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DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 02/13/2024 has been fully considered and is attached hereto.
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.
Claims 11 and 15-17 rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Matsuo et al (2007/0253164).
Regarding Claim 11, Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) discloses an inverter (200) for an electric vehicle (100) having two traction motors (130/140), the inverter (200) comprising:
a first power board (502) configured to provide alternating current (AC) power to a first traction motor (130);
a second power board (504) configured to provide AC power to a second traction motor (140); and
a cooling plate (220) disposed under the first power board (502) and the second power board (504), (Fig 8).
Regarding Claim 15, Matsuo discloses the limitations of Claim 11, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the cooling plate (220) includes a flat reservoir section (section of 220 beneath 502, 504) that is placed between the first MOSFET device and the second MOSFET device (¶ 138, II. 16-18), (Fig 8).
Regarding Claim 16, Matsuo discloses the limitations of Claim 11, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the first power board (502) and the second power board (504) are disposed in an orientation that is perpendicular to a flow of liquid coolant within the cooling plate (220), (Fig 8).
Regarding Claim 17, Matsuo discloses the limitations of Claim 11, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the cooling plate (220) includes multiple cooling channels (217) configured to facilitate a flow of liquid coolant (cooling water, ¶ 57, II. 1-4) across a long direction of the inverter (200) within the cooling plate (220), (Fig 8).
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 1-6, 8 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Matsuo et al (2007/0253164) in view of Fielding et al (US 2007/0295488).
Regarding Claim 1, Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) discloses an inverter assembly (200), comprising:
a first power board (502) having a first MOSFET device (¶ 138, II. 16-18);
a second power board (504), disposed proximate to the first power board (502), having a second MOSFET device (¶ 138, II. 16-18), (Fig 8);
a control board (700) disposed on top of the first power board (502) and the second power board (540), (Fig 8);
a cooling plate (220) disposed under the first power board (502) and the second power board (504), (Fig 8);
a housing (210) that contains the first power board (502), the second power board (504), the control board (700), and the cooling plate (220); and
a front panel (232) having external connectors (282) coupled to the first power board (502) and the second power board (504), (Fig 6), however Matsuo does not disclose a laminated housing and a front panel.
Instead, Fielding (In Fig 9A) teaches a laminated housing (¶ 31, II. 1-6).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Matsuo with Fielding with a laminated housing to benefit from superior strength, stability and superior barrier properties, offering enhanced thermal/acoustic insulation.
Regarding Claim 2, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the cooling plate (220) includes a flat reservoir section (section of 220 beneath 502, 504) that is placed between the first MOSFET device and the second MOSFET device (¶ 138, II. 16-18), (Fig 8).
Regarding Claim 3, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the first power board (502) and the second power board (504) are disposed in an orientation that is perpendicular to an orientation of the control board (700), (Fig 8).
Regarding Claim 4, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the first power board (502) and the second power board (504) are disposed in an orientation that is perpendicular to a flow of liquid coolant (cooling water, ¶ 57, II. 1-4) within the cooling plate (220), (Fig 8).
Regarding Claim 5, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the cooling plate (220) includes multiple cooling channels (217) configured to facilitate a flow of liquid coolant (cooling water, ¶ 57, II. 1-4) across a long direction of the inverter assembly (200) within the cooling plate (220), (Fig 8).
Regarding Claim 6, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the external connectors of the laminated front panel (232) include: a direct current (DC) connector (812), (¶ 66, II. 9-15), (Fig 5) that couples the inverter assembly (200) to an electric battery (180) of an electric vehicle (100), (Fig 1); a first alternating current (AC) connector (822), (¶ 66, II. 9-15) that couples the inverter assembly (200) to a first electric motor (130), (¶ 66, II. 9-15) of the electric vehicle (100); and a second AC connector (822) that couples the inverter assembly (200) to a second electric motor (140) of the electric vehicle (100).
Regarding Claim 8, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the laminated housing (210) and the laminated front panel (232) are formed of aluminum or an aluminum composite material (¶ 71, II. 1-4).
Regarding Claim 13, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 11, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses the inverter (200) further comprising a laminated housing (210) that contains the first power board (502), the second power board, (504) and the cooling plate (220), (Fig 8).
Regarding Claim 14, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 11, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses the inverter (200) further comprising a laminated front panel (232) having external connectors (282) coupled to the first power board (502) and the second power board (504), (Fig 6).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable Matsuo in view of Fielding and further in view of Spiegel et al (EP3116292).
For the purpose of citation, Examiner used machine translation of EP3116292, said translation has been provided herewith to the Applicant.
Regarding Claim 7, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Matsuo as modified does not disclose wherein the cooling plate is a three-dimensional (3D) printed structure formed of aluminum or an aluminum composite material.
Instead, Spiegel (In Fig 5) teaches wherein the cooling plate (10) is a three-dimensional (3D) printed structure formed of aluminum or an aluminum composite material (¶ 63, II. 1-10), (¶ 60, II. 18-20), (Fig 5).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Matsuo with Fielding and further with Spiegel with the cooling plate being a three-dimensional (3D) printed structure formed of aluminum or an aluminum composite material to benefit from providing a uniform arrangement from one cooling structure, eliminating geometric errors because no heat sink parts need to be manufactured separately and then joined together, so that cooling fluid evenly distributed over the heat exchanger surface (Spiegel ¶ 14, II. 3-10, ¶ 4, II. 3-6).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable Matsuo in view of Spiegel.
Regarding Claim 18, Matsuo discloses the limitations of Claim 11, however Matsuo does not disclose wherein the cooling plate is a three-dimensional (3D) printed structure formed of aluminum or an aluminum composite material.
Instead, Spiegel (In Fig 5) teaches wherein the cooling plate (10) is a three-dimensional (3D) printed structure formed of aluminum or an aluminum composite material (¶ 63, II. 1-10), (¶ 60, II. 18-20), (Fig 5).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Matsuo with Spiegel with the cooling plate being a three-dimensional (3D) printed structure formed of aluminum or an aluminum composite material to benefit from providing a uniform arrangement from one cooling structure, eliminating geometric errors because no heat sink parts need to be manufactured separately and then joined together, so that cooling fluid evenly distributed over the heat exchanger surface (Spiegel ¶ 14, II. 3-10, ¶ 4, II. 3-6).
Claims 9 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable Matsuo in view of Fielding and further in view of Kanazawa et al (US 2011/0221268).
Regarding Claim 9, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Matsuo as modified does not disclose wherein a bus bar that connects the first MOSFET device and the second MOSFET device to the control board.
Instead, Kanazawa (In Fig 1) teaches wherein a bus bar (14) that connects the first MOSFET device (501,502,540) and the second MOSFET device (501,502,540) to the control board (10a), (Fig 1).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Matsuo with Fielding and further with Kanazawa with a bus bar that connects the first MOSFET device and the second MOSFET device to the control board to benefit from improvements by inputting/outputting a large current between the power converter and an external instrument while enabling assembly and maintenance of the power converter easy (Kanazawa ¶ 2, II. 1-24).
Regarding Claim 19, Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) discloses a method of assembling an inverter (200), the method comprising:
disposing a cooling plate (220) under the first power board (502) and the second power board (504), (Fig 8);
attaching the first power board (502) and the second power board (504) to a laminated front panel (232) of a laminated housing (210), (Fig 6); and
disposing the mounted control board (700), the first power board (502), the second power board (504), and the cooling plate (220) within the laminated housing (210), (Fig 8), however Matsuo does not disclose a laminated housing.
Instead, Fielding (In Fig 9A) teaches a laminated housing (¶ 31, II. 1-6).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Matsuo with Fielding with a laminated housing to benefit from superior strength, stability and superior barrier properties, offering enhanced thermal/acoustic insulation, however Matsuo as modified does not disclose mounting a control board to a first power board and a second power board via a bus bar.
Instead, Kanazawa (In Fig 1) teaches mounting a control board (10a) to a first power board (501,502,540) and a second power board (501,502,540) via a bus bar (14), (Fig 1).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Matsuo with Fielding and further with Kanazawa with mounting a control board to a first power board and a second power board via a bus bar to benefit from improvements by inputting/outputting a large current between the power converter and an external instrument while enabling assembly and maintenance of the power converter easy (Kanazawa ¶ 2, II. 1-24).
Regarding Claim 20, Matsuo in view of Fielding and further in view of Kanazawa discloses the limitations of Claim 19, however Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the first power board (502) and the second power board (504) are disposed in an orientation that is perpendicular to an orientation of the control board (700), (Fig 8).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable Matsuo in view of Fielding and further in view of Vijayaraghavan et al (US 2023/0389241).
Regarding Claim 9, Matsuo in view of Fielding discloses the limitations of Claim 1, however Matsuo as modified does not disclose wherein the first MOSFET and the second MOSFET are silicon carbide MOSFETs.
Instead, Vijayaraghavan (In Fig 4) teaches wherein the first MOSFET (252) and the second MOSFET (252) are silicon carbide MOSFETs (¶ 86, II. 4-10).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Matsuo with Fielding and further with Vijayaraghavan with the first and the second MOSFETs being silicon carbide MOSFETs to benefit from higher efficiency, faster switching and higher power/temperature operation.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable Matsuo in view of Kanazawa.
Regarding Claim 12, Matsuo discloses the limitations of Claim 11, however where Matsuo (In Figs 6, 8) further discloses wherein the inverter (200) further comprising a control board (700) disposed on top of the first power board (502) and the second power board (504), however Matsuo does not disclose wherein a control board coupled to the first power board and the second power board via a bus bar.
Instead, Kanazawa (In Fig 1) teaches wherein a control board (10a) coupled to the first power board (501,502,540) and the second power board (501,502,540) via a bus bar (14), (Fig 1).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Matsuo with Kanazawa with a control board being coupled to the first power board and the second power board via a bus bar to benefit from improvements by inputting/outputting a large current between the power converter and an external instrument while enabling assembly and maintenance of the power converter easy (Kanazawa ¶ 2, II. 1-24).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure; Electronic Inverter Assembly with an Integral Snubber Capacitor US 2016/0365788, Power Conversion Apparatus US 2015/0163962, Impinging Jet Cold plate for Power Electronics with Enhanced Heat Transfer US 2022/0007551, Water Jacket US 2023/0320042. Other pertinent art made of record are on form PTO-892 notice of reference cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMIR JALALI whose telephone number is (303)297-4308. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, Mountain Time. 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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/AMIR A JALALI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835