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 with traverse of Group I, claims 1-13 in the reply filed on 1/30/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Groups I-II share the same and overlapping features. This is found persuasive and claims 1-20 will be examined herewith.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the shell including a channel, a particular gap and a different gap at which the non-conductive material not covered must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-13 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, applicant should clarify the structure and/or arrangement of the shell upper and lower portions intended by “wherein the shell includes a particular gap between the upper portion and the lower portions at which the non-conductive material is not covered.” Does applicant intend what portion of the shell or the first/second wires not cover by the non-conductive material? Applicant should also clarify the structure and/or arrangement intended by “wherein the upper portion of the shell includes a first part and a second part with a different gap between the first part and the second part at which the non-conductive material is not covered.” Applicant should clarify. Claims 1-6 inherit the defect of the parent claim.
Regarding claim 7, applicant should clarify the structure and/or arrangement of the shell upper and lower portions intended by “wherein the shell includes a particular gap between the upper portion and the lower portion at which the non-conductive material is not covered.” Does applicant intend what portion of the shell or the first/second wires not cover by the non-conductive material? Applicant should also clarify the structure and/or arrangement intended by “wherein the lower portion of the shell includes a first part and a second part with a different gap between the first part and the second part at which the non-conductive material is not covered.” Applicant should clarify. The structure and/or arrangement of the channel, the particular gap and the different gap of the shell is unclear. Claims 8-13 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) 1-4, as best understood in view of the rejection under 35 USC 112 second paragraph, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Korman et al. [US 5,609,946] in view of Hansen [US 2009/0273432 A1].
Regarding claim 1, Korman et al. discloses an apparatus [figures 1-4], comprising:
- an inductor, including:
- a conductor [16];
- a non-conductive material covering the conductor [figure 1A]; and
- a shell, including an upper portion [14] and a lower portion [12], surrounding a portion of the non-conductive material, wherein the shell includes at least one magnetized layer, wherein the shell includes a particular gap between the upper portion and the lower portion at which the non-conductive material is not covered [figures 1A and 4], and wherein the upper portion of the shell includes a first part and a second part with a different gap [30] between the first part and the second part at which the non-conductive material is not covered [figure 4].
Korman et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the conductor formed of first and second conductors/wires.
Hansen discloses a magnetic device [figures 3 and 6-7] comprising:
- a magnetic structure including upper portion and lower portion [56, 58];
- two conductors [52, 54] arranged between the upper and lower portions; and
- a gap [60] formed between upper and lower portions of the magnetic structure.
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 two conductors for the conductor of Korman et al., as suggested by Hansen, for the purpose of providing higher current capacity, lower resistance and better high frequency performance.
Regarding claim 2, Korman et al. discloses the particular gap and the different gap run parallel to each other for a length of the shell [figure 4].
Regarding claim 3, Korman et al. discloses the particular gap and the different gap run parallel to the conductor for a length of the shell.
Regarding claim 4, Korman et al. discloses the lower portion of the shell includes a first part and a second part with another gap [30] between the first part and the second part of the lower portion [figure 4].
Claim(s) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Korman et al. in view of Hansen as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Gardener et al. [US 2008/0003699 A1].
Regarding claims 5-6, Korman et al. discloses the upper portion of the shell includes a plurality of magnetized layers [18], wherein each layer is separated by a layer of non-conductive material [20].
Korman et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the magnetic properties of each magnetized layer are different from one another.
Gardener et al. discloses the use of multilayered magnetic shell [601, 602, figure 6] including a plurality of magnetic layers [610, 620, 635, 645] separated by a non-conductive material layer [615, 640], wherein the magnetic layers formed of different magnetic materials [para 0032].
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 different magnetic materials for the upper shell of Korman et al., as suggested by Gardener et al., for the purpose of facilitating different desired magnetic flux/field and/or shielding.
The specific arrangement of the different magnetic materials layer relative to the conductors would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating shielding.
Claim(s) 7-13, as best understood in view of the rejection under 35 USC 112 second paragraph, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gardener et al. [US 2008/003699 A1] in view of Korma et al.
Regarding claim 7, Gardener et al. discloses an apparatus [300, figure 3], comprising:
- an inductor, including: a first wire [210]; a second wire [210], parallel to the first wire;
- a non-conductive material [insulating material 330] covering the first wire and the second wire; and
- a shell, including an upper portion [220] and a lower portion [310], surrounding a portion of the non-conductive material, wherein the shell includes at least one magnetized layer, wherein a cross section of the upper portion of the shell includes a channel [figure 3] formed between the first wire and the second wire, wherein the shell includes a particular gap between the upper portion and the lower portion at which the non-conductive material is not covered [figure 3].
Gardener et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the lower portion of the shell includes a first part and a second part with a different gap between the first part and the second part at which the non-conductive material is not covered.
Korman et al. discloses an apparatus [figures 1-4], comprising:
- an inductor, including:
- a conductor [16];
- a non-conductive material covering the conductor [figure 1A]; and
- a shell, including an upper portion [14] and a lower portion [12], surrounding a portion of the non-conductive material, wherein the shell includes at least one magnetized layer, wherein the shell includes a particular gap between the upper portion and the lower portion at which the non-conductive material is not covered [figures 1A and 4], and wherein the upper portion of the shell includes a first part and a second part with a different gap [30] between the first part and the second part at which the non-conductive material is not covered [figure 4].
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 gaps arrangement of Korman et al. in Gardener et al. for the purpose of minimizing eddy current losses [abstract].
Regarding claim 8, Korman et al. discloses the particular gap and the different gap run parallel to each other for a length of the shell [figure 4].
Regarding claim 9, Korman et al. discloses the particular gap and the different gap run parallel to the conductor for a length of the shell.
Regarding claims 10-11, Korman et al. discloses the lower portion of the shell includes a first part and a second part with another gap [30] between the first part and the second part of the lower portion [figure 4], wherein the another gap runs parallel to the different gap for a length of the shell [figure 4].
Regarding claims 12-13, Gardener et al. discloses the use of multilayered magnetic shell or layers [601, 602, figure 6] including a plurality of magnetic layers [610, 620, 635, 645] separated by a non-conductive material layer [615, 640], wherein the magnetic layers formed of different magnetic materials [para 0032].
The specific arrangement of the different magnetic materials layer relative to the conductors would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating shielding.
Claim(s) 14-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Walsh [US 2001/0052837 A1] in view of Gardener et al. [US 2008/003699 A1].
Regarding claims 14 and 18, Walsh discloses an apparatus [figures 16a or 16b], comprising:
- a first inductor, including: a first wire [124 or 127]; a second wire [124, or 127, parallel to the first wire;
- a first non-conductive material [figures 16a or 16b or 34 in figure 3] covering the first wire and the second wire; and
- a first upper shell [122] surrounding a portion of the first non-conductive material, wherein the first upper shell includes at least one magnetized layer, and
- a second inductor, including: a third wire [124 or 127]; a fourth wire [124 or 127], parallel to the third wire;
- a second non-conductive material [figures 16a or 16b or 34 in figure 3] covering the third wire and the fourth wire; and
- a second upper shell [123] surrounding a portion of the second non-conductive material, wherein the second upper shell includes at least one magnetized layer; wherein the second inductor is inverted and attached on a bottom of the first inductor to form an inductive device, wherein the first wire and the third wire are parallel to each other [figures 16a-16b].
Walsh disclose the instant claimed invention except for of the first upper shell includes a channel formed between the first wire and the second wire.
Gardener et al. discloses an apparatus [300, figure 3], comprising:
- an inductor, including: a first wire [210]; a second wire [210], parallel to the first wire;
- a non-conductive material [insulating material 330] covering the first wire and the second wire; and
- a shell, including an upper portion [220] and a lower portion [310], surrounding a portion of the non-conductive material, wherein the shell includes at least one magnetized layer, wherein a cross section of the upper portion of the shell includes a channel [figure 3] formed between the first wire and the second wire, wherein the channel runs parallel to the first wire and the second wire [figure 3].
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 channel in the upper shell of Walsh, as suggested by Gardener et al., for the purpose of facilitating different magnetic flux/field and/or shielding.
Regarding claims 15-16, Walsh discloses a gap between the first upper shell and the second upper shell [figures 16a-16b], wherein the gap runs parallel to the first and second wires for a length of the first and second upper shells [figures 16a-16b].
Regarding claim 17, Walsh discloses the first wire is conductively coupled to the third wire and the second wire is conductively coupled to the fourth wire [figures 16a-16b].
Regarding claim 20, Gardener et al. discloses the use of multilayered magnetic shell or layers [601, 602, figure 6] including a plurality of magnetic layers [610, 620, 635, 645] separated by a non-conductive material layer [615, 640], wherein the magnetic layers formed of different magnetic materials [para 0032].
Claim(s) 14 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Walsh in view of Folker [US 8,242,870 B1].
Regarding claims 14 and 19, Walsh discloses an apparatus [figures 16a or 16b], comprising:
- a first inductor, including: a first wire [124 or 127]; a second wire [124, or 127, parallel to the first wire;
- a first non-conductive material [figures 16a or 16b or 34 in figure 3] covering the first wire and the second wire; and
- a first upper shell [122] surrounding a portion of the first non-conductive material, wherein the first upper shell includes at least one magnetized layer, and
- a second inductor, including: a third wire [124 or 127]; a fourth wire [124 or 127], parallel to the third wire;
- a second non-conductive material [figures 16a or 16b or 34 in figure 3] covering the third wire and the fourth wire; and
- a second upper shell [123] surrounding a portion of the second non-conductive material, wherein the second upper shell includes at least one magnetized layer; wherein the second inductor is inverted and attached on a bottom of the first inductor to form an inductive device, wherein the first wire and the third wire are parallel to each other [figures 16a-16b].
Walsh disclose the instant claimed invention except for of the first upper shell includes a channel formed between the first wire and the second wire.
Folker discloses a magnetic component comprising:
- a magnetic structure including upper and lower portions [10, 112],
- a coil/conductor [94] arranged between the upper and lower portions, wherein the upper and lower portions each includes a channel [74, 128].
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 channel in Walsh et al., as suggested by Folker for the purpose of facilitating different magnetic flux/field.
Conclusion
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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