DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is responsive to the Applicant’s communication filed 3 April 2024. In view of this communication, claims 1-23 are pending in the application.
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(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) 1-3, 9, 13-20, and 22-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Handforth et al. (US 6600395 B1), hereinafter referred to as Handforth et al.
Regarding claim 1, Handforth et al. teaches an insulation structure, comprising:
a first substrate (20), wherein the first substrate (20) comprises a first surface and a second surface oppositely disposed (Figs 2A-2B; column 4, line 31: substrate 20);
a first conductive body (24a), wherein the first conductive body (24a) is disposed on the first surface or the second surface (Figs 2A-2B; column 5, line 10: conductive layer 24a);
a first groove (8), wherein the first groove (8) is located on a same surface as the first conductive body (24a) and adjacent to the first conductive body (24a) (Figs. 2A-2B and column 4, lines 38-44: trenches 8 formed substrate 20);
wherein a surface of the first groove (8) is provided with a first conductive layer (25), and the first conductive layer (25) is electrically connected with the first conductive body (24a) (column 5, lines 25-30: conductive layer 25 formed on the bottom of trenches 8).
Regarding claim 2, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate (20) is further provided with a first connecting layer (24b), and the first conductive body (24a) is connected with the first conductive layer (25) through the first connecting layer (column 5, lines 10-30: shield 24a, 24b, 24c formed in trenches 8 and electrically connected to conductive layer 25 which forms the bottom of trench 8).
Regarding claim 3, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 2, wherein the first connecting layer (24b) is a part of the first conductive layer (25), wherein the first conductive layer (25) is electrically connected with the first conductive body (24a) after extending beyond the first groove (8) (column 5, lines 10-30: shield 24a, 24b, 24c formed in trenches 8 and on the upper surface of the substrate 20).
Regarding claim 9, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 1, wherein there are multiple first conductive bodies (24a), and the multiple first conductive bodies (25) are connected in series or parallel, wherein the first groove (8) is adjacent to an outer side of an outermost first conductive body (24a) (Figs. 2A-2B: there is a section of conductive layer 24a connected to each groove 8, and they are connected in series via the layer 25).
Regarding claim 13, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 1, wherein the first conductive body (24a) and the first groove (8) are disposed on the first surface, and the first groove (8) comprises a side wall and a bottom wall (see Figs. 2A-2B).
Regarding claim 14, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 13, wherein the first conductive layer (24b) located on the side wall and the first conductive layer located on the bottom wall have a same thickness (column 5, lines 10-15: the conductive layers 24 of Handforth et al. all have the same thickness).
Regarding claim 15, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 13, wherein the side wall is perpendicular to the bottom wall (see Figs. 2A-2B: the trenches 8 are formed with a rectangular cross-section); or, the side wall and the bottom wall are connected through an arc transition segment; or, the bottom wall and side walls on both sides of the bottom wall jointly form an arc shape within a cross-section perpendicular to the first substrate.
Regarding claim 16, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 13, wherein a shielding structure (24b) is provided in the first groove (column 5, lines 10-15: a shielding structure is formed by 24b, which is formed in trench 9).
Regarding claim 17, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 16, wherein the shielding structure (24b) is a wire, wherein the wire (24b) is connected with the first conductive layer (25) at a side wall away from the first conductive body (24a), wherein a side of the wire (24b) away from the bottom wall is higher than the first surface (Figs. 2A-2B and column 5, lines 10-30: the side 24b of the shield is connected to conductive layer 25 at the bottom of the groove away from the conductive part 24a and extends above the upper layer 22 of substrate 20); or,
the shielding structure is a conductive protrusion, wherein the conductive protrusion is located on the first conductive layer on a surface of the bottom wall, wherein the conductive protrusion extends in a direction away from the bottom wall, and a side of the conductive protrusion away from the bottom wall is higher than the first surface; or,
the shielding structure is a conductive shielding cover, wherein the conductive shielding cover comprises a main body and a bending part, with the main body being parallel to the first surface and covering an opening of the first groove partly, a first end of the main body being electrically connected with the first conductive body or the first conductive layer, a second end of the main body being connected with the bending part, and the bending part being bent towards the first groove, wherein the main body is disposed higher than the first surface.
Regarding claim 18, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 1, wherein the first groove (8) is separated from the first conductive body (24a) by a preset distance, wherein the preset distance ranges from 0mm to 0.3mm (Figs. 2A-2B: the separation between the first conductive body 24a and the groove 8 is 0mm).
Regarding claim 19, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer (25) is a metal layer or a semi-conductive layer (column 4, lines 49-50: metal layer 25 is copper).
Regarding claim 20, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate (20) is a solid-state insulation board, wherein the solid-state insulation board is a printed circuit board of a ceramic board (column 4, lines 35-37: the layers 21, 22 of substrate 20 are dielectric circuit boards).
Regarding claim 22, Handforth et al. teaches an electronic device, comprising an insulation structure, wherein the insulation structure comprises:
a first substrate (20), wherein the first substrate (20) comprises a first surface and a second surface oppositely disposed (Figs 2A-2B; column 4, line 31: substrate 20);
a first conductive body (24a), wherein the first conductive body (24a) is disposed on the first surface or the second surface (Figs 2A-2B; column 5, line 10: conductive layer 24a);
a first groove (8), wherein the first groove (8) is located on a same surface as the first conductive body (24a) and adjacent to the first conductive body (24a) (Figs. 2A-2B and column 4, lines 38-44: trenches 8 formed substrate 20);
wherein a surface of the first groove (8) is provided with a first conductive layer (25), and the first conductive layer (25) is electrically connected with the first conductive body (24a) (column 5, lines 25-30: conductive layer 25 formed on the bottom of trenches 8).
Regarding claim 23, Handforth et al. teaches the electronic device according to claim 22, wherein the electronic device comprises any one of a transformer, an inductor (see column 6, lines 35-40), a PCB-based busbar, and a power device packaging module.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Handforth et al. in view of Matsuda (CN 101345283 A), hereinafter referred to as Matsuda.
Regarding claim 21, Handforth et al. teaches the insulation structure according to claim 1, but does not teach that the insulation structure further comprises an insulation medium, wherein the insulation medium wraps around the insulation structure.
Matsuda does teach that the insulation structure further comprises an insulation medium (7), wherein the insulation medium wraps around the insulation structure (Matsuda page 4, paragraph 6: transparent resin 7 seals the structure).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the insulation structure of Handforth et al. with a sealing resin as taught by Matsuda because the sealing resin of Matsuda protects the electronics from environmental damage.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 and 10-12 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:
Regarding claims 4-6, 8, and 10, and all claims thereupon dependent, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim that a potential of the first conductive body is different from a potential of the second conductive body.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John B Freal whose telephone number is (571)272-4056. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:00-3:00.
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/JOHN B FREAL/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847