the motor unit M of Fujiki as claimed). Further, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand the need to cover as much of the external surface of the motor as possible with cooling channels, including in the longitudinal and radial directions, in order to optimize cooling of the motor unit.
Regarding Claim 6: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 and Ikeda USPN 8303271 does disclose the limitations: wherein the second cooling flow channel performs heat exchange with a configuration of the filter unit (in the combination of prior art, since the inverter (Fujiki - 55) is cooled by element 230 of the cooling passage 200 as taught by KR ‘292 (KR – Line 317-320); and the noise filter 20,24,19,21,22 of Ikeda is the inverter – it follows that in the combination of prior art the second cooling flow channel 220,230 of KR ‘292 would cool at least a portion of the filter unit 20,24,19,21,22 of Ikeda – since KR teaches cooling the inverter with element 230 of the cooling passage 200 as taught by KR ‘292 (KR – Line 317-320)).
Claim(s) 7-8 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujiki US 2018/0023593 in view of KR 20200142292 and Ikeda USPN 8303271 as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Pal US 2015/0007969.
Regarding Claim 7: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 and Ikeda USPN 8303271 discloses in the above mentioned Figures and Specifications the limitations set forth in claim 6. Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 and Ikeda USPN 8303271 is silent regarding the limitations: the second cooling flow channel is disposed inside a heat exchanger. The prior art of Pal US 2015/0007969 which is directed to providing cooling for motor controllers (¶0002) like Fujiki US 2018/0023593 and KR 20200142292, is noted.
However Pal US 2015/0007969 does disclose the limitations: the second cooling flow channel (the second flow channel = flow between 14 and 18 in Fig 7 OR = flow between 54 and 56 in 58, ¶0032-¶0032) is disposed inside a heat exchanger (heat exchanger = heat exchanger 100 illustrated in Figs 1-4 which are used in Fig 7 & Fig 8; additionally as understood from Fig 4, the articulated second flow channel would be partially defined by the flow through slits 110 located inside heat exchanger 100; accordingly Pal teaches the second flow channel is disposed inside a heat exchanger as claimed).
Hence it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the heat exchanger 100 having successive sets of parallel slits 110 and plena 112 located between inlet 104 and outlet 106 of the heat exchanger of Pal US 2015/0007969 in the second flow channel of Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 and Ikeda USPN 8303271, in light of the teachings of Pal US 2015/0007969, in order to provide the second flow channel with a high heat transfer coefficient (Pal – ¶0025-¶0031).
Regarding Claim 8: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292 and Pal US 2015/0007969 does disclose the limitations: wherein heat exchange is performed on at least one surface of the heat exchanger (in the combination of prior art heat exchange would inherently be performed on multiple surfaces of the layers (Pal – 114, see Figs 2-4) which form the flowpath through the heat exchanger (Pal – 100, see Figs 2-4 & Figs 7-8); accordingly in the combination, heat exchange would be performed on multiple (e.g. at least one) surfaces of the heat exchanger as claimed).
Regarding Claim 12: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by KR 20200142292, Ikeda USPN 8303271, and Pal US 2015/0007969 does disclose the limitations: wherein the filter unit (Ikeda - 20,24,19,21,22) includes a transistor (Ikeda - each semiconductor element 19 comprises a bypass diode 25 and an IGBT 26 which is a transistor which controls the electricity supplied to the motor 3, Column 7 Line 35-58; accordingly the filter unit includes a transistor as claimed), the heat exchanger (Pal – 100 which the second cooling flow channel flows through and is located in bottom 51 of Fujiki) performs heat exchange with the transistor (in the combination of prior art, since Fujiki teaches that heat from the drive circuit 55 is dissipated via heat release fins (Fujiki - ¶0038) and KR teaches that element 230 of the cooling passage 200 is for cooling the inverter (KR – Line 317-320) – accordingly in the combination of prior art the element 230 of the second cooling passage would flow through the heat exchanger 100 of Pal, and thus perform heat exchange with the transistor 26 in the inverter of Ikeda as claimed).
Claim(s) 1-4 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujiki US 2018/0023593 in view of Yokoyama US 2018/0159403 and Watanabe US 2013/0049550.
Regarding Claim 1: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 discloses the limitations:
a housing (18,11,41,40,51, Fig 1)_;
a rotating shaft (shaft Ma that rotates 17 in Fig 1, ¶0019) disposed inside the housing (Fig 1);
a compression unit (17, ¶0020-¶0021, Fig 1) that is connected to the rotating shaft and compresses (¶0020) and discharges introduced air (¶0021);
a motor unit (M, ¶0016-¶0017) that drives the rotating shaft (¶0019);
a control board (= circuit board 56 having drive circuit 55 on it, ¶0028) that controls the motor unit (¶0031); and
a circuit that receives external power and supplies the external power to the control board (circuit = heat generating electronics of drive circuit 55 which are located on the circuit board 56; the drive circuit would inherently have some kind of electronic connection to receive and supply external power in order to operate the drive circuit 55 to control the motor M as described in ¶0031); and
cooling flow channels (= space between fins 52 and fins 11a in Fig 1) formed in the housing (Fig 1),
wherein the cooling flow channels includes a first cooling flow channel (i.e. channels formed by fins 11a in Fig 1) for cooling the motor unit (as seen in from Fig 1, ¶0035 – the channels formed by fins 11a are for transferring heat away from the motor) and a second cooling flow channel (channels formed by fins 52) for cooling the circuit (as seen in Fig 1, ¶0028, ¶0036-¶0038 – the channels formed by fins 52 are for transferring heat away from the circuit). Fujiki US 2018/0023593 is silent regarding the limitations: cooling flow channels embedded in the housing, the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel are connected in series, and the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel communicate inside of the housing. The prior art of Yokoyama US 2018/0159403 which is directed to a motor with an integrated inverter (abstract, ¶0023) like Fujiki US 2018/0023593, is noted.
However Yokoyama US 2018/0159403 does disclose the limitations: cooling flow channels (the cooling flow channels are defined by the sum of their parts and include elements 27 & 21) embedded in the housing (the housing = 13,17,19,7,11,29,83,87, see Figs 8-9, ¶0021-¶0022, ¶0024, ¶0063-¶0067), wherein the cooling flow channels includes a first cooling flow channel 21 for cooling the motor unit (i.e. cooling electric motor 3 located in element 11 of the housing, ¶0021-¶0022) and a second cooling flow channel (27, ¶0022-¶0024, ¶0066-¶0067) for cooling the circuit (the circuit = heat generating components in inverter/power conversion unit 5; as understood from the figures, water flowing through the second cooling flow channel 27 cools the circuit/inverter 5), the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel are connected in series (Fig 9, ¶0066-¶0067), and the first cooling flow channel and the second cooling flow channel communicate inside of the housing (i.e. communicate via flowpath formed in element 83 of the housing as seen in Fig 9, ¶0066-¶0067).
Hence it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the water cooling circuit 31, 27, 33, 35, 27, passage through 83, 21 inside the housing 13,17,19,7,11,29,83,87 of Yokoyama US 2018/0159403 that provides water cooling for the motor and power module/inverter into the housing 11 of Fujiki US 2018/0023593, in light of the teachings of Yokoyama US 2018/0159403, in order to provide a water cooling structure which can optimize cooling of the motor and control electronics.
Fujiki US 2018/0023593 is silent regarding the limitations: the circuit/heat generating electronics of drive circuit 55 includes a filter unit that filters noise of external power. The prior art of Watanabe US 2013/2013/0049550 which is directed to an inverter for an electric motor (title, abstract) like Fujiki US 2018/0023593, is noted.
However, Watanabe US 2013/2013/0049550 discloses the limitations: an inverter device (i.e. inverter device 12, Figs 2-6, ¶0058-¶0059) including a filter unit (i.e. noise removing filter circuit 26, ¶0058, ¶0065-¶0066, ¶0076) that filters noise of external power and supplies the external power (¶0076-¶0077).
Hence it would have been obvious, to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the drive circuit 55 of Fujiki US 2018/0023593 with the noise removing filter circuit 26 of Watanabe US 2013/2013/0049550 in order to reduce the common mode noise from the power supply to the inverter (¶0076).
Regarding Claim 2: Yokoyama US 2018/0159403 does disclose the limitations: wherein the first cooling flow channel 21 is disposed in an axial direction of the motor unit (as understood from ¶0022, Fig 1, Fig 8, and Fig 10, the part of the first cooling flow channel defined by electric motor housing 11 is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the motor unit 3; an axial direction of the motor unit = longitudinal direction in Fig 8).
Regarding Claim 3: Yokoyama US 2018/0159403 does disclose the limitations: wherein the first cooling flow channel 21 is provided in plurality (as understood from ¶0022, Fig 1, Fig 8, and Fig 10, there are a plurality of longitudinally extending passages which make up the back and forth path best illustrated in Fig 10; thus because of the plurality of longitudinally extending passages – the first cooling flow channel is provided in plurality as claimed).
Regarding Claim 4: Yokoyama US 2018/0159403 does disclose the limitations: wherein the plurality of first cooling flow channels are connected through a connection passage (connection passage = connecting passages (in housing element 17) – which connect respective parallel recessed ones of the plurality of first cooling passages (in the electric motor housing 11) when the electric motor housing 11, end plate 13, and housing element 17 are combined as understood from Fig 8 and Fig 10),
the connection passage is disposed so that a heat exchange medium (i.e. cooling water) moving in the plurality of first cooling flow channels moves in a zigzag pattern (as understood from Fig 8 and Fig 10).
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Annotated Figure 9 of Yokoyama US 2018/0159403 (Attached Figure A)
Regarding Claim 11: Fujiki US 2018/0023593 as modified by Yokoyama US 2018/0159403 and Watanabe US 2013/0049550 does disclose the limitations: wherein areas of the second cooling flow channel (Yokoyama – see Annotated Figure 9 of Yokoyama US 2018/0159403 (Attached Figure A) above) and first cooling flow channel (Yokoyama –Attached Figure A) are respectively disposed on upper and lower portions of the filter unit (Yokoyama –Attached Figure A; additionally it is noted that the word on is defined as: used as a function word to indicate position in close proximity with – accordingly as seen in Attached Figure A the identified areas of the second and first cooling flow channels are positioned in close proximity to the articulated upper and lower portions of the circuit/filter unit in the combination of prior art).
Examiner's Note: The Examiner respectfully requests of the Applicants in preparing responses, to fully consider the entirety of the references as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention. It is noted, REFERENCES ARE RELEVANT AS PRIOR ART FOR ALL THEY CONTAIN. “The use of patents as references is not limited to what the patentees describe as their own inventions or to the problems with which they are concerned. They are part of the literature of the art, relevant for all they contain.” In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33, 216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275, 277 (CCPA 1968)). A reference may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill the art, including nonpreferred embodiments (see MPEP § 2123).
Additionally the origin of the drawing is immaterial. For instance, drawings in a design patent can anticipate or make obvious the claimed invention, as can drawings in utility patents. When the reference is a utility patent, it does not matter that the feature shown is unintended or unexplained in the specification. The drawings must be evaluated for what they reasonably disclose and suggest to one of ordinary skill in the art. In re Aslanian, 590 F.2d 911, 200 USPQ 500 (CCPA 1979). (See MPEP § 2125).
The Examiner has cited particular locations in the reference(s) as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the Applicants. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claims, typically other passages and figures will apply as well.
Furthermore: with respect to the prior art and the determination of obviousness, it has been held that Prior art is not limited just to the references being applied, but includes the understanding of one of ordinary skill in the art. The "mere existence of differences (i.e. a gap) between the prior art and an invention DOES NOT ESTABLISH the inventions nonobviousness." Dann v. Johnston, 425 U.S. 219, 230, 189 USPQ 257, 261 (1976). Rather, in determining obviousness the proper analysis is whether the claimed invention would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art after consideration of all the facts. And factors other than the disclosures of the cited prior art may provide a basis for concluding that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to bridge the gap. (See MPEP § 2141).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments (Page 5 ¶5-Page 9 ¶3) with respect to claim(s) 1, have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/JOSEPH S. HERRMANN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3746
/ESSAMA OMGBA/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3746