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 § 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 4-9, 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 4; “an inter-plate electronic component including the electronic component disposed between adjacent cooling plates among the plurality of cooling plates” is unclear; whereas an actual inter-plate is not asserted, and thus it cannot be readily ascertained if the an inter-plate electronic component is deemed as located on a separate plate with respect that is different with respect to a plurality of cooling plates; and further “the electronic component” in line 2 is unclear; whereas “electronic component” alone has not been previously asserted, and thus it cannot be readily ascertained if intended to a particular one of the electronic components already asserted in claim 1 and/or if the interpolate electronic component is separate to or one of the electronic components on i.e. one side of a cooling plate. Regarding Claim 8; the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 6, “board wiring that generates heat by an energization current is larger than a cross-sectional area of a protrusion at another location” is unclear; whereas board wiring is asserted without asserting an actual board, location of board wiring, and if the heat generated by the board wiring is deemed as larger than a cross-section area of a protrusion OR otherwise of board wiring itself is deemed as larger than a cross-section area of a protrusion. Further, “board wiring” alone is not asserted with sufficient structure so as to constitute a function defining a heat generation or origin of heat generation—if so intended and the structure does not otherwise denote the function as conducting heat from a particular device etc, and thus the office hereby notes that the assertion reads on more than one plausible claim construction. Regarding Claim 10; “the electronic component at an upper face of the first cooling plate” is unclear; whereas an electronic component is not previously asserted an upper face, and thus it appears the limitation shall be asserted as: one of the electronic components at an upper face of one of the sides (in reference to claim 1 line 4). Regarding Claim 12; “wherein a transformer and a bulk capacitor are disposed as the electronic component” is unclear; whereas it cannot be readily ascertained if a transformer and bulk capacitor are package as the electronic component (one component) or otherwise intended to denote separate electronic components since the assertion only back to the component while base claims already assert a plurality of electronic components. Regarding Claim 16; “the electronic component at an lower face of the second cooling plate” is unclear; whereas an electronic component is not previously asserted an lower face, and thus it appears the limitation shall be asserted as: one of the electronic components at an upper face of one of the sides (in reference to claim 1 line 4). Due to the outstanding number of informalities, the Office notes that the above objections are a non-exhaustive list, and thus requests Applicant’s cooperation with reviewing the claims and correcting all remaining informalities present in the claims, but not made of record above. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-4, 6, 10, and 13, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by (Deguchi 2020/0321884).
Regarding Claim 1; Deguchi discloses an electronic component cooling structure (as constituted by a power converter including power modules alternately stacked with coolers—as set forth by para.’s 0034 and 0036) in which a plurality of cooling plates each having a cooling fluid flow path therein is disposed, cooling fluid for cooling an electronic components flowing through the cooling fluid flow path (as set forth by para. 0038--whereas the coolers—as are defined by 21 which constitutes plates in which coolant flows inside a flow path thereof--as depicted by Fig. 3 and absorbing heat of the power modules and semiconductor elements 11a and 11b thereof--as depicted by Fig.’s 1 and 3), wherein the electronic components are disposed at both sides of each of the plurality of cooling plates (as depicted by Fig. 3), the electronic components facing the cooling plates (as depicted by Fig. 3), and wherein the electronic components are cooled via the facing cooling plates (as set forth by para. 0003—whereas the plurality of coolers are alternately stacked one by one so as to cool each power module from both sides).
Regarding Claim 2; Deguchi discloses the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the electronic components and the plurality of cooling plates are built in an electric vehicle (as set forth by para. 0003).
Regarding Claim 3; Deguchi discloses the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of cooling plates is disposed in a stacked manner (as already set forth and depicted by Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 4; Deguchi discloses the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 3, wherein an inter-plate electronic component including the electronic component disposed between adjacent cooling plates among the plurality of cooling plates (whereas an inter-plate electronic component is constituted by a semiconductor element 11a of power module 10a disposed a middle cooling plate between a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate disposed at opposite side of the middle cooling plate) is cooled by any of the adjacent cooling plates (as set forth by para. 0003—whereas plurality of power modules and the plurality of coolers are alternately stacked one by one so as to cool each power module from both sides).
Regarding Claim 6; Deguchi discloses the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 4, wherein a frame member that covers at least part of a side face of the inter-plate electronic component is disposed between the adjacent cooling plates, and wherein the frame member includes a communication passage communicating with the cooling fluid flow path of each of the plurality of cooling plates (whereas frame-30 comprises at least a holding plate-31 which in-part covers one side and receives a passage 23a extending therethrough to supply the coolant to the cooling plates).
Regarding Claim 10; Deguchi discloses the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of cooling plates includes a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate, wherein the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate are disposed in this order from a top along a suggested vertical direction (order from a top along a vertical direction is constituted by the stacking direction of the respective plates; NOTE: as asserted, vertical is only limited by the stacking direction), and wherein a drive circuit that drives a motor serving as a traveling power source of the electric vehicle (as set forth by para.’s 0003 and 0026) is disposed as the electronic component at an upper face of the first cooling plate (as depicted by Fig. 3--
via 40 disposed at an upper end face; Note: upper face is not asserted as a major or larger face—if so intended). Except, Deguchi does not explicitly disclose an actual vertical direction (as the stacking direction). However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the electronic component cooling structure defined by 2-Fig. 3 as mounted vertically corresponding to an x-direction within the electrical vehicle since it was known in the art that in accordance with a desired layout for space conservation and/or ease of repair and replacement.
Regarding Claim 13; Deguchi discloses the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 10, wherein a filter substrate and a coil module are disposed as the electronic components at a lower face of the second cooling plate.
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) 14, and 17, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Sawazaki 2018/0281605).
Regarding Claim 14; Deguchi discloses the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of cooling plates includes a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate, wherein the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate are disposed in this order from a top along a suggested vertical direction (order from a top along a vertical direction is constituted by the stacking direction of the respective plates; NOTE: as asserted, vertical is only limited by the stacking direction), except explicitly wherein a filter substrate and a coil module are disposed as the electronic component at an upper face of the first cooling plate. However, Sawazaki discloses a filter substrate and a coil module are disposed as the electronic component at an upper face of the first cooling plate (as depicted by Fig. 1—whereas voltage converter circuit-10a constitutes a filter substrate and coil module thereof by including a filter capacitor-3 and reactor-4a; NOTE: an upper face location is not explicitly limited as one of the already asserted both sides, a face disposed in the stacking direction or orthogonal to the stacking direction etc), and thus it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the filter substrate and coil module at an upper face since it was known in the art that the upper face may be deemed as an orthogonal side with respect to the already asserted--both sides and will allow for a lower profile arrangement while reducing the length or height of the stack accordance and/or further may be orient so as to prevent any liquid leaks from damaging the filter substrate.
Regarding Claim 17; Deguchi discloses the already modified electronic component cooling structure according to claim 14, wherein a drive circuit that drives a motor serving as a traveling power source of the electric vehicle (as set forth by para.’s 0003 and 0026) is disposed as the electronic component at a lower face of the first cooling plate (as depicted by Fig. 3--via 40 disposed at a lower end face; Note: lower face is not asserted as a major or larger face—if so intended and/or is not explicitly limiting as one of the already asserted both sides, a face disposed in the stacking direction or orthogonal to the stacking direction etc).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7, 11-12, and 15-16, 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 5; the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 4, wherein the inter-plate electronic component has relatively lower heat resistance than another electronic component.
Regarding Claim 7; the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 6, wherein the frame member includes a plurality of wall portions overlapping at least part of the inter-plate electronic component in a direction orthogonal to a stacking direction of the cooling plates, and wherein at least one of the wall portions is connected to the communication passage.
Regarding Claim 11; the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 10, wherein a switching element of an on-board charger that charges a battery of the electric vehicle is disposed as the electronic component at a lower face of the first cooling plate.
Regarding Claim 12; the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 10, wherein a transformer and a bulk capacitor are disposed as the electronic component at an upper face of the second cooling plate. Note: allowable when assumed as two components.
Regarding Claim 15; the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 14, wherein a transformer and a bulk capacitor are disposed as the electronic components at a lower face of the first cooling plate.
Regarding Claim 16; the electronic component cooling structure according to claim 14, wherein a switching element of an on-board charger that charges a battery of the electric vehicle is disposed as the electronic component at an upper face of the second cooling plate.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20050259402 A1
Yasui, Hidehiko et al.
Fig. 1
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/COURTNEY L SMITH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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