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 .
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 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.
Objections to the Claims, Specification and Drawings
There is a lack of correspondence between the claimed subject matter, the detailed written description, the summary of invention and the drawings as to
a. Claims 1 and 8 require “the heat radiation plate including concave parts provided on a second face of the heat radiation plate in a position of facing . . . the electronic component, . . .” which requires a plurality of concave parts facing an electronic component. Similarly claim 9 requires “disposing . . . the electronic component to face concave parts provided on . . . the heat radiation plate.” However, Figure 5 depicts just the opposite where one or more electronic components are facing each of the concave parts. The rejection below is based on what is claimed rather than what is disclosed.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “second face” (claim 1, l. 10), the “third face” (claim 1, l. 12) and the “side face” (claim 7, l. 2) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 of this title, 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 and 5-9 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 2023/0232598) and Saadat (US 2024/0297593).
With respect to Claim 1, Gao teaches a power conversion device (fig. 3A, 200) comprising: a housing (110,130) that is molded (¶[0018], ll. 18-20; in a product claim, determination of patentability based upon the product itself rather than process that is made by, see MPEP 2113) into a box shape (see fig. 3A); a circuit board (140) that is coupled to (thru 131,133) the housing; an electronic component (141a) that includes lead wires (lead wires of 141a into 140) being soldered (claim 8 of Gao) and joined to the circuit board, the electronic component generating heat (during operation 141a produces heat) by energization from the circuit board via the lead wires; and a heat radiation plate (250) that supports a heat radiation face (fig. 3A, face of 141a facing 250) of the electronic component by a first face (fig. 3A, face of 250 facing 141a) of the heat radiation plate in a heat exchangeable manner, the heat radiation face of the electronic component being disposed to face the first face, the heat radiation plate including concave part (see annotated fig. 3 below) provided on a second face (fig. 3A, face of 250 facing 140) of the heat radiation plate in a position (see fig. 3A) of facing the lead wires of the electronic component, the second face intersecting with the first face, the concave part denting (see fig. 3A) toward a third face (fig. 3A, face of 250 facing 110) of the heat radiation plate, the third face being located on an opposite side of the second face and intersecting with the first face, the heat radiation plate being coupled (thru 120) to the housing on the third face in the heat exchangeable manner. Gao fails to disclose a housing that is integral, and concave parts. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to for the housing 110,130 of Gao to make integral, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893). Saadat teaches the heat radiation plate (fig. 2b, 130) including concave parts (fig. 2b, between 133s) provided on a second face (fig. 2b, bottom face with 133s) of the heat radiation plate in a position (see fig. 2b) of facing the lead wires (fig. 2a, lead wires of 111) of the electronic component (111), the second face intersecting with the first face, the concave parts denting (see fig. 2b) toward a third face (fig. 2b, face of 132 away from 133) of the heat radiation plate, the third face being located on an opposite side of the second face and intersecting with the first face. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Gao with the concave parts of Saadat for the purpose of having multiple contacts points so that the heat radiation plate can be mechanically fastened the circuit board.
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With respect to Claim 5, Gao further teaches the circuit board is coupled to a non-concave part (see annotated fig. 3A above) of the second face of the heat radiation plate, the non-concave part being part where the concave parts are not provided.
With respect to Claim 6, Gao discloses the claimed invention including the concave parts each have a bottom face (fig. 3A, bottom of 250 separated from 140) being separated from the circuit board by a first insulation distance (distance between 140 and bottom of 250 separated from 140) or more. Gao fails to disclose the first insulation distance corresponding to a potential difference between the heat radiation plate and the circuit board. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to for the first insulation distance to any distance including a distance corresponding to a potential difference between the heat radiation plate and the circuit board that allows for an air gap that provides an insulation value that prevents arcing between the heat radiation plate and the circuit board, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
With respect to Claim 7, Gao discloses the claimed invention including the concave parts each have a side face (see annotated fig. 3A above, vertical side of concave part) being separated from the lead wires by a second insulation distance (distance between vertical side and lead wires of 141a) of or more. Gao fails to disclose the second insulation distance corresponding to a potential difference between the heat radiation plate and the lead wires. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to for the second insulation distance to any distance including a distance corresponding to a potential difference between the heat radiation plate and the lead wires that allows for an air gap that provides an insulation value that prevents arcing between the heat radiation plate and the lead wires, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
With respect to Claim 8, Gao teaches a structure of a power conversion device (fig. 3A, 200), the structure comprising: a housing (110,130) that is ( into a box shape (see fig. 3A); a circuit board (140) that is coupled to (thru 131,133) the housing; an electronic component (141a) that includes lead wires (lead wires of 141a into 140) being soldered (claim 8 of Gao) and joined to the circuit board, the electronic component generating heat (during operation 141a produces heat) by energization from the circuit board via the lead wires; and a heat radiation plate (250) that supports a heat radiation face (fig. 3A, face of 141a facing 250) of the electronic component by a first face (fig. 3A, face of 250 facing 141a) of the heat radiation plate in a heat exchangeable manner, the heat radiation face of the electronic component being disposed to face the first face, the heat radiation plate including concave part (see annotated fig. 3 above) provided on a second face (fig. 3A, face of 250 facing 140) of the heat radiation plate in a position (see fig. 3A) of facing the lead wires of the electronic component, the second face intersecting with the first face, the concave part denting (see fig. 3A) toward a third face (fig. 3A, face of 250 facing 110) of the heat radiation plate, the third face being located on an opposite side of the second face and intersecting with the first face, the heat radiation plate being coupled (thru 120) to the housing on the third face in the heat exchangeable manner. Gao fails to disclose a housing that is integral, and concave parts. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was make to for the housing 110,130 of Gao to made integral, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893). Saadat teaches the heat radiation plate (fig. 2b, 130) including concave parts (fig. 2b, between 133s) provided on a second face (fig. 2b, bottom face with 133s) of the heat radiation plate in a position (see fig. 2b) of facing the lead wires (fig. 2a, lead wires of 111) of the electronic component (111), the second face intersecting with the first face, the concave parts denting (see fig. 2b) toward a third face (fig. 2b, face of 132 away from 133) of the heat radiation plate, the third face being located on an opposite side of the second face and intersecting with the first face. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Gao with the concave parts of Saadat for the purpose of having multiple contacts points so that the heat radiation plate can be mechanically fastened the circuit board.
With respect to Claim 9, Gao teaches a method of manufacturing a power conversion device (fig. 3A, 200), the method comprising: fixing an electronic component (141a) to a heat radiation plate (250) in a heat exchangeable manner, the electronic component generating heat by energization from a circuit board (140) via lead wires (lead wires of 141a into 140) of the electronic component, the fixing of the electronic component to the heat radiation plate including disposing a first face(fig. 3A, face of 250 facing 141a) of the heat radiation plate to face a heat radiation face (fig. 3A, face of 141a facing 250) of the electronic component, and disposing the lead wires of the electronic component to face concave part (see annotated fig. 3 above) provided on a second face (fig. 3A, face of 250 facing 140) intersecting with the first face of the heat radiation plate, the concave part denting (see fig. 3A) toward a third face (fig. 3A, face of 250 facing 110) of the heat radiation plate, the third face being located on an opposite side of the second face and intersecting with the first face; fixing (see fig. 3A) the circuit board to the second face of the heat radiation plate to which the electronic component has been fixed; soldering (claim 8 of Gao) and joining the circuit board and the lead wires of the electronic component having been fixed (see fig. 3A) to the heat radiation plate; and housing, inside a housing (110,130) molded (a mold is used to press a flat sheet into halves 110,130 of the box) into a box shape, the heat radiation plate to which the electronic component and the circuit board have been fixed (sere fig. 3A), fixing (thru 120) the third face of the heat radiation plate to the housing in the heat exchangeable manner, and fixing (using 131) the circuit board to the housing. Gao fails to disclose a housing that is integral, and concave parts. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to for the housing 110,130 of Gao to made integral, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893). Saadat teaches the heat radiation plate (fig. 2b, 130) including concave parts (fig. 2b, between 133s) provided on a second face (fig. 2b, bottom face with 133s) of the heat radiation plate in a position (see fig. 2b) of facing the lead wires (fig. 2a, lead wires of 111) of the electronic component (111), the second face intersecting with the first face, the concave parts denting (see fig. 2b) toward a third face (fig. 2b, face of 132 away from 133) of the heat radiation plate, the third face being located on an opposite side of the second face and intersecting with the first face. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Gao with the concave parts of Saadat for the purpose of having multiple contacts points so that the heat radiation plate can be mechanically fastened the circuit board.
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 2023/0232598), Saadat (US 2024/0297593) and Umezu (US 6,984,887).
With respect to Claim 2, Gao further teaches an insulation member (260) that has insulation properties and thermal conductivity (¶[0028, l. 9), the insulation member being disposed between (see fig. 3A) the first face of the heat radiation plate and the heat radiation face of the electronic component, the insulation member extending from a side closer (see fig. 3A) to the third face than the heat radiation face toward (see fig. 3A) the second face along (fig. 3A) the first face to cover the concave parts. Gao and Saadat fail to disclose an insulation member that has insulation properties and thermal conductivity and the insulation member covering the concave parts. Umezu teaches an insulation member (fig. 2, 13a) that has insulation properties (col. 6, l. 57, ceramic has electrical insulation properties) and thermal conductivity (col. 6, l. 57, ceramic has thermal conductivity) and the insulation member covering (see fig. 15a) the at least a portion of the lead wires (lead wires of 15a) of the electronic component (15a). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Gao and Saadat with insulation member of Umezu for the purpose of having providing electrical insulation of the heat radiation face electronic component from the heat radiation plate and to insure that the entire heat radiation face is electrically insulated, by having the insulation material extend beyond the boundaries of the heat radiation face. Umezu fails to disclose the insulation member covering the concave parts. It would have been an obvious matter of choice for the insulation member of Gao to be any size including of a size to cover at least a part of the concave parts that insures the heat radiation face of the electronic component is electrically insulated from the heat radiation plate, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
With respect to Claim 3, Gao, Saadat and Umezu disclose the claimed invention except for the insulation member further has adhesiveness to fix the heat radiation face of the electronic component to the first face of the heat radiation plate. Official Notice is taken that an insulation member further has adhesiveness to fix the heat radiation face of the electronic component to the first face of the heat radiation plate is well-known in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Gao, Saadat and Umezu with a well-known adhesive insulation member so that the insulation member can easily held in place on the heat radiation plate when the power conversion device is assembled.
Claim 4 is rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao (US 2023/0232598), Saadat (US 2024/0297593), Umezu (US 6,984,887) and Shimizu (EP 1608014).
Gao, Saadat and Umezu disclose the claimed invention except for a spring member that is fixed to the first face of the heat radiation plate, the spring member coming into contact with a face on a side opposite to the heat radiation face of the electronic component to bias the electronic component and the insulation member toward the heat radiation plate. Shimizu teaches a spring member (fig. 10A) that is fixed to the first face (fig. 2, face of 7 facing 10A) of the heat radiation plate (7), the spring member coming into contact with a face (fig. 2, near side of 2) on a side opposite to the heat radiation face (fig. 2, side of 2 facing 7) of the electronic component (2) to bias the electronic component and the insulation member (fig. 7, 9) toward the heat radiation plate. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Gao, Saadat and Umezu with the spring member of Shimizu for the purpose of insuring good thermal coupling of the electronic device to the heat radiation plate. a well-known adhesive insulation member so that the insulation member can easily held in place on the heat radiation plate when the power conversion device is assembled.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
KR 10-0648714 discloses an electronic component joined to a circuit board, and a heat radiation plate that supports the electronic component, and an upper face of the heat radiation plate being coupled to a housing.
US 8,689,915 and 2024/0357778 disclose an electronic component joined to a circuit board, and a heat radiation plate that supports the electronic component, and an upper face of the heat radiation plate being coupled to a heat sink.
US 4,204,248, 6,984,887, 7,580,264 and JP 02-76845 disclose an electronic component that includes lead wires being joined to the circuit board; and a heat radiation plate that supports the electronic component, the heat radiation plate including a concave part provided on a lower face of the heat radiation plate in a position of facing the lead wires of the electronic component, the concave part denting toward an upper face of the heat radiation plate.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J HOFFBERG whose telephone number is (571) 272-2761. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon - Fri 9 AM - 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached on (571) 272-3740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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RJH 11/7/2025
/ROBERT J HOFFBERG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835