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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3-4 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
A broad range or limitation together with a narrow range or limitation that falls within the broad range or limitation (in the same claim) may be considered indefinite if the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired. See MPEP § 2173.05(c). In the present instance, claim 3 recites the broad recitation “wherein the output phase busbar is formed as a component”, and the claim also recites “in particular as one or more layers of the printed circuit board” which is the narrower statement of the range/limitation. The claim(s) are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the feature introduced by such narrower language is (a) merely exemplary of the remainder of the claim, and therefore not required, or (b) a required feature of the claims.
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 and 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yasuhiko (JP 2004-364427). Foreign reference and translation attached.
As to claim 1, Yasuhiko discloses: A half-bridge switch arrangement (Fig 1-3, 5), comprising:
a high-side switch 13-15 comprising a plurality of parallel-connected first semiconductor switching elements 13-15 (p. 4; translation),
a low-side switch 23-25 comprising a plurality of parallel-connected second semiconductor switching elements 23-25,
a positive busbar 1 (p. 4), to which a first terminal (drain terminal; e.g., 13D in Fig. 2) of each of the first semiconductor switching elements of the high-side switch is electrically connected,
a negative busbar 2 (p. 4), to which a second terminal (source terminal) of each of the second semiconductor switching elements of the low-side switch is electrically connected, and
a heat sink 3, 4, 5 (AC busbar; heat may be transferred from the semiconductor elements to the busbar; p. 7), wherein the heat sink is arranged between a first section of the positive busbar and a first section of the negative busbar (see Fig. 1),
wherein an outer surface of each of the first semiconductor switching elements is in thermal contact with a surface of the first section of the positive busbar facing away from the heat sink (see Fig. 1), and
wherein an outer surface of each of the second semiconductor switching elements is in thermal contact with a surface of the first section of the negative busbar facing away from the heat sink (see Fig. 1).
As to claim 5, Yasuhiko discloses:
wherein the positive busbar 1 (Fig. 5) and the negative busbar 2 (Fig. 5) are each L-shaped, wherein the first section (superposed/vertical in Fig. 5) of the positive busbar is adjoined at right angles or at least substantially at right angles by a second section (leftward extension), and the first section (superposed/vertical in Fig. 5) of the negative busbar is adjoined at right angles or at least substantially at right angles by a second section (leftward extension).
As to claim 6, Yasuhiko discloses:
wherein the positive busbar and the negative busbar are oriented with respect to one another in such a way that the respective second section of the positive busbar and of the negative busbar each adjoin the respective first section on a side of the respective first section (leftward side; Fig. 5) facing away from the heat sink (rightwardly extending AC busbar 3, 4, 5).
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) 9, 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasuhiko (JP 2004-364427 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tomoya (JP 2007-215396 A). Foreign reference and translation attached.
As to claim 9, Yasuhiko does not explicitly disclose:
further comprising a capacitor unit comprising at least one capacitor element, wherein a first terminal of the capacitor unit is electrically connected to the positive busbar and wherein a second terminal of the capacitor unit is electrically connected to the negative busbar.
However, Tomoya discloses:
further comprising a capacitor unit comprising at least one capacitor element 30 (Fig. 1-14), wherein a first terminal of the capacitor unit is electrically connected to the positive busbar 23 and wherein a second terminal of the capacitor unit is electrically connected to the negative busbar 24;
in order to reduce breakdown voltage and heat generation (solution).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Yasuhiko as suggested by Tomoya, e.g., providing:
further comprising a capacitor unit comprising at least one capacitor element, wherein a first terminal of the capacitor unit is electrically connected to the positive busbar and wherein a second terminal of the capacitor unit is electrically connected to the negative busbar;
in order to reduce breakdown voltage and heat generation.
Additionally, all claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined/modified the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination/modification would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S.___, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
As to claim 12, Yasuhiko does not explicitly disclose:
further comprising at least a first electrical switching element insulating layer and at least a second electrical switching element insulating layer, wherein a housing and/or a second terminal of the first semiconductor switching elements are electrically insulated from the positive busbar by the at least one first electrical switching element insulating layer, and wherein a housing and/or a first terminal of the second semiconductor switching elements are electrically insulated from the negative busbar by the at least one second electrical switching element insulating layer.
However, Tomoya discloses:
further comprising at least a first electrical switching element insulating layer 41 (par. 0028; Fig. 1) and at least a second electrical switching element insulating layer 42 (Fig. 1),
wherein a housing 43 and/or a second terminal of the first semiconductor switching elements are electrically insulated from the positive busbar 23 by the at least one first electrical switching element insulating layer, and
wherein a housing 44 and/or a first terminal of the second semiconductor switching elements are electrically insulated from the negative busbar 24 by the at least one second electrical switching element insulating layer;
in order to insulate the frame/housing from the busbars (par. 0028).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Yasuhiko as suggested by Tomoya, e.g., providing:
further comprising at least a first electrical switching element insulating layer and at least a second electrical switching element insulating layer, wherein a housing and/or a second terminal of the first semiconductor switching elements are electrically insulated from the positive busbar by the at least one first electrical switching element insulating layer, and wherein a housing and/or a first terminal of the second semiconductor switching elements are electrically insulated from the negative busbar by the at least one second electrical switching element insulating layer;
in order to insulate the frame/housing from the busbars.
As to claim 13, Yasuhiko does not explicitly disclose:
further comprising a first electrical heat sink insulating layer and a second electrical heat sink insulating layer, wherein the positive busbar is electrically insulated from the heat sink by the first electrical heat sink insulating layer, and wherein the negative busbar is electrically insulated from the heat sink by the second electrical heat sink insulating layer.
However, Tomoya discloses:
further comprising a first electrical heat sink insulating layer 47 (Fig. 3) and a second electrical heat sink insulating layer 47 (Fig. 3), wherein the positive busbar 23 is electrically insulated from the heat sink 25 (AC busbar) by the first electrical heat sink insulating layer, and wherein the negative busbar 24 is electrically insulated from the heat sink by the second electrical heat sink insulating layer;
in order to provide reliable mounting (par. 0034).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the related art(s) before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Yasuhiko as suggested by Tomoya, e.g., providing:
further comprising a first electrical heat sink insulating layer and a second electrical heat sink insulating layer, wherein the positive busbar is electrically insulated from the heat sink by the first electrical heat sink insulating layer, and wherein the negative busbar is electrically insulated from the heat sink by the second electrical heat sink insulating layer;
in order to provide reliable mounting.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 7-8, 10-11, and 14 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.
Claims 3-4 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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:
As to claims 2-4, 7-8, 10-11, and 14, the allowability resides in the overall structure and functionality of the apparatus as recited in the dependent claims 2, 7, and 10, including all of the limitations of their base claims and intervening claims, and at least in part, because they recite the following limitations:
2. The half-bridge switch arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board (160, 260), wherein the positive busbar (130, 230) and the negative busbar (140, 240) are electrically connected to the printed circuit board (160, 260), the positive busbar (130, 230) and the negative busbar (140, 240) being arranged on the printed circuit board (160, 260) in particular in such a way that the first section (131, 231) of the positive busbar (130, 230) and the first section (141, 241) of the negative busbar (140, 240) are each oriented perpendicularly or at least substantially perpendicularly to a main plane of extension of the printed circuit board (160, 260).
7. The half-bridge switch arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the positive busbar (130, 230) and the negative busbar (140, 240) are oriented with respect to one another in such a way that the respective second section (232, 242) of the positive busbar (230) and of the negative busbar (240) each adjoin the respective first section (131, 141) on a side of the respective first section (131, 141) facing the heat sink (180) and each extend above the heat sink (280).
10. The half-bridge switch arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the positive busbar (130, 230) and the negative busbar (140, 240) are each L-shaped, wherein the first section (131, 231) of the positive busbar (130, 230) is adjoined at right angles or at least substantially at right angles by a second section (132, 232), and the first section (141, 241) of the negative busbar (140, 240) is adjoined at right angles or at least substantially at right angles by a second section (142, 242), wherein the capacitor unit (150, 250) is arranged on the second section (132, 232) of the positive busbar (130, 230) and/or on the second section (142, 242) of the negative busbar.
Sano (US 12136892 B2), Ilic (US 20180351498 A1), Seki (US 20130016548 A1), and Baeumel (US 20160105004 A1) disclose conventional switching arrangements.
None of the prior art, either alone or in combination, can be reasonably construed as adequately teaching the above claimed elements, in combination with the remaining claim limitations.
Further, Examiner has not identified any double patenting issues.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB R CRUM whose telephone number is (571)270-7665. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/JACOB R CRUM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835