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.
1. Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Scaramucci et al (USPN 2022/0209734).
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Regarding claim 1, Scaramucci discloses an integrated noise filter (0110, see figures 1, 5-6) comprising:
a busbar unit (such as a busbar unit 0601 of figure 4, and the details shown in figures 30, 31) which transmits power and an electrical signal (see par. 0007, 0008);
a case unit (1090, see figures 10, 12) which accommodates and covers at least a part of the busbar unit (0601);
at least one core unit (an inductor core 1730, see figure 17) which covers a part of an outer surface of the busbar unit (0601) and imparts inductance to the busbar unit; and
at least one energy storage unit (a capacitor 3312, see figure 33) electrically connected to the busbar unit (0601) to impart capacitance to the busbar unit.
Regarding claim 2, Scaramucci discloses wherein the busbar unit (0601) includes a first input/output terminal (such as terminals 0501, see figure 4) electrically connected to an outside, and a second input/output terminal (0501, 0504) formed opposite to the first input/output terminal and electrically connected to a load (an output terminal T of the busbar 0601 is electrically connected to a load 0104, see figure 1, via studs 0505, 0506, see the attached figure above).
Regarding claim 3, Scaramucci discloses wherein the busbar unit (0601) further includes a busbar stepped portion (a stepped down portion S, see the attached above figure) which forms a step between the first input/output terminal (the input terminals 0501) and the second input/output terminal (the out terminal T of the busbar 0601), and a first bending distance (a first bending distance D1) from the busbar stepped portion to an end of the first input/output terminal is shorter than a second bending distance (a second bending distance D2, see the above attached figure) from the busbar stepped portion to an end of the second input/output terminal.
Regarding claim 4, Scaramucci discloses wherein the busbar unit (0601) further includes a busbar branch part (a leadframe structure formed on a side of the busbar unit 0601 and to secure capacitors 3311, the details of the leadframe shown in figure 44) formed to protrude a predetermined length from one side of a busbar main body including the first input/output terminal (0501) and the second input/output terminal (the output terminal T), and at least a part of the busbar branch part is formed to extend in a direction from the second input/output terminal (0501) to the first input/output terminal (the output terminal T).
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.
2. Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Scaramucci et al (USPN 2022/0209734) in view of Amaducci et al (USPN 2019/0246493).
Regarding claims 5-6, Scaramucci discloses wherein the core unit (1730) includes: a first core unit configured to apply first inductance to the busbar unit (0601), but does not disclose a second core unit as claimed.
Amaducci discloses a busbar filter structure (see figures 2-3) comprises a core unit (4.1, 4.2) includes a first core unit (4.1) and a second core unit (4.2) configured to apply second inductance to a busbar unit (1-2), and the first core unit (4.1) and the second core unit (4.2) are disposed to be spaced apart from each other by a busbar branch part (6) , wherein the first core unit (4.1) and the second core unit (4.2) form a concentric structure (see figure 2).
It 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 to have modified the busbar unit of Scaramucci to incorporate a second core unit as disclosed by Amaducci in order to improve a noise suppression and high current handling.
Allowable Subject Matter
3. Claims 7-15 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.
Conclusion
4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANNY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2054. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached at 571-271-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANNY NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
