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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 29 July 2024 and 09 May 2025 were filed prior to the mailing date of this office correspondence. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mathews (US 20200313328) in view of Walgenbach (US 20140116617).
[AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (thermal interface material)][AltContent: textbox (busbar)][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (pressure plate)][AltContent: ][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (uncoated external connection)][AltContent: textbox (heat sink)][AltContent: ]
PNG
media_image1.png
577
724
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Annotated Fig. 20, Mathews.
Regarding claim 1, Mathews teaches, a system for a busbar (electrical connection assembly, Fig. 20), comprising:
a body of the busbar (busbar portion of the DC terminals 14, see annotated Fig. 20), the body in face sharing contact with a heat sink (see annotated Fig. 20, cover 600 also includes a bottom cover 628 that defines a coolant duct having a plurality of cooling fins 630 that define a plurality of coolant channels 632, para. [0072]) via a thermal interface material (thermal interface material layer 634, Fig. 20, para. [0072]).
[AltContent: textbox (dielectric powder coating)][AltContent: ]
PNG
media_image2.png
640
460
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Modified Fig. 2 Walgenbach.
Mathews does not teach the busbar having a coating of a thermally conducting dielectric powder material. However, Walgenbach teaches, a busbar system comprising a bus bar (busbars 220a, b, c, annotated Fig. 2, para. [0024]), a body of the busbar including a coating of a thermally conducting dielectric powder material (each busbar conductor has an elongate shape and is coated with or surrounded by a dielectric, such as an epoxy powder coating, para. [0005]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Walgenbach, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the busbar 14 of Mathews in Fig. 20 and replace the busbar 14 of Mathews in Fig. 20 with a busbar 220 as Walgenbach taught in Fig. 2 so that it enables to selectively coating desired portions of a busbar with a dielectric material.
Regarding claim 2, Mathews in view of Walgenbach teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Mathews further teaches, the system of claim 1, wherein the busbar includes one or more uncoated external connection portions originating from the body (busbar portion of the DC terminals 14, see annotated Fig. 20).
Regarding claim 3, Mathews in view of Walgenbach teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Mathews further teaches, the system of claim 1, further comprising a pressure plate (see the bottom cover 628 in annotated Fig. 20 below, bottom cover 628 may be advantageously formed of a metallic material to optimize heat transfer between the cooling fins 630 and the liquid coolant, para. [0072]) in face sharing contact with the body of the busbar, the pressure plate compressing the body of the busbar to the thermal interface material (thermal interface material layer 634, Fig. 20, para. [0072]).
[AltContent: textbox (pressure plate)][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (heat sink)][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (busbar)][AltContent: ]
PNG
media_image1.png
577
724
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Annotated Fig. 20, Mathews.
Regarding claim 4, Mathews in view of Walgenbach teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Mathews further teaches, the system of claim 1, wherein each of the busbar and the heat sink are in contact with power devices (busbar portion of the DC terminals 14, see annotated Fig. 20), the body of the busbar dissipating heat to a cooling fluid (a plurality of cooling fins 630 that define a plurality of coolant channels 632, Fig. 20, para. [0072]) flowing through the heat sink via the thermal interface material (see, thermal interface material layer 634, Fig. 20). Walgenbach further teaches, thermally conducting dielectric powder material (electrically insulating sheet or sleeve 122a-d, Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Mathews teaches, a system, comprising:
a metallic busbar (busbar portion of the DC terminals 14, see annotated Fig. 20); and
a thermal interface material (thermal interface material layer 634, Fig. 20, para. [0072]) compressed in an interface of the busbar and a heat sink (see annotated Fig. 20, cover 600 also includes a bottom cover 628 that defines a coolant duct having a plurality of cooling fins 630 that define a plurality of coolant channels 632, para. [0072).
Mathews does not teach busbar with a surface area at least partially laminated with an electrically insulating, thermally conductive powder material. However, Walgenbach teaches, a busbar system comprising a busbar (busbars 220a, b, c, Fig. 2, para. [0024]), a body of the busbar including a coating of a thermally conducting dielectric powder material (each busbar conductor has an elongate shape and is coated with or surrounded by a dielectric, such as an epoxy powder coating, para. [0005]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Walgenbach, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the busbar 14 of Mathews in Fig. 20 and replace the busbar 14 of Mathews in Fig. 20 with a busbar 220 as Walgenbach taught in Fig. 2 so that it enables to selectively coating desired portions of a busbar with a dielectric material.
Regarding claim 7, Mathews in view of Walgenbach teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 6. Mathews further teaches, the system of claim 6, wherein the thermal interface material is compressed via a pressure part (see annotated Fig. 20 above) positioned on the laminated surface area of the busbar.
Regarding claim 8, Mathews in view of Walgenbach teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 6. Mathews further teaches, the system of claim 6, wherein the powder material is a dielectric material including an epoxy resin (each busbar conductor has an elongate shape and is coated with or surrounded by a dielectric, such as an epoxy powder coating, para. [0005]).
Claim(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mathews in view of Walgenbach as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of McPherson (US 20180206359).
Regarding claim 5, modified Mathews does not teach a thickness of the coating. However, McPherson teaches a power module 100 comprising busbar system 900 in Fig. 21 including conformal dielectric coating 914, in which, the system of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the coating on the body is in a range of 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm (thickness of one of the conductors 910, 912 along with the dielectric film 914 may be 0.5 mm to 10 mm, para. [0163]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of McPherson, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the busbar as taught by Mathews and replace the coating with the dielectric film 914 as taught by McPherson so that it enables to form a thickness in a range of 0.1 mm and 1 mm.
Conclusion
Prior art Rodrigues (US 20130003265) teaches, a busbar, comprising: a body of the busbar including a coating of a thermally conducting dielectric material, the body in face sharing contact with a thermal interface material.
Prior art of record Subramaniam (US 20130043071) teaches a busbar comprising a thermal interface material coupled to a heat sink.
Prior art of record Wakabayashi (US 20200194988) teaches a manufacturing method of a busbar assembly including forming the conducting busbars and a resin coating comprising an electrostatic powder insulation coating.
Prior art of record Rai (US 20200136326) teaches an electrical unit and a busbar assembly for a vehicle comprising electrically insulating and thermally conductive material.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE K. ABRAHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1087. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, THOMAS J. HONG can be reached at (571) 272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JOSE K ABRAHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 3729
Prosecution Insights