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
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 10, 14, 17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bridges 2010/0079936.
Regarding claim 10, Bridges discloses a power electronic device (1, Fig 1A) comprising: a housing (10, Fig 1A) having a space formed therein (11, 2nd to last sentence par 0014); a coupling member attachment-detachment portion (30, Fig 1A) positioned at a rear upper side of the housing (rear upper side of 10 where 15 locates, when attached, see Figs 1A, 4); and a coupling member (25, Fig 1A) detachably coupled to the coupling member attachment-detachment portion (see Fig 2), wherein the coupling member attachment-detachment portion includes a coupling member accommodation portion (on the side of 31, Fig 1A) of which an upper side and a rear side (upper and rear side of 31 where 45 locates, Fig 3A) are open (40 forms opening, Fig 2) and which is partially surrounded by an upper surface of the housing (at least partially once assembled, as depicted in Fig 4), and a coupling opening (openings formed within 15, Fig 4) formed to pass through the upper surface of the housing (see Figs 1A, 4), and the coupling member includes a coupling body (60, Fig 1A) accommodated in the coupling member accommodation portion (see Figs 2-3B), and a coupling arm (50, Fig 2) which extends from a lower side of the coupling body (at 36, Fig 4) and passes through and is coupled to the coupling opening (once assembled and 16 is coupled to 15, Fig 4).
Regarding claim 14, Bridges discloses the power electronic device of claim 10, wherein the coupling member attachment-detachment portion includes a guide plate (31, 32, Fig 2) which vertically protrudes (Fig 2), laterally extends (Fig 2), and is formed to have a thickness in an anteroposterior direction (see thickness from front to back, Fig 2), and the coupling member includes a guide groove (40, Fig 2) formed to pass through a surface of the coupling body in a lateral direction (at 45, Fig 2), vertically extends (Fig 2), and movably accommodates the guide plate (Figs 2, 3A, 3B).
Regarding claim 17, Bridges discloses the power electronic device of claim 10, wherein the coupling body includes: a first coupling body (51, Fig 2) that extends vertically (at least partially, Fig 2); a second coupling body (37, Fig 2)which is continuous with the first coupling body (Fig 2) and extends in an anteroposterior direction (see Fig 2); and a coupling protrusion (45, Fig 3A) which is positioned at a rear end portion of the second coupling body (see Fig 3A), protrudes upward (via 36, Fig 3A), and is coupled to a support member (40, Fig 3A) provided in an external terminal member (screw in 40, Fig 3A).
Regarding claim 20, Bridges discloses the power electronic device of claim 10, wherein the coupling body includes: a first coupling body (51, Fig 2) that extends vertically (at least partially, Fig 2); and a pressing protrusion (35, Fig 3A) formed to protrude upward from an upper end portion (36, Fig 3A) of the first coupling body (Fig 3A), wherein the pressing protrusion is exposed to the outside of a support member (45, Fig 3A) provided in an external terminal member (40, Fig 3A) and hook-fitted to the coupling member (37, Fig 2).
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) 1-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bridges 2010/0079936 in view of Pai 8,920,185.
Regarding claim 1, Bridges discloses a coupling member (25, Fig 1A) detachably connected to an external power electronic device (20, Fig 1A), comprising: a coupling body (60, Fig 1A); and a coupling arm (50, Fig 2) which extends from one side (inner side of 60, Fig 2) of the coupling body in a height direction (see extension direction of 50 relative to 60 vertically/height direction and laterally, Fig 2) and is detachably coupled to the power electronic device (see Figs 1A, 4), wherein the coupling arm includes a coupling extension portion (30, Fig 2) extending from the one side of the coupling body (see Figs 1B, 3B) to an interior of the power electronic device (portion 33 of 30 extends into 20, see last sentence of par 0017), and a coupling protrusion protruding from an end portion of the coupling extension portion (see protrusions at ends of 32 – not labelled, Fig 3B) the coupling arm is provided as a plurality of coupling arms (see 50 on both sides, Fig 2), wherein the plurality of coupling arms are disposed apart from each other in one direction (both 50s disposed apart from each other in horizontal direction, Fig 2).
Bridges discloses the claimed invention except for expressly teaching the coupling protrusion coupled to an inner surface of the power electronic device.
Pai, however, teaches a similar device and structure (10, 20, Figs 1, 2) where a coupling protrusion (221, Fig 2) coupled to an inner surface (132(13), Fig 1) of a power electronic device (11, Fig 1).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure of Bridges to including a coupling protrusion coupled to an inner surface of the power electronic device, as taught by Pai, in order to align the coupling arm neatly with the power electronic device and minimize space wasted unnecessarily. Because different profiles of power electronic devices require different molds during fabrication, such a modification helps reduce fabrication costs and facilitate more efficient repairs and maintenance.
Regarding claim 2, Bridges in view of Pai disclose the coupling member of claim 1, Bridges teaches wherein the coupling arm includes: a first coupling arm (on one side of 50, Fig 1B) positioned to be biased to one side of the coupling body (at 51 Fig 1B, par 0025) in a length direction (Figs 1A, 1B); and a second coupling arm (on other side of 50, Fig 1B) positioned to be biased to the other side opposite to the one side of the coupling body (at other side 51 Fig 1B, par 0025) in the length direction (Figs 1A, 1B).
Regarding claim 3, Bridges in view of Pai disclose the coupling member of claim 2, Bridges teaches wherein the first coupling protrusion of the first coupling arm protrudes toward the one side in the length direction (protrusions at ends of 32 toward 20 on one side – not labelled, Figs 1A, 3B), and the second coupling protrusion of the second coupling arm protrudes toward the other side in the length direction (protrusions at ends of 32 toward 20 on other side – not labelled, Figs 1A, 3B).
Regarding claim 4, Bridges in view of Pai disclose the coupling member of claim 1, Pai teaches wherein the coupling arm is hook-fitted to the power electronic device (see Figs 1, 2, 3B).
Regarding claim 5, Bridges in view of Pai disclose the coupling member of claim 1, Bridges teaches the device comprising a support arm (such as 37 on one side, Fig 1B) which obliquely extends from the one side of the coupling body in a length direction toward the power electronic device (Figs 1A, 1B) and of which an end portion (53, Fig 1B) in an extending direction thereof (Fig 1B) is positioned to protrude further than an end portion of the one side of the coupling body (Figs 1A, 1B) in the height direction to elastically support the coupling body (par 0025).
Regarding claim 6, Bridges in view of Pai disclose the coupling member of claim 5, Bridges teaches wherein the support arm includes: a first support arm (53 on one side, Fig 1B) positioned to be biased to one side of the coupling body in a width direction (par 0025); and a second support arm (53 on other side, Fig 1B) disposed apart from the first support arm (Figs 1A, 1B) and positioned to be biased to the other side of the coupling body in the width direction (par 0025).
Regarding claim 8, Bridges in view of Pai disclose the coupling member of claim 1, wherein the coupling body includes: a first coupling body (53, Fig 1B) extending in the height direction (Figs 1A-2); a second coupling body (52, Fig 1B) which is continuous with one side of the first coupling body in a length direction (see Figs 1A, 1B) and extends in the length direction (Fig 1A); and a coupling protrusion (71, Fig 1B) which is positioned at an end portion of the second coupling body (where 71 locates, Fig 1B) and protrudes to the other side in the height direction (Figs 1A-2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9, 11-13, 15-16 and 18-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The dependent claims listed below, in combination with the remaining
elements of the independent claim(s) from which they directly/indirectly depend,
are not taught, or adequately suggested in the prior art of record.
Claim 7. The coupling member of claim 1, comprising: a plurality of guide grooves formed to pass through each side surface of the coupling body in a width direction to movably accommodate guide plates provided in the power electronic device; and a guide rib which is positioned between the plurality of guide grooves, extends from an interior of the coupling body in the height direction of the coupling body, and is inserted into a rib accommodation portion provided in the power electronic device.
Claim 9. The coupling member of claim 8, wherein the coupling protrusion includes a first support surface obliquely extending to the other side in the height direction, and a second support surface which is continuous with the first support surface and obliquely extends to the one side in the height direction, and the coupling body includes a pressing groove formed to be recessed in the second support surface.
Claim 11. The power electronic device of claim 10, wherein the coupling opening includes a first coupling opening positioned to be biased to a front side of the coupling member accommodation portion, and a second coupling opening positioned to be biased to a rear side of the coupling member accommodation portion, and the coupling arm includes a first coupling arm which is positioned to be biased to a front side of the coupling body and passes through the first coupling opening, and a second coupling arm which is positioned to be biased to a rear side of the coupling body and passes through the second coupling opening. *Claim 12 depends directly from claim 11 and is therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
Claim 13. The power electronic device of claim 10, wherein the coupling member includes a support arm which is continuous with a rear side of the coupling body, obliquely extends downwardly rearward such that a lower end portion thereof protrudes downward further than a lower end portion of the coupling body, and elastically supports the coupling body, the coupling body is spaced apart from the upper surface of the housing, and the support arm is in contact with the upper surface of the housing.
Claim 15. The power electronic device of claim 14, wherein the guide plate includes a first guide plate positioned to be biased to one side in the lateral direction, and a second guide plate positioned to be biased to the other side in the lateral direction and positioned apart from the first guide plate, and the guide groove includes a first guide groove formed to vertically pass through a left surface of the coupling body to movably accommodate the first guide plate, and a second guide groove formed to vertically pass through a right surface of the coupling body to movably accommodate the second guide plate. *Claim 16 depends directly from claim 15 and is therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
Claim 18. The power electronic device of claim 17, wherein the coupling protrusion includes a first support surface which forms a front surface thereof and obliquely extends upwardly rearward, and a second support surface which forms a rear surface thereof, is continuous with the first support surface, and obliquely extends downwardly rearward, and the support member of the terminal member includes a first extension arm extending forward, and a second extension arm which is positioned at a front end portion of the first extension arm, protrudes toward the coupling protrusion, and is hook-fitted to the coupling protrusion. *Claim 19 depends directly from claim 18 and is therefore allowable for at least the same reason.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mao - US 20230413469 A1, Figs 7-9. Teaches similar coupling member/body structure.
Chung - US 20090104793 A1, Fig 2a. Teaches similar coupling member/body structure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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