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
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kunifada et al. (US 2024/0246405 A1) in view of Hong (US 2023/0226899 A1) in further view of Ikegami (US 2024/0125379 A1) and Marukawa (US 2021/0059062 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kunifada discloses a vehicle (Vehicle 10) comprising:
a vehicle body that has an engine compartment (Engine compartment 94, Para. 0063, Fig. 8);
an engine unit (Engine 12) that is fixed to the vehicle body in the engine compartment (Engine compartment, Para. 0063);
a motor unit that is fixed to the vehicle body together with the engine unit in the engine compartment (The motors MG1 and MG2 are housed within a casing 40 which is located in the position adjacent to the engine 12, Para. 0035 & 0064, Fig. 4);
a power conversion unit (Power control unit 74) that is fixed on the motor unit in the engine compartment (The power control unit 74 is housed in the vertically upper space of the casing 40 Para. 0053);
However, Kunifuda does not disclose a charging unit that is fixed on the power conversion unit in the engine compartment; and a stiffener that connects the power conversion unit and the engine unit to each other in the engine compartment, wherein the stiffener has at least one first end fixed to the power conversion unit and at least one second end fixed to the engine unit, a casing of the power conversion unit is provided with a boss for fixing the charging unit, and the first end of the stiffener is fixed to the boss of the power conversion unit.
Nevertheless, Hong teaches a charging unit (Charger 26) that is fixed on the power conversion unit (Power conversion device 20) in the engine compartment (Fig.1, Claim 1);
Thus, it would have been to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to fix the charging unit on the power conversion unit in the engine compartment in order to reduce unintended deformation and damage to the motor and power conversion unit (Para. 0007, Hong).
The combination of Kunifuda and Hong, however, fails to teach but Ikegami teaches a stiffener that connects the power conversion unit and the engine unit to each other in the engine compartment (Reinforcing member 50 couples the power control device 22 and the cam housing 39, Para. 0036), wherein the stiffener has at least one first end fixed to the power conversion unit and at least one second end fixed to the engine unit (A second end 532 of the first coupling member 53 is coupled to the case of the power control device 22, Para. 0030, The connecting member 51 is fastened to the cam housing 39, Para. 0024) and the first end of the stiffener is fixed to the boss of the power conversion unit (The first fastening portion 391 is a cylindrical boss projecting toward the power control device 22. A bolt 61 fastens the first fastening portion 391 of the cam housing 39 and the connecting member 51).
Thus, it would have been to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have further modified the teachings of Kunifuda to incorporate a stiffener that connects the power conversion unit and the engine unit to each other in the engine compartment, where the stiffener has at least one first end fixed to the power conversion unit and at least one second end fixed to the engine unit, and the first end of the stiffener is fixed to the boss of the power conversion unit in order to reduce the vibration of the power control device and the engine and avoids the reduction in the degree of adhesion (Para. 0036 & 0038, Ikegami ).
The combination of Kunifuda and Ikegami fails to teach but Marukawa teaches a casing of the power conversion unit (Power conversion unit case 30) is provided with a boss for fixing the charging unit (Para. 0093).
Thus, it would have been to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified the teachings of Kunifuda to incorporate a boss for fixing a charging unit onto the power conversion case in order to improve the structural integrity and reduce vibration.
Regarding claim 2, Kunifuda discloses wherein: the casing of the power conversion unit (Casing 40) includes a casing body (Main body 40 a) having an opening opened upward, and a casing cover (Cover plate 40b) attached to the opening (Para. 0051);
However, Kunifada does not disclose the boss is integrally provided with the casing cover.
Nevertheless, Markuawa teaches and a casing cover (Upper cover 34) attached to the opening; and the boss (Boss 46) is integrally provided with the casing cover (Para. 0044).
Thus, it would have been to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified the teachings of Kunifuda to integrate a boss with the casing cover in order to improve the structural integrity and reduce vibration.
Regarding claim 4, Kunifuda does not disclose wherein the stiffener includes the first member having the first end and a second member having the at least one second end and detachably connected to the first member.
However, Ikegami teaches wherein the stiffener (A member 51) includes a first member having the first end (First coupling member 53) and a second member (Second coupling member 55) having the at least one second end and detachably connected to the first member (The fastening portion of the second coupling member 55 and the connecting member 51 is separated from the fastening portion of the first coupling member 53 and the connecting member 51 [Para. 0034]).
Thus, it would have been to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to to have modified the teachings of Kunifuda to incorporate a first member with a first end and a second member having the at least one second end and detachably connected to the first member in order to avoid an occurrence of deformation in which the power control device 20 is twisted relative to the engine 30 (Ikegami , Para. 0040).
Claims 5 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kunifuda (US 2024/0246405 A1) in view of Hong (US 2023/0226899 A1), Ikegami (US 2024/0125379 A1), and Marukawa (US 2021/0059062 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of and Ogawa et al. (US 2011/0061932A1).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Kunifuda, Hong, Ikegami, and Markuawa does not teach wherein the stiffener further has a third end to which a pipe or wiring is attached.
However, Ogawa teaches wherein the stiffener further has a third end (fixing piece portion 47, Fig.4 to which a pipe or wiring (cable 21) is attached (Para. 0039).
Thus, it would have been to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified the teachings of Kunifuda to incorporate a stiffener with a third end to which a pipe or wiring is attached in order to prevent piping or wiring from moving or rupturing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 3, the closest prior art Kunifuda and Marukawa both teach casings for a power conversion unit with an opening facing upward with a casing cover attached. Marukawa further teaches a boss integrally provided with the casing cover. The features, the charging unit is fixed to an upper end of the boss and the first end of the stiffener is fixed to a side surface of the boss, in combination with the other claim features would not be obvious to reject without improper hindsight reconstruction.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUCILLE LONGHURST whose telephone number is (571)270-7295. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (7:30-5:00).
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/LUCILLE D LONGHURST/Examiner, Art Unit 3617
/JOHN OLSZEWSKI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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