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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(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.
Claims 1 and 3-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Narumi et al. (JP 2010200433 A) (Of record, cited in IDS), hereafter referred to as Narumi.
With regards to claim 1, Narumi discloses the claimed power module (1) (Fig. 1), comprising: a semiconductor module (3) (Fig. 1) having a semiconductor element (31) (Fig. 1), a terminal (33, 34) (Fig. 1) connected to the semiconductor element (See Fig. 1), and a resin portion (32) (Fig. 1) covering each of the semiconductor element and the terminal (See Fig. 1; Semiconductor elements 31 are surrounded by the resin, which would require the terminals to also be surrounded / partially covered in order to make contact); and a cooling device (4) (Fig. 2) having a cooling unit (40) (Fig. 2) provided in the semiconductor module so as to be capable of conducting heat (See Fig. 2; Tubes 4a and 4b of 40 sandwich 3 so as to conduct heat from it), a supply pipe (44) (Figs. 1, 3) configured to supply refrigerant to an interior of the cooling unit (Supplies pipes 40; See Figs. 1, 3), and a discharge pipe (Opposite to pipe 44; See Fig. 1) configured to discharge the refrigerant that is flowed inside the cooling unit (Exit point of fluid from pipes 40; See Fig. 1), wherein the supply pipe and the discharge pipe are spaced apart in a lateral direction (i.e., left-right relative to Fig. 1) orthogonal to an alignment direction (i.e., up-down relative to Fig. 1) in which the semiconductor module and the cooling unit are aligned (The semiconductor modules and cooling unit are aligned along the up-down direction orthogonal to left-right; see Fig. 1), the supply pipe (44) (Fig. 1) and the discharge pipe (Opposite to pipe 44) (Fig. 1) face the semiconductor module in a vertical direction (i.e., a direction out of the page relative to Fig. 1) orthogonal to the lateral direction and the alignment direction (a direction out of the page would be orthogonal to both the left-right and up-down directions, relative to Fig. 1), the terminal has a first terminal (Upstream terminal of 33) (Fig. 1) connected to a first electrode of the semiconductor element (Terminals must connect to the semiconductor through an electrode, i.e., an upstream electrode) (Fig. 1), a second terminal (Downstream terminal of 33) (Fig. 1) connected to a second electrode of the semiconductor element (Terminals must connect to the semiconductor through an electrode, i.e., a downstream electrode) (Fig. 1), and a control terminal (34) (Fig. 1) configured to control energization between the first electrode and the second electrode of the semiconductor element (Terminal 34 acts as the control terminal for a transistor; See Fig. 1), and in a surrounding area (Between 4a and 4b, pipes of 40) (Fig. 2) surrounded by a portion of the cooling unit where the semiconductor module is provided (See Fig. 2) and a portion of the cooling unit connected to the supply pipe and the discharge pipe (Pipes of 40 are connected to the supply pipe 44 and associated discharge pipe opposite; See Fig. 1), a part of the portion of the first terminal exposed from the resin portion or a part of the portion of the second terminal exposed from the resin portion is located (Best visible in Fig. 2; the terminals extend from 3 between the pipes 4a and 4b.).
With regards to claim 6, Narumi discloses the claimed power module (1) (Fig. 1), comprising: a semiconductor module (3) (Fig. 1) having a semiconductor element (31) (Fig. 1), a terminal (33, 34) (Fig. 1) connected to the semiconductor element (See Fig. 1), and a resin portion (32) (Fig. 1) covering each of the semiconductor element and the terminal (See Fig. 1; Semiconductor elements 31 are surrounded by the resin, which would require the terminals to also be surrounded / partially covered in order to make contact); and a cooling device (4) (Fig. 2) having a cooling unit (40) (Fig. 2) provided in the semiconductor module so as to be capable of conducting heat (See Fig. 2; Tubes 4a and 4b of 40 sandwich 3 so as to conduct heat from it), a supply pipe (44) (Figs. 1, 3) configured to supply refrigerant to an interior of the cooling unit (Supplies pipes 40; See Figs. 1, 3), and a discharge pipe (Opposite to pipe 44; See Fig. 1) configured to discharge the refrigerant that is flowed inside the cooling unit (Exit point of fluid from pipes 40; See Fig. 1), wherein the supply pipe and the discharge pipe are spaced apart in a lateral direction (i.e., left-right relative to Fig. 1) orthogonal to an alignment direction (i.e., up-down relative to Fig. 1) in which the semiconductor module and the cooling unit are aligned (The semiconductor modules and cooling unit are aligned along the up-down direction orthogonal to left-right; see Fig. 1), the supply pipe (44) (Fig. 1) and the discharge pipe (Opposite to pipe 44) (Fig. 1) face the semiconductor module in a vertical direction (i.e., a direction out of the page relative to Fig. 1) orthogonal to the lateral direction and the alignment direction (a direction out of the page would be orthogonal to both the left-right and up-down directions, relative to Fig. 1), the semiconductor element (31) (Fig. 1) has an active element (Internals of 31; i.e., transistors) (Fig. 1), the terminal has a first terminal (Upstream terminal of 33) (Fig. 1) connected to a first electrode of the active element (Terminals must connect to the semiconductor/semiconductor internals through an electrode, i.e., an upstream electrode) (Fig. 1), a second terminal (Downstream terminal of 33) (Fig. 1) connected to a second electrode of the active element (Terminals must connect to the semiconductor/semiconductor internals through an electrode, i.e., a downstream electrode) (Fig. 1), and a control terminal (34) (Fig. 1) configured to control energization between the first electrode and the second electrode of the active element (Terminal 34 acts as the control terminal for a transistor; See Fig. 1), and one of the first terminal and the second terminal faces one of the supply pipe and the discharge pipe in the vertical direction (Both terminals can be seen to turn vertically in Fig. 2; the vertical portions of both first and second terminals face both the supply and discharge pipes along a vertical direction.).
With regards to claim 7, Narumi discloses the claimed power module (1) (Fig. 1), comprising: a semiconductor module (3) (Fig. 1) having a semiconductor element (31) (Fig. 1), a terminal (33, 34) (Fig. 1) connected to the semiconductor element (See Fig. 1), and a resin portion (32) (Fig. 1) covering each of the semiconductor element and the terminal (See Fig. 1; Semiconductor elements 31 are surrounded by the resin, which would require the terminals to also be surrounded / partially covered in order to make contact); and a cooling device (4) (Fig. 2) having a cooling unit (40) (Fig. 2) provided in the semiconductor module so as to be capable of conducting heat (See Fig. 2; Tubes 4a and 4b of 40 sandwich 3 so as to conduct heat from it), a supply pipe (44) (Figs. 1, 3) configured to supply refrigerant to an interior of the cooling unit (Supplies pipes 40; See Figs. 1, 3), and a discharge pipe (Opposite to pipe 44; See Fig. 1) configured to discharge the refrigerant that is flowed inside the cooling unit (Exit point of fluid from pipes 40; See Fig. 1), wherein the supply pipe and the discharge pipe are spaced apart in a lateral direction (i.e., left-right relative to Fig. 1) orthogonal to an alignment direction (i.e., up-down relative to Fig. 1) in which the semiconductor module and the cooling unit are aligned (The semiconductor modules and cooling unit are aligned along the up-down direction orthogonal to left-right; see Fig. 1), the supply pipe (44) (Fig. 1) and the discharge pipe (Opposite to pipe 44) (Fig. 1) face the semiconductor module in a vertical direction (i.e., a direction out of the page relative to Fig. 1) orthogonal to the lateral direction and the alignment direction (a direction out of the page would be orthogonal to both the left-right and up-down directions, relative to Fig. 1), the cooling unit (40) (Fig. 2) has a facing portion (The upper portion of 4b) (Fig. 2) aligned with the resin portion in the alignment direction (The upper surface of 4b and the resin are aligned along an up-down direction relative to Fig. 1), a first arm portion (Base of left pipe of 44) (Figs. 1, 3) extending in the vertical direction (Out of the page, relative to Fig. 1) from the facing portion (See Figs. 3, 1), and a second arm portion (Base of second pipe of 44, on the right of Fig. 1) spaced apart from the first arm portion in the lateral direction (Spaced left-right relative to Fig. 1) and extending in the vertical direction from the facing portion (Extending out of the page relative to Fig. 1, from the upper portion of 4b.), the supply pipe extends in the alignment direction (See Fig. 1; the left pipe of 44 has a thickness in the up-down direction relative to Fig. 1) and is connected to the first arm portion (See Figs. 1, 3), and the discharge pipe extends in the alignment direction (See Fig. 1; the right pipe of 44 has a thickness in the up-down direction relative to Fig. 1) and is connected to the second arm portion (See Figs. 1, 3).
With regards to claim 14, Narumi discloses the claimed power module (1) (Fig. 1), comprising: a plurality of semiconductor modules (3) (Fig. 1) having a semiconductor element (31) (Fig. 1), a terminal (33, 34) (Fig. 1) connected to the semiconductor element (See Fig. 1), and a resin portion (32) (Fig. 1) covering each of the semiconductor element and the terminal (See Fig. 1; Semiconductor elements 31 are surrounded by the resin, which would require the terminals to also be surrounded / partially covered in order to make contact); and a cooling device (4) (Fig. 2) having a cooling unit (40) (Fig. 2) provided in the plurality of semiconductor modules so as to be capable of conducting heat (See Fig. 2; Tubes 4a and 4b of 40 sandwich 3 so as to conduct heat from it), a supply pipe (44) (Figs. 1, 3) configured to supply refrigerant to an interior of the cooling unit (Supplies pipes 40; See Figs. 1, 3), and a discharge pipe (Opposite to pipe 44; See Fig. 1) configured to discharge the refrigerant that is flowed inside the cooling unit (Exit point of fluid from pipes 40; See Fig. 1), wherein the supply pipe and the discharge pipe are spaced apart in a lateral direction (i.e., left-right relative to Fig. 1) orthogonal to an alignment direction (i.e., up-down relative to Fig. 1) in which the semiconductor module and the cooling unit are aligned (The semiconductor modules and cooling unit are aligned along the up-down direction orthogonal to left-right; see Fig. 1), the supply pipe (44) (Fig. 1) and the discharge pipe (Opposite pipe to 44) (Fig. 1) face the plurality of semiconductor modules (3) (Fig. 1) in a vertical direction (i.e., into and out of the page relative to Fig. 1; Parts 3 and 44 face one another in the vertical direction, best seen in Fig. 3) orthogonal to the alignment direction and the lateral direction (The directions of left-right, up-down, and into and out of the page with respect to Fig. 1 are orthogonal to one another), the cooling unit (40) (Fig. 2) has a facing portion (Upper portion of 4b) (Fig. 2) configured to face the plurality of semiconductor modules (Best visible in Fig. 2) and extend in the lateral direction (See Fig. 1; the pipes 4a and 4b extend in the left-right direction), a first arm portion (Base of 44) (Figs. 1, 3) configured to extend in the vertical direction (Out of the page, relative to Fig. 1) from the facing portion (See Figs. 3, 1) and be connected to the supply pipe (Pipes 44 supply and discharge coolant, with the left pipe adjacent to 41 being the supply. The base of these pipes connect to the full pipe.) (Fig. 1), and a second arm portion (Base of second pipe of 44, on the right of Fig. 1) configured to be spaced apart from the first arm portion in the lateral direction (Spaced left-right relative to Fig. 1), extend in the vertical direction from the facing portion (Extending out of the page relative to Fig. 1, from the upper portion of 4b.), and be connected to the discharge pipe (Connected through 4a and 4b) (Figs. 1, 2), the plurality of the semiconductor modules (3) (Fig. 1) are arranged in the lateral direction (i.e., in a left row and a right row) (Fig. 1), and a part of the supply pipe and a part of the discharge pipe (Interior of pipes 44) (Figs. 1, 3) are located in a surrounding area (i.e., the area surrounded by the base / lower portion of pipes 44) surrounded by the first arm portion (Base of 44) (Figs. 1, 3), the second arm portion (Base of second pipe of 44, on the right of Fig. 1), and the facing portion (Upper surface of 4b; The interior of pipes 44 is at least partially surrounded by the base of pipes 44, and the upper surface of 4b.).
With regards to claim 3, Narumi discloses all as applied to claim 1, and additionally discloses:
wherein the cooling unit (40) (Fig. 2) has a facing portion (The upper portion of 4b) (Fig. 2) aligned with the resin portion in the alignment direction (The upper surface of 4b and the resin are aligned along an up-down direction relative to Fig. 1), a first arm portion (Base of 44) (Figs. 1, 3) extending in the vertical direction (Out of the page, relative to Fig. 1) from the facing portion (See Figs. 3, 1), and a second arm portion (Base of second pipe of 44, on the right of Fig. 1) spaced apart from the first arm portion in the lateral direction (Spaced left-right relative to Fig. 1) and extending in the vertical direction from the facing portion (Extending out of the page relative to Fig. 1, from the upper portion of 4b.), and the surrounding area (Between 4a and 4b, pipes of 40) (Fig. 2) is an area surrounded by the first arm portion, the second arm portion, and the facing portion (See Fig. 2; With the first and second arms being the base of the pipes of 44, those portions along with the upper surface of 4b would at least partially surround the ‘surrounding area’.).
With regards to claims 4 and 8, Narumi discloses all as applied to claims 1 and 7, and additionally discloses:
wherein a plurality of the semiconductor modules (3) (Fig. 1) are arranged in the lateral direction (Two rows, arranged left-right; See Fig. 1), and at least one of the plurality of semiconductor modules (3) (Fig. 1) faces one of the supply pipe (Left pipe of 44) (Fig. 1) and the discharge pipe (Right pipe of 44) (Fig. 1) in the vertical direction (Best visible in Fig. 3, the upper surface of 3 faces the supply and discharge pipes.).
With regards to claims 5, 9, and 15, Narumi discloses all as applied to claims 3, 7, and 14, and additionally discloses:
wherein a position (The point in each pipe of 44 closest to the bottom of Fig. 1) in the lateral direction of each of the supply pipe (Left pipe of 44) (Fig. 1) and the discharge pipe (Right pipe of 44) (Fig. 1) is located between two side surfaces (Leftmost and rightmost sides of power modules 3) aligned in the lateral direction in the facing portion (Power modules 3 are located on the facing portion, the upper surface of pipe 4b. With respect to the lateral direction, i.e., left-right, the bottommost point on each pipes is between the leftmost and rightmost sides of the power modules 3.).
With regards to claim 10, Narumi discloses all as applied to claim 7, and additionally discloses:
wherein each of the first arm portion (Base of left pipe of 44) (Figs. 1, 3) and the second arm portion (Base of right pipe of 44) (Figs. 1, 3) extends from one of two end surfaces (End surfaces being the upper surface of pipe 4b near the two pipes 44) (Fig. 1) arranged in the vertical direction in the facing portion (Pipes 44 extend from the facing portion of the upper surface of 4b, and the end portion of the upper surface of 4b near the pipes 44) (See Figs. 1, 3), and a surrounding area (Between 4a and 4b, pipes of 40) (Fig. 2) surrounded by the first arm portion (Base of left pipe of 44) (Figs. 1, 3), the second arm portion (Base of right pipe of 44) (Figs. 1, 3), and one of the two end surfaces (End surface of the upper surface of pipe 4b near the right pipe of 44; The first and second arm portions and the end surfaces would at least partially surround the surrounding area, particularly in the top portion of the figure.) (See Figs. 1 and 2), and a portion of the terminal (33, 34) (Fig. 1) exposed from the resin portion (See Fig. 1) are arranged in the alignment direction (Each of the features claimed, i.e., surrounding area, first arm, second arm, end surfaces, and exposed terminals, are arranged relative to one another and to the invention as a whole in the up-down direction relative to Fig. 1).
With regards claim 11, Narumi discloses all as applied to claim 10, and additionally discloses:
wherein a part of a portion of the terminal (33, 34) (Fig. 1) exposed from the resin portion (See Fig. 2) is located in the surrounding area (Surrounding area between 4a and 4b, with the exposed portion of the terminals 33 and 34 being within said space; Best visible in Fig. 2).
With regards to claims 12 and 16, Narumi discloses all as applied to claims 7 and 14, and additionally discloses:
wherein the semiconductor element (31) (Fig. 1) has an active element (Internals of 31; i.e., transistors) (Fig. 1), the terminal has a first terminal (Upstream terminal of 33) (Fig. 1) connected to a first electrode of the active element (Terminals must connect to the semiconductor/semiconductor internals through an electrode, i.e., an upstream electrode) (Fig. 1), a second terminal (Downstream terminal of 33) (Fig. 1) connected to a second electrode of the active element (Terminals must connect to the semiconductor/semiconductor internals through an electrode, i.e., a downstream electrode) (Fig. 1), and a control terminal (34) (Fig. 1) configured to control energization between the first electrode and the second electrode of the active element (Terminal 34 acts as the control terminal for a transistor; See Fig. 1).
With regards to claim 13, Narumi discloses all as applied to claim 12, and additionally discloses:
wherein one of the first terminal (Upstream terminal of 33) (Fig. 1) and the second terminal (Downstream terminal of 33) (Fig. 1) faces one of the supply pipe (Left pipe of 44) (Fig. 1) and the discharge pipe (Right pipe of 44) (Fig. 1) in the vertical direction (Both terminals can be seen to turn vertically in Fig. 2; the vertical portions of both first and second terminals face both the supply and discharge pipes along a vertical direction.).
With regards to claim 17, Narumi discloses all as applied to claim 16, and additionally discloses:
wherein one of the first terminal (Upstream terminal of 33) (Fig. 1) and the second terminal (Downstream terminal of 33) (Fig. 1) faces one of the supply pipe (Left pipe of 44) (Fig. 1) and the discharge pipe (Right pipe of 44) (Fig. 1) in the vertical direction (Both terminals can be seen to turn vertically in Fig. 2; the vertical portions of both first and second terminals face both the supply and discharge pipes along a vertical direction.) perpendicular to each of the alignment direction and the lateral direction (The directions of left-right, up-down, and into and out of the page with respect to Fig. 1 are orthogonal to one another).
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narumi.
With regards to claim 2, Narumi discloses all as applied to claim 1, and additionally discloses: wherein the cooling unit forms a C-shape when viewed from the vertical direction (See Fig. 1), and the supply pipe (Left pipe of 44) (Fig. 1) and the discharge pipe (Right pipe of 44) (Fig. 1) are provided at both ends of the C-shaped cooling unit (See Fig. 1).
Narumi does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the cooling unit forms a C-shape when viewed from the alignment direction.
However, the particular direction in which the cooling unit forms a C-shape is viewed as a matter of obvious design choice, absent persuasive evidence that particular orientation that the C-shape is formed in is significant. Both the instant Application and the art of record have water channels that flow coolant over an upper surface of the transistors, with the particulars of the shape of the coolant lines as viewed from various angles being viewed as irrelevant, especially with regards to the function and performance of the claimed invention.
See In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Also, all claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined / modified the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination / modification would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S.___, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yoshimatsu et al. (US 7656016 B2), teaching a U-shaped transistor cooling device of similar form to the instant application.
Yasui et al. (US 20050259402 A1), teaching a U-shaped transistor cooling device with many transistors in parallel to one another, with associated cooling channels.
Katsuura et al. (JP 2005175163 A), teaching a cooling block with a plurality of transistors, of similar form to the instant application.
Jo et al. (US 20180352686 A1), teaching a looping cooling pipe in a U-shape, with a transistor in the interior.
Lei et al. (US 9848519 B2), teaching a stacked cooling device for transistors, with a plurality of channels and transistors.
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/K.O./Examiner, Art Unit 2835
/MANDEEP S BUTTAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835