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 § 102
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 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 1-3, 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamasaki (US 2016/0094106 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yamasaki discloses a drive device (1) for a vehicle (¶ [0015]), comprising:
a motor unit (30) that includes a motor (30); and
an inverter unit (40) that includes an inverter (40; motor is used in a vehicle, which would require a battery as DC power source, and the motor is an AC motor, requiring an inverter for DC-AC conversion), wherein
one of the motor unit (30) or the inverter unit (40) is provided with a plurality of male terminals (37),
the other of the motor unit (30) or the inverter unit (40) is provided with a plurality of female terminals (60),
each of the male terminals (37) has a columnar shape (FIG. 3) that extends along a direction of assembly (axial direction) of the inverter unit (40) to the motor unit (30; FIG. 1),
each of the female terminals (60) has a hole (63) into which a corresponding one of the male terminals (37) is inserted along the assembly direction (axial direction), and
at least one of the male terminals (37, 21) has a longer distance of insertion into the female terminal (60) than that of the other male terminals (37, 22, 23).
Regarding claim 2/1, Yamasaki was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki further discloses the at least one of the male terminals (37, 21) is a reference male terminal that projects in the assembly direction (axial direction) with respect to the other male terminals (37, 22, 23; FIG. 4A-D).
Regarding claim 3/2, Yamasaki was discussed above in claim 2. Yamasaki further discloses the reference male terminal (37, 21) has, at a distal end portion that includes at least a distal end (377), a tapered shape (375) in which a cross-sectional area reduces toward the distal end (377; FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 11/1, Yamasaki was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki further discloses the male terminals (37) include at least a first male terminal (21), a second male terminal (22), and a third male terminal (23);
the female terminals (60) include at least a first female terminal (60), a second female terminal (60), and a third female terminal (60; FIG. 3);
a U-phase of the motor (30) and the inverter (40) are electrically connected by inserting the first male terminal (23) into the first female terminal (60; FIG. 3);
a V-phase of the motor (30) and the inverter (40) are electrically connected by inserting the second male terminal (22) into the second female terminal (60; FIG. 3); and
a W-phase of the motor (30) and the inverter (40) are electrically connected by inserting the third male terminal (23) into the third female terminal (60; FIG. 3).
Regarding claim 13/1, Yamasaki was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki further discloses the motor unit includes a motor casing (31, 314) to which either the male terminals (37) or the female terminals are fixed (via the motor);
the inverter unit (40) includes an inverter casing (43, 313) to which the other of the male terminals or the female terminals (60) are fixed (via the circuit board 42); and
a mating surface formed on the motor casing (31, 314) is aligned with a mating surface formed on the inverter casing (43, 313) with the male terminals (37) inserted into the respective female terminals (60; FIG. 1).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamasaki (US 2016/0094106 A1) in view of Park et al. (US 10,199,760 B2).
Regarding claim 4/3, Yamasaki was discussed above in claim 3. Yamasaki does not disclose the distal end of the reference male terminal is constituted with a curved surface.
Park discloses the distal end of the reference male terminal is constituted with a curved surface (FIG. 3, 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamasaki in view of Park to disclose the distal end of the reference male terminal is constituted with a curved surface, as a curved surface for a terminal is an obvious variant to a tapered surface of a terminal, which one of ordinary skill in the art would be able to try with reasonable expectation of success.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamasaki (US 2016/0094106 A1) in view of Pradeepkumar et al. (US 2023/0412037 A1).
Regarding claim 12/11, Yamasaki was discussed above in claim 11. Yamasaki does not disclose the male terminals further include a fourth male terminal;
the female terminals further include a fourth female terminal into which the fourth male terminal is inserted; and
the fourth male terminal or the fourth female terminal is electrically connected to a neutral point of the motor in the motor unit.
Pradeepkumar discloses the male terminals further include a fourth male terminal (156);
the female terminals further include a fourth female terminal (164) into which the fourth male terminal (156) is inserted; and
the fourth male terminal (156) or the fourth female terminal (164) is electrically connected to a neutral point (160) of the motor in the motor unit (FIG. 7, 8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamasaki in view of Pradeepkumar to disclose the male terminals further include a fourth male terminal; the female terminals further include a fourth female terminal into which the fourth male terminal is inserted; and the fourth male terminal or the fourth female terminal is electrically connected to a neutral point of the motor in the motor unit, for the advantages of a safer and stable connection for a star configured connection.
Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamasaki (US 2016/0094106 A1) in view of Murakami et al. (US 6,524,117 B1).
Regarding claim 7/1, Yamasaki was discussed above in claim 1. Yamasaki does not disclose at least one of the female terminals is a reference female terminal that projects in the assembly direction with respect to the other female terminals.
Murakami discloses at least one of the female terminals (10) is a reference female terminal (FIG. 5A, left terminal) that projects in the assembly direction with respect to the other female terminals (FIG. 5A, right terminal).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to have modified Yamasaki in view of Murakami to disclose at least one of the female terminals is a reference female terminal that projects in the assembly direction with respect to the other female terminals, for the advantages of significantly reducing the required inserting form even with multiple male and female terminals (col. 1 ll. 66 - col. 2 ll. 3).
Regarding claim 8/7, Yamasaki in view of Murakami was discussed above in claim 7. Murakami further discloses the hole (of holding springs 14) of the reference female terminal (10; FIG. 5A, left terminal) has, at an entrance portion including at least an opening end (opening towards terminals 8), a tapered shape in which a cross-sectional area increases toward the opening end (FIG. 5A, the opening of holding springs is tapered towards the insertion portion).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5-6 and 9-10 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 5/2, the specific limitation of “the reference male terminal (28a) has a smaller clearance (C1) from the hole (40) of the female terminal (36a) than that of the other male terminals (FIG. 6B)” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Claim 6 is allowable for depending upon claim 5.
None of the prior arts discloses different clearances between a male terminal and a female terminal for different terminal connections.
Regarding claim 9/7, the specific limitation of “the hole of the reference female terminal (36a) has a smaller clearance (C3) from the male terminal (28a-d) than that of the holes (40) of the other female terminals (FIG. 9B)” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Claim 10 is allowable for depending upon claim 9.
None of the prior arts discloses different clearances between a male terminal and a female terminal for different terminal connections.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 14, the specific limitation of “at least one of the male terminals (28a-d) has a smaller clearance (C1, C3) from the hole (40) of the female terminal (36a-d) than that of the other male terminals (FIG. 6B, 9B)” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
None of the prior arts discloses different clearances between a male terminal and a female terminal for different terminal connections.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINKI CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-0521. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MINKI CHANG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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