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 .
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 statements (IDS) filed on January 22nd, 2025 are being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. However, should applicant desire to obtain the benefit of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) prior to declaration of an interference, a certified English translation of the foreign application must be submitted in reply to this action. 37 CFR 41.154(b) and 41.202(e). Failure to provide a certified translation may result in no benefit being accorded for the non-English application.
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.
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Annotated Fig.7 – Suzuki
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C 102(a)(1) as being anticipated over Hideyo Suzuki et al. (US 20100097765 A1)
As to Claim 1, Suzuki teaches: A power module (power module 300, Fig. 9A) comprising:
a main terminal portion (DC bus bar, Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B, [0046] “IGBT 328 of the upper arm is electrically connected (connected by the DC bus bar) to the positive electrode side capacitor electrode of the capacitor module 500“) including a first conductor (DC positive terminal 314, Fig.9B) including a P terminal (DC positive terminal connection portion 314a, Fig. 9B) at one end of the first conductor (DC positive terminal 314, Fig.9B), the P terminal (DC positive terminal connection portion 314a, Fig. 9B) including a first main surface (top of 314a, Fig.9B) and a first back surface (back side of 314a, Fig.9B) facing a side opposite to the first main surface (top of 314a, Fig.9B), and
a second conductor (DC negative terminal 316, Fig.9B) including an N terminal (DC negative connection portion 316a, Fig.9B) at one end of the second conductor (DC negative terminal 316, Fig.9B), the N terminal (DC negative connection portion 316a, Fig.9B) including a second main surface (top of 316a, Fig.9B) facing a direction identical to a direction in which the first main surface (top of 314a, Fig.9B) faces and a second back surface (back side of 316a, Fig.9B) facing a side opposite to the second main surface (top of 316a, Fig.9B), the second conductor (DC negative terminal 316, Fig.9B) being connected to a capacitor (capacitor module 500, Fig. 15, [0131] “The positive and negative capacitor terminals 504 and 506 are formed with openings 509 and 511, respectively. Nuts are welded on the rear sides of the openings 509 and 511 so that the DC positive and negative terminals 316 and 314 of the power module 300 can be fixed with the bolts.”) together with the first conductor (DC positive terminal 314, Fig.9B) and being arranged side by side with the first conductor (DC positive terminal 314, Fig.9B) with a gap (Fig. 12A) interposed between the second conductor (DC negative terminal 316, Fig.9B) and the first conductor (DC positive terminal 314, Fig.9B);
Note: While it’s not depicted in a single figure, Suzuki’s Fig.7, Fig.12, and Fig.15 display various views of DC positive terminal 314 [the first conductor] and DC negative terminal 316 [second conductor] arranged side-by-side along with a routing path of the capacitor module 500 [capacitor]. The arrangement of the DC positive terminal 314 [the first conductor] and DC negative terminal 316 [second conductor] result in a dielectric gap which anticipates the instant claim’s limitation for a gap interposed between the second and first conductor.
a circuit board (inverter circuit 144, Fig.2 and Fig.7) including a power semiconductor element (IGBTs 328/330, [0042] “the inverter circuit 144 has a plurality of upper and lower arm series circuits 150 each including an IGBT 328 (insulating gate bipolar transistor)…and an IGBT 330”) configured to convert a DC voltage from the main terminal portion (DC bus bar, Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B, [0046]) into an AC voltage ([0021] “IGBTs 328 and 330…convert a DC power supplied from the battery 136 into a three-phase AC power”, [0044] “ DC positive terminal 314 and a DC negative terminal 316 which are electrically connected to a positive electrode side and a negative electrode side of the battery 136.”);
an output terminal portion (AC terminal 159, Fig.7) configured to output an AC voltage from the power semiconductor element (IGBTs 328/330, [0021] “IGBTs 328 and 330…convert a DC power supplied from the battery 136 into a three-phase AC power”);
a pair of fastening portions (nuts in 314 and 316, [0131] “The positive and negative capacitor terminals 504 and 506 are formed with openings 509 and 511, respectively. Nuts are welded on the rear sides of the openings 509 and 511 so that the DC positive and negative terminals 316 and 314 of the power module 300 can be fixed with the bolts.”); connecting the P terminal and a positive-electrode-side terminal of the capacitor (positive electrode side capacitor terminal 506, Fig. 15) to each other and connecting the N terminal and a negative-electrode- side terminal of the capacitor (negative electrode side capacitor terminal 504, Fig. 15) to each other (Fig. 7, Fig.12, Fig. 15);
a base plate (metal base 304) to which the circuit board is fixed (Fig. 8B, [0042] “the inverter circuit 144 has a plurality of upper and lower arm series circuits 150 each including an IGBT 328 (insulating gate bipolar transistor)…and an IGBT 330”) the base plate (metal base 304) including a front surface (top of 304, Fig. 8A) facing the first back surface (back side of 314a, Fig.9B) and the second back surface (back side of 316a, Fig.9B);
a case (power module case 302) fixed to the front surface of the base plate (top of 304, Fig. 10A, [0104] “The metal base 304 has an IGBT and a diode constituting the inverter circuit mounted on one surface thereof, and a power module case 302 made of resin disposed on the outer periphery of the metal base 304.”) and including an accommodation space (space within module 300) accommodating the P terminal (DC positive terminal connection portion 314a, Fig. 9B), the N terminal (DC negative connection portion 316a, Fig.9B), and the pair of fastening portions (nuts in 314 and 316, [0131] “The positive and negative capacitor terminals 504 and 506 are formed with openings 509 and 511, respectively. Nuts are welded on the rear sides of the openings 509 and 511 so that the DC positive and negative terminals 316 and 314 of the power module 300 can be fixed with the bolts.”); and
a first insulating portion (tab portion of insulating paper 318, Fig. 9B) disposed in the accommodation space (space within module 300) and covering the first main surface (top of 314a, Fig.9B), the second main surface (top of 316a, Fig.9B), and the pair of fastening portions (nuts in 314 and 316, [0131] “The positive and negative capacitor terminals 504 and 506 are formed with openings 509 and 511, respectively. Nuts are welded on the rear sides of the openings 509 and 511 so that the DC positive and negative terminals 316 and 314 of the power module 300 can be fixed with the bolts.”) from a side opposite to the base plate (metal base 304), in a state of the gap being filled with the first insulating portion (tab portion of insulating paper 318, Fig. 9B).
Note: Fig. 9B of Suzuki displays a plan-view of structures the DC positive terminal 314 [the first conductor] and DC negative terminal 316 [second conductor], and tab portion of insulating paper 318 [first insulating portion], however, Suzuki meets this limitation from a top-down view perspective of FIG. 9B.
As to Claim 2, Suzuki teaches: The power module (power module 300, Fig. 9A) according to claim 1,
wherein the first insulating portion (tab portion of insulating paper 318, Fig. 9B) further covers the first back surface (back side of 314a, Fig.9B), the second back surface (back side of 316a, Fig.9B), and the pair of fastening portions (nuts in 314 and 316, [0131] “The positive and negative capacitor terminals 504 and 506 are formed with openings 509 and 511, respectively. Nuts are welded on the rear sides of the openings 509 and 511 so that the DC positive and negative terminals 316 and 314 of the power module 300 can be fixed with the bolts.”) from the base plate side (metal base 304).
Note: Fig. 9B of Suzuki displays a plan-view of structures the DC positive terminal 314 [the first conductor] and DC negative terminal 316 [second conductor], and tab portion of insulating paper 318 [first insulating portion], however, Suzuki meets this limitation from a top-down view perspective of FIG. 9B.
As to Claim 3, Suzuki teaches: A power conversion device (power conversion apparatus 200) comprising:
the power module (power module 300, Fig. 9A) according to claim 1;
the capacitor (capacitor module 500, Fig. 15); and
a second insulating portion (bar portion of insulating paper 318, Fig. 9B) formed integrally with the positive-electrode-side terminal (positive electrode side capacitor terminal 506, Fig.15) and the negative-electrode-side terminal (negative electrode side capacitor terminal 504, Fig. 15) so as to extend from the first insulating portion (bar portion of insulating paper 318, Fig. 9B), and covering the positive-electrode-side terminal (positive electrode side capacitor terminal 506, Fig.15) and the negative-electrode-side terminal (negative electrode side capacitor terminal 504, Fig. 15) from an outer side.
Note: Based on the routing between structures first conductor [DC positive terminal 314], second conductor [DC negative terminal 316], the positive-electrode-side terminal [positive electrode side capacitor terminal 506] and the negative-electrode-side terminal [negative electrode side capacitor terminal 504], the second insulating portion [bar portion of insulating paper 318] is considered to cover the positive-electrode-side terminal [positive electrode side capacitor terminal 506] and the negative-electrode-side terminal [negative electrode side capacitor terminal 504]. Further, Fig. 9B of Suzuki displays a plan-view of structures the DC positive terminal 314 [the first conductor] and DC negative terminal 316 [second conductor], and tab portion of insulating paper 318 [first insulating portion], however, Suzuki meets this limitation from a top-down view perspective of FIG. 9B.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mashal Ahmed whose telephone number is (571)270-1754. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9AM to 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William (Blake) Partridge can be reached at (571) 270-1402. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MASHAL AHMED/Examiner, Art Unit 2812
/William B Partridge/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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