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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. JP2023-177671, filed on 10/13/2023.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: POWER SUPPLY DEVICE WITH A PLURALITY OF TYPES OF HEAT GENERATING COMPONENT AND AN INSULATING HEAT DISSIPATION RESIN MATERIAL FILLED IN A CASE.
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.
Claims 1-11, 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YANG et al. (CN 218735649 - hereinafter, "Yang") in view of 天野 勝之 (JP 4581175-B2 - hereinafter, "Tianye").
With respect to Claim 1, Yang teaches (in Figure 1-2)
A power supply device (see Figure 1-2, on page 7, 8th paragraph, “the power conversion device comprises a circuit board 100. electronic component 200 and shell 300, electronic component 200 mounted on the circuit board 100, the circuit board 100 and electronic component 200 are mounted in the shell 300” of the provided translation) comprising:
a case (300) having thermal conductivity and formed in a box shape (see Figure 1-2);
a plurality of types of heat generating components (200, on page 8, 4th paragraph, “electronic component 200 comprises a MOS tube 212, an IGBT module 213, a capacitor 224, a transformer 225, an inductor 226 and a relay 227” of the provided translation) housed in the case (300); and
Yang fails to specifically teach or suggest an insulating heat dissipation resin material filled in the case.
Tianye, however, teaches (in Figure 3)
an insulating heat dissipation resin material (15) filled (in paragraph [0026], “The heat conductive substrate 14 is filled with a resin or gel-like substance 15 having good heat conductivity and insulation until the reactor 2 is hidden, and the heat radiation means 5 is used to radiate the heat of the reactor 2”) in a case (17).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Tianye with Yang, such that an insulating heat dissipation resin material filled in a case as taught by Tianye since doing so would suppress radiation noise and accelerate the heat dissipation of Yang’s heat generating components. (in paragraph [0026] of the provided translation)
With respect to Claim 2, Yang as modified by Tianye teaches the limitations of Claim 1 as per above and Yang further teaches (in Figure 1-2)
wherein at least one of the plurality of types of heat generating components (200) includes a semiconductor element (semiconductor discrete device, on page 8, 2nd paragraph, “wherein the electronic component 200 comprises a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor, a potentiometer, an electronic tube, a radiator, an electromechanical element, a connector, a semiconductor discrete device, an electro-acoustic device, a laser device, an electronic display device, a photoelectric device, a sensor, a power supply, a switch, a micro-motor, an electronic transformer. relay and piezoelectric and so on, selecting the corresponding electronic component for the power conversion device with different functions” of the provided translation), and
a wire (lead of the 210 devices, see Figure 1, the leads are exposed and would come into direct contact with the insulating heat dissipation resin material (15 as taught by Tianye in Claim 1 as per above)) included in the semiconductor element (semiconductor discrete device) is in direct contact with the insulating heat dissipation resin material (15 as taught by Tianye in Claim 1 as per above).
With respect to Claims 3-4, Yang as modified by Tianye teaches the limitations of Claim 1-2 as per above and Yang further teaches (in Figure 1-2)
wherein at least one of the plurality of types of heat generating components (200) is arranged in thermal contact (in thermal contact by direct contact with the insulating heat dissipation resin material (15 as taught by Tianye in Claim 1 as per above)) with an inner wall surface (an interior wall surface of case (300)) of the case (300).
With respect to Claims 5-8, Yang as modified by Tianye teaches the limitations of Claim 1-4 as per above and Yang further teaches (in Figure 1-2)
wherein volumes (see Figure 1, size and shape of the plurality of types of heat generating components (200)) of at least some of the plurality of types of heat generating components (200) are different from each other (see Figure 1).
With respect to Claim 9, Yang as modified by Tianye teaches the limitations of Claim 1 as per above and Yang further teaches (in Figure 1-2)
wherein the plurality of types of heat generating components (200) include:
a first heat generating component (220); and
a second heat generating component (210) having a smaller volume (see Figure 1) than the first heat generating component (220),
the first heat generating component (220) is arranged in the case (300), and
the second heat generating component (210) is arranged in a gap (see Figure 1, second heat generating component (210) is between a side of the case (300) and the first heat generating component (220) formed by the first heat generating component (220) in the case (300).
With respect to Claim 10, Yang as modified by Tianye teaches the limitations of Claim 1 as per above and Yang further teaches (in Figure 1-2)
wherein at least one of the plurality of types of heat generating components (200) is arranged in contact with an insulating heat dissipation member (100, on page 7, 9th paragraph, “shell 300 comprises a top shell 350 and bottom plate 360,… the circuit board 100 can be fixed on the bottom plate 360, also can be fixed on the top shell 350, such as can be fixedly connected by insulating adhesive” of the provided translation and on page 7, 10th paragraph, “the shell 300 to dissipate heat of circuit board 100 and electronic component 200” of the provided translation, thus the circuit board (100) can be considered an insulating heat dissipation member, as the heat of the heat generating components (200) can transfer heat through the circuit board and the insulating adhesive to an interior wall surface of the case (300)) arranged in contact with an inner wall surface (an interior wall surface of case (300)) of the case (300).
With respect to Claim 11, Yang as modified by Tianye teaches the limitations of Claim 1 as per above and Yang further teaches (in Figure 1-2)
further comprising a circuit board (100, see Figure 1) electrically connected to the heat generating components (200).
With respect to Claims 13-15, Yang as modified by Tianye teaches the limitations of Claim 9-11 as per above and Yang further teaches (in Figure 1-2)
wherein the power supply device (see Figure 1-2,) is used as a power supply conversion device (on page 7, 8th paragraph, “the power conversion device comprises a circuit board 100. electronic component 200 and shell 300, electronic component 200 mounted on the circuit board 100, the circuit board 100 and electronic component 200 are mounted in the shell 300” of the provided translation),
the first heat generating component (220) includes at least one of a reactor, a capacitor (224), a resistor, a relay (227), and a transformer (225), and
the second heat generating component (210) includes at least one semiconductor element (semiconductor discrete device) of a diode, a field effect transistor (FET), a thyristor, a triac, and an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) (213).
Claims 12,16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang in view of Tianye in view of OKAMOTO, KENJI (WO-2015151644-A - hereinafter, "Okamoto").
With respect to Claim 12, Yang as modified by Tianye teaches the limitations of Claim 1 as per above but fails to specifically teach or suggest the limitations of Claim 12.
Okamoto, however, teaches (in Figure 6)
further comprising a heat dissipation housing (31+35) that houses a case (39), wherein the case (39) is arranged in contact with an inner wall (see Figure 6) of the heat dissipation housing (31+35).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time before effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Okamoto with Yang, such that a heat dissipation housing that houses a case, wherein the case is arranged in contact with an inner wall of the heat dissipation housing as taught by Okamoto since doing so would provide protection for Yang’s power supply device while providing a heat dissipation path.
With respect to Claims 16, Yang as modified by Tianye as modified by Okamoto teaches the limitations of Claim 12 as per above and Yang further teaches (in Figure 1-2)
wherein the power supply device (see Figure 1-2,) is used as a power supply conversion device (on page 7, 8th paragraph, “the power conversion device comprises a circuit board 100. electronic component 200 and shell 300, electronic component 200 mounted on the circuit board 100, the circuit board 100 and electronic component 200 are mounted in the shell 300” of the provided translation),
the first heat generating component (220) includes at least one of a reactor, a capacitor (224), a resistor, a relay (227), and a transformer (225), and
the second heat generating component (210) includes at least one semiconductor element (semiconductor discrete device) of a diode, a field effect transistor (FET), a thyristor, a triac, and an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) (213).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2021/0037675 to YAMASHIMA et al., which teaches a power supply device is provided with: a first heat-generating component; a case; a resin material; a circuit board; a second heat-generating component; and a heat dissipation casing. This power supply device is additionally provided with a heat transfer member which has a first portion that is arranged to be in contact with a first outer surface of the case and a second portion that is arranged to be in contact with a second outer surface of the case, and which has a higher thermal conductivity than the case. The second heat-generating component is arranged in contact with the heat transfer member; and the heat transfer member dissipates the heat of the first heat-generating component and the second heat-generating component by being arranged in contact with a wall surface that constitutes the heat dissipation casing.
JP-5419406-B2 to 手島 和範, which teaches an inverter device suitable for constituting an electric compressor integrally with a compression mechanism and an electric motor that drives the compression mechanism
JP-2019161967-A to FUJII KENTA et al., which teaches a power converter that drives a motor supplies high-voltage driving power to a motor driving circuit using a battery as a power source. In addition, resin-encapsulated power semiconductor elements are used in power converters, and power converters are becoming increasingly important as key devices in the field of power electronics.
JP-5048705-B2 to 村上 友厚, which teaches a vehicular power conversion device for converting power supplied from a power source and supplying the power to a drive motor.
JP-3223835-B2 to 木村 俊則, which teaches a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a power semiconductor device having a power semiconductor element resin-sealed inside a case.
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/S.N./Examiner , Art Unit 2841
/Jayprakash N Gandhi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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