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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, Species I (claims 1, 3, and 5-11) in the reply filed on 4/24/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 2, 4, and 12-14 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 4/24/26. Also, claim 10 is further withdrawn as the claim is directed to Species IV (i.e. hollow holding pin accommodating a terminal element); however, the applicant is reminded that any claim dependent on an allowed claim is subject to rejoinder.
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) 1, 3, 5, 6, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bayerer US 2014/0035118 A1. Bayerer discloses (see, for example, FIG. 3) a power semiconductor module arrangement comprising a housing 7/10, substrate 2, holding pins 4, first end 42, holding elements 71, and sleeve 72. The holding pins 4 extends from the substrate 2 in a vertical direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate 2 towards a different one of the one of more holding elements 71 such that the free end 42 of each of the one or more holding pins 4 is arranged inside the respective holding element 71. In paragraph [0044], Bayerer discloses the holding pin 4 being connected by the free end 42 by a press-fit contact (i.e. force-fitting).
Regarding claim 3, see, for example, FIG. 3 wherein Bayerer discloses two holding
elements 71 arranged on opposing sides of the housing 7/10.
Regarding claim 5, see, for example, FIG. 3 wherein Bayerer discloses additional holding elements 83 as well as holding elements 71, which are more than the holding pins 4.
Regarding claim 6, see, for example, FIG. 3 wherein Bayerer discloses the holding elements 71 having a sleeve 72, which are contact holes that receive the free end 42 of one of the holding pins 4.
Regarding claim 11, see, for example, paragraph [0043] wherein Bayerer discloses sheet metal (i.e. connection layer) on the upper metallization layer 21 and/or the semiconductor component 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 thru 9 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. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The references of record, either singularly or in combination, do not teach or suggest at least a power semiconductor module arrangement comprising: further comprising a plurality of ribs extending from inner diameter of the sleeve towards a center of an opening defined by the sleeve, the ribs defining a reduced diameter in defined sections of the sleeve, wherein the reduced diameter is smaller than the inner diameter.
Regarding claim 8, the following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The references of record, either singularly or in combination, do not teach or suggest at least a power semiconductor module arrangement comprising: wherein at least one of the one or more holding pins comprises a collar arranged at the free end of the respective holding pin, an outer diameter of the holding pin is smaller than a smallest diameter of the holding element, and the collar is bent in a direction towards the substrate and smoothly adapts to an inner contour of the holding element.
INFORMATION ON HOW TO CONTACT THE USPTO
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1733. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 730-330 PM.
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Eugene Lee
May 5, 2026
/EUGENE LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2815
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