DETAILED ACTION
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 § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the anticipatory rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102 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.
Claims 1, 3, 9, 20, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 1020 1621 1464, Fuhrer et al. (“Fuhrer”).
Regarding claim 1, Fuhrer discloses a connector (see e.g., figure 2) having a semiconductor cooling device (20, 30), wherein the connector comprises:
a lead wire 120;
a terminal 10, one end 12 of which is connected to the lead wire 120, and the other end 11 of which is used to be connected to an external electrical structure; and
a semiconductor cooling device 20 comprising a refrigeration portion 21 that absorbs heat from the terminal and a heat dissipation portion (22, 30).
Per claim 3, Fuhrer discloses a protective structure device (housing shown in figure 4A at lead line 100_1), and the terminal is disposed in the protective structure device.
Per claim 9, the refrigeration portion is in contact connection with the terminal.
Per claim 20, the terminal comprises a terminal portion 11, and a connecting portion 12 for being connected to the lead wire; and the refrigeration portion is connected to the connecting portion (see figure 4A).
Per claim 24, the connector comprises a heat dissipation device 30 connected to the heat dissipation portion 22.
Claim Rejections - and 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 12 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Fuhrer. Regarding claim 12, Fuhrer discloses that the Peltier element 20 is connected to the contact surface 15 by a “thermally conductive paste.” ¶ 0066. The examiner takes Official notice that “thermally conductive silicone grease” is a known thermally conductive paste. It would have been obvious to use known thermally conductive silicone grease as the thermally conductive paste as disclosed in Fuhrer. The substituted components and their functions were known in the art. One with ordinary skill in the art could have substituted one known element for another and the results of the substitution would have been predictable. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ.2d 1385 (2007). The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended purpose would have been obvious. Sinclair & Carroll Col. V. Interchemical Corp., 65 USPQ 297 (1945); In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197 (CCPA 1960). In this case, thermally conductive silicone grea.se is a known material suitable for use as a thermally conductive paste.
Regarding claim 25, Fuhrer does not disclose an automobile. The examiner takes official notice that electrically powered automobiles were well known in the art. It would have been obvious to provide the charging connector of an electrically powered automobile with a connector as taught in Fuhrer, including a lead wire, terminal, and semiconductor cooling device as taught in Fuhrer. The reason would have been to provide a cooled power terminal. One of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements by known methods and each element would have performed the same function as it did separately. One of ordinary skill would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ.2d 1385 (2007).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15-18, and 22 are 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20240011678 discloses a waterproof semiconductor refrigeration chip. US 20240429650 discloses a connector cooled by a Peltier effect device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROSS GUSHI whose telephone number is (571)272-2005. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday, 8:30 - 5:00.
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/ROSS N GUSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834