DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to papers submitted on 08 April 2026.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species 6, embodiment VI in the reply filed on 08 April 2026 is acknowledged.
Although Applicant has identified all claims 1-18 as being readable upon the elected species, Examiner respectfully disagrees. Claims 6-7, 9, 11-16 and 18 are drawn to various non-elected species, as follows:
Claim 6 is drawn to species 2, embodiment II as it includes the power supply wiring and the first capacitor connection wiring being integrally formed of the same material, as shown in Fig. 7. This feature is not present in species 6 of Figs. 15-17.
Claim 7 is drawn to species 3, embodiment III as it includes the first opposed wiring portion and the second opposed wiring portion in the first capacitor connection wiring being separate components as shown in Figs. 9-10. This feature is not present in species 6 of Figs. 15-17.
Claim 9 is drawn to species 5, embodiment V as it includes the first capacitor connection wiring and one electrode of the capacitor element being integrally formed as shown in Figs. 13-14. This feature is not present in species 6 of Figs. 15-17.
Claim 11 is drawn to species 7, embodiment VII as it includes the capacitor element being disposed such that at least a part of a current direction between one electrode and the other electrode faces at least a part of the second capacitor connection wiring as shown in Fig. 19. This feature is not present in species 6 of Figs. 15-17.
Claim 12 is drawn to species 8 embodiment VIII as it includes the capacitor element including a main body having the one electrode and the other electrode inside the main body and having a pair of side surfaces each of which is parallel to corresponding one of the one electrode and the other electrode; one electrode terminal electrically connected to the one electrode, positioned on one side surface side of the pair of side surfaces of the main body, and protruding from the main body in one direction of the main body; and the other electrode terminal positioned on the other side surface side of the pair of side surfaces of the main body, and protruding from the main body in one direction of the main body, and a surface of one electrode terminal of the capacitor element is disposed facing a surface of the first opposed wiring portion, and a distal end of the one electrode terminal of the capacitor element is electrically and mechanically connected to a second end of the second opposed wiring portion as shown in Fig. 22. This feature is not present in species 6 of Figs. 15-17.
Claim 13 is drawn to species 9, embodiment IX and species 10, embodiment X as it includes a resistance element electrically connected in series to the capacitor element as shown in Figs. 24 and 26. This feature is not present in species 6 of Figs. 15-17.
Claim 14 is drawn to species 10, embodiment X as it includes a resistance element electrically connected in series to the capacitor element, wherein the resistance element is disposed to face at least one component of a first opposed wiring portion and a second opposed wiring portion of the first capacitor connection wiring, the capacitor element, and the second capacitor connection wiring in which flowing noise currents are in opposite directions to each other as shown in Fig. 26. This feature is not present in species 6 of Figs. 15-17.
Claims 15-16 and 18 are drawn to species 11, embodiment XI, as they include features of both the positive electrode-side capacitor element and negative-side electrode capacitor element and their associated wirings with opposed portions, as shown in Fig. 27. This feature is not present in species 6 of Figs. 15-17.
As such, claims 6-7, 9, 11-16 and 18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse.
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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li et al. (US 2019/0312522; hereinafter “Li”).
In re claim 1, Li discloses a power conversion device (Fig. 1) comprising:
a power conversion circuit (SWC) including semiconductor switching elements (TR1, TR2, etc.);
a power supply wiring (2) electrically connected to the power conversion circuit (SWC);
a capacitor element (Cyp1, Cyp2 and/or Cxp); and
a first capacitor connection wiring (BSB1 or BSB2) electrically connected between the power supply wiring and one electrode of the capacitor element (see Figs. 1 and 2) and including a first opposed wiring portion having a first end electrically connected to the power supply wiring (see annotated Fig. 2 of Li, below: first end of first opposed wiring portion is connected to power supply wiring 2 at point PP or PN) and a second opposed wiring portion having a second end electrically connected to the one electrode of the capacitor element and disposed facing the first opposed wiring portion (See annotated Fig. 2, below: 2nd opposed portion is connected to capacitors at TCy21, TCy11, TCx1 or TCx2).
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Annotated Fig. 2 of Li
In re claim 2, Li discloses wherein the power conversion circuit is an inverter circuit that converts a direct current into an alternating current (Fig. 1: SWC; see Abstract), the power supply wiring is a positive electrode-side power supply wiring (Fig. 1: power supply wiring 2 connected to positive electrode of battery BT), a first end of the positive electrode-side power supply wiring is connected to a positive electrode-side input terminal to which a positive electrode of a DC power supply is connected (connection of wiring 2 to positive electrode of BT in Fig. 1), and a second end of the positive electrode-side power supply wiring is connected to a positive electrode-side input terminal of the inverter circuit (connection of wiring 2 to positive end of inverter SWC, via BSB1), the capacitor element is a positive electrode-side capacitor element for noise removal (Fig. 1: BSB1 connects to positive electrode Y-capacitor Cyp2 for noise removal), and a second capacitor connection wiring electrically connected between the other electrode of the positive electrode-side capacitor element and a ground node is provided (see Fig. 1: Cyp2 is connected to GND via terminal G of the case 1).
In re claim 3, Li discloses wherein the power conversion circuit is an inverter circuit that converts a direct current into an alternating current (Fig. 1: SWC; see Abstract), the power supply wiring is a negative electrode-side power supply wiring (Figs. 1, 2: power supply wiring 2 connected to negative electrode of battery BT), a first end of the negative electrode-side power supply wiring is connected to a negative electrode-side input terminal to which a negative electrode of a DC power supply is connected (connection of wiring 2 to negative electrode of BT in Fig. 1), and a second end of the negative electrode-side power supply wiring is connected to a negative electrode-side input terminal of the inverter circuit (connection of wiring 2 to negative end of inverter SWC, via BSB2), the capacitor element is a negative electrode-side capacitor element for noise removal (Fig. 1: BSB2 connects to negative electrode Y-capacitor Cyp1 for noise removal), and a second capacitor connection wiring electrically connected between the other electrode of the negative electrode-side capacitor element and a ground node is provided (see Fig. 1: Cyp1 is connected to GND via terminal G of the case 1).
In re claim 4, Li discloses wherein the power conversion circuit is an inverter circuit that converts a direct current into an alternating current (Fig. 1: SWC; see Abstract), the power supply wiring is a positive electrode-side power supply wiring (Fig. 1: power supply wiring 2 connected to positive electrode of battery BT), a first end of the positive electrode-side power supply wiring is connected to a positive electrode-side input terminal to which a positive electrode of a DC power supply is connected (connection of wiring 2 to positive electrode of BT in Fig. 1), and a second end of the positive electrode-side power supply wiring is connected to a positive electrode-side input terminal of the inverter circuit (connection of wiring 2 to positive end of inverter SWC, via BSB1), the capacitor element is a smoothing capacitor element (Fig. 1: capacitor Cxp), and a second capacitor connection wiring (Figs. 1, 2: BSB2) electrically connected between a negative electrode-side power supply wiring (Figs. 1, 2: power supply wiring 2 connected to negative electrode of battery BT) having a first end connected to a negative electrode-side input terminal to which a negative electrode of the DC power supply is connected (connection of wiring 2 to negative electrode of BT in Fig. 1) and a second end connected to a negative electrode-side input terminal of the inverter circuit and the other electrode of the smoothing capacitor element is provided (connection of wiring 2 to negative end of inverter SWC and capacitor Cxp, via BSB2).
In re claim 5, Li discloses wherein the first capacitor connection wiring (Figs. 1, 2: e.g., BCB1) includes a bent wiring portion that electrically connects a second end of the first opposed wiring portion and a first end of the second opposed wiring portion (see annotated Fig. 2 of Li, above: portion of BSB1 connecting the first and second opposed wiring portions), and the first capacitor connection wiring is a flat plate-like conductor in which the first opposed wiring portion, the second opposed wiring portion, and the bent wiring portion are integrally formed (see Figs. 2 and 3A-C: BSB1 is formed as a single busbar or flat plate-like connector).
In re claim 10, Li discloses wherein the capacitor element (Figs. 1-3: Cxp in this case) is disposed such that at least a part of a current direction between one electrode and the other electrode faces at least a part of an opposed wiring portion of at least one of the first opposed wiring portion and the second opposed wiring portion of the first capacitor connection wiring (Fig. 3A: current through Cxp flows from terminal TCx1 to TCx2, which is a direction facing (i.e., parallel or anti-parallel to) the direction of current flowing through BSB1 in the first and second opposed wiring portions (i.e., in a direction left-to-right or vice versa in Fig. 3A)).
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.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (cited above) in view of Kinzler (US Patent 4,620,165).
In re claim 8, Li discloses the invention according to claim 2 as explained above, but does not further disclose wherein a length of the second capacitor connection wiring is shorter than a length of the first capacitor connection wiring. Whereas Kinzler discloses an electrical suppressor filter (Fig. 1) and teaches the desirability of connecting the Y-capacitors to ground via the shortest possible distance in order to ensure optimum suppression of high-frequency interference (col. 2:19-25).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the device of Li such that a length of the second capacitor connection wiring is shorter than a length of the first capacitor connection wiring in order to optimize suppression of high-frequency noise as taught by Kinzler.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li (cited above).
In re claim 17, Li discloses the invention according to claim 1 as explained above, but does not further disclose wherein the semiconductor switching element is a wide band gap semiconductor element.
Whereas the use of wide bandgap semiconductor elements, for example silicon carbide or GaN switching elements, was notoriously known and widely practiced in the power electronics arts. Indeed, the very premise of wide bandgap semiconductor switching elements is that they are generally superior in performance compared to conventional switching elements, such as silicon transistors. For instance, it was known that semiconductor devices made from wide bandgap materials could achieve higher switching frequencies with reduced switching losses and with higher heat tolerances as compared to silicon devices.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the converter of Li by using wide bandgap semiconductor switching elements as was widely practiced due to their superior performance characteristics including reduced switching losses and higher heat tolerances.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2007/0109715 discloses a Capacitor Module, Power Converter, Vehicle-mounted Electrical-mechanical System including a laminated wiring comprises a first flat portion including the plurality of capacitors which are supported thereon and electrically connected thereto, a second flat portion continuously extending from the first flat portion while being bent, and connecting portions formed at ends of the first flat portion and the second flat portion and electrically connected to the exterior.
US 2017/0271079 discloses a CAPACITOR CONNECTION STRUCTURE OF POWER CONVERSION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONNECTING CAPACITOR GROUP with U-shaped opposed bent portions in capacitor connection wirings.
US 2019/0319544 discloses a BUS BAR STRUCTURE AND POWER CONVERSION DEVICE USING SAME including U-shaped opposed bent portions in positive and negative electrode side wirings.
US 2020/0162051 discloses a VOLTAGE FILTER AND POWER CONVERSION DEVICE in which an induced electromotive force generated in the voltage filter 12A itself is reduced by forming a pair of a closed loop CA and a closed loop CB in which the directions of the generated induced electromotive forces are opposite to each other.
US 2024/0120833 discloses a POWER CONVERTER in which a specific busbar connected to a specific electrode which is one or each of both of the first electrode and the second electrode. The specific busbar has a folded wiring portion having parts opposing each other by being folded, at the specific electrode, and an end of the folded wiring portion is connected to the specific electrode.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FRED E FINCH III whose telephone number is (571)270-7883. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached at (571) 272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FRED E FINCH III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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