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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3-5 and 7-11 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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 3-5 and 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2013/0188329 A1, hereinafter “Chang”) in view of Tsai et al. (U.S. Patent No. 8,912,875 B1, hereinafter “Tsai”) and Bichler (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2014/0266537 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Chang teaches a transformer (FIGs. 1-4), comprising:
a hollow bobbin 21;
two magnetic cores 10, inserted into the hollow bobbin;
a primary winding 22, wound around the hollow bobbin;
a plurality of first secondary windings (upper windings 31, see FIG. 3, of secondary winding unit 30); and
a plurality of second secondary windings (lower windings 31 of secondary winding unit 30, FIG. 3),
wherein the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings are alternately arranged around the primary winding,
wherein a first terminal 312 of each of the first secondary windings is connected to a first node (node connected to first terminal), a second terminal 313 of each of the first secondary windings is connected to a second node (node connected to second terminal), a first terminal 313 of each of the second secondary windings is connected to the second node, and a second terminal 312 of each of the second secondary windings is connected to a third node (node connected to third terminal),
wherein the transformer further comprises a circuit board 50, the circuit board comprises a first plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50a, annotated FIG. 2), a second plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50b) and a third plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50c),
wherein each first secondary winding comprises a first ring body 311, a first connecting pin (pin of first terminal 312) and a second connecting pin (pin of second terminal 313), the first secondary windings are mounted on the circuit board and are connected in parallel, the first connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50a of the first plurality of through-holes, the second connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50b of the second plurality of through-holes,
wherein each second secondary winding comprises a second ring body 311, a third connecting pin (pin of third terminal) and a fourth connecting pin (pin of fourth terminal), the second secondary windings are mounted on the circuit board and are connected in parallel, the third connecting pin is inserted into the through-hole 50b of the second plurality of through-holes, the fourth connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50c of the third plurality of through-holes (paras. [0027]-[0029], [0032] and [0034]).
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Chang does not expressly teach
the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings surround the primary winding.
Tsai teaches a transformer 200 (FIGs. 6-8),
wherein the first secondary windings 21 and 23 and the second secondary windings 22 and 24 surround the primary winding 3 (col. 3, line 66 to col. 4, line 3; col. 5, lines 37-43). The examiner applies the teaching of the secondary windings surrounding the primary winding, not the flexible secondary windings. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the secondary windings surrounding the primary winding as taught by Tsai to the transformer of Chang to provide the required magnetic coupling to meet design requirements.
Chang does not also expressly teach
wherein the primary winding is wound around the hollow bobbin in two layers, wherein the two layers are offset relative to one another.
Bichler teaches a transformer (Figure 1B),
wherein the primary winding 50 is wound around the hollow bobbin 40 in two layers, wherein the two layers are offset relative to one another (para. [0028]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the primary winding offset layers as taught by Bichler to the transformer of Chang to provide the required turn ratio while improving the stability of winding turns.
With respect to claim 3, Chang in view of Tsai and Bichler teaches the transformer according to claim 1, wherein the primary winding is formed of a metal wire, each of the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings is formed of a metal slot (Chang, paras. [0028] and [0029]).
With respect to claim 4, Chang in view of Tsai teaches the transformer according to claim 1. Chang in view of Tsai does not expressly teach an air gap is formed between the two magnetic cores.
Bichler teaches a transformer (Figure 1B), wherein an air gap S is formed between the two magnetic cores 10a and 10b (para. [0028]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the air gap as taught by Bichler to the transformer of Chang in view of Tsai to provide the required magnetic saturation characteristics to meet design requirements.
With respect to claim 5, Chang in view of Tsai and Bichler teaches the transformer according to claim 1, further comprising:
an insulating film (insulator of primary coil 22 and or flange 21), surrounding the primary winding; and
a plurality of insulating sheets 40, disposed among the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings (Chang, paras. [0028] and [0040]).
With respect to claim 8, Chang in view of Tsai and Bichler teaches the transformer according to claim 1, wherein each of the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings surrounds the primary winding in one layer (Tsai, col. 4, lines 1-3 and col. 5, lines 35-43).
With respect to claim 9, Chang in view of Tsai and Bichler teaches the transformer according to claim 1, wherein each of the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings surrounds the primary winding in one turn (Tsai, col. 5, lines 37-43).
With respect to claim 10, Chang in view of Tsai and Bichler teaches the transformer according to claim 1, wherein cross-sectional areas of the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings are substantially equal (Chang, para. [0029]).
With respect to claim 11, Chang teaches a transformer (FIGs. 1-4), comprising:
a hollow bobbin 21;
two magnetic cores 10, inserted into the hollow bobbin;
a primary winding 22, wound around the hollow bobbin;
a plurality of first secondary windings (upper windings 31, see FIG. 3, of secondary winding unit 30); and
a plurality of second secondary windings (lower windings 31 of secondary winding unit 30, FIG. 3),
wherein a first terminal 312 of each of the secondary windings is connected to a first node (node connected to first terminal), a second terminal 313 of each of the first secondary windings is connected to a second node (node connected to second terminal), a first terminal 313 of each of the second secondary windings is connected to the second node, and a second terminal 312 of each of the second secondary windings is connected to a third node (node connected to third terminal),
wherein the transformer further comprises a circuit board 50, the circuit board comprises a first plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50a, annotated FIG. 2), a second plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50b) and a third plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50c),
wherein each first secondary winding comprises a first ring body 311, a first connecting pin (pin of first terminal 312) and a second connecting pin (pin of second terminal 313), the first secondary windings are mounted on the circuit board and are connected in parallel, the first connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50a of the first plurality of through-holes, the second connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50b of the second plurality of through-holes,
wherein each second secondary winding comprises a second ring body 311, a third connecting pin (pin of third terminal) and a fourth connecting pin (pin of fourth terminal), the second secondary windings are mounted on the circuit board and are connected in parallel, the third connecting pin is inserted into the through-hole 50b of the second plurality of through-holes, the fourth connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50c of the third plurality of through-holes (paras. [0027]-[0029], [0032] and [0034]).
Chang does not expressly teach
the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings surround the primary winding.
Tsai teaches a transformer 200 (FIGs. 6-8),
wherein the first secondary windings 21 and 23 and the second secondary windings 22 and 24 surround the primary winding 3 (col. 3, line 66 to col. 4, line 3; col. 5, lines 37-43). The examiner applies the teaching of the secondary windings surrounding the primary winding, not the flexible secondary windings. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the secondary windings surrounding the primary winding as taught by Tsai to the transformer of Chang to provide the required magnetic coupling to meet design requirements.
Chang does not also expressly teach
an air gap is formed between the two magnetic cores,
wherein the primary winding is wound around the hollow bobbin in two layers, wherein the two layers are offset relative to one another.
Bichler teaches a transformer (Figure 1B),
wherein an air gap S is formed between the two magnetic cores 10a and 10b,
wherein the primary winding 50 is wound around the hollow bobbin 40 in two layers, wherein the two layers are offset relative to one another (para. [0028]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the primary winding offset layers as taught by Bichler to the transformer of Chang to provide the required turn ratio while improving the stability of winding turns (para. [0028]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the air gap and the offset winding layers as taught by Bichler to the transformer of Chang in view of Tsai to provide the required magnetic saturation characteristics and or turn ratio to meet design requirements.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang in view of Tsai and Bichler, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Huang et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2016/0111201 A1, hereinafter “Huang”).
With respect to claim 7, Chang in view of Tsai and Bichler teaches the transformer according to claim 1. Chang in view of Tsai and Bichler does not expressly teach the primary winding has 16 turns.
Huang teaches a transformer (FIG. 3), wherein the primary winding 32 has 16 turns(para. [0023]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the number of primary winding turns as taught by Huang to the transformer of Chang in view of Tsai and Bichler to provide the desired turn ratio to meet design requirements.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANGTIN LIAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5729. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 0800-1700.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S. Ismail can be reached at 571-272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MANG TIN BIK LIAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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