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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I, Figures 1-13, Claims 1-13 and 15-18 [applicant provided no argument] in the reply filed on 11/10/2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 4, “boar” should be corrected as --board--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-2, 4-12 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the structure and/or arrangement of the “bobbin body” of the bobbin assembly is unclear. Figures 1-13 of the present invention focus on the structure of the terminal header/support [310] for the transformer. The structure and/or arrangement of the “transformer board” is unclear. Applicant should also clarify the structure and/or arrangement of the snap protrusions relative to the “bobbin body” and the transformer board. Claims 2, 4-12 and 15-18 inherit the defect of the parent claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1,2, 4-11 and 15-18, as best understood in view of the rejection under 112 second paragraph, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen [CN 211907169 U] in view of Young et al. [KR 10-2018-0000677].
Regarding claims 1, 5 and 15, Chen discloses a planar transformer mounted on a main PCB [300], comprising: a transformer board [113]; a core part [111, 112] positioned at a central portion [CH] of the transformer board; a bobbin assembly provided on the transformer board; and one or more pins connecting the transformer board and the main PCB to each other [figures 1-4], wherein the bobbin assembly comprising: a bobbin body [211, 221]; and a flange part [LS2, LS4] protruding from the bobbin body and having a lower surface mounted on an upper surface of the main PCB, wherein the bobbin body is coupled to the transformer board with the flange part extends from a front surface of the bobbin body and protrudes from the side surface of the bobbin body by a predetermined length [figures 1-2].
Chen discloses the instant claimed invention except for one or more snap protrusions.
Young et al. discloses a transformer structure comprising:
- a transformer “board” having a coil [116, 216 figures 1-3]; and
- at least one terminal header [fixing part 300] coupled to the transformer “board”, wherein the terminal header includes at least one terminal connecting pins [310] and one or more snap protrusions [330, 340] provided for coupling with the transformer “board”.
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include at least one snap protrusions to Chen bobbin assembly, as suggested by Young et al., for the purpose of providing snap-fil structure and/or improving coupling.
The specific flange part that extend and protrude from the “bobbin body” would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of improving manufacturing/assembling and/or mounting.
Regarding claim 2, Chen further discloses heights different [H1, H2] of the flange parts can be controlled/adjusted.
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to adjust the flange parts to have a lower surface thereof at a higher position than a lower surface of the transformer board for the purpose of providing positioning of the transformer relative to the main board.
Regarding claim 4, Chen discloses the “bobbin body” including flange part protrude and/or extend in different direction [figures 1-6].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to extend [and/or protrude] the flange part to the side surface [or the front surface, or the rear surface of the “bobbin body”] of Chen for the purpose of providing and/or improving support for the “bobbin assembly”.
The specific flange part that extend and protrude from the “bobbin body” would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of improving manufacturing/assembling and/or mounting.
Regarding claim 6, Chen further discloses more pins [figures 1-6] connecting the transformer board and the main PCB to each other, wherein each of the one or more pins is fixed by the bobbin body.
Regarding claims 7 and 16-17, Chen further discloses a through hole [TH] through which each of the one or more pins penetrates is formed in the transformer board, and an end of each of the pins penetrating through the transformer board is welded, such that each of the pins is welded and coupled to the transformer board [figures 2-6], wherein each of the pins has a shape in which it is bent at least twice, and has one side coupled to the transformer board and the other side to the main PCB.
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Chen discloses each of the pins has an inverted U-shape [figures 2-6].
Regarding claims 9-10, Chen discloses a through hole through which each of the pins penetrates is formed in the bobbin body [figures 1-6], a step part formed by forming a predetermined region including a portion in which the through hole is formed so as to be lower than the other region to form a step with the other region is formed in a lower portion of the bobbin body [figures 1-6].
Regarding claim 11, Chen further discloses a guide groove in which at least a portion of a central portion of each of the pins is accommodated is formed in the bobbin body [figure 2].
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Young et al., as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Jun et al. [KR 101177061 B1].
Chen further discloses a width of the guide groove is substantially the same as a width of each of the pins.
Chen in view of Young et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the teaching of press-fitting of the pins.
Jun et al. discloses inverted U-shaped pins [130] press-fitted into a guiding slot/hole [123] of a coil structure [figures 5-6].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the press-fitting teaching of Jun et al. in Chen for the purpose of improving manufacturing and/or assembling.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/6/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that:
[1] Claim 13 is canceled rending the rejection moot for the 112 second paragraph;
[2] Chen in view of Young do not disclose, teach or suggest that “a bobbin body coupled to the transformer board, the bobbin body being provided with one or more snap protrusions such that the bobbin body is coupled to the transformer board in a snap-fit manner.”
The Examiner disagrees.
Regarding [1], applicant incorporated claim 13 into independent claim. Applicant fail to address and/or clarify the structure/arrangement of the “bobbin body” and the snap protrusions relative to the transformer board.
Regarding [2], Chen in view of Young, as best understood in view of the 112 rejection, discloses a “bobbin body” [terminal header 300] that coupled to the transformer board [figures 1-3], wherein the “bobbin body” include a plurality of snap protrusions [330, 340] arrange to be coupled with the transformer board in a snap-fit manner [figure 2].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the snap protrusions of the “bobbin body” [terminal header] coupled to the transformer board for the purpose of providing connections and/or assembling.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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