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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, All features of power module(s)-201 and 202--Fig.’s 5-9 must be shown and labeled or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-15, 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 1; “a molding resin which covers and seals the plurality of power modules and the circuit board, wherein the molding resin has seal surface portions around the plurality of power modules, and the seal surface portions are thinner than regions sealing the plurality of power modules” is unclear; whereas the limitation(s) do not explicitly assert if “regions” are comprised by the molding resin OR otherwise if “regions” are defined as molding resin regions which “covers and seals” OR if “regions” are deemed as separate to or a subset of the seal surface portions and/or if deemed as separate to or a subset of a molding resin which covers and seals. The office herein notes that a molding resin which covers and seals constitutes a function of a molding resin without explicitly asserting a separate cover and seal relative to seal surface portions, and thus it cannot be readily ascertained if the seal surface portions are thinner than regions of a molding resin or thinner than additional seals in respective regions.
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, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by (Beihoff 2005/0018386).
Regarding Claim 1; Beihoff discloses a power conversion device (as constituted by 10-Fig.’s 8-11) comprising: a plurality of power modules which convert DC power into AC power (as depicted by Fig. 11, 14, and 18--whereas 14 comprises power modules 130 including inverter circuitry—as set forth by para. 0052, 0067 and 0081); a DC wiring which transmits DC power to the plurality of power modules a circuit board on which the plurality of power modules are arranged and the DC wiring is mounted (as depicted by Fig.’s 11, 18, and 19A-19B--whereas 148 comprises an AlSiC interface plate which constitutes a circuit board and further comprising a substrate and pads interconnecting circuits with external circuitry via a terminal strip-134- atleast in-part mounted thereto as a terminal or contact point for power electronics circuitry—as set forth by para.’s 0074, and 0080-0081 to interface conductors for incoming DC power 0083-0085, and further discloses bonding 130 and 134—as further set forth by 0093); and a molding resin which covers and seals the plurality of power modules and the circuit board (as depicted by Fig. 11—as constituted by a potting medium in cavity 128 atleast in-part defined within plastic housing-94 —para.’s 0061 and 0067), wherein the molding resin has seal surface portions around the plurality of power modules (whereas the plastic housing including a peripheral edge including a groove-140 receiving a seal and defining sides around the circuit board and the power modules, and the seal surface portions are thinner than regions sealing the plurality of power modules (as depicted by Fig. 11--whereas the groove and seal constitutes being thinner than the potting medium in the cavity—if so intended —para. 0070).
Regarding Claim 10; Beihoff discloses the power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the molding resin covers and seals the plurality of power modules and the circuit board from above and below the circuit board (as depicted by Fig.’s 10-11 constitutes the seal surface portions between at plastic housing-94 in the groove 138 atleast in-part provides sealing exterior to the circuit board portions above and below thereof).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 8-9, 11-15, are 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.
Regarding Claim 2; the power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the seal surface portions include a first seal surface portion formed on the circuit board and a second seal surface portion formed on a side opposite to the first seal surface portion with respect to the circuit board, and the first seal surface portion and the second seal surface portion are formed to have the same thickness with respect to the circuit board.
Regarding Claim 3; the power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of power modules include circuits for three phases in which circuits for one phase include a first power module constituting an upper arm circuit and a second power module constituting a lower arm circuit, and the plurality of power modules are arranged in parallel when viewed from a direction in which the DC wiring extends.
Regarding Claim 5; the power conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising flow path forming bodies which form flow paths with the circuit board above and below the circuit board, respectively, to cool upper and lower sides of the plurality of power modules with a refrigerant.
Regarding Claim 7; the power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the seal surface portions of the molding resin are glossy surfaces, and surfaces other than the seal surface portions of the molding resin are matte surfaces.
Regarding Claim 7; the power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the seal surface portions of the molding resin are glossy surfaces, and surfaces other than the seal surface portions of the molding resin are matte surfaces.
Regarding Claim 8; the power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the DC wiring includes a positive electrode power supply terminal conductor through which a current flowing into circuits for one phase including two of the power modules flows, and a negative electrode power supply terminal conductor through which a current flowing out from circuits for one phase including two of the power modules flows, and the positive electrode power supply terminal conductor and the negative electrode power supply terminal conductor are stacked.
Regarding Claim 14; the power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power modules includes an IGBT, a diode, a collector conductor plate disposed below the IGBT and the diode, and an emitter conductor plate disposed above the IGBT and the diode, the collector conductor plate and the emitter conductor plate have one or less bent portion, and the collector conductor plate and the emitter conductor plate are connected to the DC wiring on the circuit board.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 11942869 B2
Sano; Tomohisa et al.
Fig. 22
US 5323292 A
Brzezinski; Dennis
Fig. 3
US 4771365 A
Cichocki; Dean M. et al.
Fig. 2
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COURTNEY SMITH whose telephone number is (571)272-9094. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5p.
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, Jayprakash Gandhi can be reached at 571-272-3740. 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.
/COURTNEY L SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
Prosecution Insights