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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I in the reply filed on 04/15/2026 is acknowledged.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “322e” has been used to designate both the notched fragile portion (Fig. 6) and the open fragile portion (Fig. 8). It is also noted that these portions are designated with two reference numerals, i.e. 322e2 (322e) in Fig. 6. Applicant should not utilize the same reference character (322e) to designate both portions, and should also utilize only a single reference character to designate a single area.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1 – 2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pat. No. 7,572,150 (“Matsuoka”) in view of U.S. Pat. No. 11,217,914 (“Tsuchiya”).
Regarding claim 1, Matsuoka discloses a power conversion device comprising:
at least one electronic component (inverter, col. 3, lns. 15 – 18);
an accommodating case (C) configured to accommodate the electronic component (col. 3, lns. 23 – 25); and
a connector unit (11) provided on the accommodating case (See Fig. 7),
wherein the connector unit includes:
a connector portion (20) provided with an external terminal (portion 21) electrically connected to outside (See Fig. 1); and
a conductive member extending from the connector portion (see Fig. 1) and electrically connecting the connector portion and the electronic component (col. 4, lns. 26 – 34).
Matsuoka does not disclose a fragile portion is formed in the conductive member.
However, Tsuchiya teaches a terminal member, which includes a conductive member (10) extending between a bolt connection portion (12A) and external connective portion (14), where a fragile portion (24/25) is formed on an area between the bolt portion and external connective portion (see Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to modify the conductive member of Matsuoka to include a fragile portion adjacent the bolt connection portion as taught by Tsuchiya, because this allows the conductive member to be easily broken at desired times, for instance during dismantling of a vehicle utilizing the conductive member (see the abstract and col. 8, ln. 33).
Regarding claim 2, Matsuoka discloses the electronic component includes an output terminal portion extending from the electronic component and configured to output power (see col. 3, lns. 16 – 17 and col. 4, lns. 26 – 34),
the conductive member includes a connection terminal portion (22) fastened to the output terminal portion of the electronic component by a bolt and a nut (see Fig. 1 and col. 4, lns. 26 – 34),
and the nut (N2) is a movable nut attached to the accommodating case and movable in an axial direction of the bolt (N2 is attached to C through the 11, and is able to move in the vertical direction as seen in Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Matsuoka as modified above discloses the electronic component includes an output terminal portion extending from the electronic component and configured to output power (see col. 3, lns. 16 – 17 and col. 4, lns. 26 – 34, Matsuoka),
the conductive member includes a connection terminal portion fastened to the output terminal portion of the electronic component by a bolt and a nut (see col. 4, lns. 26 – 34, Matsuoka),
a bolt insertion hole through which the bolt is inserted is formed in the connection terminal portion (22a, Matsuoka), and
the fragile portion is formed between the bolt insertion hole and the connector portion in an extending direction of the conductive member (see Fig. 1, Tsuchiya).
Claims 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pat. No. 7,572,150 (“Matsuoka”) in view of U.S. Pat. No. 11,217,914 (“Tsuchiya”) and U.S. Pat. No. 8,500,475 (“Takehara”).
Regarding claim 3, Matsuoka discloses the electronic component includes an output terminal portion extending from the electronic component and configured to output power (see col. 3, lns. 16 – 17 and col. 4, lns. 26 – 34),
the conductive member includes a connection terminal portion (22) fastened to the output terminal portion of the electronic component by a bolt and a nut (see Fig. 1 and col. 4, lns. 26 – 34).
Matsuoka does not disclose the conductive member extending such that a center line in an extending direction of the conductive member is oblique at a predetermined angle with respect to a center line in an extending direction of the output terminal portion extending from the electronic component.
However, Takehara teaches bolted connections between a first conductive member 123a and second conductive member 103a, such that a center line in an extending direction of the conductive member is oblique at a predetermined angle with respect to a center line in an extending direction of the second conductive member (see Fig. 12b).
It would have been obvious to connect the conductive member and output terminal at an oblique angle because this allows the positional relationship between the connector, terminals, and device to be arranged as required by a user.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 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 a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 5, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed power conversion device, including a first notch portion and a second notch portion, where the first notch portion and the second notch portion have different notched depths.
Tsuchiya teaches various notch shapes, but the shapes are positioned along conductor portions which are narrowed and adjacent wire connection portion, thus does not teach modifying Matsuoka so that the first and second notch portions with different notched depths as required by the claims. Kitagawa and Kumazawa disclose connectors for inverter devices, having conductive portions. Werthman discloses a lug with fragile portions which enables the lug to be modifiable for various installation needs, but does not disclose different notch depths as required by the claims.
The prior art, when taken alone, or in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D BAILLARGEON whose telephone number is (571)272-0676. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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/PAUL D BAILLARGEON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/renee s luebke/ Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2831
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