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DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendment to the specification and drawings has overcome each and every drawing objection previously set forth in non-final office action dated 10/30/2026, therefore the objection has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s amendment to Claim 12 has overcome 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) rejection previously set forth in non-final office action dated 10/30/2026, therefore the rejection has been withdrawn.
The Applicant originally submitted Claims 1-15 in the application. In the present response, the Applicant amended Claims 1, 3 and 12 and cancelled Claim 7. Accordingly, Claims 1-6 and 8-15 are currently pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s Arguments/Remarks filled 01/30/2026, with respect to rejection of Claim 1 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) have been fully considered however not persuasive.
Applicant argues that cited US 2022/0190684 to Druant et al does not teach or suggest limitation of Claim 1 drawn to “wherein the at least one phase terminalis thermally conductively coupled by a thermally conductive and electrically insulating material to at least a bearing shield and/or a heat sink of the electric machine in order to dissipate heat from the at least one phase terminal”.
In support of this argument, the Applicant reasons that element 5 of Druant disclosure is a bearing and not a bearing shield, and Druant element 17 is not in thermal contact with element 5. Druant [0060] discloses; the AC bus bar assembly 16 (to which connector 17 belongs) is mounted on a side of the DC bus bar assembly 6 averted from the housing portion 1b and facing stator 2, connector 17 reaches through the housing portion 1b and the DC bus bar assembly 6, but it does not thermally couple to the bearing 5.
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Claim 1 limiting term “wherein the at least one phase terminalis thermally conductively coupled by a thermally conductive and electrically insulating material” in a broadest reasonable interpretation just means; phase terminal being coupled by an electrically insulating material to a bearing shield. The term limitations “a thermally conductive material” and “thermally conductively coupled” carry no information content, as all element of a an electric machine, either contacting each other or being separated by an air gap are still thermally coupled to one another.
Applicant’s disclosure [0048] defines bearing shield as “a bearing shield is to be understood as meaning the rear or the front cover of an electric machine which protects the machine interior against contact and which accommodates the bearing of the shaft end of the rotor, that is to say the bearing shield bears the mechanical load of the rotor”
Cited element 5 of Druant is position at front cover of electric motor 1 and protects interior of electric motor 1 against contact and bears the mechanical load of the rotor 3.
Furthermore, Claim 1 in a broadest reasonable interpretation requires that the phase terminal being coupled to a bearing shield or a heat sink by an electrically insulating material. Druant electrical connector 17 is indeed coupled to cooling channel 12 by insulating layer 6d, otherwise Druant electric motor 1 would not function.
According, the Examiner submits that both element 5 and 12 of Druant electric motor 1 are coupled to electrical connector 17 by the insulating layer 6d.
Applicant further argues that cited US 2023/0179070 to Morimoto does not teach or suggest limitations of dependent Claims 8-9 drawn to “wherein an O-ring seals the thermally conductive and electrically insulating material with respect to a section of the phase terminal extending from the O-ring in the a direction of a stator of the at least one electric machine” and “wherein at least one thermal coupling is formed by a thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive material, or by a thermal interface material, TIM” respectively.
In support of this argument, the Applicant reasons that Morimoto’s O-ring (OR2) seals housing components 11 and 40, not between a phase terminal and a bearing shield, the terminal blocks 80 are fixed to heat sink 70, not to a bearing as required by Claim 8, and the Morimoto’s TIM couples field-transistors to the housing, but not the phase terminal to a bearing shield.
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
In response to Applicant’s piecemeal analysis of the references, it has been held that one cannot show non-obviousness by attacking references individually where, as here, the rejections are based on combinations of references. In re Keller, 208 USPQ 871 (CCP 1981).
Claims 8-9 do not require an O-ring between a phase terminal and a bearing shiel, nor do Claims 8-9 require a TIM coupling a phase terminal to a bearing shield.
Accordingly, Examiner submits that Morimoto in a broadest reasonable interpretation in light of specification properly teaches or suggest limitations of Claims 8-9, as cited in rejection of Claims 8-9 below.
Applicant further argues that cited US 2022/0037963 to Zweigle does not teach or suggest limitations of Claim 11 drawn to “wherein the insulation between the busbar conductors comprises channels for cooling the busbar conductors, wherein the channels comprise walls which are defined in part by the busbar system and in part by the insulation, and wherein a cooling medium is guided through the channels”.
In support of this argument, the Applicant reasons that Zweigle is entirely silent on phase terminals, thermal coupling of phase terminals to bearing shields or heat sink, and a thermally conductive and electrically insulating material at a phase terminal.
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
In response to Applicant’s piecemeal analysis of the references, it has been held that one cannot show non-obviousness by attacking references individually where, as here, the rejections are based on combinations of references. In re Keller, 208 USPQ 871 (CCP 1981).
Claim 11 does not require thermal coupling of phase terminals to bearing shields or heat sink, and a thermally conductive and electrically insulating material at a phase terminal.
Accordingly, Examiner submits that Zweigle in a broadest reasonable interpretation in light of specification properly teaches or suggest limitations of Claim 11, as cited in rejection of Claim 11 below.
Applicant further argues that cited US 2014/0009016 to Seidenbinder does not teach or suggest limitations of Claim 14 drawn to “wherein at least one galvanic coupling which couples the DC power source in an electrically conducting manner to the power system is thermally coupled to the power system and is cooled via at least one portion of the electric machine”.
In support of this argument, the Applicant reasons that that Seidenbinder is entirely silent on phase terminals, thermal coupling of phase terminals to bearing shields or heat sink, and a thermally conductive and electrically insulating material at a phase terminal.
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
In response to Applicant’s piecemeal analysis of the references, it has been held that one cannot show non-obviousness by attacking references individually where, as here, the rejections are based on combinations of references. In re Keller, 208 USPQ 871 (CCP 1981).
Claim 14 does not require thermal coupling of phase terminals to bearing shields or heat sink, and a thermally conductive and electrically insulating material at a phase terminal.
Accordingly, Examiner submits that Seidenbinder in a broadest reasonable interpretation in light of specification properly teaches or suggest limitations of Claim 14, as cited in rejection of Claim 14 below.
Claim Objections
Claims 3-4, 8-13 and 15 are objected to because of the following lack of antecedent informalities:
● In Claim 3, Line 2, “the at least one portion” should be changed to read - - at least one portion - -.
● In Claim 3, Line 4, “a bearing shield” should be changed to read - - the bearing shield - -.
● In Claim 3, Line 5, “a heat sink” should be changed to read - - the heat sink - -.
● In Claim 4, Lines 7-8, “the machine shell” should be changed to read - - a machine shell - -.
● In Claim 4, Line 10, “a bearing shield” should be changed to read - - the bearing shield - -.
● In Claim 4, Line 10, “a heat sink” should be changed to read - - the heat sink - -.
● In Claim 8, Line 1, “Claim 7” should be changed to read - - Claim 1 - -.
● In Claim 9, Line 2, “a thermally conductive” should be changed to read - - the thermally conductive - -.
● In Claim 10, Line 2, “a bearing shield” should be changed to read - - the bearing shield - -.
● In Claim 10, Line 2, “a heat sink” should be changed to read - - the heat sink - -. ● In Claim 12, Line 4, “a heat sink” should be changed to read - - the heat sink - -
● In Claim 13, Lines 3-44, “a heat sink” should be changed to read - - the heat sink - -..
● In Claim 15, Line 1, “a bearing shield” should be changed to read - - the bearing shield - -.
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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.
Claims 1-6, 10, 13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Druant et al (US 2022/0190684).
Regarding Claim 1, Druant (In Figs 1-4) discloses an electric drive (100), comprising:
at least one electric machine (2/3/4); and
at least one converter (10, ¶ 46, II. 1-8) with at least one power system (6/8/9), configured to supply power to the at least one electric machine (electric machine, ¶ 45, II. 19-27), (¶ 46, II. 19-26), (Fig 1) and comprising:
a busbar system (6a/6b), which is electrically conductively coupled to a DC power source (8), (¶ 45, II. 1-13); -at least one capacitor (9), which is electrically conductively coupled to the busbar system (¶ 45, II. 13-24), (Fig 1);
at least one semiconductor switch (11a/11b), which is electrically conductively coupled to the busbar system (6a/6b), (Fig 1); and
at least one phase terminal (17), which is electrically conductively coupled to the at least one semiconductor switch (11a/11b), (Fig 1),
wherein the at least one phase terminal (17) is thermally conductively coupled by a thermally conductive and electrically insulating material (6d) to at least a bearing shield (5), (17 is thermally coupled to 5 through 6d), (Fig 1) and/or a heat sink (12) of the electric machine (1) in order to dissipate heat from the at least one phase terminal (17), (Fig 4).
Regarding Claim 2, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant (In Figs 1-4) further discloses wherein the electric drive (100) comprises a housing (1) with a machine shell (1a), wherein the at least one electric machine (2/3/4), the at least one converter (10), the busbar system (6a/6b), the at least one capacitor (9), the at least one semiconductor switch (11a/11b) and the at least one phase terminal (17) are arranged in the housing (1), (Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 3, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant (In Figs 1-4) further discloses wherein the at least one portion of the electric machine (2/3/4) to which the at least one power system (6/8/9) is thermally conductively coupled is a machine shell (1a/1b) of the at least one electric machine (2/3/4), (¶ 51, II. 1-9) and/or at least one surface-enlarging structure which is arranged on the machine shell and/or a bearing shield of the at least one electric machine and/or a heat sink of the electric machine; and/or the at least one portion of the at least one power system is thermally conductively coupled to at least one connection lug of the busbar system which is thermally conductively coupled to the machine shell in order to dissipate heat from the at least one portion of the at least one power system.
Regarding Claim 4, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant (In Figs 1-4) further discloses wherein the busbar system (6a/6b) comprises a DC connection terminal (15) which can be electrically conductively coupled to the DC power source (8), (¶ 57, II. 1-3), (¶ 45, II. 8-13); and wherein the busbar system (6a/6b) further comprises a bent extension (bent section of 7a/7b) forming at least one connection lug (7a/7b) arranged outside the a machine shell (1a/1b) of the at least one electric machine (2/3/4), (Fig 1); or a bent extension forming at least one connection lug arranged outside the machine shell of the at least one electric machine in a connection box, wherein the connection box is arranged on the machine shell; or is arranged on a bearing shield and/or a heat sink of the electric machine and is cooled by the bearing shield and/or the heat sink.
Regarding Claim 5, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant (In Figs 1-4) further discloses wherein the at least one phase terminal (17) supplies alternating current to at least one slot bar (16), (¶ 60, II. 1-8) in a stator (2) of the at least one electric machine.
Regarding Claim 6, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant (In Figs 1-4) further discloses wherein the busbar system (6a/6b) comprises at least two busbar conductors (6a/6b) insulated (6c) from one another (Fig 4).
Regarding Claim 10, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant (In Figs 1-4) further discloses wherein the power system is cooled by a bearing shield and/or a heat sink of the electric machine in that the at least one capacitor is coupled in an electrically insulating and thermally conducting manner to the bearing shield and coupled in a thermally and electrically conducting manner to the busbar system; and/or the at least one semiconductor switch (11a, 11b) is coupled in a thermally conducting manner to the bearing shield (5) and coupled in a thermally and electrically conducting manner to the busbar system (6a/6b), (Fig 4); and/or the at least one semiconductor switch is coupled in a thermally conducting manner to the heat sink and coupled in a thermally and electrically conducting manner to the busbar system; and/or the busbar system is directly cooled by an electrically non-conductive, liquid cooling medium; and/or a DC connection terminal is coupled in a thermally conducting manner to the bearing shield of the electric machine; and/or surface-enlarging structures which are arranged on the bearing shield of the electric machine are actively cooled.
Regarding Claim 13, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant (In Figs 1-4) further discloses wherein the at least one power system (6/8/9) or a portion of the at least one power system (6/8/9) is actively cooled by an actively cooled machine shell (1b) and/or an actively cooled bearing shield of the electric machine and/or by a heat sink (1b/1c) with cooling channels (12), (¶ 48, II. 1-4), (Fig 4).
Regarding Claim 15, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant (In Figs 1-4) further discloses wherein a bearing shield (5) of the electric machine (2/3/4) is magnetically non-conductive and thermally conductive and/or electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive (5 attached to 1b/1c and 12/13 is thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive).
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Druant in view of Morimoto (US 2023/0179070).
Regarding Claim 8, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant does not disclose wherein an O-ring seals the thermally conductive and electrically insulating material with respect to a section of the phase terminal extending from the O-ring in the a direction of a stator of the at least one electric machine.
Instead Morimoto (In Fig 7) teaches wherein an O-ring (OR2) seals the thermally conductive and electrically insulating material (CNT2), (¶ 129, II. 8-12) with respect to a section of the phase terminal (U/V/W phase terminal) extending from the O-ring (OR2) in the a direction of a stator (931) of the at least one electric machine (30), (Fig 7).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Durant with Morimoto with an O-ring sealing thermally conductive and electrically insulating material with respect to a section of the phase terminal extending from O-ring in the a direction of a stator of the at least one electric machine to benefit from improving seal-ability of electric driving device so that heat of the electronic parts being less likely to be released to the outside, thereby suppressing rise in temperature in the electric unit device (Morimoto ¶ 170, II. 17-22).
Regarding Claim 9, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant does not disclose wherein at least one thermal coupling is formed by a thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive material, or by a thermal interface material, TIM.
Instead Morimoto (In Fig 7) teaches wherein at least one thermal coupling is formed by a thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive material, or by a thermal interface material, TIM (¶ 112, II. 1-4).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Durant with Morimoto with one thermal coupling being formed by a thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive material or by a thermal interface material to benefit from providing higher thermal conductivity (Morimoto ¶ 112, II. 4-8).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Druant in view of Zweigle et al (US 2022/0037963).
Regarding Claim 11, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 6, however Druant does not disclose wherein the insulation between the busbar conductors comprises channels for cooling the busbar conductors, wherein the channels comprise walls which are defined in part by the busbar system and in part by the insulation, and wherein a cooling medium is guided through the channels.
Instead Zweigle (In Fig 4) teaches wherein the insulation between the busbar conductors comprises channels (44/46) for cooling the busbar conductors (18/20/22), wherein the channels (44/46) comprise walls (52) which are defined in part by the busbar system (18/20/22) and in part by the insulation (Fig 4), and wherein a cooling medium (cooling-medium, ¶ 29, II. 1-6) is guided through the channels (44/46), (¶ 33, II. 1-14), (Fig 4).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Durant with Zweigle with the insulation between the busbar conductors comprising channels for cooling the busbar conductors and the channels comprising walls which are defined in part by the busbar system and in part by insulation and a cooling medium being guided through the channels to benefit from space saving and simple cooling of the busbars can be achieved, so that the ohmic resistance and temperature rise thereof under high loads remains as low as possible (Zweigle ¶ 13, II. 6-15).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Druant in view of Seidenbinder et al (US 2014/0009016).
Regarding Claim 14, Druant discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Druant does not disclose wherein at least one galvanic coupling which couples the DC power source in an electrically conducting manner to the power system is thermally coupled to the power system and is cooled via at least one portion of the electric machine.
Instead Seidenbinder (In Figs 3-6) teaches wherein at least one galvanic coupling (galvanic contacts, ¶ 63, II. 11-16) which couples the DC power source (direct electrical energy, ¶ 19, II. 14) in an electrically conducting manner to the power system (6/5/512/522/532), (¶ 63, II. 1-11) is thermally coupled to the power system (6/5/512/522/532) and is cooled via at least one portion (4) of the electric machine (electrical machine, ¶ 1, II. 1-2), (Fig 6).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Durant with Seidenbinder with at least one galvanic coupling which couples the DC power source in an electrically conducting manner to the power system being thermally couples to the power system and being cooled via at least one portion of the electric machine to benefit from protecting the more noble cathode terminal by galvanically corroding the more active anode terminal, while cooling of the inner units of the rotary machine (Seidenbinder ¶ 51, II. 1-6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
With respect to Claim 12, the allowability resides in the overall structure of the device as recited in dependent Claim 12 and at least in part because Claim 12 recites, “the at least two conductors comprising: a closer conductor arranged closer to a heat sink; and a further conductor arranged further from the heat sink than the closer conductor; wherein the closer conductor comprises recesses through which the further conductor is thermally coupled directly to the heat sink”.
The aforementioned limitation in combination with all remaining limitations of Claim 12 are believed to render said Claim 12 patentable over the art of record.
The closest art of record is believed to be that of Druant et al (US 2022/0190684 – hereafter “Druant”).
While Druant Figs 1-4 teach limitations of base Claim 1 and intervening Claim 6 as per rejection of Claims 1 and 6 above, however neither Druant nor any other art of record, either alone or in a combination, teach or suggest above-mentioned limitations of Claim 12.
Any comment 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 submission should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance”.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMIR JALALI whose telephone number is (303)297-4308. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, Mountain Time. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached on 571-272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AMIR A JALALI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835