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Claims 5 and 18-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08/31/26.
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.
Claims 1, 4, 6-11, and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishibashi et al. (US 2012/0188712; “Ishibashi”; reference of record).
Regarding claim 1, Matsuoka teaches a half-bridge arrangement of an inverter (See figures 7-10) of an electric drive of a vehicle (para. [0096]), comprising, per AC phase:
at least one AC tap (38), and DC taps (36); and
at least one half-bridge (see half bridges in figures 9-10) comprising:
a first topological switch (semiconductor switches 11 in figure 9) formed from one or more switch modules (2), surrounded by an electrically insulating material (The bodies of modules 2 need to be formed from an electrically insulating material to avoid shorting the terminals 8, 36, 38), and having one or more first semiconductor switches (11); and
a second topological switch (semiconductor switches 11 in figure 9) formed from one or more switch modules (2), surrounded by an electrically insulating material (The bodies of modules 2 need to be formed from an electrically insulating material to avoid shorting the terminals 8, 36, 38), and having one or more second semiconductor switches (11),
wherein each of the one or more switch modules of the first topological switch and the second topological switch has a flat top side with a cooling connection surface (see cooling element 1 in figures 7-8) arranged thereon, and an underside opposite the top side (see configuration in figure 7), and side regions (see side regions in figures 7-8) connecting the top side and underside,
wherein a first current connection lug (38) and at least one signal pin (8) arranged at a distance from the first current connection lug (38) project at a first side region (see top view in figure 9) of each switch module, and a respective second current connection lug (36) projects at a second side region (see top view in figure 9) of each switch model opposite the first side region,
wherein the switch modules (2) are arranged stacked one above another such that respective current connection lugs (36/38) of the first side region and of the second side region lie one above another (see figures 7-8) and serve either as AC taps (38) or as one of the DC taps (36),
wherein free ends of the at least one signal pin (8) of the switch modules point in a same direction (see figure 9), and
wherein the second current connection lug (36) of at least one of the switch modules is provided only along a partial region of the second side region (see configuration in figure 9), and the at least one signal pin (8) of another switch module are led next to the second current connection lug (see configurations in figures 8-9).
As for claim 4, Ishibashi teaches wherein respective heat sinks (51; figure 9) are arranged on the cooling connection surfaces of the one or more switch modules (2).
Regarding claim 6, Ishibashi teaches wherein a printed circuit board (3) is arranged in a region parallel to the top sides and undersides of the one or more switch modules (2), and wherein the one or more switch modules (2) are formed such that the at least one signal pin (8) point in a direction of the printed circuit board and are contacted with the printed circuit board (para. [0067]).
Regarding claim 7, Ishibashi teaches a signal rail, which is contacted with the printed circuit board and arranged such that it contacts all of the one or more signal pins of a side region (Para. [0067] teaches the signal/control terminals 8 connected to the control boards 3. The location of contact between the signal/control terminal 8 and control board 3 is interpreted as the signal rail.).
As for claim 8, Ishibashi teaches a plurality of half-bridges arranged stacked with their top sides and undersides parallel to one another (See stacked formation in figures 7-8).
Regarding claim 9, Ishibashi teaches an electronics module for controlling an electric drive of a vehicle, comprising: an inverter comprising the half-bridge arrangement according to claim 1 (See para. [0002]).
As for claim 10, Ishibashi teaches an electric drive of a vehicle, comprising: the electronics module for controlling the electric drive according to claim 9 (See para. [0096]).
As for claim 11, Ishibashi teaches a vehicle, comprising: the electric drive according to claim 10 (See para. [0096]).
Regarding claim 15, Ishibashi teaches wherein a printed circuit board (3) is arranged in a region parallel to the top sides and undersides of the one or more switch modules (2), and wherein the one or more switch modules (2) are formed such that the at least one signal pin (8) point in a direction of the printed circuit board and are contacted with the printed circuit board (para. [0067]).
Regarding claim 16, Ishibashi teaches a signal rail, which is contacted with the printed circuit board and arranged such that it contacts all of the one or more signal pins of a side region (Para. [0067] teaches the signal/control terminals 8 connected to the control boards 3. The location of contact between the signal/control terminal 8 and control board 3 is interpreted as the signal rail.).
As for claim 17, Ishibashi teaches a plurality of half-bridges arranged stacked with their top sides and undersides parallel to one another (See stacked formation in figures 7-8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 and 12-14 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 best prior art reference of record, Ishibashi, fails to teach:
“wherein the one or more switch modules are arranged with their undersides toward one another and directly secured to one another.”, as set forth in claim 2.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lei et al. (US 2019/0335628; figures 4-5) teaches an inverter package comprising stacked half-bridges, cooling devices, AC terminals, DC terminals, and signal terminals.
Lei et al. (US 2017/0259691; figures 3-5) teaches an inverter package comprising stacked half-bridges, cooling devices, AC terminals, DC terminals, and signal terminals.
Matsuoka et al. (US 2014/0119087; figures 1, 3, and 15) teaches an inverter package comprising stacked half-bridges, cooling devices, AC terminals, DC terminals, and signal terminals.
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/LEVI GANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836 September 11, 2026
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