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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, page 4 whole page thru page 6 whole page, filed 07/08/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that since Azuma et al. does not disclose a housing, it does not inherently or explicitly disclose “a housing accommodating the inverter, the direct current/direct current converter, the boost converter and the base” and “wherein the inverter, the base, the direct current/direct current converter and the boost converter are layered in this order from the load side inside the housing” as disclosed in amended claim 1. In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
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:
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 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 1 – 3 and 5 – 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Azuma et al. in view of Ichise et al.
Regarding Claim 1, Azuma et al. discloses a power conversion apparatus (100) configured to be arranged on or above a load (210) for supplying electric power to the load (Azuma et al. Fig. 1),
the power conversion apparatus (Azuma et al. Fig. 1) comprising:
an inverter (10) for converting direct current power input from a direct current power supply into alternate current power and supplying the alternate current power to the load (Azuma et al. Para [0041] lines 2 – 3);
a direct current/direct current converter (30) for converting a voltage of the direct current power into a different voltage (Azuma et al. Para [0045] lines 2 – 3);
a boost converter (20) on an input side of the inverter to boost the direct current power input from the direct current power supply and to supply the direct current power boosted to the inverter (Azuma et al. Para [0043] lines 1 – 5);
a base (50) on or above which the inverter and the direct current/direct current converter are arranged (Azuma et al. Para [0049] lines 3 – 4).
Azuma et al. does not disclose:
a housing accommodating the inverter, the direct current/direct current converter, the boost converter and the base,
wherein the inverter, the base, the direct current/direct current converter and the boost converter are layered in this order from the load side inside the housing.
Ichise et al. discloses:
a housing accommodating (inverter accommodating section 11) the inverter (20) (Ichise et al. Fig. 1), the direct current/direct current converter (31) (Ichise et al. Fig. 5A), and the base (40) (Ichise et al. Fig. 3).
Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. structurally disclose:
a housing (of Ichise et al. Fig. 1) accommodating the inverter, the direct current/direct current converter, the boost converter and the base (of Azuma et al. Fig. 3),
wherein the inverter, the base, the direct current/direct current converter and the boost converter (of Azuma et al. Fig. 3) are layered in this order from the load side (of Azuma et al. Fig. 1) inside the housing (of Ichise et al. Fig. 1).
Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. disclose circuits therefore, Ichise et al. constitutes as prior art. Ichise et al. discloses a housing accommodating an inverter, a DC-DC converter, and a base. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a housing accommodating the inverter, the direct current/direct current converter, the boost converter and the base, and wherein the inverter, the base, the direct current/direct current converter and the boost converter are layered in this order from the load side inside the housing of structurally disclosed Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. for the purpose of protecting and sheltering the power conversion apparatus.
Regarding Claim 2, Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. disclose the power conversion apparatus according to claim 1.
Azuma et al. does not disclose:
wherein the housing has an opening on a side opposite the load;
and the direct current/direct current converter is exposed through the opening of the housing.
Ichise et al. discloses:
wherein the housing has an opening on a side opposite the load (Ichise et al. Fig. 1);
and the direct current/direct current converter is exposed through the opening of the housing (Ichise et al. Fig. 1 and Fig. 5A discloses the DC-DC converter 31 is facing the opening of inverter accommodating section 11).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further comprise a housing accommodating the inverter and the direct current/direct current converter, wherein the housing has an opening on a side opposite the load; and the direct current/direct current converter is exposed through the opening of the housing of Ichise et al. for the purpose of allowing easy replacement of the direct current/direct current converter in case of electrical failure.
Regarding Claim 3, Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. disclose the power conversion apparatus according to claim 1.
Azuma et al. does not disclose:
wherein the housing is fixed to the load by a fastener.
Ichise et al. discloses:
wherein the housing is fixed to the load by a fastener (Ichise et al. Para [0101] lines 7 – 11 disclose the inverter accommodating section 11 can be fixed to the motor housing 3, which accommodates the electric motor 9, by a separately formed component such as a fastener).
It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the housing be fixed to the load by a fastener of Ichise et al. for the purpose of securing the housing and the load together.
Regarding Claim 5, Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. disclose the power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the direct current/direct current converter is arranged on a side of the base opposite to the load (Azuma et al. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 6, Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. disclose the power conversion apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the direct current/direct current converter is fixed to the base by a fastener (Azuma et al. Para [0059] lines 15 – 17).
Regarding Claim 7, Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. disclose the power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the boost converter is arranged on a side of the base opposite to the load (Azuma et al. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 8, Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. disclose the power conversion apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the boost converter is fixed to the base by a fastener (Azuma et al. Para [0064] last sentence discloses reactor 22 of boost converter 20 and lid 53 of base 50 is attached to each other via a screw).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Azuma et al. in view of Ichise et al. and further in view of Yuki et al.
Regarding Claim 4, Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. disclose the power conversion apparatus according to claim 1.
Azuma et al. and Ichise et al. does not disclose:
wherein the load includes an electric motor for an electric car.
Yuki et al. discloses:
wherein the load (motor M) includes an electric motor for an electric car (Yuki et al. Para [0009] whole paragraph discloses motor module 20, which incorporates motor M, can be used in electric vehicles).
Azuma et al., Ichise et al., and Yuki et al. disclose a motor therefore, Yuki et al. constitutes as prior art. Yuki et al. discloses an AC motor load can be used in electric vehicles. It would be obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the load includes an electric motor for an electric car of Yuki et al. for the purpose of utilizing the load to drive the electric vehicles.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THEODORE L PERKINS whose telephone number is (703)756-4629. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am- 17:00pm.
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/THEODORE L PERKINS/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TERRANCE L KENERLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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