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 § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato et al (US Publication 20220230945) in view of Asada et al (US Publication 20250167359).
Regarding claim 1, Sato teaches A power converter, comprising: a case having principal surface (Fig. 11, 4), and including an outlet with an outlet opening at the principal surface (Fig. 11, interface between 41 and 42); and a wiring member (Fig. 11, 5) having, as a drawn-out portion, a portion that extends out from the outlet opening (Fig. 10, upper portion of 51 and 52), and is bent at the outlet opening toward the principal surface (Fig. 10, bend in 5 at interface between 51 and 52), wherein the drawn-out portion of the wiring member has a first surface facing the principal surface (Fig. 10, portion of 52 facing 41)
Sato does not specifically teach and includes a spacer provided on the first surface at a position adjacent to the outlet opening, the spacer being sandwiched between the first surface of the drawn-out portion and the principal surface of the case.
Asada teaches and includes a spacer (Fig. 2B, 56) provided on the first surface at a position adjacent to the outlet opening (Fig. 2B, 56 – located at the bend of a terminal with an opening on the right side), the spacer (Fig. 2B, 56) being sandwiched between the first surface of the drawn-out portion (Fig. 2B, 61) and the principal surface of the case (Fig 2B, 36 – see paragraph 71, also could be element 26 in other figures).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application for Sato to include the spacer as taught by Asada to support the terminal at a bend near the case to prevent terminal failure do to stress cracking and ductile failure thus improving reliability of the device. In the modification, the spacer (56) of Asada would be between the first surface of the drawn-out portion (Sato, Fig. 10, 52) and the principal surface of the case (Sato, Fig. 10, 41).
Regarding claim 2, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 2 depends.
Sato does not specifically teach wherein: the spacer protrudes from the first surface of the drawn-out portion of the wiring member (Fig. 10, 52 side facing 41); and the drawn-out portion has a second surface opposite to the first surface (Fig. 10, 52 side opposite of 41), the second surface having a recess provided at a position overlapping a position of the spacer on the first surface in a view from a direction orthogonal to the first and second surfaces.
Asada teaches wherein: the spacer (Fig. 2B, 56) protrudes from the first surface of the drawn-out portion of the wiring member; and the drawn-out portion has a second surface opposite to the first surface, the second surface having a recess provided at a position overlapping a position of the spacer (Fig. 2B, 56) on the first surface in a view from a direction orthogonal to the first and second surfaces. It is reasonable to assume that during the process of bending the terminal 52 around the spacer as taught by Asada that a recess would form on the surface of terminal 52 opposite the spacer.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application for Sato to include the spacer as taught by Asada to support the terminal at a bend near the case to prevent terminal failure do to stress cracking and ductile failure thus improving reliability of the device.
Regarding claim 3, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 3 depends.
Sato teaches wherein the first surface of the drawn-out portion has two recesses respectively provided along opposing sides of the spacer (Fig. 11, recesses on either side of bend in 5 with spacer as taught by Asada)
Regarding claim 4, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 4 depends.
Sato as modified teaches wherein: the drawn-out portion of the wiring member has a fastening hole (Fig. 10, hole in 52 for 44 to fit through); and the spacer (Asada Fig. 2B, 56) is located in an area between adjacent to the outlet opening of the case and the fastening hole of the drawn-out portion.
Regarding claim 5, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 4 upon which claim 5 depends.
Sato does not specifically teach wherein the spacer includes one or more spacers arranged between two opposing sides of the drawn-out portion that are parallel to a direction in which the drawn-out portion extends from the outlet opening.
Asada teaches wherein the spacer (Fig. 2B, 56) includes one or more spacers (Fig. 2B, 56) arranged between two opposing sides of the drawn-out portion that are parallel to a direction in which the drawn-out portion extends from the outlet opening. It is reasonable to assume that the disposition of Sato terminal 52 and the spacer as taught by Asada would meet these conditions as necessary for design needs and end use.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application for Sato to include the spacer as taught by Asada to support the terminal at a bend near the case to prevent terminal failure do to stress cracking and ductile failure thus improving reliability of the device.
Regarding claim 6, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 4 upon which claim 6 depends.
Sato as modified teaches wherein the spacer (Asada, Fig. 2B, 56) extends between two sides of the drawn-out portion (Fig. 11, opposite sides of bend in 5) that are parallel to a direction in which the drawn-out portion extends from the outlet.
Regarding claim 7, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 7 depends.
Sato teaches wherein the case has a hollow terminal receiving portion provided at the principal surface at a position facing the drawn-out portion of the wiring member (Fig. 10, interface of 43, 52 and 41).
Regarding claim 8, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 upon which claim 8 depends.
Sato as modified teaches wherein the first surface of the drawn-out portion of the wiring member is approximately parallel to the principal surface of the case (Fig. 10, 52 approximately parallel to 41), or the first surface of the drawn-out portion of the wiring member inclines toward the principal surface such that the first surface at one side of the drawn-out portion is closer to the principal surface of the case than is the first surface at an other side of the drawn-out portion, the one side of the drawn-out portion being farther from the outlet opening than is the other side of the drawn-out portion (reasonable to assume that the disposition of 52 with respect to the top surface of 41 and the spacer as taught by Asada that horizontal interface could meet these conditions as necessary for design needs and end use, but noting that this limitation includes an alternative ‘or’ limitation meaning that only one limitation needs to be present to read on the claim language).
Regarding claim 9, Sato teaches a power converter manufacturing method, comprising: preparing a case (Fig. 10 and 11, 4) having a first principal surface and a second principal surface opposite to each other (Fig. 10, 4 top and bottom surfaces) and having an outlet with an outlet opening at the first principal surface, the outlet extending in the case from the second principal surface to the first principal surface (Fig. 10, outlet in 4 which 5 extends through); preparing a wiring member extending in one direction (Fig. 10, 5); and inserting the wiring member through the outlet in a direction from the second principal surface to the first principal surface (Fig. 10 and 11, 5 extending through 4), and drawing the wiring member out of the case from the outlet opening at the first principal surface to form a drawn-out portion outside of the case (Fig. 10 and 11, 5 extending through 4), and bending the drawn-out portion (Fig. 10, bend in 5), at a position thereof that is adjacent to the outlet opening (Fig. 10, bend in 5 adjacent to 41), toward the first principal surface, with the first surface facing the first principal surface (Fig. 10, bend in 5 and lower surface of 52 facing upper surface of 41).
Sato does not specifically teach while sandwiching a spacer between the first surface of a drawn-out portion and the first principal surface (Fig. 10, bottom surface of 52 and top surface of 41).
Asada teaches while sandwiching a spacer (Fig. 2B, 56) between the first surface of the drawn-out portion (Fig. 2B, 61) and the principal surface of the case (Fig 2B, 36 – see paragraph 71, also could be element 26 in other figures).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application for Sato to include the spacer as taught by Asada to support the terminal at a bend near the case to prevent terminal failure do to stress cracking and ductile failure thus improving reliability of the device.
Regarding claim 10, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 9, upon which claim 10 depends.
Sato as modified teaches wherein the spacer (Asada, Fig. 2B, 56) is formed on the first surface of the drawn-out portion of the wiring member at a position adjacent to the outlet opening (Sato, Fig 10, bottom surface of 52 adjacent to bend in 5).
Regarding claim 11, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 10 upon which claim 11 depends.
Sato as modified teaches wherein the preparing the case and the wiring member (Fig. 10 and 11, 4 and 5) includes: forming the spacer (Asada, Fig. 2B, 56) on the first surface of the wiring member by performing a press working on a second surface of the wiring member opposite to the first surface of the wiring member, thereby to form a first recess on the second surface at a position overlapping a position of the spacer (Asada, Fig. 2B, 56) on the first surface in a view from a direction orthogonal to the first and second surfaces (para 41-42, “machining such as bending or cutting” where it is reasonable to assume the machining and bending include a press process that leaves recesses on the upper surface of the Sato 52 due to the profile of the press and Asada spacer 56).
Regarding claim 12, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 9 upon which claim 12 depends.
Sato as modified teaches further comprising forming a second recess on a second surface of the wiring member opposite to the first surface of the wiring member (Fig. 10, 5) as a bending point, wherein the bending the wiring member includes bending the wiring member at the second recess (para 41-42, “machining such as bending or cutting” where it is reasonable to assume the machining and bending include a press process that leaves recesses on the upper surface of the Sato 52 due to the profile of the press and Asada spacer 56).
Regarding claim 13, Sato as modified teaches the limitations of claim 9 upon which claim 13 depends.
Sato as modified teaches further comprising preparing the spacer (Asada, Fig. 2B, 56), wherein: the bending the wiring member includes, after the wiring member is drawn out from the outlet, placing the spacer (Asada, Fig. 2B, 56) at a position adjacent to the outlet opening of the case, and bending the drawn-out portion so as to face the first principal surface; and removing the spacer (Asada, Fig. 2B, 56) from the drawn-out portion after the wiring member is bent (para 41-42, “machining such as bending or cutting” where it is reasonable to assume the machining and bending include a press process that leaves recesses on the upper surface of the Sato 52 due to the profile of the press and Asada spacer 56).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhuang et al (US Publication 20080029875) – Hermetically sealed semiconductor device module
Nakao et al (US Publication 20110069458) – Power module
Nakao et al (US Publication 20130069215) – Semiconductor device
Hoehn et al (US Patent 9991609 B2) – Electrical connection module, semiconductor module and method for producing a semiconductor module
Yokoyama et al (US Publication 20220181221) – Semiconductor module and power converter
Kosugi (US Patent 11699666 B2) – Semiconductor device and power conversion device
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/NICHOLAS LELAND HUTSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2818
/JEFF W NATALINI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2818