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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 8-9, 11-12, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipate by US 10,971,873 to Rai et al.
Rai discloses;
As to claim 1, a bypass heat spreader (24), comprising: a thermally conductive heat plate (58) having a first end portion (60) for coupling to an input terminal (36) and a second end portion (62) for coupling to an output terminal (38); a first electrically insulative film (84) encapsulating the first end portion; and a second electrically insulative film (84, [0027] of applicant states films may be the same) encapsulating the second end portion.
As to claim 11, A high voltage system (col. 7, ll. 27-28 system supports current of at least 400 amps) comprising: a switching device (22); and a bypass heat spreader (24) comprising: a thermally conductive heat plate (58) having a first end portion (60) for coupling to a first terminal (36) of the switching device and a second end portion (62) for coupling to a second terminal (38) of the switching device; a first electrically insulative film (84) encapsulating the first end portion; and a second electrically insulative film (84, [0027] of applicant states films may be the same) encapsulating the second end portion.
As to claim 2, the bypass heat spreader of claim 1, wherein the input terminal is a first terminal of a switching device (22, contactor) and the output terminal is a second terminal of the switching device.
As to claim 8, the bypass heat spreader of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive heat plate is U-shaped (col. 2, ll. 12-16 “The cooling member may include a substantially hollow body, a first mounting portion, and/or a second mounting portion. The substantially hollow body, the first mounting portion, and the second mounting portion may be disposed in a substantially C-shaped configuration.” C-shaped, being structurally the same as U-shaped).
As to claim 9, the bypass heat spreader of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive heat plate further comprises: a first bend (supporting walls 70, 72 creating a U shaped bend) forming the first end portion; and a second bend (opposite side 70, 72) forming the second end portion.
As to claim 12, the high voltage system of claim 11, further comprising: an input bus bar (26); an output bus bar (28); and the switching device connected at the first terminal to the input bus bar and connected at the second terminal to the output bus bar; and a cool plate (66) proximate to the output bus bar at the second terminal of the switching device, wherein the switching device is connected at the first terminal to the input bus bar and connected at the second terminal to the output bus bar, and wherein the bypass heat spreader distributes heat from the input bus bar and towards the cool plate while bypassing the switching device (heat spreader bypasses the switch in that thermal flow is continuous and independent of the switching state).
As to claim 14, the high voltage system of claim 11, wherein the switching device is a contactor (col. 3, l. 5).
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.
Claim(s) 3-5, 7 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rai in view of US 2021/0318734 to Hoffmeyer et al. (hereafter Hoff).
As to claim 3, Rai discloses the bypass heat spreader of claim 1. Rai fails to disclose further comprising: a first thermal gap pad on the first electrically insulative film at the first end portion; and a second thermal gap pad on the second electrically insulative film at the second end portion. Hoff teaches a first thermal gap pad (402A, FIG. 4) on a first TIM at a first end portion (104A) and a second thermal gap pad (402B) on a second TIM at a second end portion (104B). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the heat spreader of Rai with gap pads on the first electrically insulative film at the first and second end portions in order to create adequate thermal contact between the bus bar and the electrically insulative film as taught by Hoff ([0042]).
As to claim 4, Rai in view of Hoff teach the bypass heat spreader of claim 3. Rai fails to disclose wherein the first thermal gap pad and the second thermal gap pad comprise a material that has a thermal conductivity of 3 Watts/mK. Rai teaches that the thermal gap pad may comprise a series of materials ([0030]). It is well known in the art that thermal conductivity of a material is a result effective variable based on the materials selected, each material producing a different thermal conductivity. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to arrive at the desired thermal conductivity by routine optimization.
As to claim 5, Rai in view of Hoff teach the bypass heat spreader of claim 3. Rai fails to disclose further comprising: a first compressible riser at the first end portion of the thermally conductive heat plate; and a second compressible riser at the second end portion of the thermally conductive heat plate. Hoff teaches the use of a compressible riser (100, FIG. 1) which is used at the first end portion (104A) and second end portion (104B) of heat exchanger (200, FIG. 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to use the compressible riser of Hoff between the first and second end portions of the bypass heat spreader and the electronic casing of Rai in order to facilitate heat exchange between the two, Hoff teaching the use of a TIM material between heat generating component and heat dissipation means, and Rai disclosing the use of the bypass heat spreader to cool the electronic housing (col. 7, ll. 5-9).
As to claim 7, Rai discloses the bypass heat spreader of claim 1. Rai fails to disclose wherein the thermally conductive heat plate is copper. Hoff teaches the use of copper in thermally conductive materials ([0030] “Such thermally conductive materials may also include metal particles or metal plated particles such as, but not limited to, aluminum, copper…”) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to use copper as the building material in the heat plate of Rai as a known material in the art for a thermally conductive device.
As to claim 13, Rai discloses the bypass heat spreader of claim 12. Rai fails to disclose wherein the bypass heat spreader further comprises: a first thermal gap pad on the first electrically insulative film at the first end portion, the first thermal gap pad contacting the input bus bar; a first compressible riser at the first end portion of the thermally conductive heat plate between the first end portion and a surface of the switching device proximate the first terminal; a second thermal gap pad on the second electrically insulative film at the second end portion; and a second compressible riser at the second end portion of the thermally conductive heat plate between the second end portion and a surface of the switching device proximate the second terminal. Hoff teaches the use of thermal gap pads (402A, 402B) between heat transferring surfaces (FIG. 4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to modify the heat spreader of Rai with gap pads at the first and second end portions, and between the bus bar and the electrically insulative film, in order to create adequate thermal contact between the bus bar and the electrically insulative film as taught by Hoff ([0042]). Hoff further teaches the use of a compressible riser (100, FIG. 1) which is used at the first end portion (104A) and second end portion (104B) of heat exchanger (200, FIG. 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to use the compressible riser of Hoff between the first and second end portions of the bypass heat spreader and the electronic casing of Rai in order to facilitate heat exchange between the two, Hoff teaching the use of a TIM material between heat generating component and heat dissipation means, and Rai disclosing the use of the bypass heat spreader to cool the electronic housing (col. 7, ll. 5-9).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rai in view of US 2008/0093961 to Koyano et al.
As to claim 10, Rai discloses the bypass heat spreader of claim 1. Rai fails to disclose wherein the first electrically insulative film and the second electrically insulative film are a polyimide film. Koyano teaches the use of a polyimide film (5d, 5i, Fig. 4A). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to substitute the electrically insulative film of Rai with the polyimide film of Koyano as polyimide is known to be insulating and flexible as taught by Koyano (0070]).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rai.
As to claim 15, Rai discloses the high voltage system of claim 11. Rai fails to disclose wherein the switching device is a circuit breaker. Rai teaches the use of a bypass heat spreader (24) for the cooling of input (26) and output (28) buses of a switching mechanism (22). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the filing to use the bypass heat spreader of Rai for the cooling of a circuit breaker as a circuit breaker is just another heat generating switching element containing both input and output buses.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is 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 allowable feature of the claim being a thermally non-conductive compressible riser in addition to the limitations of all previous claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 9,918,406 to Pal disclosing a bypass heat spreader.
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/JAMIL ALEXANDER DECKER/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/Jayprakash N Gandhi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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