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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/072,917
`
`10/16/2020
`
`Atsushi YAMASHIMA
`
`733756.412C1
`
`1242
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic
`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`PAPE, ZACHARY
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2835
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
`
`09/27/2021
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`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`USPTOeAction @ SeedIP.com
`
`pairlinkdktg @seedip.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)[¥j The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)M The drawing(s) filed on 16 October 2020 is/are: a) accepted or b)C) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)[¥] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)() None ofthe:
`b)( Some**
`a) All
`1.4) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.1.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
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`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20210921
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`17/072,917
`YAMASHIMA etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`ZACHARY M PAPE
`2835
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
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`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 16 October 2020.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
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`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on__; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporatedinto this action.
`4\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`)
`)
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-10 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`Claim(s) 1-5 and 9 is/are allowed.
`s) 6-8 and 10 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s
`1 Claim(s)__ is/are objected to.
`C] Claim(s)
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/072,917
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Email Communication
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`Applicant is encouraged to authorize the Examiner to communicate via email by
`
`filing form PTO/SB/439 either via USPS, Central Fax, or EFS-Web. See MPEP 502.01,
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`502, 502.05.
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`Receipt is acknowledgedof certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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`Priority
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`The information disclosure statementfiled 10/16/2020 has been fully considered
`
`and is attached hereto.
`
`Specification
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`The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly
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`indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/072,917
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 3
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
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`obviousnessrejections setforth in this Office action:
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`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.
`
`This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the
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`claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was
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`commonly ownedasof the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any
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`evidenceto the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to
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`point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly
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`ownedas ofthe effectivefiling date of the later invention in order for the examiner to
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`consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2)
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`prior art against the later invention.
`
`Claim 6-7, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abe
`
`et al. (US 8,705,242 — hereinafter, “Abe”) in view of Nix et al. (US 2013/0257680 —
`
`hereinafter, “Nix”).
`
`With respect to claim 6, Abe teaches a power supply apparatus comprising: a
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`first heating member (44); a second heating member (59); a housing (88) configured to
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`housethe first heating member and the second heating member (See Fig 2); a fixing
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`member (80) including a fixing part (86, 811, 812) configured to fix the first heating
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`member in the housing; and a heat transfer member (71m, see Figs 12-13) configured
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`to be thermally bonded to the second heating member (59); and wherein a part of the
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/072,917
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 4
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`heat transfer member (71m) is interposed between the first heating member (43) anda
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`wall surface of the housing (See Figs 2, 5 where 71m would be between the annular
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`wall of 88 and 44 when the power supply is assembled). Abe fails to specifically teach
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`or suggestthat the heat transfer member has a thermal conductivity higher than that of
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`the fixing member. Nix, however, teaches a unit base made of copper ({ 0038).
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`It
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`would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was
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`effectively filed to combine the teachings of Nix with that of Abe, such that the heat
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`transfer member of Abe is made of copper, as taught by Nix, since doing so would allow
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`for even better heat transfer from the second heating member (59) to the housing (88)
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`thus providing for better cooling to the second heating member.
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`With respectto claim 7, Abe as modified by Nix teaches the limitations of claim 6
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`as per above and Abe further teaches a case configured to housethe first heating
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`member (44) is configured by combining the fixing member (80) and the heat transfer
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`member (71m, wherein both 80 and 71m comprise the case which houses 44) but fails
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`to specifically teach or suggest wherein the caseis filled with a resin material. The
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`Examiner hereby takes Official Notice of the conventionality of using a resin material to
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`fill an opening in a case which comprises electrical components.
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`It would have been
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`obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to
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`fill the case of Abe with a resin since doing so would provide protection to the capacitors
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`and coils that reside within the opening of the case.
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`With respectto claim 10, Abe further teaches thatthe first heating member (44)
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`is a reactor (Abe discloses 44 to be a chokecoil which is synonymous with a reactor);
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`and wherein the second heating member (59) is a switching device (Col. 9, Il. 34-41).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/072,917
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 5
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`With respectto the recitation that the power supply apparatus is used for an in-vehicle
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`charger, the recitation of the intended useof the claimed invention must result in a
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`structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to
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`patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art.
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`If the prior art structure is
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`capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. Here Abe discloses
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`that the inverter converts DC to AC in a vehicle and thusthe prior art structure is
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`capable of being used as an in-vehicle charger as claimed.
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`Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abein
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`view of Nix and further in view of Cooperet al. (US 6,058,012 — hereinafter,
`
`“Cooper”).
`
`With respectto claim 8, Abe as modified by Nix teaches the limitations of claim 6
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`as per above and Abefurther teachesthat the heat transfer member (71m) is composed
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`of a metal (Either aluminum as taught by Abe or copper as taught by Nix) but fails to
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`specifically teach or suggest wherein the fixing member is composed ofa resin.
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`Cooper, however, teachescreating a heat sink out of thermally conductive plastic (Col.
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`4, ll. 6-15).
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the
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`invention waseffectively filed to combine the teachings of Cooper with that of Abe, such
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`that the fixing member of Abe is madeof a resin, as taught by Cooper since doing so
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`would provide for an easily manufactured, low costfixing member.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/072,917
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 6
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`Claims 1-5, 9 are allowed.
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`The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance:
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`With respect to claims 1-5, 9, the allowability resides in the overall structure of
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`the device as recited in independent claim 1 and at least in part because claim 1 recites,
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`“a heat dissipation housing configured to house the case, the circuit board and the
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`second heating member and dissipate heatof the first heating member and the second
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`heating member... wherein when disposed in contact with a wall surface of the heat
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`dissipation housing, the heat transfer member dissipates the heatof the first heating
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`member and the second heating member’.
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`The aforementionedlimitations in combination with all remaining limitations of
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`claim 1 are believed to render said claim 1 and all claims dependent therefrom
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`patentable over the art of record.
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`While Abe as modified by Nix teaches someofthe limitations of claim 1 as per
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`the above rejection to claim 6, neither Abe nor Nix nor any other art of record — either
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`aloneor in combination — teach or suggest the above mentionedlimitations of claim 1.
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`Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later
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`than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably
`
`accompanythe issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on
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`Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/072,917
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 7
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`Conclusion
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`The prior art made of record and notrelied upon is considered pertinent to
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`applicant's disclosure.
`
`US 9,349,511 to Inaba et al. which teaches a reactor core for a power converter;
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`US 2020/0176168 to Tanabeet al. which teaches a reactor cooling structure;
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`US 2018/0174733 to Matsutani et al. which teaches a reactor; and
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`US 2015/0170817 to Yamashimaet al. which teaches a reactor apparatus.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to ZACHARY M PAPE whosetelephone number is
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`(571)272-2201. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 9am - 6pm EST.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
`
`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-basedcollaboration tool. To schedule an
`
`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
`
`(AIR) at http:/Avww.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
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`supervisor, Jayprakash N Gandhi can be reached on 571-272-3740. The fax phone
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`number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -
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`273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
`
`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/072,917
`Art Unit: 2835
`
`Page 8
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`my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on accessto the Private
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`PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
`
`If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access
`
`to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-
`
`272-1000.
`
`/ZACHARY PAPE/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835
`
`