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 .
Note:
an aluminum electrolytic capacitor can be either a liquid (wet) or a solid type.
Electrolytic capacitor leads (or pins) are predominantly made of tin-plated copper-clad steel (CP wire) or tinned copper wire.
The capacitance of the lead or pin of an electrolytic capacitor is a stray (or parasitic) capacitance, typically measuring between 1pF to 10pF.
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A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 05/11/26 has been entered.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 9-13, 15-16, and 18-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being
anticipated by Novacek (U.S. Patent 4,763,227), hereafter Novacek.
As to claim 9, Novacek discloses an electrolytic capacitor (30) for a
semiconductor package, as shown in figures 4-8 comprising:
a first lead (36 or 46) and a second lead (38 or 48), extending from a proximal
end of the electrolytic capacitor (30); the electrolytic capacitor including a capacitor housing (the housing is formed below the element 31); and
an enclosure (31) separate from and surrounding at least a distal end of the capacitor housing of the electrolytic capacitor, the enclosure (31) defining a non-electrical support bar (34 or 44), wherein the first and second leads (36, 38 or 46, 48) are electrically coupleable to solder pads (copper lands, column 1, line 53+) provided on a surface of a printed circuit board (32) and the non-electrical support bar (34 or 44) is coupleable to a support pad (copper lands, column 1, line 53+) provided on the surface of the printed circuit board (32) to provide mechanical support for the electrolytic capacitor when the electrolytic capacitor is coupled to the printed circuit board (32).
As to claims 10 and 12, Novacek discloses the aluminum electrolytic capacitor is a liquid electrolytic capacitor or a solid electrolytic capacitor.
As to claim 11, Novacek discloses the enclosure (31) comprises a thermal isolation material (aluminum).
As to claim 13, Novacek discloses the support bar (34 or 44) is comprised of one or more of copper and tin, the EC-CAP having the leads/terminals made copper or tin.
As to claim 15, Novacek discloses an electrolytic capacitor (30) for a semiconductor package, as shown in figures 4-8 comprising:
a first lead (36 or 46) and a second lead (38 or 48) extending from a first end of the electrolytic capacitor (30); the electrolytic capacitor (30) including a housing means (the housing is formed below the element 31);
an enclosure means (31) separate from and at least partially surrounding a
second end of the electrolytic capacitor (30), the second end being opposite
from the first end; and
a non-electrical support means (34 or 44) extending from the surface of the enclosure means (31), wherein the first lead (36 or 46) is electrically coupleable to a first solder pad (copper lands) on a printed circuit board (32), the second lead (38 or 48) is electrically coupleable to a second solder pad (copper lands) on the printed circuit board (32), and the non-electrical support means (34 or 44) is coupleable to a support pad (copper lands) of the printed circuit board (32) to provide mechanical support for the electrolytic capacitor (30) when the electrolytic capacitor is mounted on the printed circuit board.
As to claim 16, Novacek discloses the electrolytic capacitor has a capacitance of at least one-thousand (1000) microfarads (µF), the electrolytic capacitor typically ranges in value from 0.1 microfarads to 2.7 farads.
As to claims 18 and 20, Novacek discloses the electrolytic capacitor is inherently a liquid electrolytic capacitor or a solid electrolytic capacitor.
As to claim 19, Novacek discloses the enclosure means comprises a thermal
isolation material, aluminum can.
As to claim 21, Novacek discloses the first and second leads (36, 38 or 46, 48) are electrically coupleable to the first and second solder pads (solder lands) on the printed circuit board (32) respectively, and the non-electrical support means (34 or 44) is coupleable to the support pad of the printed circuit board (32) using a reflow soldering process.
Regarding claim 22, Novacek disclose the enclosure means (31) completely surrounds the electrolytic capacitor and the first lead (36) and the second lead (38)
extend through the enclosure means.
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(s) 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Novacek in view of Ryu et al. (U.S. 2021/0345489).
Regarding claim 24, Novacek discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except for the non-electrical support bar has at least one of a substantially flat profile and a rectangular shape.
Ryu teaches a horizontally mounted capacitor module (100) as shown in figures 5-7 comprising the non-electrical support bar (121c) has at least one of a substantially flat profile and a rectangular shape.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filling date to have a teaching of Ryu employed in the electrolytic capacitor (EC) of Novacek in order to reduce mounting or connecting space structure.
Claim(s) 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Novacek in view of Kuriyama (U.S. Patent 7,729,102).
Regarding claim 25, Novacek discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except for the first lead and the second lead are each arranged in a Z-shaped configuration comprising a first portion extending from the proximal end of the electrolytic capacitor, a second portion extending from the first portion, and a third portion extending from the second portion and configured to be coupled to the solder pads on the surface of the printed circuit board.
Kuriyama teaches a solid electrolytic capacitor (1) as shown in figures 8-11 comprising the first and second leads (T2 or 7) are each arranged in a Z-shaped (figure 8) configuration comprising a first portion extending from the proximal end of the electrolytic capacitor (1), a second portion extending from the first portion, and a third portion extending from the second portion and configured to be coupled to the solder pads (12, 13) on the surface of the printed circuit board (10).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filling date to have a teaching of Kuriyama employed in the electrolytic capacitor (EC) of Novacek in order to reduce force for mounting connection structure.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ryu in view of Novacek, the references cited as above.
As to claim 1, Ryu discloses a semiconductor package, para-0023+ as shown in figures 1-2, and 5-6, comprising:
a substrate (PCB, para-0023+) defining an opening, para-0048;
a pair of solder pads (Ta-Tb) provided on a surface of the substrate (PCB) at a proximal side of the opening, see figure 6B;
a support pad (Tc) provided on the surface of the substrate (PCB) at a distal side of the opening opposite from the pair of solder pads (Ta-Tb);
an electrolytic capacitor (EC, capacitor module 100 having electrolytic capacitor 110) horizontally disposed within the opening of the substrate (PCB) and comprising a first lead (121a) extending from a first side of the electrolytic capacitor and electrically coupled to a first solder pad (Ta) of the pair of solder pads and a second lead (121b) extending from the first side of the electrolytic capacitor and electrically coupled to a second solder pad (Tb) of the pair of solder pads; and
a non-electrical support pin (121c) extending from a surface of the body of the capacitor module 100, the non-electrical support pin (121c) extending opposite the first side of the electrolytic capacitor and coupled to the support pad (Tc) to provide mechanical support to the electrolytic capacitor disposed within the opening of the substrate (PCB).
Ryu does not specifically disclose an enclosure separate from, and at least partial surrounding a housing of the EC (100).
Novacek teaches an aluminum EC (30) as shown in figures 4-8 comprising an enclosure (outer housing 31) separate from, and at least partial surrounding a housing (inner housing formed below the element 31) of the EC (30).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filling date to have a teaching of Novacek employed in the electrolytic
capacitor (EC) of Ryu in order to provide excellent protect and heat dissipation structure for the EC.
Regarding claims 2 and 4, Ryu as modified by Novacek discloses the electrolytic capacitor (100) is one of a liquid electrolytic capacitor and a solid electrolytic
capacitor.
Regarding claim 3, Ryu as modified by Novacek teaches the enclosure (31)
comprises a thermal isolation material (the aluminum), and wherein when the
enclosure (31) comprises the thermal isolation material, the enclosure substantially
surrounds the electrolytic capacitor (30).
Regarding claim 6, Ryu as modified by Novacek discloses the non-electrical
support pin (121c) is comprised of one or more of copper and tin, the EC-CAP having the leads/terminals made copper or tin.
As to claim 7, Ryu as modified by Novacek discloses the first and second leads
(121a, 121b) are electrically coupleable to the first and second solder pads (Ta, Tb) on the substrate (PCB) respectively, and the non-electrical support means (121c) is coupleable to the support pad (Tc) of the substrate (PCB) using a reflow soldering process.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-4, 6-7, 9-13, 15-16, 18-22, and 24-25 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.
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/TUAN T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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