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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected claim, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07/22/2026.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on 05/02/2024 is acceptable.
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.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6-8 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ESMAILI et al. [US 2010/0089641].
Regarding claim 1, ESMAILI et al. disclose a capacitor assembly (figures 1-5), comprising:
a traction inverter system housing (26, figure 2);
a set of power electronics (102-104, figure 2) defining two or more contacts (45, 46 and 47, figure 2), the set of power electronics mounted within the traction inverter system housing;
a capacitor housing (a bracket 44 & 58 encloses a plurality of capacitors 40, figure 2) containing a capacitor (40, figure 2) mounted within the traction inverter system housing, the capacitor comprising two or more terminals (60 & 61, figure 2) extending outwardly therefrom; and
a terminal block (50, figures 2-3) configured to maintain a position of the two or more terminals (a plurality of terminal flanges are bent downward from a positive node plate 52 and a negative node plate 53, figures 2-3) wherein the two or more terminals are overlapping the two or more contacts before the two or more terminals are attached to the two or more contacts (figure 2).
Regarding claim 2, ESMAILI et al., further disclose wherein the terminal block (50, figures 2-3) is secured to the capacitor housing (44, figure 2).
Regarding claim 3, ESMAILI et al., further disclose wherein the terminal block (50, figures 2-3) is co-molded with the capacitor housing (44, figure 2).
Regarding claim 4, ESMAILI et al., further disclose wherein the terminal block comprises a flange extending outwardly from a sidewall of the capacitor housing (figures 2-3).
Regarding claim 6, ESMAILI et al., further disclose wherein the set of power electronics are configured to convert direct current to alternating current (paragraphs 0002 and 0021).
Regarding claim 7, ESMAILI et al. disclose a capacitor assembly (figures 1-5), comprising:
a traction inverter system housing (26, figure 2);
a set of power electronics (102-104, figure 2) defining two or more contacts (45, 46 and 47, figure 2), the set of power electronics mounted within the traction inverter system housing;
a capacitor housing (a bracket 44 & 58 encloses a plurality of capacitors 40, figure 2) containing a capacitor (40, figure 2) mounted within the traction inverter system housing, the capacitor comprising two or more terminals (64 & 68, figure 2) extending outwardly therefrom and overlapping the two or more contacts; and
a terminal block (50, figures 2-3) configured to maintain a position of the two or more terminals (a plurality of terminal flanges are bent downward from a positive node plate 52 and a negative node plate 53, figures 2-3) wherein the two or more terminals are overlapping the two or more contacts before the two or more terminals are attached to the two or more contacts (figure 2), the terminal block comprising a retention feature configured to secure the terminal block to the traction inverter system housing (figures 2-3).
Regarding claim 8, ESMAILI et al., further disclose wherein the retention feature (paragraphs 0020-0024 and 0030) is configured to secure to the traction inverter system housing without use of additional fasteners.
Regarding claim 11, ESMAILI et al., further disclose wherein the traction inverter system housing defines a first anti-rotation feature (64 and 68, figures 2-3) offset from the retention feature, and the terminal block defines a second anti-rotation feature (184 and 188, figures 2-3) configured to engage the first anti-rotation feature to resist rotation of the terminal block relative to the traction inverter system housing.
Regarding claim 12, ESMAILI et al., further disclose wherein the first anti-rotation feature is a protrusion (64 and 68, figures 2-3), and the second anti-rotation feature is an opening (184 and 188, figures 2-3) configured to receive the protrusion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 9-10 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:
The claim 5 discloses the combination features of “wherein the set of power electronics comprises a first set of power electronics, the terminal block is a first terminal block, the two or more terminals are two or more first terminals, and the two or more contacts are two or more first contacts, the capacitor assembly further comprising a second set of power electronics, comprising two or more second contacts, the capacitor comprising two or more second terminals overlapping the two or more second contacts, the capacitor housing positioned between the first set of power electronics and the second set of power electronics; and a second terminal block secured to the capacitor housing independently of attachment of the two or more second contacts to the two or more second terminals, the second terminal block configured to support the two or more second terminals during a fastening operation attaching the two or more second terminals to the two or more second contacts.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the claim 1, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records.
The claim 9 discloses the combination features of “wherein the terminal block comprises a plurality of biased fingers configured to insert within a retention opening defined by the traction inverter system housing and press outwardly against the retention opening to resist removal of the terminal block from the retention opening.” These features, in conjunction with other features, as claimed in the combination features of the claims 8 and 7, were neither found to be disclosed, nor suggested by the prior art of records. Claim 10 depends on the allowed claim 9.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
AZUMA [US 2023/0345658] discloses power converter; and
Holbrook et al. [US 2010/0173509] disclose low inductance connector.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hung S. Bui whose telephone number is (571)272-2102. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8am-5pm.
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/HUNG S. BUI/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2841
/HUNG S. BUI/Primary Patent Examiner, 2841/2800
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