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 § 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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3 & 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 20220392690 A1) hereinafter Kim.
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses (Title: Electronic Component and Manufacturing Method Therefor) a manufacturing method for a power module component (main body part 100, ¶41; and/or intermediate components, ¶94), comprising:
forming an inductor collection (¶85, body comprising elements: “first body sheet 114, coil pattern sheet 140, having a plurality of coil patterns 130, and a second body sheet 116“), wherein the inductance collection comprises a plurality of windings (coil patterns 130, ¶85) arranged in an array (¶86, “the plurality of coil patterns 130 respectively arranged on the plurality of unit areas”; FIG. 6 depicts the windings arranged in an array); and
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cutting the inductor collection to obtain the power module component (¶94, “When the laminate is cut along the first boundary line extending in the X-axis direction and the second boundary line extending in the Y-axis direction, a plurality of intermediate components each including the main body part 100 having the recessed portion 112 formed as at least a portion of the plurality of edges is recessed and the first insulation part 210 provided on the surface of the main body part 100 to cover the recessed portion 112”), wherein the power module component comprises a plurality of windings which are arranged at intervals along a first direction (y-direction in FIG. 6) in sequence (FIG. 8b depicts a jig in which each power module [main body part 100] can be formed in an elongated form, having multiple windings [coil patterns 130] arranged in intervals [y-direction]).
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Regarding claim 2, Kim further discloses the manufacturing method for a power module component according to claim 1, wherein the step of forming the inductor collection comprises:
forming a first magnetic powder layer (first body sheet 114, ¶85) at the bottom of a mold (jig 10, ¶82);
forming a winding layer (coil pattern sheet 140 having a plurality of coil patterns 130, ¶85) on the first magnetic powder layer;
forming a second magnetic powder layer (second body sheet 116, ¶85) on the winding layer; and
pressing the above layers (¶88, “sequentially laminating and pressing…”) to obtain the inductor collection (FIG. 10 depicts the pressing of layers).
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Regarding claim 3, Kim further discloses the manufacturing method for a power module component according to claim 2, wherein the winding layer comprises a plurality of windings arranged in an array, and the windings along the first direction are arranged at intervals in sequence, the windings along a second direction (x-direction in FIG. 6) are connected in sequence (¶56, “the coil patterns 130 may be connected to each other”; FIGS. 6 & 10 depict the coil patterns 130 connected to each other in the x-direction), and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular (y-direction and x-direction in FIG. 6 are perpendicular).
Regarding claim 9, Kim further discloses the power module component (main body part 100, ¶41; and/or intermediate components, ¶94), which is manufactured by adopting the manufacturing method for a power module component according to claim 1.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, and further in view of Okuizumi (U.S. Patent Application Publication 20200312531 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Kim further discloses the manufacturing method for a power module component according to claim 2.
However, Kim fails to disclose the method of pressing being performed at a pressure of 10-20 T/cm2.
Okuizumi discloses (Title: Inductor) a method of pressing being performed at a pressure of 10-20 T/cm2 (¶118, “The mixture of the magnetic powder and the resin is pressed in the mold approximately at a pressure of no less than 1 t/cm.sup.2 and no more than 10 t/cm.sup.2”).
Kim discloses of a method of manufacturing a power module component, the method comprising steps of forming an inductor collection formed with magnetic powder and windings that are then cut into a plurality of inductor components. Okuizumi discloses a method of wherein the magnetic powder and resin is pressed in a mold pressed at 10 T/cm2 for several seconds. Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to take the pressing step from Okuizumi’s disclosure and implement such a method into Kim’s method of manufacturing as it is a well-known technique for manufacturing bodies composed of powdered-material cores. Furthermore, a POSITA would have recognized that the amount of pressure and time is routine as varied manufacturing parameters affects the manufactured body’s density, mechanical strength, magnetic properties, permeability, etc.
Regarding claim 5, Kim in view of Okuizumi further discloses the manufacturing method for a power module component according to claim 2, wherein the pressing is performed for a period of holding pressure of 1.5-5 s (¶118, “The mixture of the magnetic powder and the resin is pressed in the mold… for several seconds to several minutes to form a core”).
(Regarding the reason to combine references, refer to the rejection of claim 4, supra, as it is applicable to the rejection of claim 5 in the manner of pressing a body under specific pressures and times to alter physical properties of the core).
Claims 6 & 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, and further in view of Nakao et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication 20150200050 A1) hereinafter Nakao.
Regarding claim 6, Kim further discloses the manufacturing method for a power module component according to claim 1.
However, Kim fails to disclose the method of grinding the inductor collection to expose terminals of the windings, the grinding step occurring before the step of cutting the inductor collection.
Nakao discloses (Title: Inductor Apparatus and Inductor Apparatus Manufacturing Method) of a power module component (inductor apparatus 10, ¶119) wherein the method of manufacturing comprises a step of grinding (cut, ¶119) the inductor collection (inductor 12, ¶120) to expose terminals of the windings (inductor conductive part 12a, ¶121) (FIGS. 16 & 17 depict the grinding [cutting] step wherein the inductor is cut to expose the conductive sections of the inductor.
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Kim discloses of a method of manufacturing a power module component, the method comprising steps of forming an inductor collection formed with magnetic powder and windings that are then cut into a plurality of inductor components. Nakao discloses a method of shaping the power module component wherein a cutting step is used to shape and expose conductive portions of the inductor. Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to take the inductor conductive shaping technique from Nakao’s disclosure and implement such a method into Kim’s method of manufacturing as it would allow for alteration to the inductor’s inductance and is also known to adjust other electrical characteristics such as impedance, resonant frequency, resistance, and capacitance. Furthermore, it would have been obvious to a POSITA as shaping the lengths of the electrical components would be routine, accounting for the physical dimensions of an inductor being integrated into an electrical machine.
Regarding claim 10, Kim in view of Nakao further discloses the power module component according to claim 9, as detailed above, and Kim further discloses wherein the power module component is molded integrally (¶82-88 as detailed in the rejection of claims 1 and 2, supra; process of layering a first body sheet 114, coil pattern sheet 140 with coil patterns 130, and a second body sheet 116 within a mold [jig], pressed and cut);
Nakao further discloses the power module component has a DC resistance of 0.1-0.5 mΩ (¶120, “The inductor 12 may have a resistance of 0.5 m.OMEGA”).
(Regarding the reason to combine references, refer to the rejection of claim 6, supra, as it is applicable to the rejection of claim 10 in the manner of grinding [cutting] to expose the conductive portions of the inductor to alter electrical characteristics and physical dimensions).
Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, and further in view of Araki (U.S. Patent Publication 10490335 B2).
Regarding claim 7, Kim further discloses the manufacturing method for a power module component according to claim 1, wherein before the step of cutting the inductor collection, the manufacturing method further comprises:
forming a plurality of first cutting positioning grooves (¶84, edges) on a first surface (contacting surface between first body sheet 114 and jig 10) of the inductor collection; and
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However, Kim fails to disclose the method of forming a plurality of second cutting positioning grooves on a second surface which is opposite to the first surface of the inductor collection, and each of the first cutting positioning grooves is correspondingly arranged with one of the second cutting positioning grooves.
Araki discloses (Title: Coil Component) a power module component (coil component 1, col. 2, ll. 52) wherein a pair of cutting positioning grooves (groove 7, col. 2, ll. 61) are on a first surface and an opposite second surface (FIG. 2 depicts cutting grooves on each of the sides of the first and second surfaces), the first cutting positioning groove correspondingly arranged with one of the second cutting positioning grooves (annotated FIG. 2 depicts the groove 7 on first and second surfaces, each surface on opposite sides).
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Kim discloses of a method of manufacturing a power module component, the method comprising steps of forming an inductor collection formed with magnetic powder and windings that are then cut into a plurality of inductor components. Kim also discloses a cutting positioning groove, but only on one side. Araki discloses a method of manufacturing a power module component, including grooves found on opposite sides of the power module component body. Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to take the opposite sided grooves from Araki’s disclosure and implement them into Kim’s method as it would allow for excess silicon resin to spill out during the molding process (Araki, col. 5, ll. 38-41). Furthermore, it would have been obvious to a POSITA to modify Kim’s disclosure, as Kim provides the cutting groove on one side, and to provide the cutting groove to a second side, as taught by Araki, as it would provide greater improved alignment as opposing grooves can cooperate to keep the cutter aligned across the inductor rather than relying on a single reference surface.
Regarding claim 8, Kim in view of Araki teaches the method according to claim 7, as detailed above, and both further discloses the method wherein the inductor collection is cut along a direction from one of the first cutting positioning grooves to one of the second cutting positioning grooves which is corresponding to the first cutting positioning groove (The combination of Kim IVO Araki, as detailed in the rejection of claim 7, supra, teaches that pairs of grooves can be provided on opposite sides of an power module component body. Kim further discloses that the groove 114 is provided on a boundary line to be cut, as shown in FIGS. 12 & 13. Thus, a POSITA would have recognized that cutting step must occur along a direction [Kim z-axis in FIG. 12] from corresponding groove to groove).
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(Regarding the reason to combine references, refer to the rejection of claim 7, supra, as it is applicable to the rejection of claim 8 in the manner of providing opposite sided cutting positioning grooves to enhance accuracy and stability during cutting)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE REY D LEGASPI whose telephone number is (571)272-2956. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5PM.
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/E.D.L./Examiner, Art Unit 3729 /THOMAS J HONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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