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 .
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 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.
Objections to the Claims, Specification and Drawings
There is a lack of correspondence between the claimed subject matter, the detailed written description, the summary of invention and the drawings as to
a. Claim 18, lines 3-5 requires “a length of the cooling fin in the extending direction is equal to a dimension of the cooling channel in the extending direction.” Figure 10 illustrates “an entire length 1110 of the cooling channel 111 of the cooler 100” (Spec, p. 21, ll. 4-5). The cooler 100 also has an inlet 108 and outlet 109. If the cooling fin 1 is extending over the entire length 1110 of the cooler 100, how does the fluid flow between each of the fluid channels formed in the repeating profile, when the bars 11 would be blocking the fluid from entering each of the channels 16? There needs to be inlet manifold (or equivalent) and an outlet manifold (or equivalent) to allow for the fluid to enter and exit, respectively, from each of the fluid channels 16 which is not provided for by the disclosure of the instant application.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Para. [0009], lines 2 (2 places) and 4 and Para. [0010], line 3 refer to “shaft.” Did Applicant intend “cooling fin”?
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 11, line 1, the preamble should start with “The” instead of “A”; and
Claim 11, line 1, “fluid” should be “the fluid” having antecedence in claim 10, line 1.
.Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 18 is 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.
Claim 18, line 2 requires “exactly one cooling fin (1)” and Claim 10, line 1 requires “a cooling fin (1).” Since “exactly one cooling fin (1)” of claim 18 does not have antecedence in “a cooling fin (1)” of claim 10, are these different cooling fins being claimed?
Claim 18, line 2 requires “fin” (second occurrence). Is “fin” another element being claimed or should “fin” have antecedence in “exactly one cooling fin”?
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Claim 2 requires “the profile repeats an integer or non-integer number of times.” The only two possibilities for the number of times which are integer or non-integer. So since one of these conditions will always be met, claim 2 does not further limit claim 1.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 9-11, 13, 14, 17, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Minamitani (US 2021/0199384).
With respect to Claim 1, Minamitani teaches a cooling fin (fig. 3, 2) of a cooler (fig. 3), through which fluid (¶[0020], l. 1) can flow, for cooling power electronics (“for” does not positively claim the “power electronics”, but fig. 3 has surfaces that power electronic can be placed thereon), the cooling fin comprising a profile periodically repeating (see fig. 5) in a repeating direction (fig. 3, into/out of the page), wherein the repeating direction is perpendicular to an extending direction (fig. 3, horizontal across page) of the profile.
With respect to Claims 2-4, 9, 13, 14, and 17, Minamitani further teaches the profile repeats an integer number of times (fig. 2C, repeats 7 times) (claim 2). the periodically repeating profile is a corrugated profile (¶[0019], l. 1) (claim 3), a division (fig. 5, Pf) of the cooling fin measures between 1.8 mm and 2.5 mm (¶[0095], ll. 1-2, pf/2 is preferably set to 1 mm to 5 mm [so pf is 2 mm to 10mm]) (claim 4), a height of the cooling fin measures between 5 mm and 8 mm (¶[0098], l. 2, height Hf of the inner fin 2 to 0.1 mm to 50 mm), and/or a material thickness of the cooling fin measures between 0.3 mm and 0.6 mm (¶[0099], ll. 1-2, fin thickness Tf, it is preferably set to 0.1 mm to 2 mm), and/or a clear dimension between adjacent bars of the cooling fin in the repeating direction measures between 0.6 mm and 1.2 mm (see fig. 5, this would also be met as Pf-2Tf) (claim 9), the cooling fin is meander-shaped (see fig. 2C) (claim 13), the division of the cooling fin measures between 1.9 mm and 2.1 mm (¶[0095], ll. 1-2, pf/2 is preferably set to 1 mm to 5 mm [so pf is 2 mm to 10mm]) (claim 14), the height of the cooling fin measures between 5.9 mm and 6.1 mm (¶[0098], l. 2, height Hf of the inner fin 2 to 0.1 mm to 50 mm), and/or the material thickness of the cooling fin measures between 0.35 mm and 0.45 mm (¶[0099], ll. 1-2, fin thickness Tf, it is preferably set to 0.1 mm to 2 mm), and/or the clear dimension between adjacent bars of the cooling fin in the repeating direction measures between 0.85 mm and 0.95 mm (see fig. 5, this would also be met as Pf-2Tf) (claim 17).
With respect to Claim 10, Minamitani teaches a cooler (fig. 3) through which fluid (¶[0020], l. 1) can flow, for cooling power electronics (“for” does not positively claim the “power electronics”, but fig. 3 has surfaces that power electronic can be placed thereon), the cooler comprising a cooling fin (2) according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above).
With respect to Claim 11, Minamitani further teaches (see fig. 3) a region of the cooling fin corresponds to a part of a housing (10,15) of the cooler (claim 11) and the cooler comprises a cooling channel and exactly one cooling fin, which fin is arranged in the cooling channel, and a length of the cooling fin in the extending direction is equal to a dimension of the cooling channel in the extending direction (claim 18).
With respect to Claim 18 (as best understood), the cooler comprises a cooling channel (channel being the length of 2 of fig. 2A) and exactly one cooling fin (2), which fin (2) is arranged in the cooling channel, and a length (fig. 2A, length of 2) of the cooling fin in the extending direction is equal to a dimension (see fig, 2) of the cooling channel in the extending direction.
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 of this title, 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 12 is rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minamitani (US 2021/0199384).
With respect to Claim 12, Minamitani teaches a power electronics assembly comprising power electronics (¶[0240], l. 9), and a cooler (fig. 3) through which fluid (¶[0020], l. 1) can flow according to claim 10 (see rejection of claim 1 above). Minamitani fails to specifically disclose the power electronics is arranged on the cooler. Official Notice is taken that the power electronics is arranged on the cooler is well-known in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electronics assembly of Minamitani with a well-known power electronics is arranged on the cooler for the purpose of using the cooler to provide thermal management to the power electronics arranged thereon for improved reliability of the power electronics.
Claim 19 is rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minamitani (US 2021/0199384) and Toh (US 8,824,144).
Minamitani discloses the claimed invention except for the power electronics is fixed on the cooler. Toh teaches the power electronics (fig. 1, “P”) is fixed on the cooler 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electronics assembly of Minamitani with the power electronics of Toh for the purpose of using the cooler to provide thermal management to the power electronics arranged thereon for improved reliability of the power electronics.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 6,397,935, 6,397,931, 8,102,652, 8,902,589, 8,791,564, 8,944,147, 9,076,755, 9,220,182, 9,237,676, 9,293,391, 9,406,585, 9,562,728, 9,609,749, 9,764,416, 10,757,842, 11,306,973, 11,407,330, 12,306,892, 12,571,599, 2005/0141195, 2008/0029260, 2013/0277034, 2013/0306273, 2015/0198385, 2017/0246840, 2019/0080985, 2022/0390183, 2024/0381567, 2024/0381569, DE 10051338, 1022211794 102022212432, JP 10-1773375, 2010-245158, 2012-160641, 2012-160642, WO 2006/118031, 2022/075043, 2023/190755, 2023/210711, 2023/248759, and 2024/186240 disclose a corrugated/meandering cooling fin in a cooler.
US 2012/0006523 and 2026/0022449 disclose a cross-shaped cooling fin in a cooler.
US 11,788,794 is the issued patent of US 2021/0199384.
US 12,628,319, 2026/0054316, 2026/0082911 and WO 2025/242638 are related applications.
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RJH 6/13/2026
/ROBERT J HOFFBERG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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