20DETAILED 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 § 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) 1-2, 6-8, 10-11, and 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Howes 2013/0063897).
Regarding Claim 1; Howes discloses a power supply system (as constituted by high power drive stack-10-Fig. 2); a plurality of sets of power converter connections within the case, wherein each set of connections includes an input connection configured to be connected to a power source and an output connection configured to be connected to a power load (as depicted by Fig.’s 3 and 7E--whereas DC+ bus 112B and DC- bus 112A couples to a DC power source and constitutes an input power connector within a case defined by cabinet-20 and/or receiver-22—as set forth by para.’s 0022-0023, and otherwise constituted by para. 0024--wherein the module 30 is configured to adjust the torque speed of a n AC/DC motor, as herein incorporated by reference via application # 11/743,735 in which module contacts 54 include input/output voltage, as disclosed on page 7 lines 14-16); and a plurality of power converters (converters--as constituted each 30 comprising converters defined by 40 including IGBTS and rectifiers—as set forth by para. 0004 Note: the applicant only generally asserts a power converter without asserting any specific device types defining the converter that is separate to the heat generating devices, and thus it is herein deemed that the heat generating devices may constitute the converter unless otherwise asserted), each power converter configured to be removably coupled to one set of connections, wherein each power converter comprises a housing (whereas 30 defines a housing that is removably coupled by sliding into a receiver 22—para. 0021, and 0023); a plurality of power connectors configured to be removably coupled to corresponding ones of the connections (whereas 210 includes connections defined by 34 as removably coupled to connectors 24—as depicted by Fig.’s 2-3); a plurality of heat generating devices within the housing (as already set forth by the rectifiers and IGBTs); as suggested by an external heat sink mounted to the housing; and further suggested by a heat pipe thermally coupling the heat generating devices within the housing to the external heat sink mounted to the housing (as constituted by para. 0027—which discloses if a heat sink is used to carry both coolant and current to and from 40, and where cold plate-140 or other heat exchanger couples by pipes to 210 which fluidly and electrically connects and disconnects by moving 30 into or out of the receiver-22—as set forth by para.’s 0022-0023). Except, Chen does not explicitly disclose an external heat sink. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the 210 as a combined electrical and fluid connector having a heat sink to carry fluid to/from the heat generating devices for improved packaging and cooling—as set forth by para. 0027, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893).
Regarding Claim 2; Howes discloses the system of claim 1, one semiconductor (as constituted by the IGBT) except, explicitly wherein the plurality of heat generating devices further comprises at least one inductor. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the AC input rectifier in series with a inductor(choke) since it was known in the art that so as to provide a smoother DC current.
Regarding Claim(s) 6, 7, or 8; Howes discloses the system of claim 1, except, explicitly wherein the external heat sink is mounted to a top, a bottom, or a front of the housing. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the combined connector and/or external heat sink thereof as atleast in-part mounted to a top, bottom or front of housing 3—as suggested by para.’s 0004 and 0024so as to be pluggably connected together and/or tailored for exact specifications to provide uninterruptible interoperability, since it has been held that the provision of adjustability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art. In re Stevens, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954).
Regarding Claim 10; Howes discloses the already modified system of claim 1, except explicitly wherein the external heat sink is mounted directly to the housing. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify 210 which comprises 342 connected the housing 30 as a thermally conductive insulated support integrally comprising the external heat sink, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Regarding Claim 11; Howes discloses the already modified system of claim 1, except explicitly wherein the external heat sink is indirectly mounted to the housing via a bracket. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify 210 which comprises 342 connected the housing 30 as a thermally conductive insulated support connected to and/or including the external heat sink, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Regarding Claim 17; Howes discloses the already modified system of claim 1, except explicitly wherein the external heat sink extends through the housing. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the external heat sink as extending through the housing since it was known in the art that heat sink will carry coolant and current to and from the heat generating devices in a secure manner with enhanced packaging and protection.
Regarding Claim 18; Howes discloses the already modified system of claim 1, except explicitly wherein the external heat sink is located wholly outside the housing. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the external heat sink as located wholly outside the housing since it was known in the art that the combined connector of the heat sink will carry coolant and current to and from the heat generating devices in a manner to prevent leakage thereon upon connection and disconnection.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Howes 2013/0063897).as applied to claim 2 above, in view of (Chae 2023/0052725).
Regarding Claim 3; Howes discloses the system of claim 2, except explicitly further comprising an inductor heat sink thermally coupled with the at least one inductor. However, Chae discloses an inductor heat sink thermally coupled with the at least one inductor (as set forth by para.’s 0089-0090—whereas an inductor 120 may be mounted to a support member 150 and heat sink 140), 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 inductor with an inductor heat sink since it was known in the art that large thermal conductivity may be easily and quickly transferred without damage to other devices connected thereto—as further set forth by para.’s 0092-0093.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 9, 12-16, 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 4; the system of claim 3, wherein the heat pipe is directly thermally coupled to the at least one semiconductor and indirectly thermally coupled to the at least one inductor through the inductor heat sink.
Regarding Claim 5; the system of claim 2, further comprising a printed circuit board within the housing, wherein the at least one inductor and the at least one semiconductor are mounted to the printed circuit board, and wherein the heat pipe is directly thermally coupled to the printed circuit board.
Regarding Claim 9; the system of claim 8, wherein the front of the housing is opposite a back of the housing, wherein the connectors extend from the back of the housing and electrically couple the power converter to the power source supplying power at a first voltage and the power load receiving power at a second voltage, and wherein the first voltage is different than the second voltage.
Regarding Claim 12; the system of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board within the housing, wherein the printed circuit board is aligned along a vertical plane when the power converter is coupled to the connections.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20190273366 A1
Huang; Yu-Hung
Fig.’s 1A, 3, 5, 7E, and 8
US 12382611 B2
Chen; Chao-Jung et al.
Fig. 2
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/COURTNEY L SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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