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 .
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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/31/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant states, “The Examiner alleges that the fastening member (400) of the present invention corresponds to the fastening members shown in Figures 1 and 3 of Yim (D1). However, the fastening member shown in Figure 1 of D1 is provided to fasten the inverter cover (320) to the inverter housing (310) and does not pass through the circuit board (340). Moreover, the fastening member shown in Figure 3 of D1 is provided to fasten the circuit board (340) to the inverter housing (310) and does not pass through the inverter cover (320). This is precisely the issue solved by the present invention, i.e. reducing the number of fasteners by using a single fastener to fasten the inverter cover (300) and the circuit board (200) to the housing, instead of using separate fasteners for each. In other words, D1 suffers from the very problem the present invention solves.
The examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant. The claim currently recites, “at least one or more fastening members penetrating both the inverter cover and the circuit board to be fastened to the housing”. Yim discloses (refer to annotated FIG. below) a TOP fastening member penetrating the inverter cover 310 and the circuit board 340 & a BOTTOM fastening member fastening the circuit board 340 to the housing 100 and further described in para [0054] “the inverter housing 310, and the main housing 100 may be electrically connected to each other by a fastening member”. Therefore, Yim discloses the TOP & BOTTOM fastening members as the “at least one or more fastening members” penetrating both the inverter cover and the circuit board to be fastened to the housing.
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.
Claims 16-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yim (US 2020/0362843).
Regarding Claim 16, Yim discloses an electric compressor [10] (FIG. 1-3), comprising:
a housing [100] (FIG. 2);
a compressing part [600] provided in the housing [100] (FIG. 1-2, ¶ [0086]; Refrigerant compressed in the compression part 600 inside the main housing 100):
a motor part [400] provided in the housing [100] and configured to drive the compressing part [600] (FIG. 1-2, ¶ [0127]; The motor part 400 may be driven by the transferred power and control signal to generate a rotational force for rotating the compression part 600. ¶ [0084]; The shape of the main housing 100 may be changed to any shape capable of housing the motor part 400, the rotary shaft part 500, and the compression part 600); and
an inverter part [300] coupled to one side of the housing [100 – as shown in FIG. 1 shows element 300 coupled to one side of element 100] and configured to control the motor part [400] (FIG. 1-2, ¶ [0027]; an inverter part electrically coupled to the motor part and configured to apply power and control signals to the motor part),
wherein the inverter part [300] comprises:
an inverter body [320] disposed on one side of the housing [100 – as shown in FIG. 1 showing element 320 on one side of element 100] (FIG. 1-2):
a circuit board [340] seated in the inverter body [320 – as shown in FIG. 3] (FIG. 1-3);
an inverter cover [310] disposed on one side of the inverter body [320] and covering the circuit board [340 – as shown in FIG. 3] (FIG. 1-3); and
at least one or more fastening members [“fastening members”] penetrating both the inverter cover [310 – top fastening annotated in as a top arrow “penetrates both 310 & 340”] and the circuit board [340] to be fastened to the housing [100 is fastened by the bottom fastening annotated in as a bottom arrow] (FIG. 1-3, ¶ [0125]; The inverter cover 320 may be coupled to the inverter housing 310 by a separate fastening means. ¶ [0054]; Accordingly, the power supply element, the heat dissipation member, the inverter housing 310, and the main housing 100 may be electrically connected to each other by a fastening member).
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Regarding Claim 17, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
wherein the fastening members penetrate [as shown in FIGs. above] the inverter cover [310], the circuit board [340], and the inverter body [320] to be fastened to the housing [100] (FIG. 1-2, ¶ [0125]; inverter cover 320 may be located on one side of the inverter housing 310 opposite to the main housing 100, that is, on the rear side in the shown embodiment. The inverter cover 320 may be coupled to the inverter housing 310 by a separate fastening means).
Regarding Claim 18, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
at least one or more limiters [341] in contact with the circuit board [340] and allowing the fastening members to penetrate an inside thereof (FIG. 2 shows all the component and FIG. 1 or 3 shows once fastened).
Regarding Claim 19, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 3 [see rejected Claim 3],
wherein when the fastening member [refer to rejected Claims 1-3 above] is fastened [once all components are installed as shown in FIG. 1] to the housing [100], the limiter [341] is in contact [as shown in FIG. 3] with the inverter cover [310] (FIG. 1-3).
Regarding Claim 20, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 4 [see rejected Claim 4],
wherein the limiter [341] pressurizes [predetermined distance] the circuit board [340] toward the housing [320] by a fastening force of the fastening member (FIG. 1-3, ¶ [0135]; the inverter bracket 341 may keep the printed circuit board 340 spaced a predetermined distance from the inverter housing 310).
Regarding Claim 21, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 4 [see rejected Claim 4],
wherein the limiter [341] is soldered [340 is a printed circuit and all printed circuits are “soldered”] and surface mounted to a surface [341] of the circuit board [340] facing the inverter cover [310] (FIG. 4).
Regarding Claim 22, Yim discloses the electric compressor of claim 4 [see rejected Claim 4],
wherein the limiter [341] penetrates the circuit board and is soldered [340 is a printed circuit and all printed circuits are “soldered”] to a surface facing the housing through a flange [from the spaced a predetermined distance] (FIG. 1-3, ¶ [0135]).
Regarding Claim 23, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
wherein the fastening member is provided in plural number [as shown in the annotated FIGs above], and at least one among the plurality of fastening members is disposed to be closer to a center line than to a tip end with respect to a longitudinal direction in which a length of the inverter cover is a longest (FIG. 1-3).
Regarding Claim 24, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 5 [],
wherein the fastening member [as shown in the annotated FIGs above] is provided in plural number, and the plurality of fastening members are disposed more on a side on which a switching element [350] connected to the circuit board [340] is disposed based on a longitudinal center line which is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction in which a length of the inverter cover [320] is a longest, and is passing a center of the inverter cover [320] (FIG. 1-3, ¶ [0088]).
Regarding Claim 25, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 9 [see rejected Claim 9],
wherein the plurality of fastening members [as shown in the annotated FIGs above] disposed on the side on which the switching element [350] is disposed based on the longitudinal center line of the inverter cover are disposed in one line (FIG. 2, ¶ [0088]).
Regarding Claim 26, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
wherein the inverter cover [320] comprises a plurality of guide protrusions [where all fasteners go into shown on the left side of 320], and wherein a plurality of guide holes into which the plurality of guide protrusions are inserted are formed on the circuit board [when 340 is placed into 320] (FIG. 1-3).
Regarding Claim 27, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 11 [see rejected Claim 11],
wherein a stepped surface protruding toward the circuit board is formed around each of the plurality of guide protrusions (refer to rejected Claim 6).
Regarding Claim 28, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 11 [see rejected Claim 11],
wherein at least some of the plurality of guide protrusions are heat-fused [where all fasteners go into shown on the left side of 320] (FIG. 2, moreover, any PCB is “heat fused” to give a shape or add electrical components or fastening components).
Regarding Claim 29, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 11 [see rejected Claim 11],
wherein the guide hole has a diameter which is smaller than a diameter of a fastening hole formed on the circuit board [340] to allow the fastening member to penetrate (as shown in FIG. 2).
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 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yim (US 2020/0362843) according to Claim 16 and in further view of Niekamp (US 2020/0313522).
Regarding Claim 30, Yim discloses the electric compressor [10] of claim 1 [see rejected Claim 1],
Yim does not disclose wherein the inverter body [320] is made of a plastic material.
Niekamp discloses a support body [20], which is advantageously made of a plastic material (¶ [0095]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate Niekamp’s teachings into Yim’s inverter body. One would be motivated to do so to for cost reduction and light weight.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 JOSEPH ORTEGA whose telephone number is (469)295-9083. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM - 5 PM.
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, TULSIDAS C. PATEL can be reached at (571)272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH ORTEGA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
Prosecution Insights