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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 16 January 2025 has been considered by the examiner.
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, 4, 17 & 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US Pat.Pub.2017/0166068) in view of Zhang (CN 113928142).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches an electric assembly, comprising:
a box (not numbered);
an electric control module (inverter) 400 disposed in the box; and
a motor 200…, wherein the motor comprises:
a casing (not numbered, indicated in Fig.1);
an N wire connection assembly (not numbered), a first end of the N wire connection assembly configured to connect to a battery pack 100;
an end cover (not numbered, indicated in Fig.1), wherein the end cover is disposed at one end of the casing, configured to close the casing (inherent), and comprises an opening (not numbered) that allows a part of the N wire connection assembly to pass through; and
three phase windings (not numbered) disposed in the casing, wherein first ends of the three phase windings are connected with the electric control module 400, and second ends of the three phase windings are connected with a junction (not numbered) and connected with a second end of the N wire connection assembly.
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Kim differs only in that the motor 200 is not “disposed on the [inverter] box [400]” per se.
But, Zhang teaches a powertrain including a motor 2, transmission3 and an electric control module 4 in a box, wherein the control module is disposed above the motor so that the longitudinal space above the motor 2 and the transmission 3 can be fully utilized under the condition that the lateral width of the vehicle body is constant, thereby improving the space utilization (English translation, ¶[0069]).
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to dispose Kim’s motor on the inverter box since Zhang teaches this would have improved space utilization.
Regarding claim 4, Kim teaches a contactor 700, wherein a first end of the contactor is configured to connect to the battery pack 100, and a second end of the contactor 700 is configured to connect to the N wire connection assembly (Fig.1).
Regarding claim 17, the combination reads on the claim features for the same reasons as given above for claim 1, with Kim and Zhang both further teaching a vehicle.
Regarding claim 20, Kim teaches a contactor 700, wherein a first end of the contactor is configured to connect to the battery pack 100, and a second end of the contactor 700 is configured to connect to the N wire connection assembly (Fig.1).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim & Zhang as applied to claim 1, further in view of Wang et al. (CN 210724540).
Kim & Zhang does not teach “a water channel cover plate, wherein the water channel cover plate comprises a first water channel, the box comprises a second water channel and a third water channel, and the water channel cover plate is connected with the box and covers the second water channel and the third water channel.”
But, Wang teaches an automotive DC-DC converter heat dissipation structure comprising a box (shell) 1 and a water channel cover plate 3, wherein the water channel cover plate comprises a first water channel (not numbered), the box 1 comprises a second water channel and a third water channel (not numbered), and the water channel cover plate 3 is connected with the box 1 and covers the second water channel and the third water channel (Fig.1). Wang’s water-cooling heat dissipation structure improves heat dissipation efficiency (abstract).
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date to provide Kim & Zhang with a water channel cover plate, wherein the water channel cover plate comprises a first water channel, the box comprises a second water channel and a third water channel, and the water channel cover plate is connected with the box and covers the second water channel and the third water channel since Wang teaches this structure would have improved the heat dissipation efficiency.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 & 5-12 & 18-19 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.
The prior art of record does not appear to further teach an N wire connection assembly comprising, inter alia, “…an N wire adapter, wherein a first end of the N wire adapter is connected with a second end of the N wire, and a second end of the N wire adapter passes through the opening; and an N wire terminal, wherein a first end of the N wire terminal is connected with a second end of the N wire, and a second end of the N wire terminal is connected with an N wire bar of the electric control module. “
These determinations are based on keyword and citation searches performed in a limited number of subclasses. Artificial intelligence search tools were employed. Nomenclature in the art is inconsistent. For these reasons, the scope of the search was necessarily truncated and relevant art classified outside the subclasses searched and/or using different terminology or keywords may not have been reviewed. See the Search Notes for details.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BURTON S MULLINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2029. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas C Patel can be reached at 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BURTON S MULLINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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