DETAILED ACTION
Summary
This is the first action on the merits for application 18/996,723, filed January 17, 2025.
This is a 371 national stage filing for PCT/JP/2023/032252, filed September 4, 2023, which also claims priority to Japanese document JP2022143642, filed September 9, 2022.
Claims 1-8 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claims 3 and 6 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Line 2 of claims 3 and 6 reads the hole portion is provided “close” to the thermoelectric element on the first side out of the two elements. The Applicant is making a comparison of how close the hole portion is to each thermoelectric but to be grammatically clear substituting “closer” for “close” would be more appropriate. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KUSHIBIKI et al (US PG PUB 2020/0168778A1).
Regarding claim 1, KUSHIBIKI et al teaches a thermoelectric module (abstract/title/figure 1) that performs temperature control on a temperature control target object (110, silicon wafer reads on the target object, per paragraph [0028]. The recitation “that performs temperature control on a temperature control target object,” has been given little patentable weight because the recitation occurs in the preamble. A preamble is generally not accorded patentable weight where it merely recites the purpose of a process or the intended use of a structure, and where the body of the claim does not depend on the preamble for completeness but, instead, the process steps or structural limitations are able to stand alone. See In re Hirao, 535 F.2d 67, 190 USPQ 15 (CCPA 1976) and Kropa v. Robie, 187 F.2d 150, 152, 88 USPQ 478, 481 (CCPA 1951). In the interest of compact prosecution, KUSHIBIKI et al teaches this functionality in paragraph [0028], however, the structure of KUSHIBIKI et al alone fulfills the claim limitation as well.), the thermoelectric module comprising:
a plurality of thermoelectric elements (1P/1N) that are provided between the temperature control target object (110, silicon wafer, figure 1) and a substrate (substrate, paragraph [0028]) that is disposed to face the temperature control target object in a first direction (vertical separation, y direction); and
a plurality of electrodes (21/211/22/221) that are provided on each of a substrate side (22/221) and a temperature control target object side (21/211) of the thermoelectric element (1P/1N) and configured to electrically connect the thermoelectric elements adjacent to each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction (horizontal movement, x direction, see arrows in figure 4),
wherein the electrode (21/211/22/221) includes
two electrode base portions (212, “bases”) that are spaced apart from each other in the second direction (see figure 4, x-direction separation), and each of which is connected to a corresponding thermoelectric element (figure 4), and
a connecting portion (211) connecting the two electrode base portions (212, connection shown in figure 4), and
the connecting portion (211) is provided with a hole portion (213A/B, “cutouts”) penetrating in the first direction (through the thickness of 211, vertical or y direction penetration),
a constriction portion (narrowed central portion) that is provided on each of both sides in the second direction (narrowing occurs on both sides of 211, box shown in annotated figure 4 below which encloses the constriction portion on the right side, with the left having the same constriction) with the hole portion (213A/B) interposed therebetween (see figures 3 and 4) and that is recessed inward (narrowed center) in a third direction (direction D2 of figure 3, orthogonal to 2nd direction (x direction)) intersecting the first direction and the second direction (see figures 3 and 4), and
a displacement absorbing portion (shown in figures 3 and 4 along the edge of the central portion which allows for movement or closure of the cutout, annotated showing the portion on the right in annotated figure 4 below, with the left having the same absorbing portion) formed along an outer shape of the connecting portion and an outer shape of the hole portion (see annotation and figure 4).
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Regarding claim 5, KUSHIBIKI et al teaches the hole portion (213A/B) is formed along the outer shape of the connecting portion (see figure 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 and 6-8 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.
Claims 2-4 and 6-8 read free of the prior art.
The closest available art includes the above cited KUSHIBIKI et al, KURAHASHI et al (US Patent 8,440,907), KIYOSAWA et al (US PG PUB 2014/0150463), and KATAYAMA et al (WO2007/043562A1).
KURAHASHI et al teaches an interconnection between electrodes via connector (13a, interpreted to be analogous to the instant electrode bases) featuring inside regions or holes (43/41) of varying sizes figures 2 and 6-10, to enable stress allocation along the connector decreasing warpage on attachment to the cells(c. 11, l. 47-55). The increase of the inner region or hole size correlates to protruding portions on the exterior of the hole portions.
KIYOSAWA et al teaches a thermoelectric connector, just as in KUSHIBIKI et al, as shown in figure 3, featuring a constriction portion (22/23) and protruding portion (center of the connector 10). KIYOSAWA et al teaches the use of the cutout corners to decrease stress on the thermoelectric elements (paragraph [0013]).
KATAYAMA et al teaches an interconnector for a solar cell which includes notches or holes for stress relief along the length of an electrode or bus bar, see abstract and figures 1-14.
Regarding claim 2, the closest available art includes cited KUSHIBIKI et al, KURAHASHI et al and KIYOSAWA et al. KIRAHASHI et al teaches an interconnector with increasing hole sizing but fails to provide motivation as to cause a “protruding portion that is provided on an outer side in the third direction of the hole portion and protrudes in the third direction” within the thermoelectric component. Moreover, there is no teaching, suggestion or motivation to combine this protruding portion and increased hole size with the constricting portion of instant claim 1 taught in the device of KUSHIBIKI et al. KIYOSAWA et al teaches the use of a protruding portion (resulting from hemispheric cuts at the portion of the connector corresponding to the edges of the thermoelectric components) reading on “a protruding portion that is provided on an outer side in the third direction” but fails to utilize a hole in conjunction with the protruding portion. Even if considered in combination with the hole of KUSHIBIKI et al present on the constricting portion, KIYOSAWA et al would not render ”the hole portion is enlarged in the third direction in accordance with the protruding portion” and there is no teaching, suggestion or motivation to provide this modification. Claims 6-8 allowable based on dependency on claim 2.
Regarding claim 3, the closest available art includes the above cited KUSHIBIKI et al, KATAYAMA et al. These prior art teachings show equidistant and equally sized holes (i.e. KUSHIBIKI et al figure 4, KATAYAMA et al figures 1-14) and fails to teach placing the hole portion closer to one thermoelectric element than another or recessing the constriction portion on a second side in the second direction further inward in the third direction on one side rather than another. The prior art features hole and constricting portions which are equidistant from the thermoelectric components.
Regarding claim 4, the closest available art includes the above cited KUSHIBIKI et al, KATAYAMA et al and NEGISHI et al. These prior art teachings show equidistant and equally sized holes (i.e. KUSHIBIKI et al figure 4, KATAYAMA et al figures 1-14) and fails to teach the hole portion is enlarged to protrude toward the thermoelectric element on the second side in the second direction out of the two thermoelectric elements that are electrically connected to each other.
Of note, the instant application finds benefit to the structure of claims 2-4 in paragraphs [0041]-[0043], [0051], and [0057], not addressed in the prior art and teaching away from the reasonability that the change is shape is obvious without express structural teaching, suggestion or motivation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
NEGISHI et al (JP2015177048A) is directed to the state of thermoelectric connectors in the art featuring constriction and hole placements as in the instant.
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/KOURTNEY R S CARLSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1721 3/28/2026
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