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 18, 26-28, 32 are 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.
Regarding claim 18, the phrase "and/or" in line 6 renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 26, the phrase "and/or" in line 3 renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 27, the phrase "and/or" in line 2 renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 28, the phrase "and/or" in line 1 renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 32, the phrase "and/or" in line 2 renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
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 18, 20-24, 27, 29 31-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zick (DE 10 2008 029 410 – see attached translation).Re claim 18: Zick discloses An electric component (1 and the stack of 12’s, 13’s and the 15’s in fig. 1) comprising: an electric element (1 in fig. 1) with an underside (right side of 1 in fig. 1) and a lead (top right 12 in fig. 1) at the underside; and a cooling element (stack of 12’s, 13’s and the 15’s in fig. 1) comprising an underside (underside of this stack in fig. 1), wherein the cooling element is arranged below the electric element (fig. 1), and wherein the cooling element is a heat bridge configured to conduct heat from the underside of the electric element to the underside of the cooling element (the cooling element allows heat to pass from the right side of 1 to the underside of the cooling element in fig. 1) and/or from the lead to the underside of the cooling element (the cooling element also allows heat to pass from the top right 12 to the underside of the cooling element in fig. 1).Re claim 20: Zick discloses wherein the cooling element has a layered structure (stack of 12’s, 13’s and the 15’s in fig. 1 is a layered structure).Re claim 21: Zick discloses wherein the layered structure comprises a high thermal conduction layer (12 in fig. 1; 4th to last para. of page 17) and a dielectric layer (12 in fig. 1; 4th to last para. of page 17), and wherein a thermal conductivity of the high conduction layer is larger than a thermal conductivity of the dielectric layer (4th to last para. of page 17).Re claim 22: Zick discloses wherein the high thermal conduction layer comprises a material selected from group consisting of a crystalline material, a ceramic material, alumina (Al203), a metal, gold, silver, copper (4th to last para. of page 17), aluminum nitride (AlN), and beryllium oxide(BeO).Re claim 23: Zick discloses wherein the dielectric layer comprises a dielectric material selected from the group consisting of a crystalline material, a ceramic material, Al203, an organic material, a PCB material (4th to last para. of page 17), FR4, and FR-408.Re claim 24: Zick discloses wherein the lead comprises an electrically conducting material selected from a metal, gold, silver, or copper (4th to last para. of page 17).Re claim 27: Zick discloses further comprising a first additional thermal conduction layer arranged between the electric element and the cooling element and/or a second additional thermal conduction layer arranged at the underside of the cooling element (9 is at the underside of the cooling element in fig. 1; 4th to last line of page 17).Re claim 29: Zick discloses wherein the electrical element is selected from the group consisting of a passive circuit element (1 in fig. 1 is a resistor according to the 4th para. of page 18), a capacitance element, a paper, a film, a ceramic capacitance element, an electrolyte capacitor, a Y-glass capacitor, a resistance element, a diode, a sensor, an active circuit element, a switch, an element with an integrated circuit, a processor, a semiconductor element and a light-emitting diode (LED).Re claim 31: Zick discloses wherein the cooling element has a layered structure with up to 9 stacked layers (there 7 layers of the 12’s and 13’s in fig. 1).Re claim 32: Zick discloses wherein the cooling element comprises a thermal conduction layer (TCM) (12’s in fig. 1 are copper according to the 4th to last para. of page 17), a dielectric material and/or an electrically conductive material in a single layer construction. Re claim 33: Zick discloses A module (everything in fig. 1) comprising: a circuit board (2 in fig. 1); and the electric component (1 in fig. 1) of claim 18, wherein the cooling element of the electric component or a second additional thermal conduction layer is arranged on the circuit board (9 in fig. 1 is arranged on 2 in fig. 1; 4th to last para. of page 17).Re claim 34: Zick discloses further comprising a ground via in the circuit board thermally coupled to the underside of the cooling element (ground via 15 is thermally coupled to the bottom of the stack of 12’s and 13’s in fig. 1).Re claim 35: Zick discloses further comprising a base plate (3 in fig. 1), wherein the circuit board is arranged at the base plate (fig. 1).
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.
Claims 19, 28, 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zick (DE 10 2008 029 410 – see attached translation).Re claim 19: Zick does not explicitly disclose wherein a footprint of the cooling element is smaller than or equal to a footprint of the electric element. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electric component of Zickwherein a footprint of the cooling element is smaller than or equal to a footprint of the electric element in order to reduce the material needed to construct the cooling element to save on cost, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).Re claim 28: Zick does not explicitly disclose wherein the first and/or second additional thermal conduction layers comprise a material select from the group consisting of a thermal solid and a liquid paste. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electric component of Zick wherein the first and/or second additional thermal conduction layers comprise a material select from the group consisting of a thermal solid and a liquid paste in order to provide structural integrity to the electric component while also increasing thermal conductivity, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious engineering choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.Re claim 30: Zick does not explicitly disclose wherein a height of the cooling element is larger than or equal to 0.1 mm and smaller than or equal to 5 mm. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electric component of Zickwherein a height of the cooling element is larger than or equal to 0.1 mm and smaller than or equal to 5 mm in order to balance lower conductive resistance, reliable gap filling and assembly tolerance, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Claims 25, 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zick (DE 10 2008 029 410 – see attached translation) in view of Zhou (CN 209693140 – see attached translation).Re claim 25: Zick discloses further comprising a top (top surface of the stack of 12’s and 13’s in fig. 1) and a side (right side of the stack in fig. 1). Zick does not explicitly disclose one or more cooling fins arranged at the top and/or at the side. Zhou discloses one or more cooling fins arranged at the top and/or at the side (4’s are on the right side of the stack of 5, 6, 7, 8 in fig. 1). Thus it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electric component of Zick wherein one or more cooling fins arranged at the top and/or at the side as taught by Zhou, in order to be able to dissipate more heat from the electric element to prevent it from malfunctioning.Re claim 26: Zick does not explicitly disclose further comprising one or more cooling fins arranged at a side, wherein the one or more cooling fins are arranged at a side of the electric component and/or at the side of the cooling element. Zhou discloses further comprising one or more cooling fins (4’s in fig. 1) arranged at a side (right side of the stack of 5, 6, 7, 8 in fig. 1), wherein the one or more cooling fins are arranged at a side of the electric component and/or at the side of the cooling element (these 4’s are on the right side of the stack in fig. 1). Thus it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electric component of Zick further comprising one or more cooling fins arranged at a side, wherein the one or more cooling fins are arranged at a side of the electric component and/or at the side of the cooling element as taught by Zhou, in order to be able to dissipate more heat from the electric element to prevent it from malfunctioning.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2007/0053156 – is considered pertinent because this reference describes an electronic component housing with fins on the side.
US 2015/0131250 – is considered pertinent because this reference describes a printed circuit board with dielectric layers and conductive layers.
US 2020/0281069 – is considered pertinent because this reference describes a printed wiring board with resin layers and heat conducting parts.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENGFU J FENG whose telephone number is (571) 272-2949. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 10AM - 6PM EST.
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/ZHENGFU J FENG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835 December 9, 2025