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 Group I, Claims 1-12 in the reply filed on 04/09/2025 is acknowledged.
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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dahlgren et al. [US 7,554,431 B2].
Regarding claims 1 and 5, Dahlgren et al. discloses a transformer arrangement [figure 1] for use in power systems comprising:
- a transformer core [figure 1], and
- a thermal shell [4] in contact with the transformer core, wherein the thermal shell is formed in a material being thermally conductive and magnetic [ferrite material, column 5, line 33], wherein the transformer core comprises a plurality of winding portions [2] extending from a common center portion [1] of the core, along a first axis, a second axis and a third axis, each axis being orthogonal relative to each of the other axis; wherein each winding portion comprises a conductive coil arrangement [3] wound around each winding portion.
Dahlgren et al. further discloses the transformer core winding portions, each having a flat contact surface, wherein the thermal shell is in contact with a full area of each of the flat contact surface [figure 2]
Dahlgren et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the use of the transformer for mounting in an electrical power unit of a vehicle.
The specific use of the transformer in power systems of any devices such as in an electrical power unit of a vehicle would have been obvious design matter since it has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (1987).
Dahlgren et al. further discloses the thermal shell fully surrounding the transformer core and the core winding portions [figures 1-2].
Dahlgren et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the thermal shell is in the form of a cube.
Dahlgren et al. further discloses, in other embodiments of figures 7b-7c, including an inner core having a plurality of winding portions having flat end contact surface thereof and outer thermal shell [figures 7b, 7c] that cover/contact flat end winding portion of the inner core, wherein the outer thermal shell in the form of triangle shape or hexagonal shape.
The specific cube shape use for the thermal shell would have been an obvious matter of design choice for the purpose of facilitating different mounting and/or assembling.
Regarding claims 2-3, Dahlgren et al. further discloses each winding portion of the transformer core comprises, at a distal end, a contact surface, and wherein the thermal shell is in contact with each of the contact surfaces [figures 1-2], wherein the transformer core comprises a first, a second and a third pair of winding portions, wherein each pair of winding portions extend along a common axis away from the center portion [figures 1-2].
Regarding claim 4, Dahlgren et al. further discloses the transformer include the plurality of the conductive coil arrangements [3]. These conductive coil arrangements could be used as a primary conductive coil arrangement connected to an input drawing power from a source and a secondary conductive coil arrangement connected to an output supplying energy to a load, wherein each pair of winding portions [2] comprises a primary coil arrangement and a secondary coil arrangement dividedly wound around the pair of winding portions respectively.
Regarding claim 6, Dahlgren et al. further discloses the thermal shell [4] could be formed of ferrite, iron or other soft magnetic material and the core winding portions [core limbs 2] also formed of soft magnetic material.
Regarding claims 7-8, Dahlgren et al. discloses the use of the transformer in a power system.
Dahlgren et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for a rectification circuit.
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 a rectification circuit with the transformer in a power system of Dahlgren et al. for the purpose of providing rectifying current and/or voltage to the power system.
The specific use of 12-pulse rectifying circuit would have been an obvious design consideration based on the intended applications and/or environments uses since it has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (1987).
Regarding claim 9, Dahlgren et al. discloses the transformer core is formed as an integral structure [figure 1].
Regarding claim 10, Dahlgren et al. discloses the transformer core is in an isotropic magnetic material, preferably ferrite [column 5, line 33].
Regarding claim 11, the specific cube shape of thermal shell would have been an obvious design consideration based in the intended applications and/or environments uses.
Regarding claim 12, Dahlgren et al. discloses the transformer core is formed in ferrite [column 5, line 33].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-12 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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