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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 4-6, filed 01/23/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 35 U.S.C. § 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of new amendments and new prior art.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 3-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamasaki et al. (US 2012/0161558 A1) in view of Fukunaga et al. (Us 2022/0200398 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yamasaki disclose an assembly (1) comprised of power electronics (3) comprising three-phase outputs (70, 74) and a three-phase motor (2) comprising three-phase inputs (23), the assembly (1) comprising N three-phase outputs (70, 74) and N three-phase inputs (23) with N>1, the N three-phase inputs (23) of the three-phase motor (2) face the N three-phase outputs (70, 74) of the power electronics (3), the N three-phase outputs (70, 74) and the N three-phase inputs (23) are located respectively at an outer periphery of the power electronics (3) and at an outer periphery of the three-phase motor (2; FIG. 1), a shape and perimeter of an external periphery (10) of the three-phase motor (2) is identical to that of an external periphery (110) of the power electronics (3).
Yamasaki does not disclose the N three-phase outputs and the N three-phase inputs are located respectively at an outer side of an external periphery of the power electronics and at an outer side of an external periphery of the three-phase motor.
Fukunaga discloses the N three-phase outputs (82) and the N three-phase inputs (4) are located respectively at an outer side of an external periphery of the power electronics (8) and at an outer side of an external periphery of the three-phase motor (30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga to disclose the N three-phase outputs and the N three-phase inputs are located respectively at an outer side of an external periphery of the power electronics and at an outer side of an external periphery of the three-phase motor, for the advantages of a connector that can be sealed even when a refrigerant enters a wire harness, and the wire harness can be easily replaced.
Regarding claim 3/1, Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki further discloses wherein the three-phase motor (2) includes at least three three-phase inputs (23; six inputs).
Regarding claim 4/1, Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki further discloses wherein the three-phase motor (2) includes at least six three-phase inputs (23; six inputs).
Regarding claim 5/1, Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki further discloses wherein the three-phase motor (2) and the power electronics (3) are cylinders with a circular cross-section (FIG. 8).
Regarding claim 7/1, Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki further discloses wherein the power electronics (3) is comprised of inverters (60; ¶ [0074]-[0075]) connected to the N three-phase outputs (70, 74).
Regarding claim 8/1, Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki further discloses wherein the N three-phase outputs (70, 74) are comprised of output phases (output from the inverters 60) and the N three-phase inputs (23) are comprised of input phases (input to winding wire 22), a connection between the input phases and the output phases (connection between the inverters and the winding) is made by a filter card (76, 77) for each three-phase output (70, 74) and input (23).
Regarding claim 10/8, Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga was discussed above in claim 8. Yamasaki further discloses wherein connections between the input phases (input to winding wire 22) and the output phases (output from the inverters 60) are comprised of a shunt (99) for each three-phase output (70, 74) and input (23).
Claims 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamasaki et al. (US 2012/0161558 A1) in view of Fukunaga et al. (Us 2022/0200398 A1) as applied to claim 1 or 8 above, and further in view of Hotta et al. (US 2021/0344295 A1).
Regarding claim 2/1, Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga does not explicitly disclose wherein the three-phase motor is star-connected.
Hotta discloses wherein the three-phase motor is star-connected (FIG. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga, further in view of Hotta to disclose wherein the three-phase motor is star-connected, as connecting a three-phase motor in a star or delta connection, or a combination of both, is very well-known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 9/8, Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga was discussed above in claim 8. Yamasaki further discloses wherein a connection between the input phases and the output phases is made by a switching card (81-86) for each N three-phase output (70, 74) and input (23).
Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga does not disclose that the switching card is a static switching card.
Hotta discloses in ¶ [0040] that MOSFETs and static induction transistors are used as switching elements for the same purpose.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga, further in view of Hotta to disclose the switching card is a static switching card, as evidenced by Hotta in ¶ [0040] one of ordinary skill in the art would be able to easily change one semiconductor device for another to use as a switching element.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamasaki et al. (US 2012/0161558 A1) in view of Fukunaga et al. (Us 2022/0200398 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sugiura et al. (WO 2020/170901 A1).
Regarding claim 6/1, Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga does not disclose wherein connections between the N three-phase outputs of the power electronics and the N three-phase inputs of the three-phase motor are protected by a protective casing.
Sugiura discloses wherein connections (82) are protected by a protective casing (77).
The cover member (77) of Sugiura can be incorporated into Fukunaga to cover the exposed wire harness (63) connecting the power electronics to the motor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamasaki in view of Fukunaga, further in view of Sugiura to disclose wherein connections between the N three-phase outputs of the power electronics and the N three-phase inputs of the three-phase motor are protected by a protective casing, for the advantages of protecting the connectors from damage.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINKI CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-0521. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MINKI CHANG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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