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 .
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) 1-6 and 9-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mattiuzzo (U.S. Pub. 2014/0199861) in view of Wurster (U.S. Pat. 5564954).
Regarding claim 1, Mattiuzzo [Figs.3-14] discloses a power semiconductor module arrangement, comprising:
a housing [410] comprising a plurality of through holes [440];
a substrate [408] forming a ground surface of the housing; and
a plurality of terminal elements [430] mechanically and electrically connected to the substrate [408] [Fig.4],
wherein a first end [232] of each of the plurality of terminal elements is arranged inside the housing and connected to the substrate [Para.26],
wherein each of the plurality of terminal elements extends from the substrate in a vertical direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate through one of the plurality of through holes [440] to the outside of the housing, such that a second end of each of the plurality of terminal elements is arranged outside of the housing [Figs.4,6];
wherein each of the plurality of terminal elements comprises a holding element [236,244,242] arranged between the first end and the second end [Fig.2].
Mattiuzzo [Figs.2-4,9-12] appears to disclose wherein each of the plurality of holding elements exerts a force on the housing, thereby holding the housing in a desired position with regard to the substrate. Mattiuzzo fails to explicitly disclose wherein each of the plurality of holding elements exerts a force on the housing, thereby holding the housing in a desired position with regard to the substrate. However, Wurster [Figs1-13] discloses a module comprising terminal elements [182] comprising a holding element [190], wherein each of the plurality of holding elements [190] exerts a force on the housing [186] [Fig.13], thereby holding the housing in a desired position with regard to the substrate. It would have been obvious to provide terminal elements comprising a holding element as claimed, since it has been held that applying a known technique to a known process in order to yield predictable results would have been obvious. Further, it would have been obvious to try one of the known methods with a reasonable expectation of success. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claim 13, Mattiuzzo [Figs.3-14] discloses a method for assembling a power semiconductor module arrangement, the method comprising:
connecting a plurality of terminal elements [430] to a substrate [408]; and
arranging a housing [410] comprising a plurality of through holes [440] on the substrate,
wherein each of the plurality of terminal elements extends from the substrate in a vertical direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate [Fig.4],
wherein arranging the housing on the substrate comprises inserting each of the plurality of terminal elements [430] into a different one of the plurality of through holes [440], such that a first end [232] of each of the plurality of terminal elements is arranged inside the housing and connected to the substrate and a second end [238] of each of the plurality of terminal elements is arranged outside of the housing [Fig.4],
wherein each of the plurality of terminal elements comprises a holding element [236,244,242] arranged between the first end and the second end.
Mattiuzzo [Figs.2-4,9-12] appears to disclose wherein after arranging the housing on the substrate, each of the plurality of holding elements exerts a force on the housing, thereby holding the housing in a desired position with regard to the substrate. Mattiuzzo fails to explicitly disclose wherein each of the plurality of holding elements exerts a force on the housing, thereby holding the housing in a desired position with regard to the substrate. However, Wurster [Figs1-13] discloses a module comprising terminal elements [182] comprising a holding element [190], wherein each of the plurality of holding elements [190] exerts a force on the housing [186] [Fig.13], thereby holding the housing in a desired position with regard to the substrate. It would have been obvious to provide terminal elements comprising a holding element as claimed, since it has been held that applying a known technique to a known process in order to yield predictable results would have been obvious. Further, it would have been obvious to try one of the known methods with a reasonable expectation of success. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claims 2-6, Mattiuzzo and Wurster disclose
wherein at least one of the plurality of holding elements [190] is arranged inside one of the through holes [193] and exerts a force on the housing in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction [Wurster; Col.1 lines 32-44];
wherein at least one of the plurality of holding elements [portion 242] is arranged outside of the housing [410] adjacent to one of the through holes [440], and exerts a force on the housing in the vertical direction [Mattiuzzo; Figs.2-4];
wherein at least one of the plurality of holding elements [190] comprises a spring element [press fit] [Wurster; col.2 lines 38-51; col.5 lines 25-30];
wherein the spring element [190] is arranged inside one of the through holes having a diameter less than a width or diameter of the spring element in an uncompressed state such that the spring element is compressed inside the through hole, and wherein a spring force exerted by the spring element counteracts the force compressing the spring element, thereby holding the housing in the desired position [press fit] [Wurster; col.2 lines 38-51; col.5 lines 25-30];
wherein the spring element comprises a press-fit element [press fit] [Wurster; col.2 lines 38-51; col.5 lines 25-30].
Regarding claims 9-10, Mattiuzzo [Figs.3-14] discloses the power semiconductor module arrangement further comprising:
a printed circuit board [460] arranged outside the housing essentially in parallel to and vertically above the housing [410] [Figs.13-14],
wherein the printed circuit board comprises a plurality of through holes [450],
wherein each of the plurality of terminal elements [430] further extends through one of the through holes of the printed circuit board [Fig.14];
further comprising:
a connection layer [208] between each of the plurality of terminal elements [430] and the substrate [408] [Figs.2,4];
Regarding claim 11, Mattiuzzo [Figs.3-14] discloses the power semiconductor module arrangement further comprising:
wherein the connection layer [208] comprises at least one of:
a solder layer;
an electrically conductive adhesive;
a layer of a sintered metal powder; and
a welding seam.
It appears readily obvious as Mattiuzzo [Para.26] discloses the terminal elements can be electrically connected to the connection layer using solder or conductive adhesive. It would have been obvious to include the connection layer comprising at least one of the claimed material, since it has been held that applying a known technique to a known process in order to yield predictable results would have been obvious. Further, it would have been obvious to try one of the known methods with a reasonable expectation of success. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claim 12, Mattiuzzo [Figs.3-14] discloses the power semiconductor module arrangement comprising a connection layer, but fails to explicitly disclose a plurality of rivets arranged on the substrate, wherein the first end of each of the plurality of terminal elements is inserted into one of the rivets. Mattiuzzo [Para.33] discloses rivets as an option for attaching two structures. It would have been obvious to provide the rivets as claimed, since it has been held that applying a known technique to a known process in order to yield predictable results would have been obvious. Further, it would have been obvious to try one of the known methods with a reasonable expectation of success. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claims 14-15, Mattiuzzo and Wurster disclose
wherein arranging the housing on the substrate comprises:
inserting each of the plurality of terminal elements [190] into a different one of the plurality of through holes [193] until at least one of the plurality of holding elements is arranged inside one of the through holes and exerts a force on the housing in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction [Wurster; Col.1 lines 32-44];
wherein arranging the housing on the substrate comprises:
inserting each of the plurality of terminal elements into a different one of the plurality of through holes until at least one of the plurality of holding elements [portion 242] is arranged outside of the housing [410] adjacent to one of the through holes [440] and exerts a force on the housing in the vertical direction [Mattiuzzo; Figs.2-4].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 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: Prior art does not fairly disclose or make obvious the claimed device/method taken as a whole, and specifically, the limitations of
wherein the spring element is arranged outside of the housing adjacent to one of the through holes, and wherein the spring element is in an uncompressed state in which a width or diameter of the spring element is larger than a diameter of the through hole adjacent the spring element, thereby preventing the terminal element from moving vertically through the through hole and holding the housing in the desired position;
wherein:
at least one of the plurality of holding elements has a conical form;
a width or diameter of the at least one holding element decreases from a side of the at least one holding element facing the first end of the terminal element towards an opposite side of the at least one holding element facing the second end of the terminal element;
a smallest width or diameter of the at least one holding element is smaller than a diameter of the through hole;
a largest width or diameter of the at least one holding element equals or is larger than a diameter of the through hole;
the at least one holding element is arranged inside the through hole; and
the largest width or diameter of the at least one holding element is larger than a width or diameter of the terminal element, such that the at least one holding element forms a collar which acts as a barbed hook, thereby preventing the terminal element from moving vertically through the through hole and holding the housing in the desired position.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art is considered analogous art and discloses at least some of the claimed subject matter of the current invention.
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/BAC H AU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898