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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 10-2022-124175.0, filed on 09/21/2022 in Germany.
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on 03/20/2025 has been considered and made of record.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on 03/20/2025 is acceptable.
Claim Objections
Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 20 cannot depend on its self. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-9 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herron et al. [US 2011/0043303], in view of Aitzetmueller et al. [US 2018/0184542].
Regarding claim 1, Herron et al., disclose an inverter (124, figures 1-7) for supplying current to an electric machine (abstract), said inverter comprising:
an inverter housing (124, figure 5) inside which power electronics (26, 28 and 30, figures 1-5) accommodated;
an electrical input (14 & 16, figure 1) for coupling to an electrical DC voltage source (paragraph 0003);
an electrical output (20 & 22, figure 1) for coupling to an electrical AC voltage consumer (paragraph 0048), wherein the power electronics are designed to transform the DC voltage applied to the electrical input into an AC voltage applied to the electrical output; and
at least one of a passive EMC filter and an active EMC filter (10 and/or 46, figures 1-3) arranged on a flexible printed circuit board (12, figures 1-3) which is fixed on a laminated busbar(32 & 34, figure 3).
Herron et al., disclose the claimed invention except for the inverter enclosed in an inverter housing.
Aitzetmueller et al., disclose an inverter (1, figures 1-6) is enclosed in an inverter housing (14, figures 2 and 5-6).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use a housing to enclose an inverter of Herron et al., as suggested by Aitzetmueller et al., in order to protect internal parts from dust, water, and damage of the inverter.
Regarding claim 2, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the laminated busbar is thermally connected to the inverter housing with the interposition of a thermal coupling layer (a plurality of standoff connected to the busbar 32 & 34, figures 1-3).
Regarding claim 3, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the passive EMC filter comprises a magnet element (150, figure 7) that surrounds the laminated busbar at least in sections, preferably completely.
Regarding claim 4, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the magnet element is connected to the inverter housing in a materially bonded manner (figures 7 and 5, paragraph 0043).
Regarding claim 5, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the passive EMC filter comprises a capacitor (18, figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 6, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the capacitor is arranged on the flexible printed circuit board (capacitor 18 is mounted on the printed circuit board 12, figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 7, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the flexible printed circuit board (12, figures 1-3) is fixed to the laminated busbar (figure 3) in a materially bonded manner.
Regarding claim 8, Herron et al., disclose a method for manufacturing an inverter (124, figures 1-7) for supplying current to an electric machine, comprising the steps of:
providing an inverter housing (124, figure 5) within which the power electronics (26, 28 and 30, figures 1-5) are accommodated;
fixing a flexible printed circuit board (12, figures 1-3) on a laminated busbar(32 & 34, figure 3);
equipping the flexible printed circuit board with an active EMC filter (10 or 46, figures 1-4); and
mounting the laminated busbar (figures 1-4) with the active EMC filter fixed to it in the inverter housing.
Herron et al., disclose the claimed invention except for the inverter enclosed in an inverter housing.
Aitzetmueller et al., disclose an inverter (1, figures 1-6) is enclosed in an inverter housing (14, figures 2 and 5-6).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use a housing to enclose an inverter of Herron et al., as suggested by Aitzetmueller et al., in order to protect internal parts from dust, water, and damage of the inverter.
Regarding claim 9, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein a capacitor (18, figures 1-2) is arranged as a component of a passive EMC filter (10, figures 1-2) on the flexible printed circuit board.
Regarding claim 11, Herron et al., further disclose a vehicle (figure 5, paragraph 0003) comprising:
an electric machine (see abstract) that includes an inverter (124, figure 5), the inverter comprising:
an inverter housing having power electronics (26, 28 and 30, figures 1-5) of the inverter accommodated therein;
an electrical input ((14 & 16, figure 1) for coupling to an electrical DC voltage source (paragraph 0003);
an electrical output (20 & 22, figure 1) for coupling to an electrical AC voltage consumer (paragraph 0048), wherein the power electronics are configured to transform the DC voltage applied to the electrical input into an AC voltage applied to the electrical output (paragraph 0004); and
an active EMC filter (10 and/or 46, figures 1-3) arranged on a flexible printed circuit board (12, figures 1-3) fixed on a laminated busbar (32 & 34, figure 3).
Herron et al., disclose the claimed invention except for the inverter enclosed in an inverter housing.
Aitzetmueller et al., disclose an inverter (1, figures 1-6) is enclosed in an inverter housing (14, figures 2 and 5-6).
It would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use a housing to enclose an inverter of Herron et al., as suggested by Aitzetmueller et al., in order to protect internal parts from dust, water, and damage of the inverter.
Regarding claim 12, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the inverter further comprises: a passive EMC filter (10, figures 1-3).
Regarding claim 13, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the passive EMC filter comprises a magnet element (150, figure 7) that surrounds the laminated busbar at least in sections.
Regarding claim 14, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the magnet element is connected to the inverter housing in a materially bonded manner (figures 7 and 5, paragraph 0043).
Regarding claim 15, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the passive EMC filter comprises a capacitor (18, figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 16, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the capacitor is arranged on the flexible printed circuit board (capacitor 18 is mounted on the printed circuit board 12, figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 17, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the laminated busbar is thermally connected to the inverter housing with the interposition of a thermal coupling layer (a plurality of standoff connected to the busbar 32 & 34, figures 1-3).
Regarding claim 18, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein the flexible printed circuit board (12, figures 1-3) is fixed to the laminated busbar (figure 3) in a materially bonded manner.
Regarding claim 19, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein said vehicle is an electric vehicle (paragraph 0035).
Regarding claim 20, Herron et al., in view of Aitzetmueller et al., further disclose wherein said vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle (paragraph 0035).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hung S. Bui whose telephone number is (571)272-2102. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8am-5pm.
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/HUNG S. BUI/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2841
/HUNG S. BUI/Primary Patent Examiner, 2841/2800
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